JAIPUR, India, 23 October 2006 — Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has warned England batsmen to prepare for some hostile bowling when they arrive to defend the Ashes next month.
Australian pacemen gave an early indication of what to expect with several sharp bouncers during the side’s emphatic six-wicket victory in a Champions Trophy group match on Saturday to all but eliminate England from the competition.
The teams were meeting for the first time since England triumphed 2-1 on home soil last year to regain the Ashes after an 18-year wait. Ponting said short-pitched bowling would be a key weapon against both rival skipper Andrew Flintoff and the rest of the England batsman at the Ashes series starting with the first Test in Brisbane on Nov. 23.
Asked after the game whether Flintoff would be a target, he said: “I think we can for sure. A lot of their players like to play that shot (pull).
“At certain times through the last Ashes series we felt the grounds were quite small in England and a lot of them were going over our heads. “We’ve big grounds in Australia, so we might have some success.” Ponting had promised to target the explosive Flintoff after the all rounder promoted himself to number three in the order to score quick runs in the early overs.
The move backfired in the opening game defeat against hosts India, where he was out for a duck. He made four on Saturday.
The Aussie skipper had vowed to expose Flintoff’s lack of experience against the new ball, although England openers added 83 runs to prevent that scenario.
Still, Flintoff conceded some ground in the war of nerves after he swapped spots with the aggressive Kevin Pietersen, the regular number four. Pietersen was out for one.
All rounder Shane Watson forced Flintoff to fend a short delivery, pitched the next one up, and forced him to top-edge a pull off the third, a bouncer, to be caught at midwicket.
Watson, 25, grabbed 3-16 in the match to raise his hopes of Ashes selection with left-armer Mitchell Johnson, a fellow Queenslander, taking 3-40 in another fine effort.
Johnson, 24, had Pietersen caught behind after softening him up with a short delivery.
Ponting heaped praise on Watson, who also impressed his skipper as a one-day opener.
“It’s amazing how many wickets Watson gets with his bouncers,” he said. “That would be a key weapon in future one-dayers too.
“It is a really good sign for us, someone who can do that for us in the middle of the innings,” he said. “The bouncer is probably under-used in one-day cricket.
“Johnson did very well with Pietersen and followed up with a perfect length delivery afterward.
“It is not the bouncer, it is what delivery you bowl after that (that matters).”
Hayden Mauled in “Vicious” Dog Attack
In Brisbane, Australian Test opener Matthew Hayden has suffered a gashed ankle after being attacked by a dog ahead of next month’s Ashes cricket series opener against England, reports said yesterday.
Hayden, who broke a finger while playing in his first match of the season here this month, was set upon while jogging on Friday, the reports said.
Tests have revealed there was no ankle tendon or ligament damage.
Hayden said the wound, about five centimeters (two and a half inches) long, would remain open for several days to minimise the risk of infection before being stitched.
