JImmy Anderson has taken 39 Test wickets in six appearances at Trent Bridge since 2003 at an average of less than 18. Photograph: Pat Chapman/ActionplusEngland have been warned that Trent Bridge is unlikely to live up to its reputation as a swinger's paradise, and therefore Jimmy Anderson's favourite Test ground, this week, especially given the glorious forecast. But Chris Read, the former Test wicketkeeper and long-serving Nottinghamshire captain, believes the unusual dryness of the ground will still suit England's ability to exploit reverse swing and spin.
Anderson has taken 39 of his 307 Test wickets in six appearances in Nottingham since 2003 at an average of less than 18, helping England to win five of those matches, including convincing victories in each of the last four.
But Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad have already passed on to Anderson that conditions at Trent Bridge this season have not been favouring the Nottinghamshire seam bowlers. The last two County Championship matches at the ground have petered out into draws with a total of 1,811 runs scored for the loss of only 31 wickets.
"All the feedback we're getting from the Notts boys is that it's not swung as much this year," Anderson said. "The pitch is very flat and very dry, so we don't really know what to expect until we get there and practise."
"I think the square has been changing for the last three or four years," said Read. "A lot of people have put it down to these new outfields – the one at Trent Bridge is fantastic in terms of absorbing the water from rain, but the theory is that it is also sucking moisture out of the square.
"I certainly think that for the majority of our games this year there has been less moisture in the ground and it's therefore been giving less assistance to all the quick bowlers.
"We did have a low-scoring game against Surrey but that was played under leaden skies with the floodlights on – and from what I've heard that's not going to be the case this week.
"I would imagine there will be some swing early on with the new ball but then the wicket will deteriorate nicely. There isn't generally a great deal of spin at Trent Bridge but there could be this time and I would imagine reverse swing, too. We've seen England exploiting that with a white ball in the Champions Trophy and I think back to the 2005 Ashes series, especially Simon Jones at Old Trafford, when it was also important.
"I don't think Jimmy and Broady and whoever else gets picked will be overly concerned because they've shown they are a fantastic outfit whatever the conditions," said Read.
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