1st Test, Cardiff: England marks out of 10

 
Andrew Strauss – 5: Got his career as a Test specialist off to a fairly inauspicious start by getting dismissed in the last over of day 2, but that will fade into the background after an amazing final day heist.

Alastair Cook – 9: Imperious and in the form of his life. Now has five hundreds in his last ten Test innings – a hot streak beaten only by Hammond and Compton for England.

Jonathan Trott – 10: He may not enthuse the purists with his style but no one can question Trott’s effectiveness or his monumental Test average, which now stands at an incredible 66.77.

Kevin Pietersen – 2: Oh dear. After talking the talk in the build-up, KP was dismissed again by a left-arm spinner – that’s 19 times in his last 61 Test innings. The chink in his armour has become a gaping wound, but will it prove terminal?  

Ian Bell – 9: In contrast to Cook and Trott’s remorseless accumulation, Bell compiled another sublime eye-catching hundred to make one ponder whether he is wasted at five. Stunning catch at short-leg to remove Perera on the final day.

Eoin Morgan – 5: The rain and runs by those above him in the batting order limited Morgan to a brief 19 ball cameo. Will hope for a better opportunity to shine at Lord’s.

Matt Prior – 5: A quiet match for the Sussex keeper. Not called upon to bat, but tidy enough with the gloves.

Stuart Broad – 6: Wayward and expensive with the new ball on Day 1, but improved as the match wore on and grabbed the final two wickets. Also became the second youngest England bowler to reach 100 Test victims – so you’d have thought he’d have learnt how to appeal properly by now.

Graeme Swann – 8: Didn’t get a huge amount of help from the wicket, but still managed to take seven wickets including four for 16 in the second innings as he and Tremlett did a passable impression of McGrath and Warne in their heyday.

Chris Tremlett – 9: Should have been given the new ball in the 1st innings and started Sri Lanka’s slide when he got it second time around in what was a brilliant spell of hostile fast bowling. Now has 22 wickets at 23 since being recalled at Perth – another shrewd call by the selectors and a feather in the cap for bowling coach David Saker.

James Anderson – 7: The pick of England’s bowlers in the 1st innings before picking up a side strain. Needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool to ensure he is fit to face India later in the summer.

Where next?

Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott are just like Barcelona

Farewell and a tribute (of sorts) to Shane Warne

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

County Championship XI of the week #8

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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Comments

[Vim]

Collapses are the best thing in cricket.

[AB]

Jonathan Trott is a beast. An average of 67 is just mindblowing (and he has played a considerable amount now). And none of this 'planning' (short pitched stuff, left arm spin etc.) would work against him either. Just requires extremely tight and accurate bowling I suppose.

Pakistan have had a taste of him; Australia - plenty. Beware India!

[Logan Ennion]

Perhaps somewhat perversely, I'm increasingly finding Trott my favourite of all the England batsmen. Thrilling he may not be, but then neither was Steve Waugh, and he did okay for himself. Pietersen, on the other hand... one hundred in the last 30 Test innings is pathetic for someone of his ability. England can't repeat "he's class; he'll get his form back soon" indefinitely... can they?

[The Reverse Sweep]

Hopefully KP will prove the old adage of form being temporary and class being permanent, but his downward spiral is a bit of a concern. Luckily, England can afford to be patient if the likes of Cook, Trott and Bell continue to plunder the runs as they have done.

[The Reverse Sweep]

You are right AB, 67 is mindblowing. Troot seems to just love batting and once he is out there just seems to go into his own bubble and is impervious to everything. India beware indeed!

[The Reverse Sweep]

Collapses and the PCB. Both have you rolling in the aisles!