The Secret to Modern Test Cricket
kirby August 8, 2009
Tags ashes, cricket, reverse swing, swing bowling, test matches
For all the complicated game plans that sides come up with for themselves and opposition players, the Poms and the Aussies in this current Ashes series have put their finger on the secret to Test cricket, and it's actually rather simple. Accurate swing bowling. Now you may think I've temporarily gone mad suggesting something as simple as swing bowling, but let's take a moment to consider the evidence. At this stage, the Australians are trailing 1-0 in the series, but are in an excellent position to level after bowling the English out for only 102 in the first innings at Headingley, of which Stuart Clark was the hero. Although no express, intimidatory bowler, Clark took 3/18 off 10 overs bowling consistent outswing on a consistent line and length just on off-stump. Now take the English victory at Lord's in the Second Test, where Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions took advantage of overcast conditions to rout the Australians for 215 in their first innings. The Australians trailed by over 200 runs on the first innings in that match and never recovered.
Right now, I can hear you saying "It's two matches, so what?" But have the two draws that have already eventuated not been bought about because of a lack of swing bowling conditions, that renders an otherwise potent bowling attack hapless? And look at the top bowlers for the Ashes series; taking Peter Siddle as top wicket-taker out of the equation after his Michelle Pfeiffer yesterday, heavily featuring are Jimmy Anderson, Graham Onions, and Ben Hilfenhaus, probably the most consistent and impressive bowlers of the series so far, and all capable swing bowlers. But for mine, the most telling figures are the batting statistics. In the top 6 run scorers for this series, 5 are Australians, with Andrew Strauss being the only Englishman. In the centuries column, the Australians have scored 6 this series (2 to Michael Clarke, and 1 each to Ponting, Katich, Haddin, and North) while England have only managed a solitary Test century, again to skipper Strauss. But despite their dominance in the runs column, the Australians have only been a chance of winning one of the three already completed Tests, and are one match adrift, mainly because of a brilliant day's play in which Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions took the Lord's Test away from Australia.
But don't just judge the impact of swing bowling on one series. You only have to look back to the 2005 Ashes, where every man and his dog knew the Australian batsmen had trouble against the aided reverse swing of the English bowlers, Simon Jones in particular. Dale Steyn is the best bowler in the world because of his ability to swing the ball prodigiously, at pace. The same could be said of Brett Lee in his prime. Mitchell Johnson looks ten times more threatening when he is able to bring the ball back into right-handed batsmen. Shane Bond, probably one of New Zealand's best ever pacemen, was an instant hit in Tests because of his ability to swing the ball. Left-armers Chaminda Vaas and Ryan Sidebottom have had success in Test cricket not because of express pace, but because of swing and guile. And India's resurgence as a Test match nation is due in no small part to the talent of left-armer Zaheer Khan, just as one of Pakistan's Golden Ages in the mid-1990's was aided by the Swing Kings Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
It takes an especially talented paceman to become successful at Test cricket when he doesn't swing the ball consistently. Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock are two modern examples. But for the rest, being able to bend the ball off the straight should be a necessity. Taking the success swing bowling has had in recent Test cricket aside, there is only one common factor in every Test match ever won: the winning team bowled their opposition out twice. As the current Ashes series is showing, it doesn't matter how many runs you score, if you can't take 20 wickets, you can't win.
Right now, I can hear you saying "It's two matches, so what?" But have the two draws that have already eventuated not been bought about because of a lack of swing bowling conditions, that renders an otherwise potent bowling attack hapless? And look at the top bowlers for the Ashes series; taking Peter Siddle as top wicket-taker out of the equation after his Michelle Pfeiffer yesterday, heavily featuring are Jimmy Anderson, Graham Onions, and Ben Hilfenhaus, probably the most consistent and impressive bowlers of the series so far, and all capable swing bowlers. But for mine, the most telling figures are the batting statistics. In the top 6 run scorers for this series, 5 are Australians, with Andrew Strauss being the only Englishman. In the centuries column, the Australians have scored 6 this series (2 to Michael Clarke, and 1 each to Ponting, Katich, Haddin, and North) while England have only managed a solitary Test century, again to skipper Strauss. But despite their dominance in the runs column, the Australians have only been a chance of winning one of the three already completed Tests, and are one match adrift, mainly because of a brilliant day's play in which Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions took the Lord's Test away from Australia.
But don't just judge the impact of swing bowling on one series. You only have to look back to the 2005 Ashes, where every man and his dog knew the Australian batsmen had trouble against the aided reverse swing of the English bowlers, Simon Jones in particular. Dale Steyn is the best bowler in the world because of his ability to swing the ball prodigiously, at pace. The same could be said of Brett Lee in his prime. Mitchell Johnson looks ten times more threatening when he is able to bring the ball back into right-handed batsmen. Shane Bond, probably one of New Zealand's best ever pacemen, was an instant hit in Tests because of his ability to swing the ball. Left-armers Chaminda Vaas and Ryan Sidebottom have had success in Test cricket not because of express pace, but because of swing and guile. And India's resurgence as a Test match nation is due in no small part to the talent of left-armer Zaheer Khan, just as one of Pakistan's Golden Ages in the mid-1990's was aided by the Swing Kings Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
It takes an especially talented paceman to become successful at Test cricket when he doesn't swing the ball consistently. Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock are two modern examples. But for the rest, being able to bend the ball off the straight should be a necessity. Taking the success swing bowling has had in recent Test cricket aside, there is only one common factor in every Test match ever won: the winning team bowled their opposition out twice. As the current Ashes series is showing, it doesn't matter how many runs you score, if you can't take 20 wickets, you can't win.
