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Jones the Bowler takes fast track to recognition

First Test: Genuine raw pace of the Swansea Express unnerves India's finest as White proves an inspired gamble

Stephen Brenkley
Sunday 28 July 2002 00:00 BST
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As England dismantled the cream of India's batting here yesterday there was a discernible shift. Things changed, possibly forever. From the second ball of the third day there was a strong suspicion that they might never be the same again and not long after the unmistakable clues had begun to form evidence.

The home side's reserve seam bowling attack, which included the raw speed merchant Simon Jones and others as yet longer on promise than achievement, dismissed the tourists for a paltry 221, a deficit of 266. That had burgeoned by the close to 450. For reserve read 2002 Vintage. If the pitch was not a shirt front it barely needed an iron to smooth its creases. There may be a crumple or two in the next few days but it is India who must now bat last after England eschewed the enforcement of the follow-on.

The pitch was no doubt in Nasser Hussain's mind when he decided that England should not delay their second innings, which shut the door firmly in the tourists' faces. There was a case for asking them to have another turn at the crease simply because of the way they had been exposed. The psychological advantage purported to have been gained by winning the NatWest Series final here in the grand manner was revealed as no more than idle tittle-tattle. The Indians were down, no doubt, but in the event England merely compounded their woe.

The home side fell to 76 for 3, almost exactly similar to their progress in the first innings, before Michael Vaughan and John Crawley shared a century partnership for the fourth wicket. By the end of play, they were batting pretty much as they liked, fizzing along at four an over. Vaughan made 81 not out and is set fair for his second Test century at Lord's this summer. Crawley registered his second half century of the match and the question to be asked of the selectors now may be not why they thought fit to recall him but why on earth they took so long about it.

England bowled well and with singular purpose, India batted badly with shambolic planning. The spearhead, for that is the role he filled although he had to be content with two late order wickets, was the new fast bowling cap Jones. The Swansea Express was arriving at Lord's for the first time.

Throughout the proceedings Jones sent a ripple of expectancy through 30,000 rapt spectators and a tremor of fear through the batsmen. It is a potent combination. Jones was far from alone, indeed he was aided and abetted by others' efforts. The other trio of English seamers, none so quick as Jones but none far behind either, all played a significant part. Their line, their length and maybe above all their swing troubled India to certain death. At various times, Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Craig White – what another inspired selectorial gambit the Yorkshireman has been – all tested the Indian upper order and found them wanting.

But it was Jones who began the day as it went on. To his second ball from the Nursery End, the great Sachin Tendulkar padded up none too certainly outside off stump as the ball rose. It cannoned away and burst agonisingly past his stumps. Jones contorted his face.

In that moment and in the overs which followed in the morning and early afternoon Jones demonstrated the virtues of raw, unfettered pace. His line was just about good enough to keep 'em honest. He did not often get above 87 mph (oh how slow!) but this was an unresponsive English pitch and the belated swishes of the batsmen outside off stump told their own story.

He has waited all summer for a place and he got it only because Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick were injured. He may not relinquish it in a hurry. In Australia this winter speed will be of the essence if England are to have the remotest hope of regaining the Ashes and Jones already has a seat on the plane.

There is no point in trying to suggest he is the finished article as a fast bowler but he is the Real McCoy. Twice he might have had Tendulkar as his first wicket in Test matches. The near miss from the ricochet off the batsman's body was followed by a drop at slip by Graham Thorpe. It was low but straightforward as these chances go.

As play began and the sun refused to shine Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar batted with fitting circumspection. They were here to stay without ever giving reason to think that they might do so. Dravid had set his stall out for a hundred. He had two substantial reasons: he had 95 here on his debut six years ago, so there was unfinished business and his side needed his unflustered bat to play around.

But Hoggard dashed his ambitions and his stroke with one which bounced enough to force him into something hurried which ended up with gully. There was still the matter of Tendulkar. He was not batting well and the description scratchy was apposite.

Maybe he was biding his time, maybe he would make Thorpe pay for dropping him on 10. He had gathered only another six when White persuaded him into an unwise waft with a horizontal bat outside off. It was not pretty but when it ended in Alec Stewart's gloves it was beautiful for England.

Matters cascaded swiftly in on India in the afternoon. First Sourav Ganguly drove loosely to backward point, one of several fielders there or thereabouts ready to take advantage of his open face. That was the fourth ball after lunch.

Now it was time for Jones the Fastball. Hussain let him loose from the Nursery End from where he bowled nine consecutive overs which tested his stamina and showed that he had plenty. Ajay Ratra slashed a wide one behind, it seemed more in despair and Ajit Agarkar edged a quick one to second slip where Flintoff shelled peas while catching it low down. Jones is a fast bowler about whom it matters not what the speed gun says. He is quick and you just had to watch Stewart scurrying hither and thither to know it.

Jones had a bat-pad catch turned down to make it three, so White and Hoggard finished things. Almost immediately it was announced that England would bat again.

Butcher made a rapid start but completed an indifferent match (to which he is entitled) by being lbw to Anil Kumble, Hussain tried to hurry things a mite too much by cutting something not there for it and Thorpe's mind again wandered. It could not erode England's advantage. India must bat like princes to save it, England's new attack must bowl like tramps to draw it.

Lord's scoreboard

England won toss

England – First innings
M A Butcher c Wasim Jaffer b Kumble 29
M P Vaughan lbw b Zaheer Khan 0
N Hussain c Ratra b Agarkar 155
G P Thorpe b Zaheer Khan 4
J P Crawley c Dravid b Sehwag 64
A J Stewart lbw b Zaheer Khan 19
A Flintoff c Ratra b Agarkar 59
C White st Ratra b Kumble 53
A F Giles b Nehra 19
S P Jones c Dravid b Kumble 44
M J Hoggard not out 10
Extras (b11 lb11 w2 nb7) 31
Total (587 min, 142.2 overs) 487

Fall: 1-0 (Vaughan), 2-71 (Butcher), 3-78 (Thorpe), 4-223 (Crawley), 5-263 (Stewart), 6-356 (Flintoff), 7-357 (Hussain); 8-390 (Giles); 9-452 (Jones), 10-487 (White).

Bowling: Nehra 30-4-101-1 (nb5, w2); Zaheer Khan 36-13-90-3; Agarkar 21-3-98-2; Kumble 42.2-9-128-3; Ganguly 3-1-16-0 (nb1); Sehwag 10-0-31-1 (nb1).

India – First innings
Wasim Jaffer b Hoggard 1
V Sehwag b Giles 84
R S Dravid c Vaughan b Hoggard 46
A Nehra lbw b Flintoff 0
S R Tendulkar c Stewart b White 16
S C Ganguly c Vaughan b Flintoff 5
V V S Laxman not out 43 A Ratra c Stewart b Jones 1
A B Agarkar c Flintoff b Jones 2
A Kumble b White 0
Zaheer Khan c Thorpe b Hoggard 3
Extras (b4 lb8 nb8) 20
Total (375 min, 81.5 overs) 221

Fall: 1-2 (Wasim Jaffer); 2-128 (Sehwag); 3-130 (Nehra); 4-162 (Dravid); 5-168 (Tendulkar); 6- 177 (Ganguly), 7-191 (Ratra); 8-196 (Agarkar), 9-209 (Kumble), 10-221 (Zaheer Khan).

Bowling: Hoggard 16.5-4-33-3 (3-0-15-1 5-2-8-0 8-2-10-1 0.5-0-0-1), Flintoff 19-9-22-2 (nb1) (4-2-6-0 10-4-10-1 5-3-6-1), Giles 9-1-47-1 (4-0-28-0 4-1-17-1 1-0-2-0), Jones 21-2-61-2 (nb6) (2-0-5-0 5-0-20-0 5-0-14-0 9-2-22-2), White 16-3-46-2 (nb1) (6-2-20-0 5-0-10-1 5-1-16-1).

Progress: Second day: 50 in 55 min, 12.4 overs. 100 in 120 min, 27 overs. Close 130-3 (Dravid 33) 36.4 overs. Third day: 150 in 210 min, 47 overs. Lunch 176-5 (Ganguly 5, Laxman 8) 62 overs. 200 in 331 min, 72.1 overs. New ball taken after 81 overs at 221-9. Innings closed 3.13pm – early tea taken.

Sehwag 50: 90 min, 57 balls, 6 fours, 1 six.

England – Second innings
M A Butcher lbw b Kumble 18
M P Vaughan not out 81
N Hussain c Ratra b Agarkar 12
G P Thorpe c Ganguly b Kumble 1
J P Crawley not out 56
Extras (b4 lb9 nb3) 16
Total (3 wkts, 193 min, 45 overs) 184

Fall: 1-32 (Butcher), 2-65 Hussain, 3-76 (Thorpe).

Bowling: Nehra 9-1-50-0 (nb2) (4-1-23-0 5-0-27-0), Zaheer Khan 9-1-32-0 (nb1) (5-1-9-0 4-0-23-0), Kumble 17-1-54-2 (12-1-37-2 5-0-17-0), Agarkar 7-1-20-1, Tendulkar 2-0-14-0, Sehwag 1-0-1-0 (one spell each).

Progress: 50 in 64 min, 14.5 overs. 100 in 119 min, 27.3 overs. 150 in 166 min, 38.1 overs.

Vaughan 50: 132 min, 78 balls, 4 fours.

Crawley 50: 80 min, 76 balls, 3 fours.

Umpires: R E Koertzen (SA) and R B Tiffin (Zim). TV Replay: P Willey. Match Referee: M J Procter.

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