The Ashes: James Anderson says no rift between batters and bowlers in England team | Cricket News

“I don’t want to get into a bowlers versus batters thing. All I can see from the batting group is how hard they are working to put things right,” says Anderson, who believes his bowling spell at the MCG was his best in Australia since 2010; Anderson took 4-33 from 23 overs

James Anderson says England’s Ashes struggles will not open up a rift between batters and bowlers as Australia close in on an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

Seamer Anderson bagged figures of 4-33 as Australia were dismissed for 267 on day two of the third Test in Melbourne, with Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood claiming two wickets apiece.

However, England stuttered to 31-4 in the 12 overs before stumps, still 51 runs behind Australia, having been bundled out for 185 on the opening day of the Boxing Test.

England’s top-score in the series so far is 297 and they have failed to breach 200 on three occasions.

Anderson said: “We knew that the last 12 overs would be tough with the new ball. Even so, to lose four wickets was really disappointing, but it’s dangerous as a bowler to talk about our batting. We’re a team here.

“All I can see from the batting group is how hard they are working to put things right. It can be difficult and I don’t want to get into a bowlers versus batters thing.

“We’re all working hard to try and put in much better performances. We haven’t bowled great in the first two games but today we put in a much better performance.

“It’s been a tough tour. It always is here, it’s never simple. There’s always stuff going on but I’ve got the opportunity to put an England shirt on so I’m enjoying that. I love that.

“We’d all love the results to be going better but that can happen. We’ll keep working hard at that and hopefully it will.”

Anderson savours bowling spell

Anderson bowled a spell of 1-1 from six overs before lunch on day two in Melbourne and ended up with England’s first four-wicket haul of the series.

The 39-year-old said: “It’s definitely the best I’ve bowled out here since 2010. I got into a really good rhythm and felt like I was challenging with every ball.

“There was a spell late in the first session when I felt like I was going to get a wicket every ball. I honestly felt that good. “It’s just nice to get some wickets when you’re in that sort of rhythm because it doesn’t happen.

“On the bowling front, I thought we did really well to stick at our task throughout the day.

“We talked a lot about the lengths we wanted to hit and the pressure we wanted to create and I thought we were really good all day. We created a lot of chances and got our rewards.”

Harris: MCG was bouncing

Reflecting on the final hour, as Mitchell Starc dismissed Zak Crawley (5) and Dawid Malan (0) from successive balls in the fifth over and Scott Boland removed Haseeb Hameed (7) and nightwatchman Jack Leach (0) in the space of three balls in the 11th, Australia opener Marcus Harris said: “It was absolutely bouncing.

“For 40,000 it felt like there was 100,000. When Starcy was on a hat-trick, it was unbelievable. And then when Scotty Boland ran down to Bay 13 at the end after those two wickets in the over, that was brilliant.

“It was a great atmosphere – something you dream of as a kid to be a part of.”

Harris tops 2019 Ashes tally in one innings!

Harris, who was one of Anderson’s wickets, top-scored for Australia with 76 – which is more runs than he managed in the three Tests during the 2019 Ashes series in England.

Two years ago, the opener scored 58 runs at an average of 9.66 with a highest score of just 19. His Test half-century in Melbourne was his first for 17 innings, stretching back to the 79 he hit against India at Sydney in January 2019.

Harris batted so long that he participated in his first-ever partnership for the fourth wicket in his Test career – and fifth and sixth wickets, too – in his 44th Test innings.