A multiple-match-winner with bat and ball last summer, Luis Reece enjoyed his most successful season to date last summer.
After missing much of the 2018 season with a foot injury, Reece established himself as a genuine all-rounder in all formats of the game.
His emergence as a front-line bowler was an achievement on a personal level and a bonus for the team as he became the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket.
A combination of swing and seam allied to a consistent line earned Reece 55 wickets and he narrowly missed out on the ‘double’ falling 56 short of 1,000 runs.
He also delivered key performances in the Vitality Blast as Derbyshire reached Finals Day for the first time and the club recognised what was a stellar campaign by awarding him his county cap in September.
After such a productive year, Reece was looking forward to building on it before the coronavirus pandemic put this season on hold until at least July as he outlined his aims going forward.
The role of the all-rounder is a demanding one but even more so if opening the batting and, on occasions, the bowling, and Reece is aware of the physical levels required to deliver in both disciplines.
Speaking to the ECB Reporter’s Network prior to the pandemic, the 29-year-old said: “The main focus in the winter was trying to get the body right and trying to reset as best I could after a busy 2019 and make sure I was as fit as I possibly could be.
“I put the hard yards in to try and get to the next level of fitness that could help with bowling the number of overs I was required to last year but also making sure I’ve got enough in the tank to go out and open the batting straight away.
“It’s something I tried to address this winter. It’s one thing being fit to do a role that’s either batting or bowling or being an all-rounder at six or seven but I’ve had to earmark that next level of fitness to make sure that I’m fit to do the job I’ve been asked to do.”
Showing he was capable of being more than just a batsman who could chip in with a few overs was a goal Reece had set himself.
“I see myself as a genuine all rounder, that was something I wanted to get to and it’s nice people recognise what I did last year,” he said.
“I put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes, not just last year but in general, and it was good to get a bit more responsibility and repay people for their trust and belief in me.
“I’ve had a few conversations with people about my role and it’s nice to be in a unique market where you want to either open the batting, open the bowling or be first change and I enjoy the challenge of that.
“As it stands it’s something I’ve embraced and I want to be able to get to the stage where I’m comfortable and happy doing it. It’s a nice situation to be in when people want you to do both, you’re valued as a cricketer.”
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