Anderson hopes to be a hero again

James Anderson has a chance to be a backs-to-the-wall batting hero for the second time as England try to save the first Test against South Africa.

Anderson recalls his part in salvaging a draw at the start of last summer's five-Test series against Australia at Cardiff - a precursor to England regaining the Ashes.

The difference this time, against South Africa, is that nightwatchman Anderson's part in salvaging a draw will revolve around what he can achieve in the first hour rather than the last.
England will resume tomorrow on 11 for one, needing to eke out a full three sessions after South Africa set them a notional 364 to win on the back of Hashim Amla's seventh Test century and 50s from AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher.

"It's going to be a big day for us - very similar to Cardiff in the Ashes," said Anderson, acknowledging obvious parallels with that match five months ago. "We pulled through and we saw what happened after that.

"That's the sort of momentum we can get to put us in a good position for the rest of the series, if we get through tomorrow - win or draw."

Anderson does not entirely rule out the prospect of victory but knows it is a highly unlikely outcome on an unpredictable pitch which has already served up some unplayable if occasional low bounce.

"We've certainly been in this position before - so we know exactly what to do," he added.
"You've got to put the wicket out of your mind, don't think about what could happen with the balls that go underground.

"We're going to have to be reasonably positive when we bat and hope we can manage to get through."

The prospect of salvaging a draw was far from England's minds when they had South Africa 46 for four this morning - and still only 106 in front.

But Amla (100) went on to share stands of 121 with De Villiers (64) and 75 with Boucher (63 not out) to snuff out England's fightback.

"We came out reasonably fired up, and at four down we thought 'we're in with a sniff here'," Anderson admitted.

"But they really dug in and played well and saw off the seamers' first couple of spells."
As for his own prospects as a batsman tomorrow, Anderson has confidence on the back of his 29-run share of a first-innings century ninth-wicket stand with Graeme Swann.

"I've found it a pretty easy wicket to bat on," he smiled, before conceding it may not be so simple second time round.

"It's going to be a really difficult first hour for us," he predicted.
"That harder ball does do some unusual things - but nothing of the sort happened with the old ball.

"As we saw today, once it does flatten out - and the ball gets a bit softer - it does become easier to bat on.

"If we can get through that first hour, we obviously have a good chance of batting the whole day."
Amla believes South Africa have put themselves in a winning position.
"We have a really good total on the board and we are confident," he said.
"We hope the wicket will deteriorate a bit more."

When Amla was eventually bowled by Anderson it was with a shooter, and he added: "Although I may have been extremely disappointed to get out, there were a few guys in our changing room who said 'sorry Hash, but it's good news'.

"We've got to hope that the wicket is a bit more up and down so it makes it a little easier for us."

It was far from that in the first hour today - and reflecting on South Africa's state then, Amla spelled out: "There's no joke about it - we were under massive pressure.

"If we had a lost a few more quick wickets the total would have been considerably less - but fortunately AB and I got a partnership going."

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ANDERSON HAPPY TO BE TARGETED

Leading England paceman James Anderson has brushed off suggestions that South Africa's batsmen are trying to wind him up ahead of the third ODI on Friday.

The 27-year-old is remaining cool in the knowledge that the Proteas want to add pressure on him as he is the most experienced of England's frontline attack.

However, he has admitted he will take it all with a pinch of salt.

Speaking to reporters, he said: "I like the fact that they're saying they feel the need to get under my skin to affect me.

"Being the leader of the attack, they may want to target me a bit more.

"Maybe they think if they can get to me they can get to the rest of the bowlers. I don't think it will happen."

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Anderson can be a leader for England

Paul Collingwood has described James Anderson as "a real leader" among England's bowlers and cannot wait to have him back in the side.

The Lancashire seamer is currently struggling with a knee injury and is one of several bowlers who have been on the crocked list two weeks into a two-and-a-half month tour.

Stuart Broad (shoulder) is the other main paceman struggling, while Graham Onions (back) played his first match on tour on Tuesday after he missed out on the earlier games with his own injury.

It has prompted the selectors to call on Liam Plunkett as cover, with the Durham player linking up with the rest of the squad in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
While England's batsmen have had no trouble at all adapting to the conditions, their bowling seems to be a minor problem area having only taken all 10 opposing wickets once in their first six tour games.

That was in the opening game against the Eagles when both Anderson and Broad played, but Collingwood is not too bothered.

"I wouldn't say it's a major concern," he said. "I think we're aggressive as a unit, I think we're getting more experience and we've obviously got Jimmy Anderson to come back into the side, which is crucial.

"I think he's a real kind of leader for us now in terms of the bowling stakes. For such a young guy, I know that's a big statement, but he is a real leader in bowling.
"But again, we've got a lot of potential and very dangerous bowlers, obviously with Broady coming back in as well. We have missed those two when they were injured. Hopefully they will be fit pretty soon and we can get back to bowling sides out."
Collingwood has himself missed the last two games with a back injury and his absence alongside the two frontline seamers, Graeme Swann (intercostal muscle), the main slow bowler, and Alastair Cook (back) left England with just 11 fit players against South Africa A on Tuesday.

The visitors had the day off on Wednesday ahead of a difficult ODI series and most of those injuries are expected to clear by Friday, with only Broad considered extremely doubtful.

Collingwood continued: "(The injury) is actually progressing really well. It was very, very sore on Sunday and I had two injections on Monday.

"If I was playing today I would have been 50-50, but I've got a couple of days to go so the chances are going to be very high.

"Everything seems to have settled down, I'm doing the work in the gym and progressing really well, so I've got a very good chance for Friday."

If he plays the 33-year-old will become England's most capped one-day player, surpassing the 170 appearances he currently shares with Alec Stewart.

He was pleased to be breaking the record, but conceded that luck has been on his side after a difficult start to his career which began with four single-figure scores against Pakistan and Australia, before a trip to Zimbabwe helped boost his average.
"When you've played so many games along the way, you've got to probably have a lot of luck," he added.

"Certainly after four games, I think I had a fair bit of luck in the selection going to Zimbabwe after that.

"Thankfully I've done okay since then. But you've got to obviously stay injury-free to play that many games.

"Barring a couple of injuries early on in my career, touch wood it hasn't been too bad. It's a bit of a surprise that I've got to so many, but hopefully I can keep going for some time yet."

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Anderson braced for 'huge' tour

James Anderson flies out to South Africa this weekend warning his England colleagues to expect an even fiercer battle than this summer’s Ashes.

Australia may have won the Test series in South Africa earlier this year, before England regained the Ashes from Australia in thrilling fashion, but Anderson claims this winter’s hosts will provide as stern a test as there is in cricket at the moment.

The Proteas are widely regarded as the best side in the world - the International Cricket Council rankings back up that claim - and defeat at the hands of Australia ended a run of six successive series wins on home soil.

“It's up there with Australia in Australia as the toughest tour around,” said Anderson. “They're deservedly number one in the world and playing them in South Africa will be a huge test for us.

“They’re a very similar team to Australia; they’ve got a very strong captain in Graeme Smith and he brings the best out of his players.

“As we saw when they came over here last year, they’re a very strong side. They’re very difficult to beat and it’s going to be a hard challenge - much harder than this summer.”

Anderson speaks from personal experience. The 2008 Test series in England to which he refers saw Smith’s side triumph 2-1, while England’s most recent tour of South Africa in 2004-05 represented the nadir of Anderson’s international career.

England may have returned home celebrating a series win - the tour is nevertheless best remembered for Kevin Pietersen’s remarkable exploits in his debut one-day series - but for Anderson it brought little more than personal agony.

He played in only one Test, at the Wanderers, as a replacement for the injured Simon Jones and, in the words of Wisden, “had forgotten how to bowl”. Match figures of 2-149 saw him dropped for the final match.

“I don't want to play like that again,” said Anderson. “It was a tough tour because the team was settled, the bowling unit was settled, and then all of a sudden there’s an injury after three Tests.

“Having just bowled at a stump for five weeks, I wasn’t in a great place to play Test cricket.

“I’ve put that to one side now - that was the first part of my career. Hopefully I’ve started a new chapter and I’m a lot more settled in the team now. I’m a lot more confident as a bowler and much improved as well.”

While Anderson and company board the plane buoyed by their Ashes triumph, he claims their recent performances in the Champions Trophy in South Africa, when they reached the semi-finals, augur well for the one-day series which precedes the four Tests.

“Australia beat them in South Africa just before they came over here,” Anderson stressed. “We can take confidence from that and we can take a lot of confidence from the Ashes win.

“The Champions Trophy was huge for us too. We played brilliantly against Sri Lanka and South Africa and if we can recreate some of that form and just get that consistency, we can progress and develop as a one-day side.

“Having found some form in South Africa, it’s going to give us confidence going back there, having played in those conditions and knowing what to expect. We’re pretty confident and looking forward to it.”

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