England humbled by pace
THE dark clouds clearing over an Ashes go-ahead are now hovering over a shambolic England batting order blown away by South Africa using a bowling blueprint Australia should follow.
The Test series in England is locked 1-1 after the home team was rolled for just 133 in the second innings at Trent Bridge, chasing 474 for victory.
New skipper Joe Root’s men failed to face 100 overs for the first time since 2009 and the loss was England’s eighth in its past 13 Tests.
Former English greats lashed the effort of the batsmen, called “appalling” by former skipper Michael Vaughan who questioned whether they have “a lack of respect” for the game.
South Africa’s four-pronged pace attack took 14 of the 20 English wickets, including the top four batsmen in each innings, showing speed and swing are the way for Australia to inflict more humiliation when Root brings England here this summer.
The Aussie arsenal of Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and comeback kids Pat Cummins and James Pattinson need only the green light from national selectors to be let loose on the struggling English top order to help ensure the urn returns.
Former Aussie quick Ryan Harris, who played 12 of his 27 Tests against the old enemy and took 57 English wickets, said the prospect of a fiery four-man pace attack couldn’t be ignored if they were fit and available, because the English batsmen don’t like it.
“The four quicks, the ones we have, if they are up and going they can be so dangerous,” Harris said.
“We know that last time England was in Australia they didn’t like the pace. Having Mitchell Johnson was handy. But Mitch Starc can do a job as well as Mitch Johnson, if not better. If we have that pace, in home conditions, on our wick- ets, it will absolutely challenge England again.
“The attack I played with, with Peter Siddle and Mitch Johnson, was pretty good. But to add another element to that, a fourth bowler who bowls around that 140km/h mark, there hasn’t been too many attacks like it for a long time.”
Harris said the resurgence of Pattinson during the English county season, where the big Victorian took 32 wickets in five matches, showed the impact he could have.