Anderson thanks catchers
England fast bowler James Anderson has thanked the catchers in the England team after the first test win against Pakistan.
Anderson picked up his first ever ten wicket haul in a test match but said he owes a lot to the catchers in the team for being as good as they were and not letting a single chance go to waste.
Anderson is one of the finest swing bowlers in England history and he ripped the heart of the Pakistan team out in both innings. Some impressive catching from Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann helped him along the way.
It's important that all areas of the England team remain successful in the build up to an intense Ashes series this winter. Questions have also started to pop up over whether Anderson is versatile enough to take wickets when the ball doesn't swing.
All parts of the team
All parts of the England team played very well against Pakistan and this made success very easy. The bowlers were all over the Pakistan side like a rush and did not give them any chance to score runs and pull away in the game.
The batsmen had to rough it because the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 bowling line up is very good. However, they got stuck in and there were hundreds for Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior as England got enough runs on the board to make sure the game was a certainty.
England's catching was superb and not a single chance was missed. Paul Collingwood demonstrated why he is the best catcher of a cricket ball in the world as he had to move closer to the wicket on a slowing pitch.
Anderson said: "This morning [yesterday] was the best display of slip catching we've produced as an England team. Every single morning they practise slip catching and it's paying off. It generally swings here and it certainly helped this week - It was a little bit strange all the way through both innings - it swung a decent amount. And all the nicks carried, all went to hand, there was not much beating the bat."
Anderson's versatility
There is no question at all that when the ball swings Anderson looks dangerous with every delivery that he bowls. however, the ball is not always going to swing round corners in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and there are questions over his versatility.
The pitches in Australia will be flat and Anderson needs to work on his slower balls and cutters in case there is no movement through the air. The cricket ball used in Australia is also different and Anderson has to prepare for the eventuality that the ball will not help him.
He added: "But you can't turn up to a game expecting it to swing. We could go to Edgbaston on Friday and it doesn't swing. You just want to create pressure by bowling maidens."
Betting advice
England are now very strong favourites to win the test series against Pakistan. They should do this comfortably but try and avoid bets on the England team from now on because the odds will be poor.
Back batsmen to get hundreds and bowlers to take five wickets because this is where you are going to make your money. Any of the top seven in the England team could get a hundred while any of the bowlers in either team can take five wickets. Edge your bets and work out statistically who has been the most productive player over the last couple of months.
Mohammad Amir and James Anderson are the bowlers to back while Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Morgan all look like they can get a hundred.
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