Swann laments momentum shift

Swann: Mixed emotions

I've been given a bit of a license which is nice, because Mushy (Mushtaq Ahmed) has become my batting coach and he just says 'look you're rubbish when you try and block it so just go out and smash it'.

Graeme Swann
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England off-spinner Graeme Swann admitted that "the wind has been knocked out of our sails" following an unbroken 189-run partnership between Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting on day two of the first Ashes Test.

An early counter-attack from the tail saw England post 435 all out before lunch, however Australia lost only the wicket of Phil Hughes before reaching stumps ominously poised on 249-1.

Katich and Ponting offered little encouragement to the home supporters on a pitch that was equally unforgiving, especially to the pace bowlers.

Both players registered three figures shortly before stumps and Swann, who earlier struck an entertaining 47 with the bat, admitted his frustration after a cheerless day with the ball.

Speaking to Sky Sports 1, he said: "We talked this morning about getting the momentum and how that would help us going on throughout the day. And we got that momentum, it just didn't help us going through the day.

Licence to thrill

"It was a great first session for us but we just couldn't capitalise on it which is disappointing."

Resuming the second day in Cardiff on 336-7, nightwatchman James Anderson made a useful 26 and Swann cracked 47, an innings which included six boundaries, to help England past 400.

Nottinghamshire's Swann, who would have batted at number nine had Anderson not been deployed as a nightwatchman, has scored 110 runs in his last two Test innings and revealed he has been given a licence to play his shots down the order.

He said: "I've been given a bit of a licence which is nice, because Mushy (Mushtaq Ahmed) has become my batting coach and he just says 'look you're rubbish when you try and block it so just go out and smash it' - which is the way I like to play my game.

"Jimmy was a surprise for everybody. He went out and tried to play like Brian Lara which came off for an hour or so which was great to watch, it was great for us to get that momentum just a shame that we couldn't nail home that advantage."

Whilst evidently content with his and England's batting display, Swann was left frustrated with the lack of movement both in the air and off the pitch when he and his team-mates took to the field.

The left-handed Katich notched his first Ashes century three overs before the close of play and Ponting, who surpassed 11,000 Test runs earlier in the day, finished unbeaten on exactly 100.

Exasperating

"We worked really hard to get either traditional swing or reverse swing and it has done absolutely nothing," a baffled Swann admitted.

"We are in a bit of a quandry, we don't really know what to do, we tried turning it around at the end and seeing what happened, we just couldn't get it to do anything.

"Coupled with the fact that it wasn't really turning, it made it very difficult and that partnership when the ball isn't doing anything is exasperating."

Despite considerable turn from Australia off-spinner Nathan Hauritz before lunch, Swann and spin-twin Monty Panesar struggled to follow suit.

And despite some words of wisdom from spin-bowling coach Mushtaq, neither could gain the breakthrough.

Swann said: "We are a unit, he (Mushtaq) spoke to us when we came off and said to us that the wicket is that slow try a few different things, try going full for a while and then short for a while.

"The disappointing thing for me is that I bowled a few full-tosses, they are not in my game. I'm not that disappointed with the way I bowled but as I stand here we have had the wind knocked out of our sails a little bit."