Stokes was named as Player of the Match following a game-seizing century on the second afternoon, however it was his gruelling 14-over spell both facet of the tea break that set England up for victory inside three days. In the area of 9 balls after the break, he prised out each of South Africa’s set batters, Rassie van der Dussen and Keegan Petersen, earlier than ceding the stage to Anderson and Ollie Robinson, armed with the brand new ball, whose mixed haul of 5 wickets in 31 balls delivered the victory in type.
“It’s frightening. He’s just an absolute freak,” Anderson advised Sky Sports. “He does that day in, day out, he’s just got a hundred as well yesterday. He batted for however long, and then to be able to put in that sort of spell and get the wickets that he did.
“That was the important thing, having the ability to break them open earlier than the brand new ball made an enormous distinction,” Anderson added. “And think about if he had a physique that really functioned correctly, he’d be completely horrifying. He’s an absolute machine and he leads by instance as properly. He’s not only a good captain on the sphere. The method he simply reveals us the right way to play the sport is an actual credit score to him.”
Speaking during the post-match presentations, Stokes himself explained the logic behind his extended spell.
“I seemed on the scoreboard to see what number of overs we needed to the brand new ball,” he said. “I actually wished to be sure that I did not have to show to Jimmy or Robbo earlier than the brand new ball, as a result of I knew how essential that interval was going to be for us. I felt actually good rhythm. The ball was reverse-swinging, I received my tail up, the whole lot felt good, and it labored out properly.”
Anderson, who finished with match figures of 6 for 62 in 30 overs, was full of admiration for Stokes’ efforts, but also gratitude for the impact on his own role. After years of being asked to bowl the hard yards at uncompromising moments of matches, he admitted to a new lease of life at the age of 40, and added that he feels like a leader of the attack in the truest sense, now that England are fully committed to attacking games under the new management of Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
“I feel I’ve smiled greater than I ever have on a cricket subject, I’m completely loving it,” Anderson said. “I’ve actually loved the previous few months. The method Ben and Brendon wish to play, my position’s turn into just a little bit totally different. I’m not a defensive bowler anymore in any respect. They need me to take wickets the entire time, and take into consideration taking wickets the entire time. So that is my sole focus, and the group’s sole focus.
“Everyone’s clear on their role,” he added. “They’re clear about what the captain and coach expect of them, which is a massive help. It just takes away any doubt, it allows you to focus on your job. Which it might sound simple, but sometimes things can get cloudy. There’s so much to think about, especially from a technique point of view in this game, whether you’re a batter or a bowler. So having that clarity when you go out on the field, it makes a huge difference.”
It does not all the time go proper, in fact, and England got the hurry-up within the Lord’s Test final week, when it was South Africa’s flip to seal an innings win inside three days. But Anderson insisted that the group had by no means misplaced religion within the strategies that had delivered 4 thrilling wins towards New Zealand and India earlier in the summertime.
“We spoke a lot after the last game about how we can be better,” he mentioned. “Certainly with the ball, we stuck to our guns. We tried to keep attacking fields and catchers in the whole way through the game. And with the bat, what we spoke about was trying to learn when to soak up pressure when we needed to, and when to be able to put it back on to the opposition.”
“I think he knows that he’s got the backing of the group,” Anderson added. “We all know how good a player is. He’s not performed to the standard that he would set of himself, and got the runs that he would have liked. But that’s Test cricket as an opener, especially in England, it’s a hard place to bat. But for me, it’s about trying to keep him positive. He deserves his place in the team.”
As for his personal requirements, Anderson has as soon as once more proven he is proper on the high of his sport. In the course of his ultimate day’s work, he went previous Glenn McGrath’s haul of 949 wickets throughout all codecs of worldwide cricket – the earlier most by any fast bowler – and with 24 wickets at 17.66 for the summer season to date, he’s arguably bowling higher now than any earlier stage of his already stellar profession – and in no temper to provide all of it up simply but.
“In Test cricket, you’ve got to run in hard, especially on a pitch like this where it slowed up when it got older,” he mentioned. “I try and look after my body so I’m able to do it, because I absolutely love doing it. With the skills there, it’s just about trying to make sure the body can allow me to do it.
“The older you get, the extra you have to take care of your self,” he added. “Niggles do creep in just a little bit extra, it takes longer to recuperate from accidents as properly. So for me, I’ve received to try to preserve myself in the perfect form, preserve these niggles away, and I’ll want a little bit of luck as properly alongside the way in which. But yeah, I’m completely loving it.”
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket