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Graeme Swann: England will play with "no fear"

Swann: England will play with
© PA Photos
Graeme Swann insists that England's batsmen will not be daunted by Australia's big first-innings total and are confident of overhauling their deficit of 475 runs.

Graeme Swann has insisted that England will not let Australia's daunting first-innings total put them on the back foot going into the third day's play of the Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

The tourists picked up the wickets of Joe Root and Tim Bresnan in Friday's final session to reduce England to 52-2 and leave the series leaders trailing by a mammoth 475 runs.

Australia captain Michael Clarke earlier made 187 runs, while lower-order batsmen Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc smashed unbeaten half-centuries before they declared on 527-7.

Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott will resume at the crease on Saturday, and Swann does not see any reason why England's batters cannot match Australia's performance on a pitch offering little to the seam bowlers.

"It's a tough flat pitch and come the morning the ball will be softer," he told reporters.

"It should be a great pitch to bat on tomorrow - I don't see it breaking up. The main part of pitch will stay true.

"We will bat all day tomorrow into day four, get a lead then bowl them out. I don't see why we shouldn't approach this with any fear. We've got some of the best batsmen in the world."

Swann picked up his 17th Test five-wicket haul during Australia's innings, recording figures of 5-159.

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England's Joe Root during the Second Test match against New Zealand on May 25, 2013
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