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| July 4, 2005 | Monday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1426 |
McGrath cites Harmison as real threat
LONDON, July 3: Glenn McGrath has identified England fast bowler Steve Harmison as the main threat to Australia’s Ashes hopes but believes his own bowlers hold the key to victory.
Harmison showed impressive form during the summer one-day series between the two nations that ended with a dramatic draw in the triangular series final on Saturday.
“I think Harmy (Harmison) is a class bowler, there’s no doubt about that,” said seamer McGrath, who bowled the last ball on Saturday to Ashley Giles whose two runs secured an unlikely draw for England.
“He’s one of the main reasons why England have improved over the last 18 months and the reason why they’ve been so successful.
“To have a bowler bowl at that pace with that lift and bounce has got to give the rest of the team confidence.”
Until last ICC Champions Trophy semifinal defeat, Australia had not been beaten by England for more than five years and 14 successive one-day matches — a record which almost matched their dominance of Ashes series over the past 20 years.
But England have undergone something of a mini-revival over the last couple of years, winning four of the last five encounters between cricket’s oldest rivals to lift English hopes of a more competitive Ashes series this summer.
Despite that recent reversal of fortunes, McGrath still expects his side’s bowlers to make the difference during the Ashes five-Test series, beginning on July 21.
“If you look at the three matches against England, our opening bowlers have been pretty successful against Trescothick and Strauss and to me they’ve been another key to why England have done so well.”—AFP
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