The most awaited event of the season, The Men’s Ashes is beginning on the 16th of June, with both England and Australia well prepared for the face off. Both the teams have been in superb form, which is an important ingredient for some entertaining cricket.
Australia have defeated India in the WTC Final and are looking unstoppable. The middle order is scoring runs at will and the bowlers are backing up by picking up wickets up front. They look a very balanced side and can be fierce competitors against England.
England on the other hand have adopted the Bazball approach with favourable results. They have won 10 out of their last 12 matches under Stokes’ captaincy. In their home conditions, England can be a force to reckon with.
The bowlers will certainly play a big role in The Men’s Ashes in deciding who is going to win the coveted ‘Urn’ – before looking at our picks for the top performing bowlers, why not check out Betway Satta for the latest odds.
Here are 5 Bowlers to look out for in The Ashes:
1. Stuart Broad (England)
Having taken 582 wickets in Test Cricket at an average of 27.65, Stuart Broad is certainly one of the great English seamers of all time. Just like Anderson, he is getting better with years passing and aging like a wine.
Stuart Broad has been in fabulous form recently. He picked up 6 wickets in the One off Test against Ireland. Some of the deliveries to Irish batters were simply unplayable. He also picked up 5 wickets each in two test matches played against New Zealand in February away from home. Broad has also shown signs of form in County cricket in the recent past. He has picked up 15 wickets in the last 4 county championship matches.
Stuart Broad can form a great bowling partnership with James Anderson in The Ashes. The absence of Jofra Archer may hurt England but they have a brilliant back up in the form of Stuart Broad who can win matches single handedly.
2. Scott Boland (Australia)
The 34 year old pacer from Australia has been wreaking havoc in the world cricket currently. He dismantled the Indian batting in the recently concluded WTC Final, having picked up 5 wickets in the Test match.
Scott Boland is a fast bowling sensation who can be lethal in English conditions. He bowls consistently in one channel around the off stump and let’s the ball do the rest. He bowls with great seam position and can move the ball both ways with ease.
Boland currently holds an average of 14.57 in Test Cricket after picking up 33 wickets. His stats are not enough to describe the impact he leaves on the game. Due to his consistent accuracy, the bowlers on the other end get benefitted due to the pressure created by him. Scott Boland will definitely be one of the bowlers to look out for in The Ashes.
3. Mitchell Starc (Australia)
Mitchell Starc was at his vintage best against India in the WTC Final where he picked up 4 wickets in the Test match. He took the important wicket of Kohli in the first innings, which set the game for Australia.
Mitchell Starc carries a bowling average of 27.64 after picking up 310 wickets. He is a fearsome bowler who can sear in the inswinging yorkers and also keep the batters on their toes with the deadly bouncers.
Starc has been a consistent performer in Test cricket in the recent past. He picked up 17 wickets in the Test series against West Indies and South Africa held in December last year.
Starc can be a lethal bowler in English conditions where the ball moves in the air quite a bit. He is one player that England’s batters will have to be wary of.
4. James Anderson (England)
The evergreen and consistent performer for England over the years, James Anderson is surely one of the bowlers to look out for in The Ashes.
He has picked up a record 685 wickets in Test cricket at an impressive average of 25.99. Anderson keeps breaking records and the kind of fitness he is in, Anderson can easily play for 2 or 3 years more.
He showed great signs of form in the County Championship where he picked up 5 wickets against Somerset in the first innings and 3 wickets for 35 runs against Notts.
The vast experience and skill set James Anderson carries will be of great use for England in the upcoming Ashes. Anderson will be leading the bowling attack along with Stuart Broad and they can be a lethal combination for England.
5. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Everyone talks about English pitches favoring fast bowlers and not the spinners. However, Nathan Lyon proved everyone wrong with his heroics against India in the WTC Final. He picked up 5 wickets in the Test match and won the match for his team.
For the last few years, Nathan Lyon has been the mainstay bowler for Australia in red ball cricket. He adjusts to the ground conditions well and bowls in the weak areas of the batters. He can loop the ball in the air and also surprise the batters with his quick off spinner.
Lyon has been consistently giving great performance for Australia in Test Cricket. His bowling performance of 8 for 64 against India in Indore was instrumental in Australia’s victory over the hosts. While the conditions in England will suit seamers, Lyon can always keep it tight in the middle overs and provide breakthroughs when his team needs them most.
