Anderson vs Rogers - A brief guide to the most important head-to-head match-up of the Ashes

Chris Rogers might not be the biggest name, but his battle with Jimmy Anderson could have a major influence on the Ashes

  

The battle at the top of the innings between Chris Rogers and Jimmy Anderson could define the Ashes. If the openers can consistently get Australia off to solid starts, the inexperienced middle order will have a chance to settle into the series. If they are routinely exposed to the new Dukes early we could see a reincarnation of the repeated `3 for fuck all’ situations we saw against South Africa a couple of summers ago. This time around Michael Clarke won’t walk out and make 200 every game, probably. ¹

Anderson, somewhat unusually for a right-arm opening bowler with a killer outswinger², loves to use his inswinger as his stock delivery to left-handers. This presents a rather unique challenge for opening batsmen more regularly confronted with bowlers looking to challenge their inside edges for a bowled or LBW dismissal, and only occasionally their outside edges if the pitch offers some sideways movement off the seam. Anderson has the weaponry to hoop it away from the lefties through the air and instead look for that slip cordon on most deliveries.³

Seeya pal

Anderson typically starts over the wicket, looking for a middle-and-leg line shaping away to finish near a fourth stump line. He preys on drawing guys into playing at balls they could probably leave alone – whether due to misjudgement of their off stump or simply the desire to feel bat on ball. He’s skilful enough to get so much swing that the strategy often takes away bowled and LBW dismissals. From over-the-wicket it’s hard for him to pitch in-line and still be hitting the stumps, and it’s hard to bowl guys whose legs are in the way. He frequently gets guys caught behind the wicket in this way and can be difficult to score off, but this line of attack can be limiting to excellent leavers of the ball.

If he needs to bring more modes of dismissal into the equation, Anderson has two basic options. Firstly, he can choose to bend the ball both ways more regularly, an option not available to many bowlers. Alternatively, he can continue to focus on use of his inswinger, but from around the wicket - using the change of angle to challenge both sides of the bat. Anderson shape in both directions is impressive and can be extremely useful, but it can often be an easier task to identify the (slight) change in action and react to the different ball shape than it is to guard against one type of delivery that asks more questions.

Bowling around the wicket gives Anderson more of an opportunity to attack the stumps whilst still shaping away from the bat to present opportunities to the slips cordon. Obviously this reduces the absolute amount of swing away from the bat, but it’s a happy trade-off, and frequently too much swing just results in a play-and-miss anyway.

Rogers, other than in his use of the DRS system⁴, has shown since his first class debut in 1983/84 that he is a great judge of line and length. His willingness to leave the ball alone for long periods, combined with this judgement, are extremely valuable attributes for an opening batsman in England.⁵ Rogers is elite at staying deep in his crease, especially early in his innings, and making an extremely late decision on whether or not he needs to play at the ball. He is strong enough through the off-side to score off balls in this fourth stump area that are sufficiently harmless, particularly on the cut behind point and his dependable front foot punch through the covers.

Save 'em

Rogers’ game plan revolves around not being drawn into playing at balls he might prefer to leave alone. He’s the exact type of player that Anderson struggles to penetrate from over the wicket, and someone whom Anderson has targeted almost exclusively around the wicket as a result. As mentioned above, this plan opens up stumps-related dismissals, but it also serves to cut off the width on which Rogers thrives, since his main boundary zones are through point and the covers. Attacking from around the wicket will serve to cut off these scoring zones and force him to score through the leg side or down the ground. Rogers can survive there, but he’s not as fluent as he is through the covers.

In addition to (or indeed as a result of) slowing the momentum of his innings, Rogers has been vulnerable to dismissal from around the wicket. The three times Anderson has taken Rogers’ wicket have all been by this line of attack and from similar, surprisingly innocuous, deliveries.

Dale Steyn has also had success against Rogers in this fashion, and Anderson has targeted countless other lefties the same way. Testing Rogers around the wicket, whether searching out traditional modes of dismissal or by frustrating him into tossing his wicket away by restricting his scoring if he does find some rhythm, will undoubtedly be Anderson’s Plan A on Wednesday.

Rogers finding a reliable method to soak up the brunt of James Anderson’s new ball work, even if he doesn’t have a 500 run series, will be invaluable in delivering a strong foundation upon which the classy but brittle Australian middle-order can build a total.

Early poles to Anderson, even if they aren’t reflected in a series total of 30+ wickets, could spark the type of mini-collapse that has plagued this Australian side for some time, and from which they may not be able to recover.

Notes

¹ – Maybe he will; he’s pretty great.

² – To a right-handed batsman – I’m aware that this is going to be annoying and confusing throughout the article. I hope it’s manageable and understandable.

³ – Please don’t mistake this positivity for thinking I like the guy. He seems like a fuckwit of the highest order.

⁴ – Obviously he’s not Watto but he’s still not great at referring things. Incidentally in watching some clips for this piece I came across this, which was actually challenged. What a time to be alive. 

"Did you think it was going through the gap between the sticks too?"

⁵ – See Cook, Alastair. When he’s leaving well he makes truckloads and when he’s out of nick and playing at balls he should be leaving he looks like he might actually be right handed.