Is Broad now better than Anderson?

[Daemon]

Yeah ok looked it up, Gul picked up two 4-fers. Anderson was very steady (as I recall) but he still ended up with the least wickets and worst average amongst all bowlers on tour not named Cheema. 9 wickets at 27 though, so hardly poor.

 

[Howe_zat]

tbf the UAE 2012 tour was pretty bowler friendly wasn't it? At least I recall thinking that when I saw Gul pick up 5-fers on two separate occassions. My memory's not very clear of that tour tbh, the only thing I recall 100% accurately is England failing to chase a really low total.

It was low scoring but I think that, with the exception of plenty of grip and turn for spinners, was more to do with both sides having much stronger bowling than batting.

 

[Cabinet96]

It's interesting to break Anderon's last six years into two year cycles.

Mid 2010 to mid 2012: Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
Mid 2012 to mid 2014: Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
Mid 2014 to now: Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

He's definitely had a quite significant revival IMO. Don't think suggestions that he might be on the way down a couple of years ago were really bad ones looking back either. The fact he's now had two amazing two year spells instead of just the one has had a pretty huge impact on his career figures as well.

 

[Furball]

tbf the UAE 2012 tour was pretty bowler friendly wasn't it? At least I recall thinking that when I saw Gul pick up 5-fers on two separate occassions. My memory's not very clear of that tour tbh, the only thing I recall 100% accurately is England failing to chase a really low total.

The pitches were roads, both teams just batted atrociously.

 

[FBU]

just going off the top of my head the two places jimmy has never really looked that threatening have been south africa and new zealand.

The first time he played with a knee injury and was having cortisone injections and this time no bowling at all for 2 months then a calf injury.
He did take 8 at 20.12 in CT in 2010.

 

[vic_orthdox]

The pitches were roads, both teams just batted atrociously.

Yeah, that was my memory of it as well. The series was low scoring, but it wasn't ragging ridiculously. More dismissals by England were with balls that weren't spinning, especially with Rehman. And Anderson and Broad were just nibbling it a bit rather than having it hooping everywhere.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Jimmy's been so good from 2009 because of what he is when he's not taking wickets. It's also the same thing that has led some people to criticise him (not pitching it up enough), but its brought his economy rate down and helped him build pressure when it conditions aren't as perfect for him.

As an Australian, I'd probably prefer facing Anderson if we were playing ten Tests home and away again, Broad's ability to ruin a batting line-up worries me and generally feel more threatening in Australian wickets now.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, that was my memory of it as well. The series was low scoring, but it wasn't ragging ridiculously. More dismissals by England were with balls that weren't spinning, especially with Rehman. And Anderson and Broad were just nibbling it a bit rather than having it hooping everywhere.

England's batsmen got trolled beautifully by Ajmal pre-series, IIRC he went to the press claiming to have come up with the teesra and I reckon England got psyched oyt a but. He took 5 on the first day of the series with balls that were doing absolutely nothing.

From memory, Broad, Swann and Anderson were the only batsmen who scored at a strike rate higher than 50, everyone else just allowed Pakistan's bowlers to bog then down. From memory Anderson was also the only one who demonstrated footwork that was anywhere close to being acceptable (bar Cook who at leqst got a couple of scores in his usual understated fashion.)

 

[smash84]

England's batsmen got trolled beautifully by Ajmal pre-series, IIRC he went to the press claiming to have come up with the teesra and I reckon England got psyched oyt a but. He took 5 on the first day of the series with balls that were doing absolutely nothing.

From memory, Broad, Swann and Anderson were the only batsmen who scored at a strike rate higher than 50, everyone else just allowed Pakistan's bowlers to bog then down. From memory Anderson was also the only one who demonstrated footwork that was anywhere close to being acceptable (bar Cook who at leqst got a couple of scores in his usual understated fashion.)

lol, quite true. Ajmal took a leaf out of Shane Warne's book. He was just chucking straight deliveries and England were trying to sweep him all the time getting hit plumb in front in the process.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yep. Was quite reminiscent of Warne's pre match antics followed by him bowling straight balls for lbws.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The pitches were roads, both teams just batted atrociously.

Mostly flat is my memory as well. Although, that one pitch where Rahman tore through England turned square by the end of the game. Distinctly remember him bowling Broad through the gate with one that spun in a yard.

 

[91Jmay]

Mostly flat is my memory as well. Although, that one pitch where Rahman tore through England turned square by the end of the game. Distinctly remember him bowling Broad through the gate with one that spun in a yard.

Broad does have a gate so wide that it wouldn't go amiss at Helms Deep though.

 

[Pothas]

That series has got to be the worst I have ever seen an England team bat, so much worse than the Johnson ashes.

 

[cnerd123]

lol, quite true. Ajmal took a leaf out of Shane Warne's book. He was just chucking straight deliveries and England were trying to sweep him all the time getting hit plumb in front in the process.

He was probably quite literally doing this too.

 

[smash84]

He was probably quite literally doing this too.

That's exactly what i meant.

 

[andruid]

That series has got to be the worst I have ever seen an England team bat, so much worse than the Johnson ashes.

Worse than the 2001/2002 ashes when the Aussies retained the urn less than ~10 days of actual cricket?

 

[Adders]

Worse than the 2001/2002 ashes when the Aussies retained the urn less than ~10 days of actual cricket?

Which series are you talking about, because there wasn't an 01/02 Ashes. 2001 in England the Aussies went 3-0 up after 3 big wins and they did the same in 02/03 in Oz. But which ever of these 2 series you are referring to, I don't think the batting was as bad in either was as it was in Pakistan. In 2001 we had Butcher make 450 runs @50 including a high score of 170........in 02/03 we had Vaughan in god mode.

In Pakistan we didn't have a single centurion and I think Prior was our best bat with a top score of 70 and a series average of 35. It was truly woeful.

 

[Furball]

Which series are you talking about, because there wasn't an 01/02 Ashes. 2001 in England the Aussies went 3-0 up after 3 big wins and they did the same in 02/03 in Oz. But which ever of these 2 series you are referring to, I don't think the batting was as bad in either was as it was in Pakistan. In 2001 we had Butcher make 450 runs @50 including a high score of 170........in 02/03 we had Vaughan in god mode.

In Pakistan we didn't have a single centurion and I think Prior was our best bat with a top score of 70 and a series average of 35. It was truly woeful.

Cook got a 94 or a 96 in the 2nd Test but yeah, spot on.

The strike rates were ****ing terrible as well. No actual batsman scored at over 50, so it wadn't just the lack of scoring, it was the constant getting bogged down doing nothing before getting out that was so bad.

 

[Jono]

I think the answer can be different depending on how you phrase the question / what you determine as best. If I was building an attack around one of them I'd choose Anderson. If I was 0-1 down in the series and needed to win the last test of the series to save the series and hold the trophy, I'll probably go Broad. And there are various other scenarios one can think of I am sure.

Ultimately I think I'd go Jimmy, but FMD its tight.

 

[Furball]

FMD its tight.

Things Cribb says during ***.