Ben Coad's record acts as reminder that pace doesn't have to be king

SAM DALLING: Coad’s numbers over the past three seasons are impressive. At the very least they suggest he’s doing something right. Across his Yorkshire career, he has taken 145 first-class wickets at 20.98 apiece

There’s little better than a hostile spell of fast bowling. A proper quick against a word-class batsman; strap in and grab the sandwiches. Archer to Smith at Lords last summer - a case in point.

But the modern obsession with pace arguably goes too far, and there’s a risk that some high-quality seam bowling is overlooked.

Much was made when England opted to leave out Stuart Broad in favour of a Wood-Archer combo against in the first Test of the summer.

Both the result in that game and the success of opposition skipper Jason Holder – a man who rarely registers above 80mph on the speed gun – are good indicators.

And the emphasis on speed seeps through the food chain, with the likes of Essex’s Jamie Porter and Yorkshire bowler Ben Coad seemingly slipping down the pecking order.

Strange really given the pair have been among the domestic game’s most lethal marksmen over the past few years.

But Coad is under no illusion as to why – not that he agrees with the stance.

“There’s this perception that you have to be 90-mph to play Test cricket which I don’t think is true at all,” he tells The Cricketer.

“You see what Jason Holder has just done – he was the best bowler [at the Ageas Bowl].

“Over the last three years he’s averaged 13, which is ridiculous, and I didn’t see any of his balls much above 80mph that Test match.

“Then you’ve got the likes of Vernon Philander who has had the lowest average in his career of any Test seamer.

“I know that I’m not the sort of bowler who’d be suited for India or Australia and I’m not saying that’s where you’d use someone like myself, Jamie Porter or Ollie Robinson.

“But I think there is a place for us in Test cricket and the only way that I can prove that is with a chance.”

Coad’s numbers over the past three seasons are impressive. At the very least they suggest he’s doing something right.

He had just a handful of first-class outings under this belt when he burst onto the scene with a with a six-wicket haul in the opening round of the 2017 County Championship season against Hampshire.

Since then, the right-armer has helped himself to no fewer than 143 top-tier wickets, with those victims costing a measly 20 apiece.

It’s difficult to imagine then how galling it must have been to have first missed out on the winter’s Lions tour to Australia and then not made the cut for the 55-man England squad named this summer.

But in typical Yorkshire fashion, Coad wont waste time crying over spilt milk; he asked the question and appreciated the honesty of the answer he was given.

“It was disappointing. You always want to make that next step to playing any form for England.

“I did have a word with James Taylor to see where I was at. He was very honest and said that certain bowlers were suited for certain pitches.

“They picked guys that they thought were more suited for Test match cricket in the next 12 months and they think I’ve got a bit of work to do.

“I can only make the point again that I’ve done it on Test match pitches. I’ve played at places like Headingley, Ageas Bowl, Old Trafford and got wickets there.

“I feel like I can do it in Test cricket but I’ve just got to keep performing at county level to see if I can get the chance.”

^{Coad missed out on a place on England Lions's tour of Australia over the winter}

It is hardly rocket science to suggest that his chances would be increased if he clocked in at closer to the other end of the 80s.

Given that this can be all holding him back, the devil on the shoulder is desperate to goad him into striving for that extra couple of yards of pace: get in the gym, bulk up and hope for the best.

Coad’s savvier that this, though. He lives in the real world, a world where realistically he knows that’s beyond him.

Instead he focuses his efforts on becoming a better version of himself under the watchful eye of Yorkshire bowling guru Richard Pyrah.

“Every bowler is different and there’s obviously that perfect action but you aren’t going to get anyone bowling like that,” Coad adds.

“Rich knows that everyone has strengths and things that they aren’t going to be so good at.                                                                                           

“I’m always trying to become better and if little things sneak into my action that I don’t want we will try to get rid of them and get back to where we were.

“But I have to be realistic – I’m not going to bowl 90 to 95mph so I’m not going to try and change my action so I can bowl that. It’s unrealistic, but if I can get to 85mph then it’s something that’s worth doing.”

Not that pace can’t be an asset. It’s just not the be all and all. Cricket is a team sport with significant emphasis on partnerships, and most successful sides have bowlers working well in in tandem.

There’s little use in one man building pressure, if the opposition know they’ll get a few looseners down the other end.

And that was evident at Yorkshire last year when Coad shared new ball duties with the county’s South African import Duanne Olivier.

After an unprecedented break, the return of the seamers

“Duanne’s helped me massively,” Coad explains. “He’s a very good partnership bowler and he won’t necessarily just look for wickets.

“He can be that hostile bowler, he can be that wicket-taking bowler – he can change to whatever you need for the team.

“If the pitch is a bit flatter he can bowl shorter, and if it is doing a bit he can use his skills and look to take wickets.

“Even when he’s not getting wickets it makes it easier for me and the other lads at the other end.

“I’m sure the batters aren’t wanting to face him so they are trying to get runs at the other end, which obviously helps us out.

“He didn’t have the season he’d hoped for last year – I think he wanted a few more – but he still had 40 something wickets, so it wasn’t exactly a bad year for his first year.”

Another teammate of Coad’s at Yorkshire is unheralded skipper Steve Patterson. Having been with the White Rose through his entire career, the seamer has slipped quietly under the radar with more illustrious names like Darren Gough Matthew Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom, Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett snatching the headlines over the last two decades.

But when all’s said and done, Patterson will be able to look back with pride on a career that has so far yielded more than 600 wickets in Yorkshire colours.

He was integral in the county’s back-to-back County Championship crowns in 2014 and 2015, and was trusted as the man to lead the side through a tricky patch over the last 18 months.

International honours may have eluded Patterson, and – truth be told – there was never much serious talk, but that doesn’t mean his teammates have anything other than admiration for their captain.

^{Coad has taken 145 first-class wickets at an average of 20.98}

“He’s a bit of a freak to be honest – he could seam it on glass,” Coad says. “If there’s nothing even happening in the pitch he will still be seaming it. He’s been a great servant for Yorkshire. He’s never had any England opportunities but has always performed. Now that he’s captain he’s doing a really good job.

“It’s been tough because of the expectation of Yorkshire – we always want to be winning trophies. But we try to be realistic – we lost Siddy, Brooksy, Plunkett and now Bres as well so he’s been great for us.

“He got given it at a hard time but we’ve got through that transitional phase now and are looking to push on.”

All being well, Patterson will lead his troops out onto the field in early August, after the 18 first-class counties voted in favour of red-ball cricket, where they will compete for the Bob Willis trophy.

And in a time of great change around the world, cricket won’t be exempt from new challenges.

For bowlers like Coad, their skillset is an art from. And like all great workmen, they must take great care of their tools.

Once the lacquer comes of the new nut, much work is needed to keep the ball in tip-top condition.

But the so-called ‘vectors of disease’ must be saliva-free this year, a move that will – if nothing else – disturb the muscle memory of cricketers across the land.

Coad is relaxed about the shift though and simply views it as another puzzle to be solved. 

“I’m making a conscious effort not to lick my fingers and rub the ball in training,” he explains. Hopefully I will be used to it when the games come around.

“If it’s hot you’ve got the sweat, but on a cold day in September – which it usually is – that might be a bit of a struggle.

“You’ve seen in the Test match that the swing has been the lowest its ever been for the last 10 years.

“It obviously does have an impact but it’s just something you are going to have to get on with.

“We might have to chuck in a few slower balls, different plans. I’m sure we will find a way around it. We are just trying to do the best we can.”

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