Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Having struggled to begin with, England’s bowling quartet adapted well to conditions in the afternoon. Key to bowling well in Australia is pitching the ball at a full length, as demonstrated by Peter Siddle on day one. This does not come naturally to bowlers as tall as Stuart Broad and Steven Finn – who are both playing in Australia for the first time – but each looked threatening as they began to do so.
James Anderson, England’s ‘bowling captain’, also showed signs that he can be dangerous on Australian pitches. In the 2002/03 Ashes he underwent a nightmarish experience as he was taken apart by the Australian batsman, but while then he was an inexperienced, one-dimensional swing bowler, now he is ranked 5th in the world with the ability to be threatening on all surfaces. Meanwhile, though Graeme Swann may not have bowled well, he still managed a wicket and ,as a spinner, is more important in the 2nd innings.
Although the Aussies are only 40 runs short of England’s total, tomorrow morning presents an excellent opportunity for England to grasp control of the game for the first time since the toss. They will have a new ball to bowl with at Hussey and Haddin, who will have to bat themselves in again, and one more wicket will expose Australia’s tail. If England makes full use of these circumstances, Australia could be bowled out before lunch with only a negligible lead. And with England’s bowlers looking good, we can be optimistic that they’ll deliver.
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