Lofted drives, slogs to cow corner, even the audacious ramp shot - Laura Wright is willing to use every trick in her arsenal to adapt to the shortest form of the game.
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A conservative player by nature, the ACT Meteors wicketkeeper is reaping the rewards of a more aggressive batting approach, one she hopes to continue in this weekend's triple-header against the Victoria Spirit at Manuka Oval, starting on Friday.
With Twenty20 games making up two-thirds of the Women's National Cricket League schedule, the 25-year-old has been mindful to change her game accordingly.
''Over the past couple years I've been trying to adapt my game to the Twenty20 format,'' Wright said. ''I have traditionally been a 50-over batter, so I've been working on a few different shot selections and different ways of getting off strike. It seems to be paying off at the moment.''
Wright has given the Meteors plenty of punch at the top of the order, a classy 78 from 95 balls in an easy eight-wicket win against South Australia last month illustrating her change of mindset.
The classic cricket strokes are still there, but they are now mixed with an array of conventional and not-so-conventional techniques, the most notable being the ramp shot. All the rage in the modern game, it involves getting down on one knee and flicking a fast bowler back over the wicketkeeper's head. And despite ramping one straight onto her stumps in the nets, Wright will continue to keep using the stroke.
''I've pulled out a few ramps and it's something I've been using more,'' she said. ''It can be a dangerous shot, but it's something I enjoy playing. I like to hit along the ground, but with the game heading more and more to Twenty20, hitting over the top is something I've been working on.''
Wright has been with the Meteors since their inception in 2009-10, and believes they can challenge powerhouses NSW and Victoria.
''NSW and Victoria have definitely been the benchmark for many years, and I think we have learnt a lot from them in the past couple of seasons,'' she said.
''This weekend against Victoria will be a real test to see where we are at after learning some lessons against NSW.''
Both teams are below full strength, with the Meteors missing strike fast bowlers Sian Ruck and Aimee Harris, while the Spirit are without Australian Southern Stars duo Jess Cameron and Julie Hunter.
The Meteors face the Spirit on Friday in a Twenty20 match at Manuka Oval from 3pm.
