London [UK], August 31 : England interim head coach Marcus Trescothick feels that England's pace attack can follow the footsteps of the 2005 Ashes-winning group, saying that it is great to have three guys bowling "92 miles an hour" and some new pacers building up behind the mainstays, with tough Test tours coming in South Africa and Bangladesh before the home Ashes scheduled for next year.
Victory at Lord's by 194 runs in the second Test handed England their first Test series win since the tour of New Zealand back in 2024 and provided Joe Root a positive start in his second stint as captain.
The variety within the pace attack comprising of Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson has sparked comparisons with the 2005 Ashes-winning quartet of Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard.
Archer's powerful pace has given him eight wickets at an average of 21.87, while Tongue has got 13 scalps at an average of 12.46 in the series so far. Gus Atkinson has been sharp and persistent, but has got only one wicket to show. The headliner has been Ollie, who has taken 16 wickets at an average of 7.18 with his medium pace. His season haul of 23 scalps at an average of 8.34 has moved him to 99 Test wickets at an average of 19.53. Besides Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah (234 scalps at an average of 19.39), no one has bagged more wickets at a sub-20 average than the Englishman during the last 100 years.
Trescothick, who was a part of the 2005 Ashes-winning side, had the best seat in the house to watch the action. He said as quoted by Cricinfo, "I think we have got a good contrast in what we're trying to do at the moment," Trescothick said.
"What we do have is three guys bowling at 92 miles an hour, which is really nice to have in your armoury, and to have the potency in what you are trying to do. The more that they play together and the more experience that everyone gets together, then it sort of fits into place," he said.
"We do have some real skill, and you look back to '05 and the sort of comparisons of Harmy, Fred, Simon and Hoggy. But I am enjoying the fact that we have got four who are match-fit at the moment and we have a few behind it that we are starting to get ready," he added.
In the coming days, England will face tougher challenges in winter, with a three-Test tour to South Africa from December 2026 to January 2027 and a two-Test tour to Bangladesh. Then they will face Bangladesh in a one-off Test at home to start the summer, before they start their bid for first Ashes series win since 2015 from June 18 onwards at Trent Bridge.
Trescothick is in no mood to look so far ahead, but he is happy with how the pace attack is shaping up to be.
"I do not want to get too far ahead on it because there is a lot of cricket to be played beforehand. But I think we are building an attack in four people that we have had here in this game, and a few guys backing it up, with pace and skill around it. And I think combining the two together, and the more Test matches they all gain together, the better opportunity we have got when you go to more challenging conditions, and away from home in particular," he said.
"So no doubt there will be five, six or seven bowlers going to South Africa, and it will be the same for next summer when we come back here for the Ashes. And they will be in a much better position than what they have been for the last couple of years," he added.
Trescothick is also willing to roll out the same attack for the third Test at Edgbaston from September 9 onwards. With a long break between the Tests, the interim coach does not feel there is much to tinker in playing XI.
The former England batter is eyeing a clean sweep win, and for that, he realises that the most consistent team has to be fielded.
"Well, first and foremost I want to win the series 3-0, and I think if you are going to do that, you want to play the most consistent team possible," he said.
"I think we made a big decision throughout the course of this season, with the white-ball series and the white-ball players, to really ram home opportunities when you get the chance, and we want to try and continue that on."
"It is not a case of we're going to go there [Edgbaston] and ease off the gas. We want to go there and win the series 3-0, so that is what exactly what I'll be telling the players this evening, and when we are prepping for next week, is to keep the hunger and desire to keep driving forward, and keep doing well even when you have had success," he added.