England Fast Bowling Depth
British cricket fans should not be too concerned about the departure of several experienced players from the national side. England still have a number of cricketers capable of stepping up, taking centre stage and delivering victories in major competitions, with prestigious trophies potentially waiting at the end of the road.
England Fast Bowling Depth Offers Genuine Hope
England has lost several key players in recent years, including James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and, most recently, Ben Stokes. The all-rounder’s decision to retire from international cricket came as a considerable shock.
As a result, England were forced to rethink their strategy for the Test series against Pakistan and move away from using a specialist spinner altogether. Instead, they chose to unleash the full extent of their fast-bowling depth.
Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson form a four-man pace attack that should not be seen as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Quite the opposite: they could lead England towards major victories, with the team already setting its sights on winning back the Ashes.
Some may describe these players as England’s new generation. In one sense, that is fair, as the team is entering a period of transition following the departure of several household names. On the other hand, none of the four are rookies. They are mature, established professionals who have been waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves at the highest level. Some of them would probably have become regular members of the side much earlier had injuries not held them back.
All four looked assured in the recent Test against Pakistan at Headingley. They operated as a balanced unit and avoided any costly mistakes, which is certainly encouraging news for England. Pakistan were unable to break through the home side’s resistance or stop England on their own turf.
The upcoming Tests, as well as the majority of England’s scheduled matches, will take place at venues where conditions are unlikely to demand a heavy reliance on spin. That should play into the hands of the fast bowlers. There will, of course, be matches where they need to adjust to changing conditions, but there is every reason to believe that they are ready to do so.
Who Makes Up England’s Fast-Bowling Depth?
It is worth taking a closer look at the potential of these four bowlers and explaining what each of them can bring to the England side. All four have between 10 and 30 Test appearances under their belts, while their combined wicket tally has already passed 300. Those numbers are almost certain to keep climbing with every match they play.
Ollie Robinson. Robinson is no longer a youngster at 31. He has already played 22 Tests during his career, although he has struggled to nail down a permanent place in the England side. His numbers are impressive nonetheless: 91 wickets at a bowling average of 20.86. The main reasons he previously failed to become a Test regular were concerns over his fitness and what was perceived as an overly casual approach to the game.
Over the past two years, however, Robinson has taken that criticism on board and worked himself into shape. He can now get through lengthy series without the same physical problems. The bowler has also developed a much more thoughtful and calculated approach, earning his way back into the Test side.
Captaining his county team has helped Robinson build greater resilience and fighting spirit. His biggest strength is his outstanding accuracy. He can control his line and length delivery after delivery, making him a valuable asset despite not possessing the raw pace of some of his teammates.
Jofra Archer. Archer has had to contend with a string of injuries that slowed down his progress. Nobody ever doubted the speed he could generate, but that pace was also partly responsible for his physical problems, especially when England asked him to bowl too often.
Now that England have genuine fast-bowling depth, Archer’s workload can be managed more sensibly without placing him under excessive strain. He is particularly dangerous with the new ball and is also highly effective when bowling short. His short-pitched deliveries can shift the momentum of a match and turn the situation in England’s favour.
Archer currently has 74 wickets from 21 Tests at a bowling average of 28.82. There is every reason to believe those figures will improve if the 31-year-old can steer clear of further injuries.
Josh Tongue. At 28, Tongue has already earned a reputation as a bowler England can rely on when they need wickets. He is genuinely quick, capable of bowling a full length and effective both with the new ball and when it begins to age. Those qualities make him an extremely useful addition to the national side.
Tongue has not yet polished every aspect of his game, so his spells are not always trouble-free. Even so, his statistics are highly encouraging: 65 wickets from 13 Tests at an average of 27.38. In practical terms, Tongue takes a wicket roughly once every 40 deliveries, which is a very respectable strike rate.
Gus Atkinson. Atkinson is regarded as a versatile fast bowler. He is at his best with the new ball, but he can also deliver an effective short-pitched barrage. He is capable of cranking up the pace or taking speed off the ball when the situation demands it.
The 28-year-old has already featured in 19 Tests, claiming 80 wickets at an average of 23.62. During the recent Test at Headingley, observers noted that his average bowling speed was even higher than Archer’s, despite Archer generally being considered the quickest member of England’s attack.
With these four players, England have bowlers for virtually every situation: the versatile Atkinson, the express pace of Archer, the wicket-taking instincts of Tongue and the intelligent, methodical bowling of Robinson.
The target now is to bring the Ashes urn back to the United Kingdom. With this fast-bowling unit at their disposal, that goal looks entirely achievable.
