Ian Baker - Finn can scare Australia
09 Jun 2010 - 09:20:53
A new adaptation of Manfred Mann's Mighty Quinn was introduced by the Barmy Army during England's tour of Bangladesh.
"He swings in out
Comes steaming in
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Finn"
And following on from Steven Finn's excellent first series in England, also against the Tigers, Australia may not have seen anything like him either. Because the 6ft 8in giant might just be Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss' Ashes trump card.
They definitely will not see anything of him for the five one-dayers starting later this month because the Middlesex bowler is being rested.
Finn took 15 wickets in just the Lord's and Old Trafford Tests and his pace, height and bounce could be a big problem for the Australians particularly on hard wickets like the WACA in Perth.
Glenn McGrath, a similarly tall bowler was a constant menace, particularly on his home pitches. And Andy Caddick was a bowler the Australians always feared simply because of his height.
In the end England easily beat Bangladesh 2-0 at home to follow their 2-0 triumph in the sub-continent. But sadly, Finn aside, they appeared to go backwards. Without Andrew Flintoff and even Stuart Broad, they struggled in the bowling department, except for their young bowler Finn.
Tim Bresnan, clearly carrying a knock in the first Test, was taken apart and looked a shadow of the bowler he was in Bangladesh and in the Caribbean for the World Twenty20. And Jimmy Anderson also frustrated, showing a serious lack of consistency.
The ease of which Tamim Iqbal took on England's attack was also a big worry and may suggest they need to alter the balance of the side and play an extra bowler down under.
England's bizarrely scheduled summer means they must play nine one-day internationals against Scotland, Australia and Bangladesh before their next Test against Pakistan in July. They must dearly hope that Pakistan's cricket-political problems have been resolved by then.
The Pakistanis can be a dangerous side and after four Tests against the weakest of Test match opposition, England need a serious challenge if they are to be ready for the most important series of all.
Australia will definitely not be worried by what they may have seen back home on TV. But if Finn delivers the goods against Pakistan, Mr Ponting and co may have a few sleepless nights ahead.
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