England’s bowling attack for the Ashes
The 2010-11 Ashes between England and Australia starts in Brisbane on 23rd of November. Much has been said in anticipation of the Ashes. This will be England’s best Test side in a decade to travel to Australia.
Currently, the way England’s cricket team is performing it will not be an exaggeration to call them the best English side of this decade. The last time England lost an ODI series was against Australia, at home, in September 2009. There last Test series loss
was against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 2009. They are the current, ICC World T20 winners.
A lot of credit should be given to England’s current bowling attack for their success, in all forms of the game. England’s bowling side is not the most talented and devastating, but it is the most disciplined when it comes to bowling line and length.
We will have to discuss the current English bowling attack which will tour Australia to defend their Ashes title.
James Anderson
He is the leader of the current English bowling attack. Anderson is mainly a swing bowler. He is one of the few bowlers who can swing it both ways.
Anderson has a pretty decent Test record. In all, he has taken 188 wickets in 52 Test matches at an average of 31. These statistics might not show his full potential. He has been in and out of the team due to several injuries. It has affected his consistency
overall.
The biggest criticism he has faced during his career, is his inability to perform outside England where it does not swing. Away from home, he has taken 52 Test wickets in 19 matches at a poor average of 43 with a best of 5/63. His tally of 52 scalps includes
a single 5 wicket-haul.
Currently, he has been in a great wicket taking form. This year, he has played 8 Test matches. In these 8 Test matches he has taken 40 wickets at an average of 20 with the best of 6/17.
The Swing master has struggled to prove his mettle against Australia. He averages 56 against them in 8 Test matches. In these 8 matches he has only taken 17 wickets with the best of 5/80. In Australia, his figures are even worse. He has played 3 matches
in Australia and has taken 5 scalps at an average of 82 with the best of 3/98. This time around, Anderson will be going to Australia in the form of his life. So we can expect a better show from him, this summer in Australia.
Steven Finn
He is 6 feet 7 inches tall. He mainly relies on his line and length, and the extra bounce that he can extract from the pitch, using his height to good effect. Overall, in his short career, he has only played 8 Test matches. He has made 32 strikes at an
average of 23 with a best of 5/42.
He is yet to feature in an Ashes Test. The conditions in Australia will suit his bowling style. The wickets in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 have more pace and bounce than any other country in the world. Finn also relies on pace and bounce from the wicket.
Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad has been tipped as the next big thing in English cricket. He hits the pitch hard so that he can extract any kind of a seam movement, and extra bounce to trouble the batsman. In 32 Test appearances he has gathered 97 wickets at an average of
34 with the best of 6/91.
In the Ashes of 2009, he made a great impact by taking 18 wickets in 5 matches at a decent average of 30 with the best of 6/91. The pace and bounce of Australia will suit his bowling style as he can hit the deck hard and relies on pace and bounce.
Graeme Swann
With Murali retired, Swann is the best spin bowler in the world. He should be given a lot of credit for England’s recent success. Overall, he has gathered 113 wickets in 24 Test matches at a very impressive average of 26. He has a pretty modest record in
the Ashes. In 5 appearances he has made, he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 40 with a best of 4/38.
Over the years, finger spinners have struggled in Australia. Swann is an exceptional finger spinner, as he flights the ball and turns it big. As an off-spinner, he is a traditional one, he doesn’t have the doosra, but he has a dangerous straighter one to
trouble the best in the business.
If the seam bowlers of England will provide early breakthroughs in Australia then it will be easier for Swann to put Australia in a deep hole of uncertainty.
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