Image courtesy of: Zimbio

“He’s had a good Test series but we are ready to face him”

England batsman Gary Ballance has announced that the national team are determined not to let Australia left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Johnson get the better of them again in the ongoing ODI series.

Ballance’s comments come after Johnson took 37 wickets in Australia’s 5-0 whitewashing of England in the recently concluded Ashes series.

“They have a good bowling attack and we have to be ready to face all of them,” Ballance said. “We are going to work on it (Johnson’s pace). He’s had a good Test series but we are ready to face him and the rest of their bowlers.

“He bowls at a decent pace, but I felt like I could handle it all right. I think most of the guys have faced him, back home in the one-day series and then in the Test series. Everyone will expect what’s coming.”

The Zimbabwean-born batsman added that he was looking to build on his “decent scores” in the last couple of matches in order to cement his place in the ODI squad.

“Yeah, I feel good,” he said. “I’ve spent a bit of time in the middle, got a decent score in the first game and then to get another fifty was good.

“I’ve got a bit of confidence and now I need to take that into the next game.

“I feel a bit more comfortable. It helps getting a few decent scores.

“There are a lot of good players around so I have to keep working hard and try to make that place my own.”