Anderson had a bigger workload than any other bowler on Friday

James Anderson said he had been bowling without pain for the past week after sending down 22 overs on the first day of England's warm-up match in Perth.

The paceman took 1-48 as Western Australia hit 242-8 before declaring, and England replied with 10-1.

When he cracked a rib in a boxing bout during the pre-Ashes bonding trip to Germany, it had been feared Anderson might not play in the early tour games.

But he said: "I've not been thinking about the ribs for quite a while."

It will be important for the leader of England's attack to be fully primed when the series starts in Brisbane on 25 November.

And Anderson commented: "It's just as though it never happened. I don't feel anything at all while I'm bowling.

"To break a bone in your body is a bit of a worry and I was a bit concerned the first week after it happened.

"It was quite sore. But once I got training again and running again, I didn't feel it so I was pretty confident I'd be fine."

Fellow seamer Stuart Broad gave England two wickets in his first over in a perfect start for the tourists, but life got harder from that point on for the bowlers.

606: DEBATE I'm sure Finn will improve, but is he mature enough/good enough to deal with using the old ball? broadblue

"It was a pretty tough pitch to bowl on, because there's not a great deal there after the ball gets softer," Anderson added.

"I think it's going to be a patience game over here when the ball gets old and I think we showed pretty good patience."

Despite some teething problems for the youngest member of the attack, Steven Finn, Anderson added: "We're pretty happy. I think Graeme Swann got better as the day went on, Broady bowled brilliantly up front, I was pretty happy with the way I bowled and Finny showed glimpses of some form."

Finn, 21, has played only eight Tests and struggled for rhythm on Friday, but Anderson reckons the Middlesex man will improve.

"I'm not sure how much he's bowled in Australia before," he said.

"He might take a couple of spells, a couple of good spells, to get used to the length he's got to bowl out here, which might be slightly different to the one he bowls in England.

"It might take him a couple of games, but we're confident he'll be fine. He showed enough form today to be right in the Test squad."

Western Australia opener Wes Robinson, who made 62, observed of Finn: "He was sliding quite a bit with his front foot.

"It can't be easy to try and bowl fast and hit good areas when your foot is sliding two or three inches. I think he just overpitched a bit too much.

"Being the third or fourth quick bowler he is the one probably under most pressure to lose his spot I suppose."

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