By Oliver Brett BBC Sport

At six foot 10 inches tall, Essex opener Will Jefferson is more than a foot taller than the average cricketer.

Even the legendary West Indies paceman Joel Garner, known as 'Big Bird' to friend and foe alike, stands two inches shorter than that.

Many people may think a batsman of Jefferson's stature may struggle with footwork - especially to short balls delivered by fast bowlers.

But the man himself reckons his height is a boost rather than a hindrance.

How Jefferson compares with Sachin Tendulkar at the crease

"I can have a lot of advantages over batsmen of a normal height," he tells BBC Sport.

"I've been working on how to play shots to good balls that other people will be playing defensively to.

"If I can carry that on I've got every chance of scoring runs against all types of opposition in the future so I love being this tall and being a batsman as well.

"I think bowlers will have to adapt their lines and lengths when they come up against me."

Now 23, Jefferson made his debut for Essex in 2000 but mostly played for Durham University until last season.

At the back end of 2002, he really came into his own, hitting two centuries including a vital unbeaten 165 against Nottinghamshire to secure Essex the division two title.

Bowlers will have to adapt their lines and lengths when they come up against me

And having missed out on a place in the Academy, he chose to spend the winter playing club cricket in Perth to further hone a technique that is attracting plenty of admiration.

Jefferson admits he has read "a few things in the papers" suggesting he is primed for big things this season.

And one day he hopes to re-introduce the seam-bowling which was a big part of his game until a back operation put a temporary end to it.

"Possibly, with another winter's training under my belt, I'll be bowling again a year from now," he explains.

When that happens, he hopes to become a genuine all-rounder but for now his role in the Essex side when not batting is confined to catching in the slips.

"I've got enormous reach and that means I can throw myself around and get to balls where other players wouldn't.

"Obviously it's tricky getting down low for someone my height but I can cover a large area.

Thick edges

"In the one-day game it's important with all the thick edges going down in that area. I can cover a wide area - maybe one or two slip positions at the same time."

In Perth, Jefferson says he initially struggled on the famously fast pitches on offer in that part of the world.

But after a while his batting clicked into gear and his shot-making improved enormously.

"I think I've got a better array of shots to take on the shorter ball now as well as the full ball which has been my strength for a while.

"I've been doing a lot of work on my pulling and cutting."