Anderson possesses potential to end England's 24 years of hurt

Although no one expected three wickets to fall in the first 13 balls on a flat batting pitch, there was nothing implausible about England's start.

For not only is this a different Australia to the one we are used to, it is a different and developing England team.

It is one that no longer fears the old enemy and which is now competing on a level playing field.

No one epitomised England's performance yesterday more than James Anderson.

The Lancashire swing bowler claimed two of the first three wickets and 4-51 in total as Australia perished for 245, their lowest first-innings score at Adelaide since 1993.

After Simon Katich's crazy run-out to the fourth ball of the match, the former Yorkshire batsman guilty of ball-watching as partner Shane Watson called him through for a simple single, Anderson got to work.

He produced a dream out-swinger to have Ricky Ponting caught at second slip for a golden duck and then had Michael Clarke taken in the same position.

Later, Anderson broke a threatening fourth-wicket stand of 94 between Watson and Michael Hussey when he had the former caught by Kevin Pietersen in the gully.

And he capped a red-letter day by having Peter Siddle held at mid-wicket by Alastair Cook as Australia's tail disintegrated meekly.

Of course, the unpredictable nature of this series dictates that by the time you read this England are as likely to have conceded a first-innings deficit as to have crafted a potentially match-winning position.

But there can be no doubt Anderson is emerging as a trump card for the rest of this series and farther beyond.

He is the best pace bowler on view in Australia and, at 28, is at or near the peak of his powers.

In stark contrast to Mitchell Johnson, the Australian bowling spearhead dropped for this game, Anderson looks likely to take a wicket every ball and offers England a control that Johnson could never give the Australians.

When one considers Anderson's fine bowling yesterday and his criminally under-rewarded performance in Brisbane, it seems strange to reflect that he went into this series with a serious question mark against him.

Four years ago, Anderson was the least successful of England's pace men and managed only five wickets at 82.60.

But he has enjoyed a magnificent 2010 – 46 Test wickets at 21.21 and counting – and steadily developed into a high-class act.

Bowling full, straight and with good consistency, he appears at ease with himself and his craft.

It was eight years ago that Anderson came on the international scene when he made his ODI debut against Australia in Melbourne.

At the time he had played only three one-day games for Lancashire – and it showed.

But a miserly return of 10-6-12-1 at Adelaide saw him drafted into England's squad for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Although Anderson produced match-winning figures of 4-29 against Pakistan in Cape Town, he bowled a disastrous last over against Australia, who recovered from 135-8 to reach a target of 205.

Not until the second half of 2007 did Anderson start to look the real deal in international cricket.

The following year he captured a Test-best 7-43 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge and, on the same ground this summer, returned match-figures of 11-71 against Pakistan.

In an era where multi-skilling is mandatory, Anderson has also developed into a pugnacious tail-ender – emphasised when he and Monty Panesar repelled Australia at Cardiff last year – and is an agile fielder.

He ticks more boxes than a spoiled ballot paper and must be just about the first name on captain Andrew Strauss's team sheet.

The imperative now is that Anderson and England capitalise fully on their recent efforts.

To borrow a footballing analogy, it is no use having all the possession if you do not put the ball in the back of the net.

England have already showed they have an excellent chance of ending 24 years of hurt in Australia, but the series score remains 0-0.

However, if Anderson keeps bowling in this vein for another five weeks, no one can deny England have the capacity to forge ahead of their fiercest foes.

What is already beyond question is that Anderson has exposed the soft underbelly of Australia's top-order.

Hussey and Brad Haddin aside, Australia have inspired little confidence against the English attack.

Michael Clarke might as well be batting in thick fog, Marcus North is in sore need of a score, while Ponting has yet to really fire.

Anderson, on the other hand, is blazing up into a raging inferno.

Australia v England Second Test

Adelaide: England trail by 244 with all first inns wkts standing.

Australia First Innings

S R Watson c Pietersen b Anderson 51

S M Katich run out 0

R T Ponting c Swann b Anderson 0

M J Clarke c Swann b Anderson 2

M E K Hussey c Collingwood b Swann 93

M J North c Prior b Finn 26

B J Haddin c Finn b Broad 56

R J Harris lbw b Swann 0

X J Doherty run out 6

P M Siddle c Cook b Anderson 3

D E Bollinger not out 0

Extras lb6 w1 nb1 8

Total (85.5 overs) 245

Fall: 1-0 2-0 3-2 4-96 5-156 6-207 7-207 8-226 9-243

Anderson 19 4 51 4 Broad 18.5 6 39 1 Finn 16 1 71 1 Swann 29 2 70 2 Collingwood 3 0 8 0

England First Innings

A J Strauss not out 0

A N Cook not out 0

Extras lb1 1

Total 0 wkts (1 overs) 1

To Bat: I J L Trott, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, I R Bell, M J Prior, S C J Broad, G P Swann, J M Anderson, S T Finn.

Harris 1 1 0 0