Lawson says Hilfenhaus bowling is predictable

MELBOURNE - Former pacer Geoff Lawson has said that Ben Hilfenhaus’s removal of England skipper Andrew Strauss in the fifth Ashes Test does not disguise the bowler’s glaring inadequacies in a series in which he is averaging 69.2 with the ball.

Hilfenhaus bowled a superb delivery to dislodge Strauss off stump on Tuesday, but it should do little to solidify his place in the national line-up, according to Lawson.

“He’s just bowling the same ball over and over through the whole series and that’s not going to be successful in Test cricket, particularly when the opposition see you the whole series,” Lawson said.

“They know what’s coming and with Strauss and [Alastair] Cook batting so well you’ve got to come up with something a bit better than your normal stuff,” The Age quoted him, as saying.

“The opposition have got very used to facing him and he just doesn’t have very much to go back to, particularly when the wickets get a bit flatter. England will be enjoying facing him because they don’t really think he’s got a delivery up his sleeve that will surprise them,” Lawson said.

Strauss was on a real roll, having taken only 49 balls to reach 50 and enjoyed a field day carving up a flat Hilfenhaus in the early stages. (ANI)