England’s Jofra Archer says it has been a challenge adjusting to the Kookaburra ball before Thursday’s first Test against New Zealand but hopes some pace off the surface at Mount Maunganui will help to level the playing field.
Archer made his Test debut in the Ashes series against Australia, taking 22 wickets in four matches. He is England’s main strike bowler in New Zealand in the absence of the injured James Anderson.
The two-Test series is Archer’s first overseas tour and his chief concern is the Australian-made ball, which has a far less-pronounced seam than he is used to.
“I’d never bowled with the red Kookaburra before, but I knew it was going to be tough and so it proved,” he wrote in a column for the Daily Mail newspaper.
“People say it has a smaller seam than the Dukes ball we use in England, but I’m not sure it has a seam at all. It isn’t pronounced on any part of the ball. It doesn’t hold its shine either and gets very old, very fast.”
Archer is pinning his hopes on the speed of the Bay Oval pitch after playing on the “flattest” of his life in Whangarei in England’s final warm-up match.
“We’ve heard conditions at Mount Maunganui might be more helpful and there could be a bit more pace so … that may be something to work with,” he added.
“When there’s nothing on offer from the conditions, you have to try whatever you can. You have to be inventive over here, which is one of the things we’ve spoken about as a group.”
One of the highlights of the Ashes was Archer’s battle with Australia’s Steve Smith, who plundered 774 runs in four Tests despite being concussed after being struck by a bouncer from the 24-year-old.
Archer said England’s bowlers could expect to be tested by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, the No.3 Test batsman in the world.
“I didn’t want to be bowling to Steve Smith again any time soon after what happened last summer,” he added. “But New Zealand have Kane Williamson, who isn’t going to give you much either.
“We’re probably going to have to try a bit of everything against him, although he plays the short ball pretty well.”
Raimond
Roar Guru
"visiting quicks" answers your own question
Tom
The kookuburra white ball is used in England too… He is talking about the red ball and he is right, it’s crap.
Diplomatt
Guest
Didn't seem to bother him in the Big Bash. TBF he was still a West Indian back in those days.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Archer the latest of a long line of visiting quicks who think the Kookaburra ball is trash. Why can't they put a bigger seam on it? This has been a perennial complaint for close to a decade now.
Jak
Guest
Poms are rubbish on their home grounds. They'll be even worse away from them.
Paul
Roar Guru
:happy: I was trying to be diplomatic TJ! Another England innings of less than 100 would not upset this fan!!
TJ
Guest
Agree Paul should be a cracker of a series. Although I'm actually hoping it's very one sided and the poms get smashed!
Paul
Roar Guru
This England New Zealand series should be an absolute beauty. It will be very interesting to see how Archer goes when he doesn't have familiar conditions. It will equally be interesting to see how the Kiwi batsmen handle his pace, given the Test series after that against Australia. Naturally it would be great to see a Black Caps series win.