Mitchell Starc can’t wait to bowl at England in Ashes

Sport360 staff 11:04 06/07/2015
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  • Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood & Starc all bowl in excess of 140 kph.

    Mitchell Starc has warned England’s batsmen there will be no place to hide when Australia’s pacemen turn up the heat for the start of the Ashes series in Cardiff.

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    The 25-year-old left-armer claimed nine wickets in the final warm-up match against Essex at Chelmsford, improving after a slow start on his first outing in England this tour.

    With Ryan Harris having announced his retirement because of injury, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood – who took four for 42 in Essex’s second innings – and Starc will help provide the ammunition aimed to unsettle England’s openersy.

    “Having some guys who can bowl some good heat – and we can swing it – it is always good to see those batsmen jumping around and making life hard for them,” said Starc. “When you have a few guys who can consistently bowl over 140kph, that is great to have because there is no respite.

    “We will have Mitch Johnson coming in, who has terrorised England in Australia, then Josh and I are following on and can hopefully both push it up a decent pace as well.” Starc feels in a good place as he aims to secure Australia a first Ashes win in England for more than a decade.

    “I have probably gained a yard or two but for me it is that consistency, which is what I was questioned about for a long time and tried to find,” he said. “There is that confidence in myself now that in a pretty dead, lifeless wicket I can produce consistently.

    “Now over the last six months, it is really getting to the point where it needs to be in terms of being able to swing the ball for a while.

    “It is all merging into one and I am starting to see results.”

    While much has been made of sledging in the build-up to the teams walking out at Sophia Gardens, Starc intends to let his bowling do all the talking.

    “I am not one to chirp the batsmen, I am just trying to concentrate on bowling,” he said. “I am not the same all-out aggression like Mitch, and am not going to change the way I play cricket just for one series.”

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