Beams takes leaf out of speedsters' book

Australia leg-spinner Kristen Beams has revealed the secret behind her recent stunning success with the ball, and it all stems from adding a dash of fast bowler – both in person and in practice - to the art of wrist spin.

Tasmanian-born Beams was been something of a late bloomer for the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars since making her international debut aged 29 in 2014.

Heading into last September’s tour of Sri Lanka, Beams had taken just 12 wickets in 14 ODI appearances.

Those numbers rapidly changed when she snared 16 wickets at an average of 5.50 across four ODIs and a sole Twenty20 on the island nation, taking career-best figures in both limited-overs formats.

She carried that form into the home summer, starring for Australia, Victoria and the Melbourne Stars despite a poorly-timed fractured finger that sidelined Beams for the first half of the Rebel Women’s Big Bash season.

Beams, now 32, puts her breakthrough success largely down to the influence of former Queensland fast bowler Joe Dawes, who has worked with the Southern Stars as a bowling mentor since 2015.

Success that has come despite her initial reservations about a diminutive leg-spinner being coached by a towering paceman.

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“It’s been really interesting for me to come into this team and have this bowling coach who’s a big, tall fast bowler,” Beams told cricket.com.au.

“I was thinking, ‘How will I work with this this guy, is he going to understand what a tiny leg-spinner can do?’

“But we’ve built a really good working relationship and we’re really good mates as well.”

As it turned out, it’s Dawes’ background as a fast bowler has proved to be the silver bullet Beams needed to grow from a player with promise into a world-class spinner.

“It’s been quite funny, I’ve nearly been coached like a fast bowler (by Dawes), in the sense of trying to be up nice and tall at the crease, getting in close to the stumps and attacking the front pad more," she explained.

“I’m not a big turner of the ball at all, so these technical changes are about making sure I get a bit straighter and give myself more opportunities to take wickets either bowled or lbw.

“He’s straightened my run up and made it a bit longer, so in some ways I’ve got these little fast bowling aspects to being a leg-spinner now, and that’s made a big difference for me in how I get my wickets.”

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Equally as important as Dawes’ technical advice has been his influence on Beams’ attitude towards life as a professional cricketer, a connection forged by their similar natures and histories.

“We’re both fearless but I think we’re both pretty sensitive souls as well,” Beams said.

“We’ve had pretty similar careers, he was a mature-age player when he started playing Shield cricket and I’m a mature-age player here as well, so we’ve both been full-time workers who have then been able to find ourselves as full-time cricketers.

“And the older you get, the better you have to perform because you know you have to stay above the line. Once you drop under the line, you’re very easily replaced by someone much younger than yourself.

“Having a mentor, not just on the technical side of things but who also understands that is really helpful.”

Such as been Dawes’ impact, Beams is not even sure she would still be part of the national set-up if not for his influence, which has her poised to be a key player for Australia for years to come.

“I’m trying to stay in this environment for as long as I can because I think there’s more and more possibilities with what I can do with the ball here and working with people like Joey," she said.

“I still think there’s more I can get out of my game.”

Success has brought a strong sense of confidence and calm within Beams, who knows that, at 32, there’s no point in worrying about the things she can’t change, instead focusing on making the most of what she can.

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“I still pinch myself every day and feel like it’s Christmas when I get to put on my uniform, but more and more I feel comfortable in the group and in myself.

“There’s lots of things I don’t do well and I’ve nearly stopped worrying about those as much.

“I’m positive and proactive in working on them, but I’m also comfortable with what I can do with my own game.

“I think I’m also a bit more comfortable knowing at some point I will get tapped on the shoulder.

“I’m 32 and I feel lucky to be here and I want to hold on to it for as long as I can, but I don’t think I’ll walk away with any regrets when I do get that tap on the shoulder.“

And while Beams is careful to point out that she has been fortunate to work with a long list of exceptional coaches during her time in elite-level cricket; sometimes, everything just clicks when the right cricket brains are put together.

“You can work with lots of great coaches and they can’t get the best out of you," she said.

“I’ve worked with lots and lots of great leg-spin coaches and its funny how, all of a sudden I work with this fast bowling coach, and he gets the best out of me.”

Now Beams is eager to make the most of her senior status in the Australia squad by taking on the role of mentor herself and helping to develop the Southern Stars’ current crop of young spinners, including fellow leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington and recent T20 debutantes Ashleigh Gardner and Molly Strano.

“I always appreciate it when people have been generous with their time with me, so I really want to be that person for the bowling group when they want it," she said.

“If someone needs a hand or is a bit low on confidence, I think there’s a role for me to play in there.”

And while Beams hopes to be a key member of the Australian XI for years to come, she is also excited to see the magic Dawes can weave with the next generation.

“They’ve got so much talent, it’s exciting to think what could be possible for those guys," she said.

“They do turn it more than I do and do some other things.

“We’ve had a few performances which haven’t been perfect lately, but we’re going in the right direction and have a great opportunity not only to win the World Cup, but to dominate world cricket for the next five years with the group we’ve got.”