Jimmy’s a tonic for England, says Strauss (From Lancaster And Morecambe Citizen)

Jimmy’s a tonic for England, says Strauss

9:10am Wednesday 20th May 2009

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Andrew Strauss has hailed James Anderson as exceptional as the Burnley pace ace ripped the West Indies apart on Monday.

Lancashire’s Anderson returned match figures of 9-125 as England completed a routine 2-0 series win over West Indies.

And now captain Strauss is hoping Anderson can take his form into the summer’s main event, the bid to reclaim the Ashes from the Australians.

“The real challenge for anyone captaining a side is to try and get that extra two or three per cent out of a team, which could be the difference between winning or losing a big series,” said Strauss.

“If you look at the way the guys are practising at the moment, there’s a real hunger to improve - and we need to cultivate that and make sure it grows and grows.

“Jimmy’s control with the swinging ball is exceptional, and he’s going to be a threat against anyone when it’s swinging.

“At the same time, when it’s flat we’ve learned a lot from what happened in the West Indies - and we’ve got a plan B there as well.”

Strauss is now hoping that the unity in his team will serve them well, firstly against Australia and then beyond as they aim to fight their way back up the rankings.

“We’re in a pretty good place at the moment,” he added.

“The couple of new guys that have come in have settled really well.

“There’s also a nice spirit about things; guys are really enjoying each other’s success - and we’re a pretty close-knit group.

“We hope we can make sure by the time we meet up again for that next Test match we’re reminded of how close we are now - and when times get tougher we need to get even closer.”

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