Harmison 'must be given new ball'

By Oliver Brett

If you don't throw someone the new ball when he's a little out of form he's going to stand around the outfield feeling pretty awful John Lever

Steve Harmison must be given the new ball in the third Ashes Test if England are to get the best out of him, according to ex-Test player John Lever.

The former left-armer, who took 4-28 in England's win in Perth in 1978, said Harmison was England's best weapon.

Lever told BBC Sport: "Steve Harmison is walking around the outfield wondering when he is going to be given a chance. It's absolutely ridiculous.

"I would like somebody to explain that to me - it doesn't make any sense."

Harmison bowled the first ball of the Ashes series, a ball that was so far wide of Justin Langer's off stump that it was taken by Andrew Flintoff at second slip.

He only bowled two overs before being taken out of the attack by Flintoff and has not taken been given a new ball since then. His figures for the series so far are 1-288.

Lever, who took 73 wickets in 21 Tests and was a multiple Trophy winner at county level with Essex, now coaches at Bancroft's School.

They used very dark, almost black river loam and I couldn't see any problems with staying with that

He said: "If you don't throw someone the new ball when he's a little out of form he's going to stand around the outfield feeling pretty awful about the situation."

In the 1978 match, Lever shared the bowling limelight with Bob Willis, who took 5-44 in the first innings, while David Gower hit a century after England had been put in to bat.

The 166-run win remains England's only victory in 10 Tests at the Waca.

Lever is disappointed the Waca pitch in Perth has lost so much of the pace it possessed 28 years ago.

He said: "It was the quickest, bounciest pitch anywhere in the world.

Captain Mike Brearley discusses tactics with Lever in Australia

"At that time Ian Botham was quite lively, a big lad who got a lot of bounce and swung it quite a bit, and Bob Willis was quite quick as well.

"We had a lot of firepower against them.

"And it was one of those pitches where you knew if they nicked it, it was going to carry somewhere.

"So many of these slow, low wickets nowadays the batsman nicks it and the ball doesn't carry to the wicket-keeper or the slips."

Lever cannot understand why wickets with pace and bounce are such a rarity in modern cricket.

"At the Waca, they used very dark, almost black river loam and I couldn't see any problems with staying with that.

"They used to play Australian rules rugby across the whole square in the winter but it was fine for the summer.

"I fail to understand why it's so difficult to create wickets like that nowadays because a lot of technology goes into pitch preparation and there are some very good groundsmen around."