Jon Holland is intent on making sure he doesn't fall away, both with respect to his bowling action and his place in the pecking order of Australian spinners.
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While Australia were relinquishing the Ashes in England, left-arm orthodox bowler Holland was working at his action.
"I worked on a couple of things during the winter in the nets, and so far the ball feels like it's coming out pretty well," he said from Sydney on Thursday.
"A couple of alignment things at the crease, front arm being strong and high, just keeping my head straight towards the target, they've probably been the main things.
"I've probably been falling away a little bit, it's just something I identified by looking at old footage and thought that maybe I could try and stay up a bit taller and straighter. It seems to work better."
Holland, 28, has begun his eighth season as a domestic cricketer strongly, backing up solid showings in the Bushrangers' trial games with 3-17 against the Cricket Australia XI in Victoria's winning Matador BBQs One-Day Cup opener on Wednesday.
It comes after a season in which he was serviceable with the white ball for Victoria but could not overtake leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, who was on his way to berths in Test squads to tour the West Indies and England.
In fact, Holland lost his spot for the Sheffield Shield final, despite coming off eight wickets in his most recent shield game against Tasmania.
But when the Test tour to Bangladesh was cancelled, it was Ahmed, not Holland, who made way for the returning Glenn Maxwell.
For Holland, it was a confidence-booster after missing the shield final.
"I'm pretty confident with my game in one-day cricket. I've learnt a lot. It helps being in the Victorian team, because we've got such a strong one-day team.
"I pretty much know where I stand in the Victorian squad. I've just got to make the most of the opportunities I get, obviously starting out with the one-day tournament."
Holland has a long-term goal: the 2019 World Cup. Xavier Doherty was called upon only once during the triumphant 2015 campaign, with the selectors preferring to rely on Maxwell's all-round ability.
Ashton Agar was then named in the squad for the one-day series that followed the Ashes, but played only two of the matches, giving cause for hope to others, including Holland.
"Definitely it's in the back of your mind. There's probably really no spinner that's taken that job. Maxy did a great job in the World Cup, but other than that there haven't really been too many spinners played, so if I keep performing well, you never know what could happen."
On Friday Holland and his Victorian teammates go up against Queensland at Blacktown, and fellow spinner Cameron Boyce, who looms as one of his competitors for national selection in the next four years.
"He's a good bowler and a good bloke, but it's always in the back of your mind, I guess, that you want to bowl better than the opposition spinner, because that's probably who you're up against," Holland said.
