Luke Wells ready for "second half of his career" at Lancashire

The 30-year old didn’t feature for Sussex in 2020 and left the club under difficult circumstances, but is chomping at the bit to prove his red-ball worth at Emirates Old Trafford

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Luke Wells has indicated his desire to make his move to Lancashire a success, stating he is "here for the second half of his career."

The 30-year old top-order batsman previously represented his home county, Sussex, before departing under difficult circumstances at the end of last season. Despite being a regular starter at the county for a decade, Wells unexpectedly found himself surplus to requirements on the south coast and failed to make an appearance in 2020 before being let go in autumn.

However, after his difficult year, he is determined to make a fresh start at Lancashire and believes the challenges he’s faced will only make him a better player.

"It’s been an interesting 12 months – an emotional rollercoaster," he said. "It was reasonably well known that it was tough, not playing a game, being pushed out, and there was nothing I could do about it, and then the highs of signing here. The excitement is still there. Looking out at Old Trafford, even though there’s a blizzard, I’m very excited to go out there and take guard for the first time.

"It’s been testing but what it’s done is made me appreciate what I do for a living. I’m desperate to get out there and remind myself this is my passion and to never lose sight of that when I have good days and bad days.

"What I’ve gone through, that perspective will help me ride all the waves of emotion that professional cricket brings and remind me that it’s all part of it. When I was mentally down and out towards the back end of last summer, I had a call with Glen Chapple who talked about how much he wanted me to join the squad. It really gave me a boost and reminded me that I am a very good player and I have a record to prove it."

And the proof is there for all to see. Wells has scored 7,779 first-class runs  and averages 35.19 in 141 matches. More importantly for Lancashire, who failed to score a single century last season, their new signing has 18 100s and 33 fifties to his name.

Unfortunately, he will miss the first few matches of the season after injuring his hamstring while doing hill sprints at Rivington Pike. But he is aiming to be back for Lancashire’s fourth fixture where they face Sussex away at Hove.

"I’m almost there now but it’s unlikely to be the first game which is a shame," he said. "But I’m here for more than one game, I’m here for the second half of my career so I’ve just got to do it all right. I’m in very good hands and the rest of me is very fit, I’m 95 per cent there.

After a disappointing end at Sussex, Luke Wells is ready for his new dawn

"To go back and play against your old county, a lot of cricketers have done it – I’m not the first. It will be hard, but I will approach it as any other game, there’s no point bigging it up in my head. It’s just potential points in the bag to achieve the aims and goals that  we have here at Lancashire to finish in the top two and do what we need to do. I’m going to focus on that, maintain my perspective and not big up the game too much in my own head."

However, despite his exceptional record, Wells knows he will have to fight for his place in the XI.

"There’s no guarantee [of a place]," he said. "There’s competition for places and not many people walk into automatic selection. I have to spend some time in the middle and speak to the guys about what I need to do, but first and foremost it’s getting myself 100 per cent fit, getting my skills in order and getting ready to go."

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