JIMMY SLIPS BACK INTO THE GROOVE
But only after early bashing by Aussies
IT MAY have been the most gentle of introductions to the toughest tour of all but there were enough glimpses yesterday of Jimmy Anderson at his best to give England encouragement from their opening warm-up in Perth.
Much is made of Anderson’s inferior overseas record — he averages 38 in tests in Australia compared to 24 at home — but England’s record wickettaker bowled better in the 5-0 thrashing four years ago than his figures suggest.
He has arrived here for his fourth and surely last Ashes tour having enjoyed a golden summer that culminated with his 500th test wicket and he remains the key weapon in Joe Root’s armoury.
So the England captain would have been relieved to see the leader of his attack slip easily into the groove as this two- day match petered out into a practice session with the home side batting on yesterday even after they had lost their 10th wicket.
England should in truth have made much shorter work of what is effectively a Western Australia third XI after not having everything their own way with the bat despite reaching 349 for six on Saturday. that they did not was almost exclusively down to a 20-yearold who turned out for Durham seconds and Newcastle CC last summer and now launched a furious attack on England’s big two new-ball bowlers.
Josh Philippe certainly looked good enough to be playing Shield cricket for the main Western Australia team yesterday rather than smashing England for 16 fours, most of them classically driven, in his 88 off 92 balls.
And the novice, without a first- class appearance to his name, revealed Anderson had words with him as he flayed England before lunch.
‘Jimmy wasn’t too impressed but I laughed it off because it was great to be out there and it was a great experience. It was nothing too much. I couldn’t really tell you what he said. It was all in a friendly nature, he just wasn’t too happy when I was getting hold of a few early. that’s cricket.’
‘He was pretty good,’ conceded Anderson of the youngster. ‘He threw his hands at everything and on a flat pitch he got away with a lot, but I thought he timed the ball brilliantly. I had words with him? I must be losing my memory. I can’t really remember what I said — if anything at all.’ A rusty Stuart Broad bore the brunt of Philippe’s attacking intent as 32 came off his first five overs and he finished with just a late wicket from his 13 expensive overs but at least he had the decent workout he had sought.
Much better was the performance of his partner in crime, Anderson, who eased his way into the tour, as befits a 35-year-old, before lunch and then came back after the break with a superb spell of two for nine in five overs. Both wickets came in three balls, with Anderson gaining all-important reverse swing with the old Kookaburra, and the leader of the attack returned after tea with two more victims in four balls and three maidens in a row. Of the supporting cast by far the most intriguing was the performance of Craig Overton who, almost out of nowhere, is now the favourite to fill the huge hole left by Ben Stokes’s absence.
England will have been impressed by the pace and hostility of Overton, who could bat at No 9 at the Gabba, but will be concerned that he was expensive, conceding 70 runs for his two wickets.
the display of his rival for the last seam bowler’s slot, Jake Ball, was even better and England have a decision to make before Wednesday’s second warmup under lights in Adelaide.
One bowler more for the future than the first test is Mason Crane, even if Moeen
Ali fails to recover,
but there was enough from the young leg- spinner to show why England rate him so highly. First Crane saved England from the embarrassment of a sustained assault by Philippe when he had him stumped after lunch and the Hampshire man added a second wicket despite tiring. ‘We were rusty early on and didn’t get it right at all,’ added Anderson. ‘But I thought I got better as the day went on and most of the bowlers would probably say the same. We’ve got two first-class games coming up that we want to be fit for and get the cobwebs out.’