Steve Harmison Bounces Back Into England Contention
Another five-wicket haul from Steve Harmison gave Durham hope of forcing a result and boosted the paceman's chances of Ashes selection
Four days ahead of England announcing their Ashes squad or at least an extended version Ian Bell and Steve Harmison yesterday eased themselves into pole position on the list of batting and bowling wannabes looking for Test returns.
Before an Edgbaston audience that included the England selector, Ashley Giles, Bell got to within touching distance of his second century since he was sidelined in the West Indies last February while Harmison came back after an indifferent opening spell to grab five wickets three of them in 23 balls and set up a rare result at Birmingham.
That Bell's 79 came while the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, was making only 46 playing for Yorkshire at Worcestershire will have done the Warwickshire batsman's case no harm at all, but it is Harmison's late entry into the lists which is fascinating.
According to Andrew Flintoff, who played against Harmison last week, the fast bowler is as good as he was four years ago when England regained the Ashes. "He was close to unplayable," said Flintoff who was among the 15 wickets Harmison had taken in his previous two county championship matches. "Good pace, steep bounce, control, stamina, swinging the ball away from the right-hander you name it, he did it," said the all rounder in words which sounded a trifle empty until the final session yesterday.
When he opened the bowling, Harmison's radar was all wrong and even though his early figures looked impressive enough 8-2-21-0 the economy was more to do with width rather than accuracy. There was plenty of fire Bell and Tony Frost were both hit but no hint of the flurry of wickets to come.
Then in two spells, starting with a ball 60 overs old in his hand, Harmison managed to thrash life out of a wicket notorious for producing only one championship result in the last two seasons. Jonathan Trott, once an England squad member, lost his off stump, beaten for pace, and Jim Troughton gloved a bouncer into the slips, before Tim Ambrose, with 11 Test caps behind him, was also undone by a rearing delivery.
The Warwickshire wicketkeeper managed to fend the ball off his nose, only to see it loop gently down the leg side into the hands of the Durham keeper, Phil Mustard, giving Harmison his third wicket in 23 balls for the cost of only six runs while leaving Warwickshire still 72 short of the follow-on and only three wickets left.
Four overs from the end of the day, Chris Woakes, possibly an England player of the future, became the third batsman to need treatment . The next ball he edged to third slip before Jeetan Patel went the same way giving Harmison consecutive five-fors.
Before an Edgbaston audience that included the England selector, Ashley Giles, Bell got to within touching distance of his second century since he was sidelined in the West Indies last February while Harmison came back after an indifferent opening spell to grab five wickets three of them in 23 balls and set up a rare result at Birmingham.
That Bell's 79 came while the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, was making only 46 playing for Yorkshire at Worcestershire will have done the Warwickshire batsman's case no harm at all, but it is Harmison's late entry into the lists which is fascinating.
According to Andrew Flintoff, who played against Harmison last week, the fast bowler is as good as he was four years ago when England regained the Ashes. "He was close to unplayable," said Flintoff who was among the 15 wickets Harmison had taken in his previous two county championship matches. "Good pace, steep bounce, control, stamina, swinging the ball away from the right-hander you name it, he did it," said the all rounder in words which sounded a trifle empty until the final session yesterday.
When he opened the bowling, Harmison's radar was all wrong and even though his early figures looked impressive enough 8-2-21-0 the economy was more to do with width rather than accuracy. There was plenty of fire Bell and Tony Frost were both hit but no hint of the flurry of wickets to come.
Then in two spells, starting with a ball 60 overs old in his hand, Harmison managed to thrash life out of a wicket notorious for producing only one championship result in the last two seasons. Jonathan Trott, once an England squad member, lost his off stump, beaten for pace, and Jim Troughton gloved a bouncer into the slips, before Tim Ambrose, with 11 Test caps behind him, was also undone by a rearing delivery.
The Warwickshire wicketkeeper managed to fend the ball off his nose, only to see it loop gently down the leg side into the hands of the Durham keeper, Phil Mustard, giving Harmison his third wicket in 23 balls for the cost of only six runs while leaving Warwickshire still 72 short of the follow-on and only three wickets left.
Four overs from the end of the day, Chris Woakes, possibly an England player of the future, became the third batsman to need treatment . The next ball he edged to third slip before Jeetan Patel went the same way giving Harmison consecutive five-fors.
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