Proteas must beware Anderson
Just what the under-fire Proteas batsmen wouldn’t have wished for in the New Year – James Anderson to be fit for the Newlands Test.
|||Just what the under-fire Proteas batsmen wouldn’t have wished for in the New Year – James Anderson to be fit for the Newlands Test.
Anderson had to sit out the first Test in Durban with a calf injury, but after coming through a long spell in the nets on Friday, the ace England swing bowler appears to be ready to have a full go at a vulnerable South African batting line-up in Saturday’s second Test at Newlands.
Reuters reports that England coach Trevor Bayliss said after practice on Friday that “the signs look good” that Anderson would play on Saturday as he had shown no adverse effects of the time spent in the Cape Town heat.
“He’s been working hard, but we have to wait and see how he pulls up,” Bayliss said. “My thought is you’d probably go with him, so fingers crossed he comes to us and says his body’s feeling good. He’ll know his body and what he’s capable of.”
The 33-year-old Anderson, who is England’s leading wicket-taker with 426 scalps in 110 Tests, would considerably strengthen an attack that bowled South Africa out for 214 and 174 in Durban. Chris Woakes is the man likely to drop out if Anderson plays.
Earlier on Friday, captain Alastair Cook warned that England must be sure that Anderson is fit. They cannot afford a fast bowler to break down in the manner Dale Steyn did in Durban following a shoulder injury that has ruled him out of the Newlands Test.
Anderson has bowled just five overs on tour, in a warm-up game against an SA Invitational XI in Potchefstroom.
“We have to be really careful with heart and head. He’s desperate to play, but we just have to make sure it’s the right decision for him,” Cook said at a press conference on Friday. “We don’t want to hinder ourselves and have an injury caused that we could have prevented. Obviously, there will be a bit of a risk about it.
“If he’s fit to go, then he’ll play. It’s an interesting call because of how many overs he’s bowled so far on this tour. We’ll have a good chat in the changing room and see how he feels. You want your best players playing. If he’s fit and ready and confident, then he’ll be opening the bowling. But we have to make sure we’re right.”
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