England bowlers showed their class on a flat deck, writes NASSER HUSSAIN, as Ben Stokes' side deliver ideal dress rehearsal for the Ashes England must start their preparations for next year's Ashes down under At Trent Bridge England dismantled the West Indies to claim victory in the series But maintaining form away from home soil has proven to be a difficult task By Nasser Hussain Published: 22:30 BST, 21 July 2024 | Updated: 22:30 BST, 21 July 2024 e-mail View comments A quickfire win at Lord’s was a great send-off for Jimmy Anderson, but if England want to grow as a side the key is to win when the pitch is flat and the ball’s not doing that much. This pitch at Trent Bridge was not dissimilar to ones that you might find in parts of Australia and they will perhaps need some of the characteristics their attack displayed in this match down the line. Not that winning away is a struggle that concerns England alone.
It’s been a struggle for all touring teams in Test cricket since 2001 and we used a graphic on Sky Sports yesterday to highlight the correlation between the most successful of the top eight nations overseas in that period and the pace of their bowlers. Australia, India and South Africa make up the top three in win percentage and their seamers have also sent down the highest proportion of deliveries in excess of 85 mph in the past three years. Pace isn’t everything, of course.
Go to Australia and spray it around and you will go around the park. The ideal combina.