Jimmy Anderson: England bowler relishes ideal chance to clinch South Africa series

Bowlers will be in the spotlight as lively Wanderers wicket virtually guarantees result

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Bowlers, who generally like to suspect that life is just one damn thing after another, have what passes for a spring in their step and a song in their hearts. Encouraged, nay almost enthused, both by the comments of the groundsmen and what they can see with their own eyes, they are looking forward to resuming work at the Wanderers tomorrow.

Anybody who is anybody and most others besides are predicting that a draw is out of the running in the third Test. Either England will win the match and with it the series or South Africa will level matters at 1-1 to set up a humdinger of a climax in Centurion next week.

This firm expectation may yet be confounded by the traditional enemy, the weather. After having not rained here, except in isolated bursts, for around two months, there was a gigantic electrical storm over the region on Monday night and more of similar nature is forecast in the next few days.

If the rain comes at night, as is also predicted, then the cricket may escape meaningful interruption. Equally, it may have an effect on late pitch preparation. Sixteen years ago, ahead of a one-day international triangular series final between England and South Africa, it rained so torrentially for so long that the groundsman erected a tent above the pitch. If there is a recurrence, the match is in trouble.

Jimmy Anderson, who will lead England’s four-man fast- bowling attack, is confident that he will be much more match-honed than he was at Cape Town, where not only was he short of time in the middle but he was bowling on a batsman’s pitch. His demeanour yesterday bespoke an old hand at peace with the world. “It’s a positive feeling coming into this game,” he said. “After bowling at Cape Town, where there wasn’t much in it for the bowlers, coming here we know there will be a bit more.

“There will be more swing here because of the conditions, the atmosphere and, hopefully, there’ll be a bit more in the pitch as well,” Anderson added. “There is always a danger looking at the pitch a couple of days out from the game. It will probably get a bit harder and they might shave a bit of grass off.

“The important thing is to think about the swing and the lengths we’re going to bowl. We know we might get a bit more carry and bounce, so we need to bowl a fuller length even with that bounce.”

Of the 22 grounds where Anderson has played at least two Test matches, the Wanderers is, perversely, his least rewarding. Both his outings have been disappointing and his two wickets in a total of 64 overs have cost 130 runs each.

He was still in the apprentice stage of his career in 2005, having been told to relearn his craft, was part of the support attack and looked it. By the time England reached here in 2010 for the final Test of four, they had run out of puff and were swept aside inside four days, Anderson going wicketless. He has been to enough venues not to be affected by previous performances.

“Yeah, mixed memories, but there are plenty of grounds around the world where I’ve got mixed memories,” he said. “There are grounds you favour more than others, but it has been six years since we played here so it is nothing that is going to affect what happens.

“What happens upstairs is about what went on in the last game and how the body is feeling, what sort of form you’re in and how the ball is coming out of the hand, and at the minute it feels really good.”

For England to be leading 1-0 after two matches is pretty unexpected. It is generally considered that South Africa, under new captaincy, will throw the kitchen sink at them in this match having been heartened by an improved display at Newlands last week.

However, the absence of Dale Steyn and the renewed vigour of Anderson after his own injury lay-off, seems to give the edge to England’s bowlers. They will have to work out matters quickly and Anderson’s influence in advising and cajoling from mid-on is likely to be as important as his bowling.

“It would be massive for us, especially with the journey this team has gone on in a short space of time,” said Anderson. “We’ve shown glimpses of a world-class team but we have also been very inconsistent – we obviously lost in the UAE which was disappointing – but to get a win out here, somewhere where SA have dominated for a long period of time and a reason why they are [world] No 1, it would be huge for us.”

England will have to invoke the spirit of 2005 and 1956, or even 1995, rather than that of 1999 and 2010, in both of which matches the tourists were a distant second. It is difficult to imagine that this South African attack is capable of the mastery which their forebears showed on those occasions.

The batsmen who cope most effectively – Nick Compton has recovered from a stomach bug and will play – will have a huge bearing on the outcome but it is the bowlers, for once, who believe that they will hold sway. As for bowling first tomorrow, that is still a calculated risk and it would be wiser to look up and not down to adduce the evidence.