Marcus Trescothick says he will be "trying to swing from ball one" after being set a one million dollar challenge next season.
That is the amount the former England opener will earn if he can clear the Lord's pavilion using the new-style Mongoose bat in a Twenty20 or 40-over game.
The feat apparently has only ever been achieved once - by Australian Albert Trott in 1899 - although West Indian Kieron Pollard came close last summer.
Trescothick has already started practicing with the long-handled bat, which is said to hit the ball 20 per cent further than conventional ones after tests carried out by a professor at Imperial College in London.
"It will be good fun and great viewing if nothing less," he said today at the launch of his signing with the manufacturers of the bat with which Worcestershire's Gareth Andrew struck a 58-ball century at The Oval in September.
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"I can't see why not - it's been done in the past and if you've got a bat that can hit 20 per cent further, then why not?
"I've not used it outdoors yet, only in indoor nets, but you can tell when you hit it that it comes off fast.
"There's always a bit of a shock when you see something unusual, but once you've used it for a bit and understand the principle of where you hit the ball on the bat it makes a bit of sense in what you're trying to do."
Trescothick does not know yet when his first chance of the $US1 million ($A1.04 million) jackpot will come as next season's fixture list is still to be released.
