Swann hands responsibility to batsmen

Cricket365
August 3, 2013

Spinner Graeme Swann has insisted England's middle-order will put in a commanding performance, come day three of the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday.

The hosts slipped to 52 for two in response to Australia's 527 for seven declared on Friday, when Swann's five-wicket haul was largely overshadowed by visiting captain Michael Clarke's century.

Opener Joe Root and nightwatchman Tim Bresnan later fell to seamer Peter Siddle, while skipper Alastair Cook and the talented Jonathan Trott moved to 36 not out and two not out respectively.

"I'm 100 percent behind all our batters to be honest. The fact that Cook is still there is great for us because he's due a big score. I don't really watch when he's out in the middle to be honest. I intend to put my feet up and hopefully sleep for six hours," said Swann.

"Trott is a world-class player as well and we've got Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow and the rest to come. "We're very happy with our line-up and the way to win this game is to go past the Australian total, get a bit of a lead and then see what happens on day four and five."

England would only have been one wicket down at stumps, had Bresnan used the Decision Review System shortly after being given out caught behind by umpire Marais Erasmus. Television replays subsequently revealed the ball had touched his shirt, rather than bat.

"Bresnan heard a noise so he obviously thought he'd hit it. It just goes to show despite what some of you guys think about batsmen walking and not walking, sometimes they genuinely don't know whether they've hit it or not," added Swann.

"Poor old Bresnan – he came off and he couldn't believe the replay when he saw it. He'd heard a noise and presumed it was a bottom edge."