The research for the Ashes
I do quite a bit of work around the County Circuit, and in passing ten days or so ago I got talking to a County Groundsman at The Oval, about a piece I have to do.
Anyway, I did not realise until then, the following
- Over the winter the ECB ordered and paid for upgrades of the drainage systems at all English Test Grounds
Why?
Because last summer's bad weather lost them significant revenue they wanted to improve ground infrastructures such that if play was delayed by weather it was less likely that full days play were lost (full refunds to paying customers with no play, partial refunds if less than 10 overs play in a day at Test Matches) and play would resume quicker than previously
All Test Grounds put the new systems in, and the effect has been seen this summer. Delays are shorter and in the Champions Trophy for example, played in grim weather, several games have been played where last year games would have been abandoned
So?
Two effects
- drainage systems make the pitches drier, ceteris paribus
- when play resumes, damp conditions are for shorter periods than previously
the effects of that?
- spinners! dry pitches, dusty etc even in what is another bad summer
In the New Zealand Test Series the NZ part time spinner Kane Williamson ragged it square on day 2 and raised eyebrows
Swann was a danger, and only the inept NZ batting meant he didn't come into play later on, as Anderson and Broad had taken all the wickets by then
At Headingley as we know..Swann took 10 wickets
In the CT, 62 wickets fell to spin in bad weather...yes we have Ashwin, Herera, Ajmal etc but that is a huge number
At Edgbaston yesterday Mark Ramprakash said
"I have been coming to Edgbaston for 25 years and never seen a wicket like that, its like we are in Mumbai!" and this was on a wet day
At Headingley, Atherton interviewed Flower, which was wonderful for the sparring and nuances offered by both and Flower said
"We hoped Swann would come into play, as we wanted a dry pitch"
Looking ahead to Australia and the Ashes we have an alignment of the strategic and the tactical
Strategically it looks as if UK pitches are drier than recent years due to the drainage
Tactically, Australia's batting is packed with left handers and Swann against Left handers is a real threat, as not only does he turn the ball away from the elft hander but with the introduction of DRS LBW is in play in a way it never was before technology was introduced. Finally Australia may play two left arm seamers, Starc and Faulkner. NZ played three and it created a lot of rough for Swann
Finally, Australia do not have any spin option of the quality of Swann, Panesar or Tredwell
If we accept there may be an alignment of the strategic and tactical in favour of Swann we have to accept the following
- Anderson is world class
- the weather may well suit new ball bowling
- Australia's top order Clarke apart is suspect
Anderson is favourite and probably should be
There is no hurry here, the Ashes starts mid July but will be watching for prices of over 3-1 on Swann in this market
Having lost by one wicket in the NZ series with Swann at 7-2, and thats an English test series in May against batsmen outclassed by Anderson/Broad, we should go on Swann again here later in the summer......
http://www.oddschecker.com/cricket/ashes/top-england-bowler
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