Thaindian News

Wellington, Jan.19 (ANI): Ace Kiwi batsman Lou Vincent says he can still get good results from mishit shots, and believes that the new Mongoose bat is just up his street.

According to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper, the radical bat, which combines a pygmy blade with a long handle, is the brainchild of Marcus Codrington Fernandez, an advertising guru who came up with the idea while at home in England convalescing after a stroke.

It has been mighty effective in the hands of Vincent. So much so, that he is shaping as a potential dark horse in the Indian Premier League auction tonight.

Vincent is one of four New Zealanders among 66 hopefuls in the auction.

With about 12 spots expected to be up for grabs, the odds are not great, but the 31-year-old has done his chances no harm with an excellent HRV Cup campaign.

After seven rounds Vincent leads the run scoring with 253 at an average of 43, the highlight an unbeaten 105 against Wellington.

During that innings he even switched his normal three-quarter length Mongoose, the CoR3, for the most extreme version, the MMi3, described by its own promotional guff as “the single most radical change to cricket equipment since 1771″.

The theory is that the wood at the top of the bat is wasted in Twenty20 cricket, as there was not a great deal of need for the back-foot defence.

Instead the splice is integrated into the handle and the weight shifts down the bat, so much so that even yorkers that hit the toe of the bat can be hit for four.

“There’s certainly more bat-speed and power going through the ball,” said Vincent.

Vincent described his inclusion in the auction as “a complete bonus” and was so relaxed about the outcome he did not plan to follow it. (ANI)