Seamer left with no song to swing
THERE has been a lot of ingredients in Australia’s Ashes domination and near the top of the list has been the success of Operation Anderson.
The blunting of crafty English seamer Jimmy Anderson has been like taking down the first enemy bayonet spotted advancing from a distance for he is the man who many will follow.
If you knew Anderson was going to be reduced to starvation rations you could have had a sizeable bet that Australia would win the Ashes. And so it has proved. This series he has dined at the poor’s man table — just seven wickets at 43 apiece. For the moment Stuart Broad is the spiritual leader of the England attack with 14 wickets at 25 for the series.
For reasons no-one can really explain, Anderson, like most of the bowlers in this series, has been toiling without one key weapon — swing. The Kookaburra ball in Australia does not swing as much as the Duke used in England and this series has given even less than expected.
There was so little movement on the first day of the third Test in Perth that the day passed without an lbw appeal which was also a sign England had their line and length wrong.
Part of the story of Anderson’s tour is that he has also been England’s most economical bowler and the only one to go for less than three runs per over.
Australia has beaten Graeme Swann by attacking him. They have nullified Anderson, partially, by respecting his best work. You wouldn’t quite say they have sat on him but there he is no doubt Australia has been happy to absorb his finest work without feeling the need to counter-attack with relish.
This smart tactic has worked well because it has created the false impression Anderson has bowled poorly. Pressure rises quickly on frontline players and Anderson confessed to England bowling coach David Saker earlier ‘‘I need some wickets’’.
Anderson transformed himself from an inconsistent youngster into a world class force but he may have lost a metre of pace.
England’s bowling plans have been ripped apart. The destruction of Swann hurt them, the theory that beanstork fast bowlers would ‘‘put Australia on the stepladder’’ never worked because Boyd Rankin, Chris Tremlett and Steve Finn didn’t fire.
Indian great Rahul Dravid said to be beat Australia you need eight players in form. England have one, Stuart Broad.