Ashes Hero Finn Hopes to Learn From Cricket Legends

As thousands descended upon Sydney for the final Test of the 2010 Ashes series, a haven of English support accumulated in one corner of the SCG. Intermittent showers could not prevent Andrew Strauss' men from clinching a convincing 3-1 Ashes victory by an innings and 83 runs, as that noisy corner recited "Jerusalem" and the resident "Barmy Army" trumpeter fittingly boomed out a Last Post for the demise of Australian cricket.

Indeed, by the fifth day, Australia's typically durable public were resigned to losing an Ashes series on home soil for the first time since 1987. One of England's heroes - rangy quick Steven Finn - had not been born the last time an England side returned victorious from Down Under.

In his debut Ashes series, Finn established himself as the leading wicket taker during the first three Tests, closing with 14 wickets at an average of 33.14 before being dropped for the final two Tests to accommodate for the versatile Tim Bresnan. Indeed, throughout the series the England selectors managed their squad adroitly, adeptly rotating the workload between a row of frontline bowlers. Whilst their decision to jettison Finn with the Ashes still in the balance did not destabilise England's charge to victory, that setback had an undeniable effect on Finn as an individual.

"I don't think it was rest, I just wasn't bowling as well as I should have been" Finn conceded. "I went for quite a few runs in that Perth Test, and I know what I did wrong. I wasn't helping the team out with what I was doing, so I got left out.

"I was bitterly disappointed to be left out after three tests, but twelve months ago I was sat here having played two test matches and not guaranteed to be playing any more in that summer. To be sat here now having played three Ashes tests, taking 14 wickets in them, I can tell you that I'm over the moon to have played a role in winning the Ashes."

Finn's self-assessment smacks of the overly-critical; he bowled 34 overs in the first innings of his debut, with his six wicket haul prompting a 5-wickets-for-31-runs collapse from Australia. Finn took the vital wicket of Mike Hussey during his record-breaking 195 at the Gabba, participating in a battle of grit and determination with one of the grittiest and most determined players in history.

Finn had announced his arrival as a bowler of considerable substance, expertly breaking partnerships and mopping up the Australian tail with admirable cussedness. Importantly for Finn, he had proven to himself that the international stage was a place he belonged, bowling assuredly within the intense cauldron of an Ashes series.

"I learnt that I can deal with pressure situations," Finn explains, recalling the intensity of his debut. "That first Ashes Test was the most pressurised situation I've ever been in. To go out there and take 6 wickets - albeit for 120 runs - it was satisfying to know that I could go out there against the best in the world and perform. But again, my inexperience across the three Test matches showed me what I needed to work on."

Across that Ashes series, the Australian bowling attack both enchanted and infuriated, though they spent considerably more time frustratingly achieving the latter. The Aussie attack peppered protracted spells of mediocre bowling with occasional sparks of brilliance. Deceivingly, Mitchell Johnson took 6-38 in Perth, joined by Ryan Harris in the same Test with figures of 6-47. Petter Siddle threatened to devastate the series with a 6-54 in Brisbane and 6-75 in Melboune. However, blunted by the mulish perseverance of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, the Aussie frontline found itself sapped and rendered toothless.

"It was a hardly-fought series of cricket," Finn recalls. "It was fascinating to both be a part of in the first three Tests, and to watch in the final two."

The form of Finn amongst England's other bowlers helped contextualise the problems suffered by Australia. The form of England's Graeme Swann highlighted the absence of a top class Australian spinner, as Xavier Dohery and Nathan Hauritz floundered to little effect. Johnson was characteristically wayward and Harris spent more time on the physio's table than with the ball in hand. In Adelaide, the Australian bowling residue - featuring Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger - contributed as much as the bronze statue of Jason Gillespie erected at the ground that very same day.

Australia were underprepared after the dismantling of a great side, with the absence of a coherent plan for the next generation underlined by their desperate soliciting of Brett Lee and Shane Warne to return for one last series.

Whilst the new Australia side continued to falter, Finn impressed with bowling that drew comparisons to greats such as Glenn McGrath and Angus Fraser. Finn's artistry came in the relentlessness of his metronomic action, consistently gun-barrel straight and able to extract bounce using his 6ft 7in frame.

"The fifth and final Test was the Jane McGrath Test, and there were DVD's of Glenn McGrath going around the ground. I grabbed one of these Glenn McGrath DVD's and the "Special Features" had a bit about 'What makes a good fast bowler?' It was about 20 minutes long, so I sat there and watched that and was fascinated. Glenn McGrath is a hero of mine.

"But I want to be a player that no-one has ever been before. I don’t want to be the same as anyone else, I want to be able to bowl 90mph, swing it, be tall and hit the deck. I want to be that bowler that no-one has ever been."

Finn epitomised the disparity between the English and Australian bowling attacks in his three Tests, exorcising discipline whilst still engineering greater movement and variation than his opponents. Finn now claims that he is feeling "better than [he] did in Australia", professes his bowling is "more threatening than it was last summer", and Middlesex will surely be the beneficiaries.

"I've definitely developed over the last twelve months, to perform relatively consistently in international cricket I've had to develop my game. But, it's nowhere near as developed as I want it to be. These last four weeks training at home [with Middlesex] have been geared towards me becoming a better bowler and developing new skills.

"I feel good at the moment, I'm happy with my bowling and a couple of little technical changes seem to be helping me out."

With many of the England bowling attack currently enjoying a brief spell of rest after a demanding four-month tour, Finn is back in action with an eye on the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Indeed, the Middlesex quick has been progressing neatly in tandem with the old truism that the best way to prepare for a spell of bowling is by doing lots of bowling, featuring in pre-season against Cambridge Marylebone and Hampshire, then taking five wickets in the opening LVCC Division 2 fixture against Essex.

"That Ashes series was fantastic and I have learned many lessons from it, gained memories that will stay with me forever. Bowling on a consistent basis helps a lot - bowling and bowling will make you a better bowler. You don't want to burn yourself out and you don't want to do too much, but as long as I'm bowling, I am learning. That is something I am keen to continue.

"We always have something to prove to selectors, and you always have to warrant your place in the team. There is a pressure that comes with underperforming that leads to you being left out of the side. That first Sri Lanka Test match is still a month away, so I have to take wickets and be consistent for Middlesex."