If Michael Neser’s performance at Headingley sparked debate over how Australia could ignore a bowler who was ideal for English conditions, things are moving more slowly in the opposing camp.
With a combined total of 340 Tests and 1261 Test wickets under their belts, no one is about to panic over the fact that Stuart Broad and James Anderson went the entire day at Trent Bridge without picking up a wicket.
Instead, England’s most renowned new-ball partnership is building up to the Ashes not with spectacular feats but with a patience born of experience.
Anderson has 11 wickets this season at a strike rate of 24.90, while Broad has 11 at a rate of 24.54. Broad and Anderson’s statistics are so similar that it seems as though there may be some type of elaborate master plot. Neser may be taking a hat-trick and duplicating unplayable inswingers for Glamorgan.
At Trent Bridge on the second day, Broad did have a little tantrum in an effort to reassure the rest of us that he was fine.
The fact that Broad appealed Josh Bohannon’s foul on 20, where he jagged the ball through the gate, showed that he thought there was an inside edge while the majority saw a trouser-flick.
Broad was still at the batter’s end, appearing to be unable to process the call, and umpire Rob Bailey appeared unconvinced.
When Nottinghamshire extended their overnight 119 for 5 into 248, Anderson had a few play-and-misses but was only employed for 13 overs overall. When the rain and poor light started to fall after tea, Lancashire was 98 for 1, leading by 63.
According to popular belief, there is still a lot of cricket to be played in this match, and both England bowlers will be determining how many overs they should bowl for their own benefit.
The majority of England supporters will concede that this is a utilitarian decision and that winning the Ashes will maximize happiness for the largest number of people. Any England player, especially a fast bowler, gracing the Championship these days is a treat.
Haseeb Hameed‘s reasoning seemed to be much easier in this situation. He did nothing but bat for a total of five quiet hours, and early in the afternoon, he was ninth out for 97.
Will Williams has been the match’s most regular seamer, and the leg before decision was a simple one, causing Hameed to throw his head back in dismay.
This had been a textbook in safety-conscious batting on a bowler’s surface, so it is likely that both sets of spectators — not only those supporting Notts but those following his former county — were disappointed that he barely missed what would have been a season-opening century.
His 1235 Championship runs at 58.80 last year, his leadership of the Lions, and additional consolidation this year all point to a game that is once more in good health.
Hameed was 57 overnight, and he batted with a steady tempo, solid defense, and a focus on steering the ball onto the off side to advance his score.
Anderson forced an inside edge when he swung at a wide one, and Tom Bailey briefly threw him off balance with a creeper, but that was about it.
Assuming that Haseeb enjoys predictability, Broad was an uncomfortable figure to bat beside as lunch drew near. If Notts had lost a wicket at that point, they would have been down nine players, and Haseeb would have needed an additional 30 minutes to adjust.
It might not have been a desirable outcome for Broad to take a single and give him the strike with three balls left in the session, but he was likely relieved to receive the chance to end the session peacefully.
As it stood, Haseeb was the following batsman to go out, leaving Broad to be the final one out after falling victim to a whirligig swing and a catch at the wicket. The ball seemed to have dropped from his hip.
That explains why, after the game, he believed the umpire owed him a ball. Broad, incidentally, was carelessly dismissed on 249 with just one run remaining to earn a batting bonus point, a dismissal that was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us who prefer to view bonus points as a flaw in the game.
When Steven Mullaney was out on the 18th delivery of the opening session after mistiming a ball from Williams to offer an easy catch to mid-on and Brett Hutton was squared up by Bailey and edged a catch to the keeper, Hameed took the load quite coolly.
Even yet, George Balderson and Josh Bohannon’s unbroken second-wicket partnership of 82 would have made Lancashire feel a little happier at the conclusion after the game was evenly balanced.
Balderson eluded two slip catches from Olly Stone and Ben Duckett to remain unbeaten on 44, which did not help Nottinghamshire, who played outstandingly in the field on the first day.