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England bowled over

Saturday, August 16 2003

Since England's success in the one-day internationals against Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa, they have failed to convert their momentum and outstanding performances back to the Test arena. For a number of years, despite routine hiccups against Australia, the English side have fared well in the five-day version of the game under the leadership of Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher, achieving a certain degree of success against all the Test-playing nations. However, in the first two matches against South Africa, England's bowlers have appeared incapable of restricting their aggressive strokemakers, including the openers, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith, not to mention dismissing them. Smith has excelled, scoring more than two hundred and fifty in two of his three innings, including the highest ever score by a South African. Ironically, it was England's young, impressive bowling attack that was being credited for much of their one-day success, and also being given as a reason, by many pundits, why England were favourites for the forthcoming Test series. In addition, in the long term England's bowlers have struggled with injury, therefore there is less consistency in the department.

What England seemed to lack was someone they could rely on to take wickets, like Makhaya Ntini, as well as someone who could put the batsmen under pressure, not giving them anything to score runs off, such as Shaun Pollock. Darren Gough, who in the past could have filled one of these roles, was unable to do so, simply because of his absence from Test cricket for the best part of two years. Not only has he lost fitness and pace, but perhaps also some of his knowledge of the game, which enables bowlers to know where to put the ball. Unfortunately, Gough has retired from Test cricket since the second Test at Lord's, which is disappointing because of the effort he has shown in recent years to recover from the recurring injury, and the way he proved people wrong by forcing his way back into the squad. Although he declared that the reason for his retirement was to prolong his one-day career, his enthusiastic and 'never say die' approach to cricket meant that I was surprised at his announcement, expecting him to take a similar stance as Alec Stewart did earlier in the season, simply 'making himself available'. Nevertheless, although he was clearly not at his best in the first two matches, he will be missed for his world-class bowling, as well as his energetic character, which earned him the title 'the heartbeat of the England team', from David Lloyd.

James Anderson is another of England's bowler who has shown an ability to bowl tightly and take wickets in his brief but outstanding one-day international career. Many will remember his performance against Australia in the VB Series at the Adelaide Oval where, having set Australia just 153 to win, England were under pressure. Anderson, opening the bowling took one wicket for just twelve runs off his ten overs. Australia scraped home by four wickets, with just two and a half overs to spare. Many will also certainly remember two of his performances against Pakistan. At Newlands during the World Cup, he swung the ball both ways under the lights, dismissing Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana with successive deliveries, and later both Saeed Anwar and Rashid Latif in the same over. He finished with 4-29 from ten overs. In the match at The Oval in the Natwest Challenge he took a wicket with the first ball of the match, and finished the innings with a hat-trick, the first ever by an Englishman in one-day internationals. He took 4-27 off nine overs. Unfortunately, he has been unable to convert his success to the longer version of the game. He has been trusted with much responsibility, and has handled the position with maturity beyond his young age. Against Zimbabwe, his inexperience was disguised by poor batting. He took eleven wickets at an average of just over twenty, however he gave away almost 3.5 runs per over against Streak's young side. Since the Natwest Series Anderson has been punished, predominantly by Smith, a player he seemed to have the measure of in the one-day internationals, and has, for the first time in his short international career, been made to look mortal. Prior to this year he had played very little cricket for Lancashire, therefore one could argue that he is not used to playing and bowling so frequently on the biggest stage. Alternatively, the responsibility that he has been given, as well as the unusual reliance that the England team have placed on such a young player could be pressurising him.

Another of England's young guns, Steve Harmison has so far failed to fulfil his potential. As the quality of Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar surfaced over recent years, the England selectors became desperate for pace and therefore selected both Simon Jones and Harmison for one Test each during the series against India last year. With height and pace, Harmison could prove to be a handful in the right conditions, however up to now he has been unable to completely justify the selectors perseverance. Undoubtedly he could become a very good bowler, and he has many admirers, including Dennis Lillee, however he needs to make an impact soon before people become fed up of waiting.

Ashley Giles who received much criticism during the one-day internationals, has for much of the time been England's most effective bowler during the two Tests. He is obviously not in the same class as Muralitharan or Saqlain, but can play a part in the side. Andrew Flintoff proved that he is a more than capable one-day bowler earlier in the season, and troubled South Africa in the Tests. Combined with his impressive century, he has shown that he is really developing into a class all-rounder.

Ideas about rotating England's bowlers could be advantageous but are presently completely infeasible. Andy Caddick, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Tudor, Richard Johnson and Simon Jones are all presently absent through injury. The constant volume of bowlers on the injury list further ridicule claims that England's contracted players need to play more county cricket. Only Anderson has had an injury-free international career, which can be explained by the brief period of time that he has been playing.

There are a number of promising, young bowlers such as James Kirtley and Kabir Ali, however in order to compete with players such as Smith and Gibbs they need experience under their belt as shown by the way the South African openers dominated much of the first two matches. England certainly have a vast quantity of talented bowlers, however fitness is an issue that seriously needs to be considered. With everyone at full fitness, the selectors would be given a tricky but pleasant problem, as they would need to select three pacemen to accompany Giles and the now-established Flintoff. In contention for the places would be: Anderson, Harmison, Jones, Caddick, Hoggard, Johnson, Tudor as well as Kirtley and Ali and possibly now even Glen Chapple, who many expected to play at Trent Bridge because of his ability to swing the ball. Realistically, the bowlers could be rotated, fitness depending, however would this affect the consistency of the side. Caddick, Harmison, Johnson, Jones and Tudor have always suffered from injury, as did Gough, emphasising the importance for young bowlers to concentrate on the matter, from the grass roots of the game, through the counties and the academy to the national side.

Posted by Kelvin