The Reverse Sweep

1st Test: England vs West Indies - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss - 9: It wasn't just a monkey that the skipper removed from his back when he finally reached three figures after 19 months and 26 innings, it was an especially large and heavy mountain gorilla. What will certain elements of the press have to talk about now? 

Alastair Cook - 7: Looked horrified to play on in the first dig having played himself in but made up for it in the run chase to quell English nerves and ease his side to victory.

Jonathan Trott - 6: If it wasn't for his fastidiousness and quirky ways, England's number three would be practically invisible so unobtrusive is he at the crease. But his first innings 58 is there on the scorecard, not that we can remember much about it.

Kevin Pietersen - 5: Was in prime form first time around before nicking one behind to Samuels' part-time spin before another poor shot briefly looked to have put England in the brown stuff as they chased on the final morning.

Ian Bell - 8: A couple of attractive sixties were just what the doctor ordered after his dreadful winter expedition to Asia. Now averages 110 in his last ten Tests In England. Tom Jones would doubtless refer to it as the green, green grass of home.

Jonathan Bairstow - 5: Brief but attractive cameo with the bat, smart piece of fielding to run out Kirk Edwards and held onto a sharp chance at point to get rid of Samuels in the 1st innings. A promising enough start.

Matt Prior - 6: Another one to sparkle briefly with the bat versus opponents against whom he averages 63. Was as reliable and tidy as ever behind the stumps. 

Tim Bresnan - 4: The lucky charm extended his run to 12 wins from 12 Tests, but was not at his best with the ball and didn't trouble the scorers with the bat. May drop out for Finn at Trent Bridge.

Stuart Broad - 9: Fully deserved his man of the match award for his eleven wickets and is now on the honours board at the home of cricket for ball and bat. Has now taken 51 wickets at 17 since the start of the India series last summer. That is world-class in anyone's language.

Graeme Swann - 7: The pitch offered scant assistance, but his three 2nd innings wickets included the key one of Chanderpaul and he would have had him in the 1st innings too if Strauss had listened to his plea for a review for a leg before.

James Anderson - 7: Hit the right groove immediately on the first morning and bowled well enough - the ball to get Ramdin on day four was a beauty, but was not quite at the level he was in Sri Lanka in April. But if Jimmy don't get you then Broady will.

Where next?

1st Test: England vs West Indies - West Indies marks out of 10

Podcast: England vs West Indies preview

Who should bat at six for England?

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Naughty boy nets - 2012 style

Unlike many of his predecessors as England coach, Andy Flower doesn’t inflict naughty boy nets on his charges. Instead, he has the modern equivalent of punishing poor performers by releasing them to play county cricket in chilly April.

Whilst central contracts have played a significant role in the improvement of England’s fortunes since their introduction and eradicated the ridiculous motorway dash as players scramble to get back to their counties at the conclusion of a Test match, many county cricket fans rightly lament the almost total absence of their England stars from their county line-ups. So, perhaps England’s struggles over the winter have a silver lining after all?

Middlesex and Warwickshire fans will certainly be happy that the winter’s biggest dunces Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell will be turning out for their counties this week against Durham and Lancashire respectively.

Over the forthcoming weeks all of England’s winter squad will feature for their counties ahead of the 1st Test against the West Indies on 17 May – even Kevin Pietersen will have to cut short his stay in India to return for Surrey’s game at Worcester, which starts on 9 May; that’s if he can find his way to New Road as it is an awfully long way from Chelsea.

But is it enough? Whilst one can understand why James Anderson for instance needs a decent rest following his sterling efforts over the winter, it is difficult to understand why Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior (especially if he played solely as a batsman) are being held back longer than Strauss and Bell.

Maybe Flower is indeed punishing the biggest failures over the winter with a longer stint with their county - Eoin Morgan may not be so disappointed to be warming the bench for the Knight Riders after all.

Where next?

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

County Championship XI of the week #2

2nd Test: Sri Lanka vs England - England marks out of 10

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2nd Test: Sri Lanka vs England - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss - 7: Whilst Trott and Swann defended him off the pitch, the captain did his talking on the field with a dogged fifty to set up England's reply and keep the wolves from the door for now.

Alastair Cook - 8: After a poor winter, the vice-captain was at his obdurate best with a painstaking  94,which gave KP the platform he needed to cut loose. With the shackles released, Cook was far more fluent in the second innings as England cantered to their winning target.

Jonathan Trott - 7: Carried on from his hundred at Galle with another resolute innings here to end a difficult and error ridden winter on a positive note.

Kevin Pietersen - 10: After wintering worse than the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad in 1942-43, the real KP returned with what must go down as one of his best Test hundreds. On a pitch where fluency eluded everyone else, he took the Sri Lankan attack apart as he brought up his 20th Test ton.

Ian Bell - 4: Kept Pietersen company in his match defining innings, but has lost all semblance of his imperious form and confidence of 2011. Could do with being allowed to rediscover his touch in the County Championship for Warwickshire.

Matt Prior - 5: Not at his best with the bat this time, but for once this winter others above him did their jobs. Was his usual reliable self with the gloves.

Samit Patel - 6: Didn't look out of place at this level for the second successive match. He was tidy if not particularly threatening with the ball and added useful runs with the bat.

Tim Bresnan - 7: Held up an end and went at only two runs per over in his first Test of the winter. Now has 11 wins from his 11 Tests, which must make him the largest leprechaun in history.

Graeme Swann - 10: Bagged a ten wicket haul to confirm once and for all his supremacy as England's premier spinner. His six wickets in the second innings included Sri Lanka's big four -Mahela Jaywardene, Sangakkara, Samaraweera and Dilshan making his contribution to the win just as significant as Pietersen's. 

James Anderson - 8: Produced another potent burst with the new ball on the first morning and would seem to have a batsman as great as Sangakkara in his pocket. No one in this side deserved a win this winter more than Dale Steyn's nearest challenger as the best fast bowler in the world.

Steve Finn - 7: After a sterling performance over the winter with the drinks tray, Finn confirmed the impression from the one dayers in India and versus Pakistan that he is quicker and more venomous than before even if the pitch didn't exactly play to his strengths.

Where next?

1st Test England marks out of 10 and Sri Lanka marks out of 10

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

Dropping Andrew Strauss

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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Andrew Strauss resigns as England captain; Alastair Cook resigns as vice-captain

Word reaches us of truly sensational news from Colombo this morning. After a run of four straight defeats and only one hundred in his last 48 Test innings, Andrew Strauss has resigned as England Test captain with immediate effect ahead of the 2nd Test with Sri Lanka, which starts on Tuesday.

Even more surprising - and a move that harks back to the famous day in 2008 when Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood simultaneously resigned as Test and ODI captains respectively - is the stunning news that Alastair Cook has also fallen on his sword as vice-captain.

Strauss has come under immense pressure this winter as the number one ranked side have lurched from batting collapse to batting collapse and his own powers with the bat continued to dwindle, but the news about Cook is particularly surprising given that everyone assumed he had been confirmed long ago as the heir to Strauss.

We understand that Cook has pointed to the fact that his form is actually worse than his opening partner, with Strauss scoring 167 runs in his last five Test innings to Cook's 71. With T20 captain Stuart Broad on a flight back home nursing an injured calf, coach Andy Flower has had to make an emergency appointment to lead the side in Colombo on Tuesday.

Kevin Pietersen has none of the honour and virtue exhibited by Cook and has snatched the opportunity with clinical aplomb and now has the most unlikely second coming as England captain.

Those England supporters that had been calling for the head of Strauss should have been careful for what they wished for.

Where next?

Bob Willis attacked; Jonathan Trott arrested

Andrew Stauss to resign as England captain?

Read our County Championship Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire

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1st Test: Sri Lanka vs England - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss - 3: Too negative in the field on the occasions England were on top and  horrendous run with the bat continued with two cheap dismissals having done the hard work and played himself in each time. Has just one hundred in his last 48 innings, averages a paltry 25.50 since relinquishing the one day captaincy and has now lost four Tests on the bounce. Is he now more Captain Caveman than Captain Marvel? 

Alastair Cook - 2: A Test to forget for England's best batsman. Fell to an excellent delivery to his fifth ball in the 1st innings before falling foul of DRS second time around. Has only passed 14 four times in his last 14 visits to the crease in Tests. 

Jonathan Trott - 9: Recovered from an embarrassing dismissal in the 1st innings to become the first England batsman to reach three figures this winter. It was a heroic knock too and provided a template to his colleagues in terms of its judgement and patience.

Kevin Pietersen - 4: Failed first time around but looked close to his best in the 2nd innings before carelessly giving it away early on the fourth morning. That said, looks set to go big in Colombo - England's number one Test ranking could depend upon it. 

Ian Bell - 5: There were flashes of the batsman who dominated Test cricket in 2011 in his 1st innings fifty, but despite his obvious class Bell clearly struggles against spin on slow wickets. There was no better evidence of this than the injudicious sweep that led to his dismissal second time around.

Matt Prior - 6: Assured behind the stumps as usual. Learned from his 1st innings dismissal when he was leg before playing back to form what looked like a matchwinning partnership with Trott before an unfortunate dismissal led to the final denoument. Good enough to bat in the top six.

Samit Patel - 4: Not the easiest Test to make a debut but Patel didn't let anyone down. Kept it tight with the ball and grabbed a couple of wickets, although will need to learn from his dismissals in both innings if he is to prosper at this level.

Stuart Broad - 4: Was clearly not fully fit and looked to have worsened his injury by the end of the match. Costly no ball enabled Sri Lanka to add another 47 2nd innings runs and was one of eight he bowled in the match. Brief 1st innings cameo with the bat threatened to drag his side back into contention.

Graeme Swann - 8: Expensive in the 1st innings when Jayawardene certainly tucked in, but back to his attacking and potent best second time around with six wickets to prove once and for all he is England's number one spinner.

James Anderson - 8: Heroic bowling in the 1st innings as he bagged his 12th five wicket Test haul and overtook fellow Lancastrian Brian Statham on England's all-time leading wicket taker list. His batting continues to improve.

Monty Panesar - 5: A tidy enough performance with the ball but lacked real threat and generally didn't trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen. Comical in the field where his two drops of Jayawardene ultimately cost England dear.

Where next?

1st Test: Sri Lanka vs England - Sri Lanka marks out of 10

Summer 2011: England v Sri Lanka: England series marks out of 10

Ian Bell, The Prince and The Pauper

Is Ravi Bopara the unluckiest cricketer in the world?

Dropping Andrew Strauss

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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Sir Charles Colville and other cricket unthinkables

He may not have played in the first match of the series yesterday, but Alastair Cook's very presence in the England T20 squad would have been unthinkable just a few short months ago.

This prompted us to look into our crystal ball for our latest piece for All Out Cricket's jolly good website to see what other big cricket stories that may seem wholly implausible now but which may become unlikely reality during the remainder of 2012.

To read what the likes of Chris Gayle, Lalit Modi, Jonathan Trott and our old friend Charles Colville could be getting up to read The Year That Won't Happen (or will it?).

Where next?

Cricket Zeroes: Charles Colville

Are the BCCI about to solve its biggest 'problem'?

BREAKING: Bob Willis attacked; Jonathan Trott arrested

Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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England's topsy-turvy menu in the desert

Imagine if you went to an expensive (is there any other?) three star Michelin restaurant and you were served your dessert first. It would be a bit strange wouldn't it? Especially if the head chef wasn't a certain Heston Blumenthal.

Now imagine that your chocolate souffle was followed in chronological order by the cheese board, main course, hors d'oeuvre and finally the amuse bouche to round things off. It would be a bit disorientating wouldn't it? Even more so given the two bottles of vintage wine you had thirstily gulped down - dessert wine first naturally.

For restuarant menus designed by Mr Topsy-Turvy, read England's tour schedule against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, which was seemingly conceived by Mr Haven't Got A Clue.

If we consider that dessert was off the menu (well the tour did come immediately after the Christmas and New Year feasts and one does have to watch that waistline), we were first served up with the main course of filet de bœuf en croûte with cauliflower gratin and fine green beans. This was followed by succulent langoustine and now today the we have the arrival of the parmesan pannacota amuse bouche.

Just like you and me in that peculiar three star Michelin establishment, England were badly disorientated at first and the beef - despite coming from one of the finest herds in the world - went down badly. Ian Bell in particular had a severe choking fit. Fortunately, composure had been recovered by the time the langoustine arrived - Alastair Cook and Steve Finn do like their shellfish, although the same couldn't be said for Pakistan who must have been served up a bad batch.  

But enough of Mr Topsy-Turvy and Mr Haven't Got A Clue, let's get our menus and our cricket the right way round. That is Twenty 20 first, the one day series second and the main course of Test cricket last on stage.

That'll be better for the abused palettes of spectators and players alike.

Where next?

Pakistan vs England ODI series - England marks out of 10

Alastair Cook and England's T20 team

Beware Brad Haddin; Big Bad John Inverarity & the NSP are coming to get you

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Pakistan vs England ODI series - England marks out of 10

Alastair Cook - 10 (323 runs at 80.75, SR 88.98): Who said he couldn't adapt his game for one day internationals? Struck two hundreds in the first two games and was only 20 runs short of a third before letting his opening partner grab the glory in the final match.

Kevin Pietersen - 9.5 (281 runs at 93.66, SR 84.38): Didn't get out of first gear as his engine spluttered in the first two matches, but having not scored a ODI hundred in three and a half years just like London buses two came along together to ensure England cantered to their targets in the final two games.

Jonathan Trott - 2 (38 runs at 12.66, SR 53.52): For once it really was Trott's fault as England's number three followed a poor Test series with an even worse one day rubber. At least Bob Willis will be pleased.

Ravi Bopara - 8 (108 runs at 54.00, SR 80.00): Came into the series under pressure but delivered with a pair of fifties as part of two match defining partnerships with fellow Essex boy Cook. He may have played himself into the Test side for Sri Lanka into the bargain. 

Eoin Morgan - 4 (66 runs at 33.00, SR 77.64): His hangover from the Test series blunted his usual lustre with the bat when in coloured clothing. Two not outs inflated his figures.

Craig Kieswetter - 6 (52 runs at 26.00, SR 64.19): Looked like little boy lost in an alien position for him in the middle order at first and endured a few mishaps behind the stumps. But bounced back with a promising 43 to help England complete the whitewash.

Jos Buttler - 1: After a big build-up thanks to impressive performances with the Lions and a List A average in excess of 70, a finger injury delayed his entry into the fray and when he finally got a chance in the last match he bagged a two ball duck.

Samit Patel - 7 (5 wickets at 33.80, ER 5.12; 34 runs, SR 85.00): Picked up some crucial wickets, wasn't dismissed in either of his innings and even pulled off a smart catch at a crucial moment in the second game. Deserves to get a decent lunch allowance in his shiny new ECB incremental contract.

Stuart Broad - 6 (5 wickets at 23.40, ER 4.50; 1 run): Not quite on the money in the first two games, but looked close to his imperious best in the third match before getting a much needed rest for the final game. 

Tim Bresnan - 4: Returned from injury in the final game of the series and was unsurprisingly a bit rusty with the ball, but did manage to hit the winning runs.

Graeme Swann - 5 (2 wickets at 48, ER 3.84, 13 runs): Tidy enough but as in the Test series lacked his usual spark. Where's the zest gone, Swanny?

James Anderson - 6 (4 wickets at 28.00, ER 4.48): Like Broad, was overshadowed by Finn but plugged away well enough. Probably not in England's strongest ODI XI at present. 

Steve Finn - 10 (13 wickets at 10.30, ER 3.35): Phenomenal. Decided the first match with a devastating new ball burst and was head, shoulders and chest the best bowler on either side throughout. Pakistan's batsmen could neither keep him out or get him away. A berth in the Test side cannot be far away.

Jade Dernbach - 6: Gained some redemption for his ordeal in India by taking a four-for in the final game. Still has a girl's name. 

Danny Briggs - 6: Came in for his debut in the final game, showed promise and bowled tidily to take two for 39. Will get further opportunities.    

Where next?

England are ready to rock'n'roll

Alastair Cook takes a cue from Strauss as his ODI alma mater

Samit Patel is doing alright

Kevin Pietersen opening the batting in ODI is STILL a good idea

India v England ODI series: England marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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England are ready

A thought struck us as we watched Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen fairly canter towards the target of 223 set by Pakistan in the third one day international in Dubai on Saturday.

It wasn’t that Cook is a ODI run machine, or that rumours of KP’s demise had proved decidedly premature, or even that Steve Finn is starting to make an unanswerable case for his elevation to the Test XI. Although all of these are true.

No, despite the fact that Pietersen’s hundred was his first in one day internationals since November 2008 – two weeks before Graeme Swann’s Test debut and three months before the Andocracy of Flower and Strauss was formed at the helm of the good ship England, one thought transcended all others in our furtive mind.

The ease with which England have dispatched a highly capable Pakistan side in this one day series shows that they are finally ready to contest a World Cup in Asia.

Unfortunately, they are exactly one year too late, which does seems a little careless.

Where next?

A case of déjà vu in the desert for England, but mon Dieu for Kevin Pietersen

Alastair Cook takes a cue from Strauss as his ODI alma mater

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

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A case of déjà vu in the desert for England, but mon Dieu for Kevin Pietersen

A second consecutive ton for the skipper, two fifties in a row for the erstwhile drinks waiter as well as successive four-fors for his assistant and expert ice bucket carrier.

Pakistan may have scored more runs this time but one couldn't help having a distinct feeling of déjà vu about the second one day international in Abu Dhabi.

Despite being green-washed in the Test series, England can not now lose a one day series that is strangely comprised of four matches. I suppose we should thank our lucky stars it isn't seven.

England's recovery perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise as the last four times they have lost a preceding Test series they have bounced back to triumph in the one day series that followed. And they used to say that Pakistan were mercurial and unpredictable.

For the statisticians amongst you, England won 3-2 in the Caribbean in 2009 having lost the Test series 1-0. This followed on from 4-0 and 4-3 successes at home against South Africa and India in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

They also won the CB Series in Australia after being whitewashed in the Ashes series that never was in 2007. That was also the last time an England batsman (Paul Collingwood) struck two successive one day tons.

In other news, we identified that Kevin Pietersen's last one day ton in Cuttack in November 2008 came two weeks BEFORE Graeme Swann's Test debut - more a case of mon Dieu or sacré bleu than déjà vu.

Where next?

Alastair Cook takes a cue from Strauss as his ODI alma mater

Farewell to Paul Collingwood - England's Working Class Hero

Kevin Pietersen opening the batting in ODI is STILL a good idea

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It's time to get uplifted and inspired...

Alastair Cook’s hundred in Abu Dhabi (make that hundreds as he’s just hit another as we type) and Steve Finn’s splattering of Pakistan’s top order put a warm glow in us on Monday. It made us feel uncharacteristically positive and even a bit fluffy. Hence our feelgood piece for All Out Cricket this week about the twin fairytales served up by Afghanistan’s cricketers and Zambia’s football team last weekend.

We’re sure that an English batting collapse won’t be too long in coming and we’ll soon be back to our usual bitter and twisted selves. In the meantime, prepare to be uplifted and read Nothing Can Confound And Inspire In Equal Measure Quite Like Sport. You may even find yourself smiling at the end of it. Maybe.

Where next?

Alastair Cook takes a cue from Strauss as his ODI alma mater

Check out our Cricket XIs

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Alastair Cook takes a cue from Strauss as his ODI alma mater

The one day international career of Andrew Strauss can be defined in two distinct halves. Prior to assuming the captaincy in the Caribbean in March 2009, he was in the wilderness having not played a single 50 over game for nearly two years. This was hardly a surprise as his record up to then was modest with an average of just 32 from 78 matches at a fairly pedestrian strike rate of 76.

Many argued that Strauss didn’t have the game for the 50 over format, but whether emboldened by the captaincy or determined to prove the snipers wrong, Strauss successfully reinvented his game to enjoy a second coming that yielded an average of 41 from 49 games at a healthy strike rate of 88. Moreover, he also produced perhaps the finest one day international innings ever by an Englishman when he struck a masterful 158 off 145 balls against India in last year’s World Cup match in Bangalore.

Strauss’s reinvention was such that by the time he relinquished the captaincy and retired from limited overs internationals, England had lost its premier batsman in the format.

Alastair Cook’s story is strikingly similar. Not many (including this blog) were exactly rolling in the aisles when Cook was anointed as Strauss’s successor. He could only trundle along in first or second gear it was argued. He didn’t have the range of shots required to flourish in the critical powerplay overs it was claimed. Like Strauss, Cook had been in the one day wilderness prior to ascending to the throne, and also like Strauss his record hardly boded well with an average of 33 and strike rate of 71 from his 26 games.

Cook is no Chris Gayle or Virender Sehwag. He is never going to batter an opposition attack into submission, but using Strauss as his alma mater, Cook has also reinvented his game and inexplicably emerged as England’s best one day batsman. His brilliant 137 off 145 balls against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday was almost the equal of Strauss’s Bangalore masterpiece especially when considering Ravi Bopara’s 50 was the next highest score in the game. Cook’s record since his appointment as skipper now reads as 737 runs at 53 with an electrifying strike rate of 94.

Cook’s captaincy may still be a work in progress, but at least his leadership has inspired him to batting feats that even he probably didn’t think were within the realm of his capabilities.

Where next?

Alastair Cook and England's T20 team

Alastair Cook surprises everyone with his tasty dish of humble pie

Kevin Pietersen opening the batting in ODI is STILL a good idea

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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Pakistan vs England - England series marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss – 4 (150 runs at 25.00): Preached the virtues of patience prior to the series but then immediately undid it all with a reckless shot in Ajmal’s first over. Improved as the series wore on though and didn’t lack fight as epitomised by his 56 in the last Test. Some will point to his record of just one century in 46 innings and none in his last 21 but this team needs its captain more than ever now.

Alastair Cook – 3 (159 runs at 26.50): The tone was set by his ill-judged cut against Hafeez on the first morning of the series. A characteristically watchful 94 seemed to have set England up for a big 1st innings lead in Abu Dhabi. Fell four times to the new ball and mostly to poor shots too.

Jonathan Trott – 4 (161 runs at 26.83): Should have been in his element in conditions that rewarded his roll up your sleeves and grind the opposition into the ground attributes.  Instead he collected an uncharacteristic collection of careless of dismissals culminating in an ugly slog in the final day of the series. Averages just 35 since the start of 2011.  

Kevin Pietersen – 2 (67 runs at 11.16): The batsman that once mastered Warne and switch hit Murali for six in a Test match was left shaken and stirred by the combination of Ajmal and Rehman with a twist of DRS. His approach to counter them had improved markedly by the 3rd Test, but it was a case of too little, too late.

Ian Bell – 1 (51 runs at 8.50): Had averaged 131, 73, 66, 331 and 84 in his five previous Test series but boy wonder quickly became boy blunder as Bell was completely bewitched and bamboozled by Ajmal’s doosra. Hi s tame dismissal to a Gul long hop on the final day of the series suggested he was mentally shot and harked back to the days of the Sherminator.

Eoin Morgan – 1 (82 runs at 13.66): Supposedly in the side because of his ability against spin but was dismissed five times out of six by Ajmal or Rehman. Has just five 50+ scores in 24 Test innings, averages just 30 and looks decidedly out of his depth. Self-belief can only take you so far.

Matt Prior – 7 (150 runs at 37.50; 5 catches, 1 stumping): The only England batsman to average over 30 and his unbeaten 49 off 58 balls on the last day of the series demonstrated that a more positive approach could yield runs. As secure as Fort Knox behind the stumps.

Stuart Broad – 9 (13 wickets at 20.46; 105 runs at 21.00): Confirmed his emergence as one of the world’s best bowlers with a consistently brilliant performance with the ball. Also showed his batsmen the way with a sparkling 50 in Abu Dhabi that ought to have led to victory.

Graeme Swann – 6 (13 wickets at 25.07; 105 runs at 17.50): Deadly against the left-handers who accounted for nearly half of his wickets for the series. Unfortunately, there were only two in Pakistan’s line-up and although he didn’t perform badly, Swann was consistently outbowled by Pakistan’s spinners as well as Panesar.

James Anderson – 7 (9 wickets at 27.66; 54 runs at 10.80): Used the new ball well and demonstrated impressive control and accuracy on pitches and in conditions that are supposedly not his forte. Scored more runs than Bell and with one exception in Abu Dhabi caught well at slip to the spinners.

Monty Panesar – 8 (14 wickets at 21.57): A welcome return. England’s leading wicket taker in the series despite only playing two games. Shouldered a lot of hard work and was rewarded with two successive five-fors and had a better economy rate than Ajmal or Rehman. Guaranteed his spot for Sri Lanka.

Chris Tremlett – 4 (1 Test, no wickets): Didn’t let anyone down despite failing to take a wicket in a Test innings for the first time. Now faces the surgeon’s knife and an uncertain international future.

Where next?

Pakistan series marks out of 10

3rd Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

2nd Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

1st Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

England's tale of woe against spin in Asia

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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3rd Test: Pakistan vs England - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss – 5: That his charges refused to give up is a testament to his leadership and no-one dug in more than the captain with his 82 runs in the match covering 226 balls and nearly five and a half hours of blood, sweat and toil.

Alastair Cook – 4: Tried to atone for his feeble 1st innings dismissal by digging in second time around, but fell one run short of fifty to a spectacular diving catch at slip by Younis.

Jonathan Trott – 2: This series has even scrambled Trott’s brains. First, he didn’t review a LBW decision that would have missed leg stump then he succumbed to a completely uncharacteristic slog second time around.

Kevin Pietersen – 4: Looked much better than in the first two matches of this series and was dreadfully unlucky with his 1st innings dismissal - just as he appeared to be in full flow – a decision that would never have been given pre-DRS.

Ian Bell – 1: A shocking end to an awful series as last summer’s Prom King countered his inability to read Ajmal by tamely chipping a Gul long hop to Shafiq at cover point.

Eoin Morgan – 3: At least went down fighting in the 2nd innings but the suspicion that he is as horribly out of his depth at this level as a Premier League footballer on University Challenge persists.

Matt Prior – 7: Ended the series as he started it with a good knock to top the England batting averages for the series. Was his usual consistent and vocal self behind the stumps – although he was positively mute compared to his Pakistani counterpart.

Stuart Broad – 9: Was once again let down by his batsmen after another lethal exhibition of bowling on a flat track in Asia had reduced Pakistan to rubble on day one. A shoo-in for a current World XI.  

Graeme Swann – 5: Outbowled by Monty for the second game in a row and looked a bit out of sorts, but did at least pick up his new bunny Rehman in both innings. Would have been deadly if Pakistan had 11 left-handed batsmen - unfortunately they only have two.

James Anderson – 7: Like Broad was brilliant on the first morning as Pakistan capsized. Looked more self-assured with the bat than several of his top order.

Monty Panesar – 7: A second successive five-for in his second match back sealed his spot on the plane for the tours to Sri Lanka and India later this year. Surely, he won’t blame himself for this defeat too? 

Where next?

3rd Test: Pakistan vs England - Pakistan marks out of 10

2nd Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

1st Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

Resurrection: A drastic cure to England's spin woes in Asia

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All out for 88, 80, 72, 74, 98, 82, 96, 47, 51, 72, 99: Cricket or skittles?

Being bowled out for under 100 used to be commonplace back in the time of Queen Victoria, but until recently instances were few and far between in the modern game and normally (although not always) featured Bangladesh. 

However, since Pakistan visited England in 2010, it is as if the likes of George Lohmann and the Demon have been reincarnated such has been the regularity in which batsmen have been skittled.

In just 18 short months there have been 11 instances of a side being bowled out for less than 100. Pakistan leads the way with four, closely followed by Australia with three and England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe all with one each.

And with India’s batsmen hardly covering themselves in glory and none of Bangladesh, New Zealand and West Indies having a line-up that would have bowlers quaking in their boots, we seem to be entering a new era (with DRS undoubtedly playing a vital part). And they say cricket is a game for batsmen?

There have of course been several instances in the same period of batsmen gorging themselves on impotent bowling attacks. For example, India conceded ten individual scores of 150+ to batsmen in their recent tours of England and Australia and most will recall Alastair Cook’s passable impersonation of the great Jack Hobbs in Australia last winter.

In contrast to the 11 sub-100 scores there have been two team totals of over 700 (one each for England and India) and another seven above 600.

Test cricket seems to have become a game of extremes and is all the better for it. The leading teams all have their problems: England struggle against spin in Asia, India against seam and swing outside the subcontinent, Australia’s batting is still suspiciously brittle, Sri Lanka are sliding, Pakistan’s strength is its bowling attack and South Africa seem unable to grasp the mettle despite perhaps having the best balanced side. It all makes for appetising viewing for fans.

It all goes to show that despite some opinions to the contrary, Test cricket is and always will be the most exciting and unpredictable form of the game.

Where next?

Michael Clarke, Lara Bingle and Australia's 47 all out

88 all out & other batting collapses

Geoff Boycott's dose of Yorkshire humour on England's 72 all out

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2nd Test: Pakistan vs England - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss - 3: Captained the side well again and at least showed some fight in anchoring the run chase. Sadly the skipper's lack of form and his colleagues lack of stomach did for Strauss and for England. Should consider dropping to three in an effort to regain form.

Alastair Cook - 6: Typically resilient in the 1st innings where his diligence and concentration deserved a hundred. His early loss in the run chase proved terminal for England - it was Cook's sixth single figure score in his last nine Test innings.

Jonathan Trott - 6: Poor footwork cost him his wicket in the 1st innings after he and Cook had done all the hard work. Illness meant it is difficult to level any blame on Trott's shoulders for his failure in the run chase when he eventually came in at number seven. Definitely not Trott's fault.

Kevin Pietersen - 1: Whilst those questioning his place are clearly insane his complete lack of form in this series - only 17 runs to date at 4.25 - and his overall record in Asia where he averages just 29.54 from 13 Tests (excluding matches against Bangladesh) are real causes for concern. 

Ian Bell - 2: The best Test batsmen of 2011 has been made to look a novice by Pakistan's spinners. Seems as likely to be able to read Ajmal's doosra as a tourist in London has of spotting a family of Tyrannosaurus Rex's enjoying a vegetarian picnic in Hyde Park. 

Eoin Morgan - 1: Supposedly in the side due to his ability against spin, but there has been little evidence to date on this tour with his dismissal in the 2nd innings being especially grotesque. Impressing in limited overs internationals is one thing, but Test cricket is quite another. Should be replaced by Ravi Bopara for the final Test.

Matt Prior - 4: Sound again behind the stumps and prepared to battle more than most in front of them. Unfortunately, his game is the least suited of England's top seven to facing quality spin bowling on these type of wickets as evidenced by his tendency to play back too often.

Stuart Broad - 8: Didn't deserve to finish on the losing side after another fine exhibition of bowling and a counterattacking 1st innings fifty that seemed to have put his side in control. As an enforcer he was more Barbie than Rambo, but since he dropped the tough guy act he has taken 33 wickets in six Tests at less than 16. 

Graeme Swann - 7: His hold over the Pakistani left handers - against whom he averages five -continued, but in truth he was outbowled by Panesar for the majority of the Test.

James Anderson - 7: As in Dubai, he barely wasted a ball and performed manfully in conditions that are pretty alien to him.

Monty Panesar - 8: After 29 Tests in the wilderness, Monty made a magnificent return and certainly got through some work, bowling 71.3 overs in the match and taking seven for 153. Looks to have more control, variety and a more attacking line than Monty v1.0.

Where next?

2nd Test: Pakistan vs England - Pakistan marks out of 10

1st Test marks out of 10: Pakistan and England

All-round Stuart Broad no longer a Charles Hawtrey figure

England's tale of woe against spin in Asia

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England's tale of woe against spin in Asia

During the Dubai Test last week, Sky threw up one of its ridiculous stats, which illustrated how contrary to popular opinion the averages of England’s top seven batsmen against spin are all actually higher than their career averages.

However, Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t be fooled by this and nor were we. Taking the candy on offer from the likes of Xavier Doherty in Australia, Amit Mishra last summer and Paul Harris on frankly any pitch is one thing, but doing it against Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan and now Saeed Ajmal in their own backyards is quite another.

A quick scan of the averages of England’s current top seven away to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka is far more revealing – no we are not including Tests in Bangladesh as facing what is effectively a County 2^nd XI attack tends to inflate the averages of even the worse batsmen. Yes, even Chris Martin.

Surprisingly, it is Matt Prior that leads the way with an average of 46.71 from 6 Tests, followed by Alastair Cook (39.33, 8 Tests, 2 hundreds), Andrew Strauss (37.20, 8 Tests, 3 hundreds), Ian Bell (32.95, 12 Tests, 1 hundred) and bottom of the pile Kevin Pietersen with an average of just 31.54 from 12 Tests with two hundreds. (NB: the Test in Dubai was Trott’s and Morgan’s first away to Pakistan, India or Sri Lanka)

The causes of this serial failure are many with some or all of the following applying to each of England’s batsmen: hard hands, a general lack of foot movement, an inability to take singles and rotate the strike, too much deference and not enough decisiveness, tentativeness and a failure to pick Ajmal.

England’s recent record away to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka is woeful with the defeat in Dubai making it just one win in 18 Tests stretching back to the twin triumphs in Pakistan and Sri Lanka of 2000/01.  It was perhaps hardly surprising therefore that Pakistan’s bowlers took 14 wickets for 184 runs in Dubai on a pretty flat wicket with inconsequential turn and little bounce. This doesn’t bode well for the remainder of this series, nor the ones to Sri Lanka and India later this year.

If any inspiration is required, England should look to four of the leading English batsmen in the subcontinent over the last 30 years. Geoff Boycott leads the way with an average of 58.83 from 8 Tests in India and Pakistan (he never faced Sri Lanka) and is closely followed by David Gower (56.90, 16 Tests), Graeme Thorpe (48.29, 10 Tests) and Paul Collingwood (42.15, 12 Tests).

Three of the four were defined by their grit, bravery and obdurateness, which should be attributes most of England’s batsmen can relate to and hopefully display when they get to the crease later today. Pietersen will hopefully realise that genius as exhibited by Gower can thrive in Asia too. England’s number one ranking depends upon it.

Where next?

Misbah-ul-Haq second only to Bradman

How good are this England cricket team?

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An Arctic Tale starring Alastair Campbell, Andy Flower and the England cricket team

We were at an event the other night where Tony Blair's spin doctor Alastair Campbell (a master of the Teesra long before Saeed Ajmal) gave the keynote address and shared with us a list of acronyms that he kept close to hand during his time in government.

Number six or seven (we cannot remember exactly) was HAP, as in get your head above the parapet in times of crisis.

That's exactly what England coach Andy Flower did the day after England's humiliating ten wicket defeat to Pakistan in the 1st Test in Dubai (a location that still doesn't sound quite right for Test cricket).

Flower's honest appraisal was that the nature and extent of the loss would act as a wake-up call to the squad with him reasoning that the long break between England's last Test against India at The Oval in August and this one had left the team fatally under prepared and undercooked.

With the bowlers, we are not sure this really applies. The four man attack stuck to their task well, hardly gave anything away and bowled Pakistan out for a sub-standard total on that pitch.

The problem of course lay with the batsmen who barely exceeded Pakistan's total in their two innings put together. Not content with playing Ajmal as if he was the devil himself - one would have thought that having endured 13 years of Campbell's New Labour England would be able to handle a bit of spin - they seemed to be attempting to outdo each other to see how many times they could be strangled down the legside. The cherry on the top though was Kevin Pietersen's (an absolute liability before he has got off nought) grotesque, hare-brained dismissal in the 2nd innings.

Indeed, Pietersen, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook only totalled 15 runs between them during the match - less than James Anderson on his own and nearly five times less than the number of Graeme Swann managed. That's not undercooked, that's frozen - arctic like frozen.

Where next?

1st Test: Pakistan vs England - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Pakistan vs England - Pakistan marks out of 10

How good are this England cricket team?

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1st Test: Pakistan vs England - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss - 3: Failed to heed his patience policy with a dismal pull in Ajmal's first over and then amidst some rancour gave a faint legside edge behind second time around. Without a Test hundred in 17 innings and averages just 31 since the start of the tour to South Africa in 2009. Talk of him being under pressure though is ridiculous as evidenced by the fight his sides showed in the field.

Alastair Cook - 1: Perhaps the early introduction of spin in only the sixth over of the match surprised him and forced an injudicious cut off Hafeez's third ball. Caught the legside strangulation bug in the 2nd innings. Just 8 runs from 61 balls in the match is not the returns England has become accustomed to.

Jonathan Trott - 4: Successful audition for the part of golden arm with prize wicket of Younis hid two disappointing dismissals with the bat even if he looked in better touch than any of the other top six batsmen - not that that says much.

Kevin Pietersen - 1: Strangely subdued maybe because he had no crowd to play to. His duck in the 2nd innings was particular ghastly. As one wag noted perhaps KP should have been told the full house had come dressed as blue seats.

Ian Bell - 1: Moved rapidly to the head of the queue for the role of Ajmal's bunny after fatally failing to read the doosra in both innings. 

Eoin Morgan - 3: Instigated a mini-recovery with Prior on the first morning and ably demonstrated his ability against spin before missing an attempted slog sweep to fall leg before. Undone by Rehman's arm ball in the 2nd innings.

Matt Prior - 7: Played an unusually cautious knock - he didn't score his first boundary until his 85th ball and brought up his seventh 50+ plus score in his last 11 innings before falling cheaply second time round. Smart diving catch to remove Shafiq.

Stuart Broad - 7: Brought England back into game with wickets of Taufeeq and Azhar, and bowled to a consistently high standard throughout. Unlike Lord's in 2010, there were no heroics with the bat this time around. 

Graeme Swann - 7: Helped bring some respectability to England's first innings and his 39 second time around meant he was just two runs short of being England's highest run maker in the match. Stuck to his task well with the ball and was eventually rewarded with four wickets. Didn't get much turn and found Pakistan's batsmen less willing accomplices than Ajmal found England's.

Chris Tremlett - 5: Failed to take a wicket in a Test innings for the first time but he will bowl worse than he did here and take three or four wickets. Didn't give much away but the pitch nullified his usual bounce and menace.

James Anderson - 7: Barely wasted a ball and scored more runs than Cook, Bell and Pietersen put together. For once not needed as nightwatchman - England really were that bad. 

Where next?

1st Test: Pakistan vs England - Pakistan marks out of 10

How good are this England cricket team?

England will need to be bold to see off Pakistan

2009: England vs Pakistan - England series marks out of 10

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The best Test XI of 2011

Alastair Cook (927 runs at 84.27, 4 100s): Started off the year in Sydney with his third hundred of a prolific Ashes series before scoring runs for fun against Sri Lanka and then grinding India into submission with a monumental 294 at Edgbaston.

Rahul Dravid (1145 runs at 57.25, 5 100s): We could have gone for either Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez as a specialist opener but instead we opt for the reluctant opener and highest Test run scorer of the year. 2011 was the year of Dravid's resurrection. Whether it was showing the Indian youngsters how to do it with a brilliant hundred on a treacherous Sabina Park wicket or singularly manning a burning bridge in England with three hundreds and a quarter of the team's total runs in the series, Dravid was immense. 

Kumar Sangakkara (1034 runs at 49.23, 4 100s): Others may hadmore impressive averages in 2011, but King Kumar was the second highest scorer in Tests and saved matches at the Rose Bowl and even more memorably at Abu Dhabi where his epic 644 minute 211 foiled Pakistan. Finally his 2nd innings hundred at Kingsmead helped set up a famous win for his side. If that wasn't enough like Dravid he also shone away from the crease too with his already legendary Cowdrey Lecture.

Kevin Pietersen (731 runs at 73.10, 2 100s): A close call with Younis Khan(765 runs at 85.00) but we judged that KP's runs came against sterner opposition. His double hundred at Lord's against India showed a new responsibility to Pietersen's batting whilst his 175 at The Oval showed that he was back to his flamboyant peacock strutting best.

Ian Bell (950 runs at 118.75, 5 100s): From just 11 visits to the crease in 2011, Bell hit one double hundred, four further hundreds and two fifties. He also finally removed the monkey off his back when batting at three with a brilliant match-turning hundred at Trent Bridge and a masterly double hundred at The Oval. Could well be the best batsman in the world at the moment.

Misbah-ul-Haq (765 runs at 69.54, 1 100): Pakistan's inspirational captain proved a calming influence on his exhuberent team and an even calmer presence at the crease where he scored seven fifties to go with his one hundred. As captain his side beat New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and drew in the Caribbean, which given the turmoil when he took over from the disgraced Salman Butt was nothing short of remarkable.

Matt Prior (519 runs at 64.87, 3 100s): Like Cook and Bell started off the year with a hundred in the Sydney Test. He then scored hundreds at Lord's against Sri Lanka and a crucial 2nd innings effort against India after England had suffered a mini-collapse. Perhaps even more important is the speed at which he gets his runs with his strike rate of 89 being the highest of anyone with more than 250 runs in 2011. His work with the gloves continues to impress just don't mention that Lord's dressing room window.

Stuart Broad (33 wickets at 22.30, 1 five-for; 239 runs at 39.83, 3 50s): Welegedera, Gul, Philander and team-mates Bresnan and Tremlett ran him close but Broad's performances against India gets him our vote. In the first two Tests he bordered on the Bothamesque – the partnership with Prior steadied the ship at Lord’s, his fifty at Trent Bridge lifted England from the abyss and his hat-trick the next day dramatically changed the course of the match. He ended the series with 25 wickets at 14 and 182 runs at 61.

Dale Steyn (28 wickets at 19.57, 2 five-fors) - South Africa may have only played five Tests in 2011 but it is impossible to leave the best bowler in the world by a country mile out especially with a strike rate in 2011 of 38.2. Became the second quickest in history (after Lillee) to 250 Test wickets and at his best reminds one of Malcolm Marshall in his pomp. Yes, Steyn is that good.

Saeed Ajmal (50 wickets at 23.86, 3 five-fors): The leading wicket taker in Tests in 2011 and now arguably the best spinner in world cricket - his upcoming battle with Swann in the UAE will be fascinating. Pips team-mate Abdur Rehman, Devendra Bishoo and Rangana Herath for the spinners role in our XI.

James Anderson (35 wickets at 24.85, ER 2.93, SR 50.8, 1 five-for): Completed his demolition job of Australia at Sydney and then moved on to the small matter of India's stellar batting line-up in the summer where he made a certain Sachin Tendulkar look mortal. After Steyn the best quick bowler in the world.

Where next?

The best Test XI of 2010

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

Are Cook, Trott and Bell more impressive than Pippa Middleton's derriere?

Dale Steyn's formidable statistics

Responsibility and Misbah-ul-Haq

Rahul Dravid - The impenetrable wall

Kumar Sangakkara's captivating story

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