BOWLED OVER
CRICKET Ball hails Kiwi aid
ENGLAND have given a key Ashes planning role to a Kiwi.
After an impressive effort on the second day of the first Test, Jake Ball revealed it was down to a dossier by skipper Joe Root and bowling consultant Shane Bond.
It produced four early victims, only halted when home skipper Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh helped the Aussies recover from 76-4 to 165-4, a deficit of 137.
Plans
Notts fast bowler Ball, who claimed David Warner as his first Ashes wicket, praised Root and former Kiwi pace ace Bond. Ball said: “Both of them have spent a lot of time looking at the stats and where batters score their runs in their first few balls and overs. “The amount of time those two have put in is really showing out on the field. “The pair of them have done exceptionally well in coming up with specific plans. ‘‘So we know ® from RODNEY WHITE exactly what to execute at a specific time.”
England started from a position of strength on a mixed day in Brisbane.
Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali took them to 246-4 before six wickets fell for 56 and they were all out for 302. Then they bounced back with the ball before being frustrated by Smith and Marsh.
Aside from that, skipper Root’s constantly challenging and innovative fields restricted the Australian fightback.
Ball, in the slot that would have been occupied by Ben Stokes, added: “It was a good plan. We starved Warner of a bit of the strike and runs then it was a bit of a loose shot to get the wicket.
“It is always nice to get a big wicket. We see Warner and Smith as the two main Australian players so for me to get one of them is satisfying.”