---ASHESLORE- Tales in England --- Pros Anderson and Broad catching the youth fever?

At the first Investec Test Match between Australia and England in Cardiff, we witnessed an all-round bowling performance from the England. Yes, the Aussies also picked up 20 wickets but as Stuart Broad says they didn't adapt to the nature of the pitch fast enough. Before this test match it seemed as if England had the same slew of right hand fast medium seamers. They seemed predictable and dull on a dry surface. 

Suddenly we find that there is variety in this bowling line-up too. The swing of Anderson, the bounce of Broad, seam from Stokes and the Pace from Wood.

In this article I am mainly presenting my views on the English bowling performance of the two pros Stuart Broad and James Anderson and the reasons for their success.

regaining the joy

rediscovering his potential

There was one more thing equally, if not more important that contributed to their success. The attitude of Ben Stokes and Mark Wood. 

They bowled with spirit, they bowled with vigour, they bowled to express their joy.

 Most importantly, they rejuvenated Anderson and Broad. They caught the youth fever of playing aggressive uninhibited cricket which they used to in their younger days.
Though it is possible that the young core of 'New England' was 'Made in New Zealand', the youth shows us a changing face of English cricket and its move from attritional  and a safety first approach to a fluid and proactive one.

youth fever spreading?

 The new ball spell from Anderson and broad on the fourth morning was as good as any we have seen in recent times from them. They were controlled, aggressive and relentless.

We are seeing a new core of young enthusiastic players come up who are not scarred by previous tours. They have a vibe about them and essentially in this test match, the youngsters have led the way forward and shown the experienced how to play without fear.

In attempt to nullify the effect of their decreased speeds Anderson and Broad have many times been at fault of bringing their length back. This was in full view at Headingly against the black caps when the English Bowlers got smacked around for 454 in just 91 overs.

The experience Broad and Anderson showed, coupled with a new found vigour helped them complement each other beautifully. They bowled a fuller length at the start and  bowled according to strict plans to each batsman. Warner was denied width, they bowled a 5^th stump line to Smith who constantly shuffles across, and just aimed at the stumps or more precisely the huge trunk Watson has for a leg to effect a leg before Watson.. sorry wicket.

However the striking thing which I observed, though seemingly insignificant was a show of their skill and expertise. The Cardiff pitch not seaming and swinging after the new ball, they pulled their lengths back slightly to exploit the variable bounce in the surface and consistently bowled a stump to stump line. 

At one point of time Anderson actually bowled 3 consecutive maidens and Moeen Ali was rewarded with the wicket of Clarke.

Another aggressive move was Broad coming on to bowl 10 overs before the new ball could be taken.  His reward- Leg Before Watson i.e he got Watson out LBW.

There is another reason why Broad’s and Anderson’s potency has increased. It is due to the sustained pressure placed by Stokes and Wood. Previously the pressure the pair creates would inevitably get released by the back-up bowlers. The bulk work had to be done by this pair and thus they started bowling with speed and verve only during critical periods.

A revealing stat tells us that since 2010 Anderson and Broad have bowled the most balls in test cricket. No wonder they have become a bit more cautious. They, Anderson in particular, are testimony to longevity, skill and fitness in comparison to their workload

partners in crime overburdened?

Thus in the Cardiff test it felt like they were almost rediscovering the  joy and pleasure of bowling as they could bowl high-octane relentless spells due to support from the back-up bowlers.

On a larger note, this win for the English has changed many things. Many though that the pitches would be prepared to nullify Australia’s Pace battery. However with the Australian batting comparatively more insecure than that of the English, one might be tempted to think that the Lord’s pitch would be seamer friendly, even more so after the comprehensive performance of the English seamers. They would however be wary of the situation that befell them when they prepared a green pitch against India.

I conclude with anderson’s apt words during the New Zealand tour.

"We're trying to be aggressive and attacking with our fields and the lines and lengths we bowl. The players we have in the team - the likes of Mark Wood or Ben Stokes - are naturally attacking cricketers, so guys like that are moving us forward. We're looking to play the same sort of cricket as New Zealand and Australia and fight fire with fire.

"It is rubbing off on us, I think. It's good for someone like me who's almost over the hill to get these guys giving you a kick up the backside. You can't help but admire the way they play and try and do that as well."