The Ashes 2015: Jimmy Anderson puts England in control of third Test against Australia with six-wicket haul

 
Star man: Anderson salutes the crowd as he leaves the field after taking 6 wickets
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David Clough29 July 2015

A classic display of seam-and-swing bowling from James Anderson helped England bowl Australia out inside two sessions at Edgbaston to restate their 2015 Ashes credentials.

Anderson's six for 47 included a spell of four wickets for seven runs as the tourists were dismissed for 136 in 36.4 overs - two deliveries fewer than they needed to bowl England out for 103 en route to their series-levelling 405-run win at Lord's 10 days ago.

Anderson took expert advantage of favourable conditions on day one of this third Investec Test - and two wickets each from Stuart Broad and Steven Finn completed the job, before Ian Bell (53) kept England in control on 133 for three at stumps.

Rain breaks kept coming at the perfect time to allow Alastair Cook to give Anderson a breather, and the pace linchpin did the rest on a pitch offering lateral movement under cloud cover.

Finn, back from a two-year Test absence, struck twice in his first three overs - and then Anderson took over with a wonderful demonstration of his talents to eliminate Australia's middle order.

Only opener Chris Rogers (52) resisted - as he has so often in his sequence of nine half-centuries in 11 Test innings - to stop Australia folding even more quickly.

Rogers was rarely convincing but kept his nerve in a battling 82-ball 50 as he again proved his immense value to the team after being cleared to play here despite his dizzy spell at Lord's.

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Anderson took none for 137 there, but was back on song when England needed him after Michael Clarke chose to bat on a showery day.

Finn's success was gratifying too - in his 24th Test but first since the start of the 2013 Ashes and after a raft of technical issues with his run-up culminated in his early departure from the limited-overs leg of England's tour down under the following winter.

He was deemed 'unselectable' back then - but for Steve Smith, Finn's sixth delivery on his return proved unplayable and was fenced low to slip.

That was 18 for two, after Anderson had struck first with the wicket of David Warner, and brought Clarke to the crease much earlier than he must have hoped.

He did not stay long either, bowled off-stump by a full-length outswinger from Finn.

Warner had gone, with just seven on the board, to seam movement from Anderson which trapped him in front on the back foot.

Australia were thankful his fellow opener was in typically determined mood, however, adding 43 with Adam Voges.

When rain cleared after lunch, Anderson wasted no time.

Voges was kicking himself for trying to leave too late as he edged behind.

Mitch Marsh's attempt to counter-attack came to nought when he too edged Anderson to Jos Buttler, aiming an off-drive, and then Peter Nevill misread the swing and was bowled shouldering arms.

Anderson soon had five for the second time at this venue in his Ashes career, Mitchell Johnson trying to drive too but getting a thick edge to gully.

Broad was as yet wicketless but shifted Rogers at last, lbw from round the wicket, before doubling up with Mitchell Starc caught-behind - another trying to leave the ball.

That took Broad up into the top five on England's all-time wicket-taking list, but it was table-topper Anderson who appropriately concluded the innings when Nathan Lyon played on to give him his Ashes-best figures.

England soon lost Adam Lyth, edging a drive to slip - and after a second-wicket stand of 57, Cook fell to a freak catch at short-leg where Voges somehow held on to a fierce pull at Lyon.

After taking the wicket with only his second delivery, the off-spinner was immediately taken off only to return for a second spell in which he repeated the trick - this time with his fourth attempt.

Bell played beautifully and hit 10 boundaries in a near run-a-ball 50, before his intent to dominate Lyon took him up the pitch where he skewed a skier to midwicket.

It was a significant frustration, in front of his home crowd after such a lean spell of scores, but England still had much to smile about.

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