It all comes with experience, Dennis Lillee was all out pace when he started but as he got older he cut his pace & moved the ball more, let it work for him & became a better rounded bowler, hopefully Jamie will acquire this as he progresses.
Twas a long time ago, but I remember Dennis Lillee in 1972 as pretty much the complete article (within a year or so of his Test debut), terrifyingly fast and with the ability to move the ball off the seam. A few years later having a chap called Thompson at the other end didn't do him any harm, either. Like Michael Holding, Lillee only cut his pace later in his career, out of bodily necessity - if anyone's got any evidence to the contrary, I'd be interested to hear it.
Regarding Stone, I'm surprised he's been picked so soon after returning from injury (I'd have preferred Jamie Overton), but I can see the logic. The team has Curran, barely above medium pace, with Broad & Woakes at F-M, someone to provide real pace - especially if Lords proves to be a fast, bouncy wicket - should be of great value,even if he leaks more run than most. I couldn't see the point of selecting another medium-fast man (Gregory). And it'll be good to get some first test nerves out of the way before the Aussie Tests.
Going in to this summer's Tests with a seam attack of identikit medium-fast men would no doubt delight Nat, but not half as much as it would delight the Aussies, with Starc, Hazelwood and Cummings all read to give our guys some serious 90mph pounding including a good helping of chin music.
Let's see what Stone can do in the next 4 days. My guess that that however he does he'll be behind Archer & Wood in the queue for remaining bowling places against the Aussies tests - Anderson & Woakes, if fit, pick themselves,IMHO. Not so sure about Broad.
