Tremlett, Bresnan vie for vacant England bowling spot

PERTH - Standby England fast bowlers Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan are vying to snare injured fast bowler Stuart Broad’s spot in the first eleven for the Perth Ashes Test, which begins from Thursday.

Broad has been sent back home with a side strain, and both Tremlett and Bresnan failed to impress during the three-day friendly against Victoria last week.

However, the wholehearted seam and useful batting of Tim Bresnan is also highly regarded by the English hierarchy. It is significant that Bresnan has played a greater role in the recent development of a strong team ethos for England than Tremlett has, and this may play a role in enhancing his chances, Fox Sports reports.

Bresnan’s bustling approach to the task on hand is felt to be better suited for the WACA ground.

Tremlett, on the other hand, has a massive advantage with his height, feels Jimmy Anderson.

“Bresnan is a very skillful bowler who can bat as well and he has made some valuable contributions with the bat in our one-day side,” he added.

Anderson spent some of his commute back from England thinking about how the tour had progressed so far, and it is difficult imagining any of his conclusions being negative.

“I feel like it’s part of my job as a bowler and I see myself as the leader of the attack here, so it’s important I think about what went right for us in the last two games and what we can improve on for this game,” he said.

“I did plenty of that, as did the guys who were still here. They’ve thought about things we can improve on, and we’ve spoken about it already.”

One man who will need to raise his game somewhat in the absence of Broad is the young quick Steve Finn, who has made valuable contributions in the first two Tests without ever quite bowling at his best.

“He’s a confident young guy and he has improved every time he’s bowled with each spell on this trip,” Anderson said.

“He believes he can do the job and everyone else believes he’s got the attributes and the mental game to be able to step up to the plate.” (ANI)