Swann: We've got no excuses
Graeme Swann confessed England bowled poorly
Also In The News
|
By inthenews. |  |
Thursday, 30, Jul 2009 07:46
England spinner Graeme Swann has admitted the team were disappointed with their bowling performance on the first day, but refused to blame the conditions.
"We've got no excuses," he said. "We just didn't quite put the ball in the areas we wanted to consistently.
"Conditions weren't that impossible to bowl in. The pitch is fairly slow and flat - it's a good Edgbaston wicket. Hopefully it will quicken up a little bit tomorrow to help the seamers."
England's pace contingent bowled poorly, failing to restrict the Australians with tight lines. Boundaries were being scored almost every over as Anderson, Broad, Flintoff and especially Onions offered up loose deliveries.
"It's a shame we didn't bowl as well as we'd hoped," admitted Swann. "Certainly, 4 an over is not ideal at the start of a Test. We knew the Aussies would come out hard and they did that."
The off-spinner took the only wicket in a truncated day's play, trapping Simon Katich lbw for 46. "I let go of it and I saw him shaping to pull and thought, 'Oh no, if this turns he's going to smash it'. But luckily, it just skidded on a bit with the newish ball."
Shane Watson hit a stylish half-century in his first game opening the batting for Australia, and Swann was full of praise.
"He played very well. Obviously a lot of pressure is on him, coming in to replace Hughes. He left very well early on: he made us bowl at his stumps and then he scored. We'll have to come up with a way of bowling at him tomorrow."
Huw Davies