Broad sticks to basics

8 July 2008

Stuart Broad goes large as England prepare for the opening Test at Lord's

Stuart Broad has revealed how England intend to avoid a pace battle with South Africa and instead use the traditional arts of line and length to unsettle the tourists in the opening npower Test.

South Africa gear up for Thursday’s start to the four-Test series at Lord’s with possibly the most feared pace attack in world cricket with Dale Steyn, currently rated the fastest bowler in the world, and Morne Morkel both capable of bowling at faster than 90mph.

Facing strike bowlers of such great hostility, it will be a great temptation for England to fight fire with fire and crank up their own speeds in retaliation.

But 21-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer Broad, who himself was timed at 90mph during the recent one-day series defeat against New Zealand, revealed how England will rely on accuracy rather than aggression to undermine South Africa’s hopes of victory.

“I don’t think we need to meet their pace and bounce at all. We need to stick to what we’ve done well in the past four or five Test matches,” Broad said.

“We’ve got two world-class swing bowlers with the new ball so obviously we’ll be hoping it swings and we just need to stick to the game plans we’ve used throughout the last Test match series.

“They worked very nicely for us there and we don’t need to try and be someone we’re not. I think we all bowl above 85mph which is useful, but we look to do things with the ball.

Dale Steyn, the fastest bowler in the world, will lead a formidable South Africa attack in England

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“The key for us, which we’ve talked about, is not to try and match pace and bounce and not be something we’re not.

“If we stick to our game plans and do what we do well I’m sure we’ll be successful if we do that.”

Broad continued: “The bowling unit came for a bowl yesterday and we sat down as a unit to chat about things.

“We bowled New Zealand out four times in five Test matches so we don’t need to move too far from that.

“We’ve had people getting five-fors, people getting seven-fors, so we don’t need to change our game plans.

“You need to adapt to different surfaces and different players but we’re not going to charge in and try and bowl at 95mph because that would send our techniques and radar awry.

“We’re very happy where our bowling unit is at the moment and if we stick to our game plans we’ll give them something to worry about.

“But you have to keep your aggression and I don’t think we’ve been shy of a bouncer either in the last five Tests.

“The thing about a bouncer is not particularly the pace but the positioning of it. It will be something we’ll use but we use that against every side in the world - it’s not special for South Africa.”

Broad is adamant that the old-fashioned virtues of line and length are as important as express pace

The prospect of an aggressive series against opponents who enjoy that type of contest could, however, provide a major motivation for England.

It is certainly a prospect Broad, who is getting stronger and quicker as he becomes adjusted to the demands of international cricket, is relishing as a bowler.

“I think it suits us as a team. We’re better when we play good, hard, aggressive cricket and I think it will be fascinating to play in and fascinating to watch,” Broad added.

“It’s going to be exciting, both teams are going to be going at 100mph all the time and giving 100% and it’s going to be a real battle with two very even sides.

“I’ve certainly got stronger which will help me get quicker, although I don’t think it’s something I need to particularly strive for because I’ve always found that when I’ve tried to bowl too quick it can go a bit awry.

“During the New Zealand one-day series I hit 90mph a couple of times and that’s obviously pleasing.

“I think there’s a few miles an hour left in me but I’m very happy with where I am at the moment.

“I feel in good rhythm and I’m not going to be striving for an extra couple of miles an hour. I just need to bowl how I have been in the last couple of months.”