'They’ve out-bowled them once, they can out-bowl them again'
Monday 13 July 2015 13:47, UK
Sir Ian Botham says England out-bowled Australia in the first Investec Ashes Test and believes they can do the same in the second Test at Lord’s.
England went 1-0 up in the series with a 169-run win on a slow, flat wicket, but Botham thinks that a Lord’s surface with more pace and bounce in it wouldn’t necessarily benefit only Australia, whose attack misfired without some assistance from the Cardiff pitch.
“Everyone was saying before the Test that Australia’s attack was one of the best, but that England one out-bowled them,” said Botham. “They’ve out-bowled them once, they can out-bowl them again.
“It’s hard work for everybody on wickets like the one in Cardiff though, so I would like to see a very similar pitch at Lord’s to the one from earlier this summer against New Zealand.
“England played some of their best cricket against New Zealand then, so why not play [Australia] on a wicket with grass on it?
“Especially if Mitchell Starc is not fit, as losing Ryan Harris was also a massive blow. So why not, because England can out-bowl them again.”
Botham thinks England’s first Test win was thanks to a varied bowling attack that gave Alastair Cook plenty of options.
“Cook has four genuine seamers,” added Botham. “You have to take 20 wickets to win a match and the bowlers, on that surface, did exceptionally well.
“The control they kept, no one let the Australians escape, they had them under the cosh, worked to their plans, and the captain had some good field placings.
“But then the bowlers have got to back up the captain, and they did. It was a genuine team effort.”
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