HIS NAME is Rayner, Ollie Rayner, whose first five-wicket haul for Middlesex last week shows he has finally been given 'licence to thrill.'
The spinning all-rounder, for so long used merely to tie an end up or give the quick bowlers a breather revealed he was sent on an undercover operation recently to remodel his bowling approach.
Sent back to the second XI the German-born 27-year-old came under the watchful eye of Richard Johnson - or 'M' for the purposes of the Bond analogy.
And with ex- England and Kent slow left-armer Min Patel (Q) providing the tips Rayner emerged with a simpler but more dynamic action he hoped would enable him to get among the wickets again.
His 5-63 in the first innings of the draw against his former Sussex team-mates suggests the secret attempts at re-invention are bearing fruit.
He said: "The five-fer, especially against my old club was a big day in my cricket life.
"I haven't had many good long spells like that before, but to be fair I have not been spinning it the way I am at the moment.
"I got dropped which was sort of tactical on both sides to give me time to go and reassess my bowling, because I've said year in year out I don't want the batting to take it over.
"So it was a good chance for me to go back into the second team, tweak a few things and work out where I am at.
"Now I've got a few poles (wickets) and I'm feeling confident and good about the bowling again."
Without giving away all the trade secrets from his period of tactical withdrawal, Rayner gave an insight into the tweaking which had brought instant reward.
He added: "I'm actually trying to bowl quite quickly, but in order to do that I need to impart more spin on the ball.
"So I've changed my run up, pulling it right back to four paces so I can have a good base at the stumps and I'm trying to bowl a little bit more front on which is how I used to bowl.
"I think everyone can see I'm now giving it a good rip where before I thought my role was just to contain.
"It is really good the club has re-embraced me into the team because Tom (Smith) had done nothing wrong.
"I think the management has realised it can be quite hard to bowl spin in this team with our seam attack, but they gave me a pivotal role against my old side and I'd like to think I rewarded their patience in me."
