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England probe Proteas for pink ball tips

Cape Town - England fast bowler James Anderson has revealed that he sought some advice on the pink Kookaburra ball and conditions in Adelaide from the Proteas.

The South Africans visited Australia at the end of 2016 scoring a 2-1 series win and played their first day/night Test in Adelaide.

The Adelaide Oval will also host the pink ball Test during the Ashes series and Anderson was eager to glean some information from Faf du Plessis' troops during their visit in the English summer.

Anderson said: "We spoke to the South Africans when we played them in our summer (this year) and they said it was difficult in the twilight period and when the lights came on.

"So we tried to tap into them for as much information as we could.

"We've played one pink-ball Test match in England but not with the Kookaburra, so having the chance to come over here and practice with that and play a first-class game is important for us.

"I guess that's part of the game, trying to find out if the ball does swing and especially what time of day it does it, so it's really useful practice for us.

"Especially playing at Adelaide where the Test match is going to be.

"I've heard that it does swing a bit more, the pink Kookaburra, which is good for all the bowlers, to be honest."

Anderson feels that day/night Test cricket is an interesting innovation that could help grow the game.

He added: "The game I played in England and the couple of Test matches at the Adelaide Oval, the actual spectacle looks fantastic, especially when you get a full crowd.

"We've got practice tomorrow and then obviously the game is a first-class game so we want to perform well, but also see which stages of the game are important in (the way the ball behaves)."

The Adelaide Test will be the second match of the series getting underway on December 2 in Adelaide after the first Test in Brisbane which starts on November 23 in Brisbane.

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