Nightwatchman for Sidebottom?!
According to the Test Match Special commentary at the first day of the Trent Bridge test match today, Jimmy Anderson's promotion up the batting order from 11 to 9 was in order to act as nightwatchman for Ryan Sidebottom (test batting average of 15.60)!
Can this have been the motivation? Has Anderson been carting it around like KP in the nets recently? Or was our hirsute left-arm cricketing hero merely temporarily indisposed at the fall of Ambrose's wicket? I guess we shall never know.
5 comments:
I'm not sure how long the previous partnership had been going (but I don't think it was long) but I can think of only 2 reasons - 1. that Sidebottom was, as you say, indisposed, or 2. they let him have a couple of overs off as he'd been ready to go in for a while.
I gather it's normal for the next batsman in to get a break when there's a long partnership before they go in, to refresh themselves. I'm going to number 1 though!
All of 17 minutes between the dismissal of Pietersen and Ambrose, so I'd suggest ruling out 2.!
According to the Sky commentary at the time, they did confirm with the dressing room that Anderson was a night watchman for Sidebottom. Seems ridiculous I agree, but I suppose it will be thought justified if either of them gets a decent score (say 25+) tomorrow.
This morning on Cricinfo they said it was because Sidebottom had a back spasm. Sounds like most of our bowling attack is trying to injure themselves with Anderson going over in his ankle in the football warm up yesterday.
Yep, heard the same on TMS - Sidebottom was injured. I'm glad it wasn't just lunacy by Vaughan and Moores!
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