Outside Edge: Stuart Broad and James Anderson have spells to forget in first Test build-up

With a fortnight to go until the first test of the summer, most selection speculation is around how England will fill the hole left by James Taylor’s retirement and whether Alex Hales will retain his spot at the top of the order.

But forget about the batsmen for a moment. England’s premier bowling duo, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, had matches to forget last week and must be wondering whether tackling the Sri Lankans at Headingley will be a ride in the park by comparison. At Taunton, Anderson took three wickets in an over to have Somerset briefly in trouble at 102-5 first time round, but thereafter he went wicketless as Lancashire were unable to press home their first innings advantage. Anderson’s former England teammate Marcus Trescothick rolled back the years and ended with an unbeaten century as the match fizzled out.

At Trent Bridge meanwhile, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire traded thrilling blows until the very end, with Jack Brooks seeing out the last two balls of the game – bowled by Broad – to secure a draw. Earlier in the over Broad had taken his first wicket of the match when he had Steven Patterson lbw for a single. Before that he had bowled a total of 24.3 wicketless overs across both innings for 104 runs. Steven Finn, who is the most likely third seamer in England’s first test line-up has also had a modest start to the season.

The chances of a surprise bowling addition to England’s starting XI are minimal – and bowlers across the land will point to the batsmen-friendly conditions currently being encountered in the Championship. Chris Woakes might hope to be next in the queue; he played in England’s last test in South Africa after all. But the standout bowler of the season thus far is Broad’s Nottinghamshire teammate Jake Balls, who received his county cap this week. 19 wickets in three matches at less than 19 runs each tell a good story – a spot in the England squad would not be a unsuitable reward.

The ongoing travails of fast bowlers and the abundance of high-scoring draws this week have increased anxieties about the ECB’s decision to give away teams the automatic chance to bowl first if they wish to. Some recent matches could have been played for another day or two without a victor emerging; and it’s hard to conclude that spectators crave meaningless run-fests.

Yet there are voices of reason if you listen carefully enough. Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes has proclaimed himself satisfied. Speaking to the BBC he noted that, in past seasons, “good players were playing forward defensive shots and getting out to average bowlers”. That, for the long-term good of the game, made no sense at all. Quite aside from stymieing the development of spinners, most of whom had little chance to make an impact once the quicker bowlers had done their work, green pitches allowed mediocrity to prosper. It is vital that the trial is given proper time to bed down.

It should also be remembered that England isn’t the only country tinkering with its domestic game. In the second half of Australia’s next Sheffield Shield season, Dukes balls will be used in place of Kookaburra, in a deliberate effort to give bowlers Down Under more experience with the type of ball used in Tests here. Innovation is the name of the game.

It is one of the great joys of this time of year to drive past a local ground where cricket is underway, slowing down a touch to catch a glimpse of a ball being bowled. I’m struck though by the number of signs I have seen – mainly close to home in Hertfordshire but also elsewhere – espousing the warm welcome new players can expect should they feel inclined to join the ranks. A billboard in my local town promotes the loveliness of the club’s ground as additional inducement.

That recruitment efforts should be underway is good news – proactive clubs thrive; timid ones die. But it may also be indicative of the struggle many clubs are experiencing in securing enough regular players to fulfil fixture commitments. The ECB found a seven per cent fall in the number of recreational participants between 2013 and 2014. Statista.com has identified a long-term decline since the recent high-point in 2008. Just as problematically, while many individuals still play occasionally, those who turn out week after week are fewer and further between.

A lack of terrestrial TV coverage can hardly help the situation, but the major problem may simply be that people are living ever more busy lives and cannot spare regular Saturday afternoons away from other commitments. I know the feeling.

It’s a shame though. So if you see a sign welcoming new players, don’t just drive on by.

@willjgore