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Windies will be blown away if Anderson and Co pitch it right
In the swing: James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of Denesh Ramdin at Lord's - and he looks set to shine in the second Test at Trent Bridge
Since the ball has started swinging at this ground, Jimmy Anderson has been absolutely phenomenal there. This really is a fortress for England now because Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan perform well there too, as we saw with both men last year.
England were undoubtedly helped last year by using the 2010 batch of Duke balls, which seemed to swing for 90 overs. But they have all gone now and it was noticeable at Lord’s that the 2012 version went soft after something like 30 overs and England kept on badgering the umpires trying to get it changed. It will be interesting to see if the same thing happens at Trent Bridge.
Anderson still got plenty of swing on the first day at Lord’s but when West Indies bowled on the second day the ball rarely moved off the straight and narrow, even though, in Fidel Edwards, they have a bowler in their ranks who usually swings the ball.
Some said the wind direction had changed, others pointed to the vagaries of this most imprecise of cricketing sciences, but the bottom line is that the skill of the bowler is the most important factor in getting the ball to move through the air.
Home comforts: Stuart Broad took eight Indian wickets - including a hat-trick - at Trent Bridge last summer
And no-one is a more skilful swing bowler than Anderson. He once got me lbw with an inswinger that hit me on the toe at Old Trafford when I didn’t know which way the ball would swing.
And that was early in his career — he is a much more complete bowler now.
The way Anderson can move the ball out and then in with a minimal change of action is quite something, and he has added the wobble seam delivery now which goes straight on so the batsman is never quite sure what is coming next.
One of the things that used to annoy me during my time was the feeling of resignation that often gripped batsmen when the ball was swinging. They would shake their heads as if they couldn’t do anything about it.
Keeping the faith: Tim Bresnan, who won all of the 12 Tests he has played it, should get the nod
Well, part of the art of batting is to try to combat the swinging ball and you have to say that this West Indies team are not the best at dealing with it. In the Caribbean, with their abrasive outfields, the ball usually stops swinging after five overs so it is not something they have to deal with too often at home. They are likely to struggle at Trent Bridge.
That’s why I really fancy England in this second Investec Test.
They were only at around 80 per cent with the ball at Lord’s and if they are anything like their best they will have too much for the West Indies, particularly their inexperienced top three.
I would stick with Bresnan if conditions again look conducive to swing today. But occasionally at Trent Bridge the pitches can start a little too dry and if that happens, and they crack and then go up and down, Steven Finn would be the man for me.
Whichever attack England choose they will be firm favourites to go two up and win the series. Especially if they get in the swing
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cri...#ixzz1vrdRJD16
By NASSER HUSSAIN
PUBLISHED: 22:00, 24 May 2012 | UPDATED: 23:39, 24 May 2012
When I played at Trent Bridge there were two very different, distinctive types of pitches — very green ones for county matches to suit the Notts attack and very flat ones for Test cricket.
I scored a century against India there in 1996 but in truth you would have had to be a very bad batsman not to score runs on that particular pitch. It was an absolute belter.
But I also broke two fingers there, and even though that was not unusual with my poppadum fingers, it showed that batting could be difficult in Nottingham. Then, all of a sudden towards the end of my career, the ball started hopping round corners at Trent Bridge.
PUBLISHED: 22:00, 24 May 2012 | UPDATED: 23:39, 24 May 2012
When I played at Trent Bridge there were two very different, distinctive types of pitches — very green ones for county matches to suit the Notts attack and very flat ones for Test cricket.
I scored a century against India there in 1996 but in truth you would have had to be a very bad batsman not to score runs on that particular pitch. It was an absolute belter.
But I also broke two fingers there, and even though that was not unusual with my poppadum fingers, it showed that batting could be difficult in Nottingham. Then, all of a sudden towards the end of my career, the ball started hopping round corners at Trent Bridge.
In the swing: James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of Denesh Ramdin at Lord's - and he looks set to shine in the second Test at Trent Bridge
Since the ball has started swinging at this ground, Jimmy Anderson has been absolutely phenomenal there. This really is a fortress for England now because Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan perform well there too, as we saw with both men last year.
England were undoubtedly helped last year by using the 2010 batch of Duke balls, which seemed to swing for 90 overs. But they have all gone now and it was noticeable at Lord’s that the 2012 version went soft after something like 30 overs and England kept on badgering the umpires trying to get it changed. It will be interesting to see if the same thing happens at Trent Bridge.
Anderson still got plenty of swing on the first day at Lord’s but when West Indies bowled on the second day the ball rarely moved off the straight and narrow, even though, in Fidel Edwards, they have a bowler in their ranks who usually swings the ball.
Some said the wind direction had changed, others pointed to the vagaries of this most imprecise of cricketing sciences, but the bottom line is that the skill of the bowler is the most important factor in getting the ball to move through the air.
Home comforts: Stuart Broad took eight Indian wickets - including a hat-trick - at Trent Bridge last summerAnd no-one is a more skilful swing bowler than Anderson. He once got me lbw with an inswinger that hit me on the toe at Old Trafford when I didn’t know which way the ball would swing.
And that was early in his career — he is a much more complete bowler now.
The way Anderson can move the ball out and then in with a minimal change of action is quite something, and he has added the wobble seam delivery now which goes straight on so the batsman is never quite sure what is coming next.
One of the things that used to annoy me during my time was the feeling of resignation that often gripped batsmen when the ball was swinging. They would shake their heads as if they couldn’t do anything about it.
Keeping the faith: Tim Bresnan, who won all of the 12 Tests he has played it, should get the nodWell, part of the art of batting is to try to combat the swinging ball and you have to say that this West Indies team are not the best at dealing with it. In the Caribbean, with their abrasive outfields, the ball usually stops swinging after five overs so it is not something they have to deal with too often at home. They are likely to struggle at Trent Bridge.
That’s why I really fancy England in this second Investec Test.
They were only at around 80 per cent with the ball at Lord’s and if they are anything like their best they will have too much for the West Indies, particularly their inexperienced top three.
I would stick with Bresnan if conditions again look conducive to swing today. But occasionally at Trent Bridge the pitches can start a little too dry and if that happens, and they crack and then go up and down, Steven Finn would be the man for me.
Whichever attack England choose they will be firm favourites to go two up and win the series. Especially if they get in the swing
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cri...#ixzz1vrdRJD16
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