In Australia's last ten Test series, Glenn McGrath's averages have been: 28, 14, 22, 17, 15, 17, 65, 25, 19 and 11. The black mark came against New Zealand. In their three-Test series in Australia last winter, the Kiwis came as close as any team ever have to muzzling McGrath. In each of those other nine series, McGrath took a wicket at a rate of less than every ten overs, as he has over his whole career. But against New Zealand, each wicket took 23 overs to arrive. So, how did they do it?

They did it by knowing exactly what to leave and what to play. Overall, New Zealand batsman offered no stroke to 28% of McGrath's deliveries, but that's no higher than in recent series against Pakistan (32%), South Africa (36% in SA, 29% in Aus), and England (27%). The key is in the judgment of exactly what to leave.

Hawk-Eye has shown that McGrath's deliveries are rarely on course to hit the stumps - certainly less than Jason Gillespie's or Brett Lee's - and the trick is to play McGrath at his own game. Just as he persists and persists relentlessly, waiting for the mistake, so the batsman must leave and leave, and then - when there is the slightest drift in length - punish it.

Our graph shows the length that McGrath bowled to the New Zealand batsmen in the series. Length is the key to scoring off McGrath: when he found a good length - as he did 78% of the time - New Zealand scored at a rate equivalent to 1.75 per over (164 off 561 balls); when he was short that rose to 4.68 (85 off 109 balls); when he was too full, it shot up to 7.83 an over (60 off 46 balls).

The Kiwis never took McGrath apart. Nobody does, but then you don't have to. Jason Gillespie, on a bad day, and Brett Lee, on most days, will always supply enough four-balls to keep the scoreboard ticking along at a decent rate. And just because Australia score at four an over doesn't mean you have to try and do the same to them.

Like a football manager choosing to man-mark the most talented opponent, England should take McGrath out of the equation whenever possible and, in football terms, reduce the match to 10-a-side.

The key is to realise, as McGrath frequently admits, that there is no magic or mystery about his bowling, just an unforgiving adherence to the fundamentals of line and length. But even The Nemesis can show weakness; even The Metronome can miss time. You just have to be patient enough to wait for The Pigeon to fall.

Rob Smyth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd