Cook upbeat even without Anderson

01 August 2015 03:31

Alastair Cook has his eyes on an Ashes-clinching victory at Trent Bridge - even without England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson.

The hosts wrapped up an eight-wicket win well inside three days at Edgbaston to go 2-1 up with two to play.

A second success in the midlands would therefore ensure they regain the Ashes, and own the urn for the fourth consecutive time in home series.

After their humiliating whitewash defeat under Cook in Australia two winters ago, another series victory on home soil would be sweet.

If they are to make sure in Nottingham, though, they will have to do so in Anderson's absence after he was ruled out of the fourth Investec Test with a side strain.

Anderson pulled up mid-over on his 33rd birthday, as England were consolidating the dominant position he had set up with six first-innings wickets in Australia's 136 all out.

Man-of-the-match Steven Finn ended up with eight wickets across both innings, and two half-centuries from Ian Bell on his home ground kept England in control.

Cook can therefore contemplate a chance to win back the Ashes next week - rather than having to wait until the final Test at The Oval.

"We'd love to do it at the first opportunity - that would be something very, very special after what this side has been through in the last few years," he said.

England are expected to announce a replacement for Anderson when they name their squad for Trent Bridge on Saturday lunchtime.

But the likelihood is that Mark Wood, rested in Birmingham because of an ankle niggle, will be fit to return to the team alongside fellow frontline seamers Finn and Stuart Broad.

"Jimmy and Woody are quite like-for-like," said Cook.

"We hope (Mark's) recovery and rehab is going well, and it seems he will be up for selection."

Anderson bowled England to an opening victory at Trent Bridge when Australia last toured two years ago, and has a wonderful record at the ground of 53 Test wickets at under 20 each.

"Jimmy's record at Trent Bridge is brilliant," Cook added.

"I said at the beginning of the week we have an opportunity at 1-1 to do something really special in the next three games, and now it is an opportunity for someone lucky enough to replace Jimmy to do something very special.

"Yes, it is disappointing. Would we have liked Jimmy to play? Of course we would, but it is an opportunity for someone else.

"We have to look forward to that rather than what could be."

Cook's opposite number Michael Clarke has problems closer to home, having mustered only 94 runs in his six Ashes innings this summer.

He said: "I think it's always going to be hard to beat any opposition when they've got 11 and we've only 10.

"It is time for the captain to get off the plane and turn up. At the moment that's how it feels.

"With my performances so far, I certainly haven't led from the front as I'd like to do as captain. You need to make sure you're scoring a lot more runs than I have been so far."

Source: PA