This is how Sri Lanka must play Jimmy Anderson, claims former England star
JAMES TAYLOR reckons there is no delivery Jimmy Anderson can’t bowl - but there are ways to counter him.
Taylor spent the winter facing Anderson in the nets with England before the former Nottinghamshire batsman was forced to retire in the spring with a serious heart condition.
But the 26-year-old, who watched his former team-mate take 10/45 in the First Test victory over Sri Lanka, believes he has garnered a few pearls of wisdom when it comes to deal with England’s all-time record wicket-taker.
“When you face him as a right-handed batsman, your best bet is to try to cover his inswinger, the ball that moves back towards you through the air,” Taylor told the Evening Standard.
“When he first started playing for England in Tests nearly a decade ago, he was a traditional tall, quick bowler who would run it and move it away from the right-handed batsman, off the seam.
“You might have called him a tearaway bowler: he could rough up batsmen and run through teams but without being particularly consistent.
“But he has matured so much and the key factor is the way he uses the bowling crease.
“When he releases the ball from different positions on the crease, it changes the angle of attack and challenges you as a batsman.
“Stuart will often deliver the ball from wide on the crease, which I would find particularly difficult as a batsman.”