England's Best Pace Bowling Duo road and Anderson

It is uncanny how the two bowlers have the same figures when it comes to average (28), economy rate (three) and strike rate.

- Partab Ramchand

If the England team has had several purple patches throughout a long cricketing career extending to nearly 140 years it is largely because they have been well served in the fast, swing and seam bowling departments. Bowlers from Sydney Barnes to Alec Bedser, Maurice Tate to Fred Trueman, Brian Statham to John Snow and Bob Willis to Ian Botham have epitomised this mode of bowling which has been England’s mainstay through the years. And by their deeds over the last decade James Anderson and Stuart Broad have qualified to join the galaxy of greats. They certainly are England’s best pace bowling duo since Willis and Botham who bowled England to numerous notable victories in the late 70s and early 80s.

On sheer numbers of course they are easily the No 1 England pair having taken over 800 wickets between themselves ranking second only in world cricket to the duo of Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose who snared 924 scalps between them. And it would come as no surprise if the Anderson – Broad duo go past the great West Indian pair in the near future. Anderson is 34, Broad 30 so they could have another couple of years bowling in tandem. The most heartening aspect is that with age like good wine they are getting better. Broad in particular has made giant strides as a bowler in the last couple of years symbolised by his memorable eight for 15 against Australia at Nottingham last year while Anderson a model of consistency has shown no signs of age having caught up with him.