Harmison fires an England reminder

Jun 19 2009 by Nick Purewal, The Journal

DEVASTATED to strike three Warwickshire batsmen in a rip-snorting five-wicket haul, Steve Harmison said he is unfazed by England selectors’ attentions as the Ashes squad announcement looms.

England coach Andy Flower has delayed naming the Ashes training squad until Monday to allow the likes of Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan time to prove form and fitness.

But a healthy by-product of that might yet be the outside chance of Harmison’s inclusion, certainly if yesterday’s final session 5-18 at Edgbaston is anything to go by.

Harmison tore into Warwickshire yesterday under the watchful eye of Bears coach and England bowling selector Ashley Giles.

Typically, though, rather than worry about outside interest, he is more concerned about forcing Warwickshire to follow on this morning – and also bemoaning the nasty side-effect of employing his destructive short balls.

The epitome of strike bowler, he caught Bell, Tony Frost and Chris Woakes in a battering day’s work.

But rather than relish that raw power, he admitted he winces when he catches a batsman.

Warwickshire closed on 264-9 last night, still 20 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, and Harmison knows enforcing that is vital to sustain victory hopes.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world as a bowler when you hit somebody,” Harmison lamented. “I don’t like that, I really don’t like it.

“I must admit I was very worried when Frost’s glasses came off, I was upset with that, when Belly got hit and it hurt him, and the same with young Woakes too.

“But that’s what I was saying about being experienced on these wickets, on a flat, slow wicket you’ve got to try something different, and my something different and my variation is bowling bouncers.

“The last two weeks I haven’t really had to exert myself because of the pitches that we’ve been playing on.

“But this one I felt as though I had to exert myself a lot more and put a lot more into it. I’ve got rewards in all three games but this one is the most pleasing because it was a flat wicket.