Poor Batting? It's the balls - Graveney

David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, is worried that the failure of cricket's administrators to agree world-wide on the use of a ball with similar size and capability is beginning to hit the game financially. The success of the fast bowlers at Lord's was helped by the higher seam which is current here. The three-day finishes to consecutive Test Matches arises substantially from the behaviour of the ball on English pitches.

Poor batting cannot be excused entirely for the run of low scores, but the fact that England's bowlers have also bowled out Test Match opposition for trifling totals shows that the problem needs to be tackled. The tactical appreciation of our own bowlers could be also impaired because they are not prepared for the ball becoming more friendly to batting after an hour or so into an innings in Australia or South Africa.