CRICKET - Making an impact on the fringe

Matthew Bell knows that it's not far from the fringes of the Black Caps, where he is now, to being back in the squad.
The recent experiences of a Wellington teammate have displayed just how quickly someone's luck can change,
"Look at my mate, Grant Elliot, who went to England on the off-chance that there might be an injury or a loss of form [in the Blacks Caps touring squad] and it came off brilliantly for him and that's what you've got to do, be in the right place at the right time and make your opportunities count," he said.
Bell is a part of the continuing revolving door selection policy at the top of the Black Caps batting order. Averaging over 100 at the start of the State Championship last season, he earned a test recall, which started so brightly with a century against Bangladesh, before hitting a wall against the English. Opening the batting, he averaged 9.5 in his five innings before a 69 in the third test at Napier briefly revived hopes he might make the squad for the English leg of the tour. But he missed the cut, along with Matthew Sinclair.
It was Bell's third stint with the national squad after spells in 1998 and 2000.
"While it was obviously disappointing to have a loss of form when you're on the international stage, it does give you an insight into how to handle it better next time and what else you might do to try and get you back into some form," Bell said.
He has decided to introduce one technical change into his batting but will stay true to the brand of cricket that sees him with 21 domestic first class centuries to his name.
The impeding changes in New Zealand's senior management, with chairman of selectors Richard Hadlee and coach John Bracewell on their way out, will result in a reshuffle of selectors and that could help him get back in the international frame.
"If you put in consistent performances at the domestic level then you put pressure on the selectors to choose you for New Zealand," Bell says.
It was another kind of opportunity that brought Bell back to his native Whangarei for a coaching clinic on Friday. He was demonstrating the products of coaching equipment brand XLR8, a recent change of direction in his coaching career.
"I'm slowly getting my way around the cricketing fraternity demonstrating our adult range of fitness gear and my role is cricket specific, using my experience and knowledge to present special courses and resources to upskill for coaches, running through the three disciplines: batting bowling and fielding."
There was also the chance to catch up with family and friends at Northland cricket, although Bell's father, Northland Cricket's CEO Gary, was conspicuously absent from Friday's presentation, attending a leadership programme run by Sport Northland out of town.
There was just the weekend at home for Bell. Coaching duties in Wellington with regional age-group representative squads called him back to his Island Bay base.
"I've had a chance to have a break from cricket and reflect on the past season and work out where I want to go for the future and this new business that I'm working with is part of that, there's real potential there and far as the Black Caps go, we'll just have to wait and see how the season with Wellington goes."