The Reverse Sweep

England vs Australia ODI series: Why do we feel so underwhelmed?

England versus Australia. Now there's a clash to whet the appetite. Two bitter rivals slugging it out on the cricket fields of England. So why do we feel so underwhelmed about the prospect of the five match ODI series that starts at Lord's today?

Well for a start there are no Ashes Tests to follow the hors d'oeuvre of the coloured pyjama brigade. Worse, the series has been solely arranged for the benefit of mammon and television. Catastrophically, the imposition of this needless series coupled with the Olympics means that the forthcoming Test series with South Africa will be played over just three Test matches.

So forgive our cynicism and negativity about the five match series. England are playing thirteen (or is it fourteen? To be honest we've lost count) matches this summer. No wonder, Kevin Pietersen decided to give this ridiculous schedule a miss.

England-Australia clashes are supposed to be special. This series clearly isn't, and with back-to-back Ashes series next year, thousands more one day games and yet another Ashes series in England in 2015, the ECB and Cricket Australia are in danger of diluting the brand and making England versus Australia as appealing as the prospect of a dinner date with a group of Barclays investment bankers. 

Bob Diamond or Michael Clarke? It shouldn't be a contest but with 30 encounters between the two sides scheduled for the next 18 months, the odious Bob may be preferable come early 2014.

Where next?

Kevin Pietersen's retirement from limited-overs cricket: The case for the defence

The Plan by Steve James | Book review

Hedley Verity - a proper hero with 'no breaking point'

England are playing THIRTEEN ODI this summer. Oh joy...

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Cricket memories of 2011: England retain the Ashes in Australia

It was the manner of victory that was so satisfying after 24 years of failure.

Australia had administered hidings in the last five Ashes series down under culminating in the 5-0 reverse of 2006/07 when England got it so hopelessly wrong. This time the shoe was on the other foot as England confirmed their superiority in Sydney with a third innings victory of the series.

All the mistakes of the previous 24 years: confused selection, poor preparation, reckless batting, impotent bowling and abysmal fielding were laid to rest in stunning fashion. England’s batsmen scored nine hundreds as they racked up totals in excess of 500 four times in seven innings. Alastair Cook amassed 766 runs and Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior and skipper Andrew Strauss all averaged over 40 for the series.

The bowlers executed the plans drawn up by Andy Flower, bowling coach David Sakar and Strauss with a ruthlessness that reminded one of Larwood and Voce in 1932/33, Tyson in 1954/55 and Snow in 1970/71. James Anderson proved once and for all that he was not a homer with 24 wickets at 26 and received sterling support from the reborn Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and Steve Finn.

The gulf between the sides, already vast was compounded by Australia’s woes: Ponting and Clarke both had series to forget whilst their bowlers looked like they were operating on different wickets to England’s – Perth apart.

Worst of all, the selection strategy was atrocious from naming a 17 man squad at the outset of the series at the behest of Cricket Australia’s marketing department to the amazing selections of spinners Xavier Doherty and then Michael Beer, the neither fish nor fowl all-rounder Steve Smith and the out-of-form Phil Hughes.

For once it was Australia who resorted to an in-depth investigation as to what went wrong whilst England went on to achieve their goal of becoming the number one Test side in the world.

Happy memories indeed.

Where next?

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

How England won the Ashes: Part 3 - Hunting as a pack

How England won the Ashes: Part 4 - Runs, runs, runs...

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Worst Australia Ashes XI of the last 30 years

 
Yesterday, we selected our worst England Ashes XI of the last 30 years, today it is the turn of the Baggy Greens:

Andrew Hilditch – Australia’s Chairman of Selectors wasn’t the worst opener to play against England in this period, but he may have been the most stupid. In the 1985 series, David Gower set the trap for the hook and like a punch-drunk boxer, Hilditch fell for the sucker blow every time.

Rick Darling – Just like his hapless namesake in Blackadder Goes Forth, Darling was like a fish out of water at Test level, which he only played because of World Series Cricket. The lasting memory he left on the Ashes was when he almost died at Adelaide during the 1978/79 series. A piece of chewing gum became lodged in his throat before John Emburey came to the rescue.

Trevor Chappell – Poor old Trevor. Despite doubtless losing every backyard game to his immensely talented brothers, the ugly duckling of the Chappell family still managed to play three tests in the 1981 series - scoring only 79 runs at 15.8. His underarm bowling wasn’t required.

Martin Kent – Unlike his namesake Clark, Martin didn’t turn into Superman during his three tests in the 1981 series where he averaged fewer than 30. The luckless Kent then suffered a serious back injury, which forced his early retirement from the game.

Michael Bevan – Surprisingly for such a fine player who excelled in county cricket, Bevan had a woeful Ashes career averaging 11 in six tests, where a weakness against the short ball proved his undoing.

Phil Carlson – Makes our England all-rounder Pringle look like Miller or Sobers. Carlson played two tests in the WSC affected 1978-79 series and floundered against the short ball, scoring 23 runs in four innings. His bowling was no better with only two wickets at 50.

Graham Manou – Drafted in at the last minute at Edgbaston for the injured Brad Haddin in the 2009 series, Manou made such an impression that he immediately lost his role as the back-up keeper.

Shaun Young – With Gillespie and Reiffel injured and Young being close at hand in Gloucester, he was called up for the final test of the 1997 series at The Oval. He scored four runs and bowled eight wicketless overs as Australia crashed to defeat. Other than having a sex change and starring in Bladerunner alongside Harrison Ford, Young has never been heard of again.

Chris Matthews – Australia had a dreadful side in the 1986/87 series and were duly beaten by Mike Gatting’s England. Matthews was one of the journeymen who appeared taking six wickets in two tests at 39.

Murray Bennett – The slow left armer made Xavier Doherty look like a Warne, O’Reilly or Grimmett in his single Ashes test at The Oval in 1985. Took one wicket for 111 as Gower and Gooch made hay in the sun.

Dave Gilbert – Played his solitary Ashes test in the same Oval test of 1985, where he did marginally better than Bennett in taking one for 96. Just pips Joe Angel and Matt Nicholson to a spot in the XI.

A version of this article first appeared in the third and final edition of Cricket Sadist in November 2010.

Where next?

Cricket Zeroes: Andrew Hilditch

All-time composite Ashes XI

All-time Australian Ashes XI: The Openers, Number 3, 4 and 5, All-rounder, Wicketkeeper, Fast bowlers, Spin Kings

All-time England Ashes XI: The Openers, Number 3, 4 and 5, All-rounder, Wicketkeeper, Fast bowlers, Spin King

The 25 Greatest Ashes Tests of them all: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Worst England Ashes XI of the last 30 years

 
The Ashes are the pinnacle for English and Australian cricketers and for close to 130 years the oldest rivalry in sport has produced plenty of spellbinding matches. Some of the finest cricketers ever to play the game like Bradman, Hammond, Warne, Hobbs, Trumper and Botham have fought toe to toe for the little urn.

However, not everyone who has represented Australia and England in the ultimate sporting contest has been blessed with greatness; far from it in fact. Certainly, in the 30 or so years that this writer has been addicted to the fiercest of cricket battles, a number of duffers have donned the Baggy Green or Three Lions cap.

The names that follow are a mixture of the downright obscure, confused selection strategies and the odd surprising name that proved to be a complete Ashes flop.

So without further ado, here are the teams starting with England today and Australia tomorrow:

Mark Lathwell – Heralded as the next big thing, he was drafted into the team for two Tests in the 1993 series and promptly stank the place out. Disappeared as quickly as he had arrived and never got near England selection again.

John Stephenson – One of 29 players called on by England during the disastrous 1989 series, Stephenson played his only test at The Oval scoring 25 and 11. He never played another Test.

Paul Parker – Having secured the urn in 1981, the England selectors decided to experiment with Parker for the final Test at The Oval. He scored 13 in his solitary innings and it certainly proved unlucky for Parker who never received the call again.

Usman Afzaal – Like Samit Patel, fell victim to the selectors aversion to those carrying a few extra pounds, Afzaal admittedly didn’t impress too much in his three tests in the 2001 series - although he did score a fifty at The Oval.

James Whittaker – Another of England’s one cap wonders, the loyal Leicestershire batsman played his only test at Adelaide in 1986 in place of the injured Ian Botham. Unlike Beefy, Whittaker didn’t leave his mark on the Ashes, scoring 11 in his only knock.

Derek Pringle - Pringle was more of a no-rounder than an all-rounder when it came to the Ashes averaging 20 with the bat and 58 with the ball. This writer remembers him being part of the worst England attack ever at Headingley in 1989 – a past it Neil Foster, Phil Newport and Phil De Freitas.

Chris Read – Surprisingly, England haven’t really picked a duffer behind the stumps in the last 30 years. We opt for Read simply because by the time he was finally chosen for the last two tests of the 2006/07 series, his confidence had been shattered by being dropped in favour of Geraint Jones at the start of the ill-fated series. He hasn’t played for England since.

Robert Croft – English (or Welsh) spinners have hardly set the Ashes alight in recent times and Crofty didn’t even raise a spark taking 11 wickets at 52 in seven Ashes tests from 1997-2001. But he can bat, I hear you say. Not against Australia against whom he averaged 9.54. Made Peter Such and Eddie Hemmings look like world beaters in comparison. About as useful as a cat flap in an elephant house.

Jimmy Ormond – Like Afzaal, fell victim to Duncan Fletcher’s dislike of fat cricketers after playing one Ashes test at The Oval in 2001. The one for 115 probably didn’t help matters either. Ormond did leave a mark though with his infamous retort to Mark Waugh, who had welcomed Ormond to the crease "Mate, what are you doing out here? There's no way you're good enough to play for England." Ormond replied "Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my own family", prompting much hilarity from Junior’s team mates.

Martin McCague – From a list of useless England seamers including Paul Jarvis, Mark Ilott, Phil Newport and a certain Jonathan Agnew, McCague took the biscuit. Dubbed “the rat who joined the sinking ship” by the Australian press on account of his upbringing down under, McCague may well have been a double agent judging by his shocking performance at Brisbane in 1994.

Mike Smith – We played in a five-a-side tournament for Smith’s benefit and he relayed how he was treated like a stranger in the England dressing room and hardly spoken to when he was called up for the Headingley test in the 1997 series. Graeme Thorpe dropped Matt Elliott in Smith’s third over – Elliott scored 199 and Smith went wicketless in his only test. Falls into the unlucky rather than the downright rubbish category.

A version of this article first appeared in the third and final edition of Cricket Sadist in November 2010.

Where next?

Cricket Zeroes: Martin McCague

All-time composite Ashes XI

All-time Australian Ashes XI: The Openers, Number 3, 4 and 5, All-rounder, Wicketkeeper, Fast bowlers, Spin Kings

All-time England Ashes XI: The Openers, Number 3, 4 and 5, All-rounder, Wicketkeeper, Fast bowlers, Spin King

The 25 Greatest Ashes Tests of them all: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

World Cup Podcast: Preview of final and England autopsy

 
The Reverse Sweep was delighted to take part in this week's 'One Hand, One Bounce' podcast organised by our good friends at World Cricket Watch in Melbourne.

After picking through the bones of England's ignominious exit, we surmised what may happen with the England ODI captaincy. We also covered the resignation of Ricky Ponting, yet another choke by South Africa and previewed tomorrow's World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka.

If you fancy a listen, click on the Play button below...

NB: Please allow a moment while it buffers/loads

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Don’t miss a single episode of the One Hand One Bounce Podcast. Automatically get each new episode by subscribing via iTunes or subscribing to the RSS feed.

Where next?

Ashes Podcast: Two Poms vs Two Aussies - Part 1

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Lay off England after World Cup proves a bridge too far

Two days later and England’s thumping defeat against Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter final doesn’t feel any better.

Defeat by ten wickets with 63 balls still remaining is about as comprehensive as it gets.

Whilst England’s batsmen looked like they were batting on treacle, Dilshan and Tharanga never looked in any trouble as they cruised to victory.

The recriminations are in full swing. Whispers about Strauss’ future as ODI captain and the wholesale replacement of others abound.

The painful truth is that England simply weren’t good enough. They blundered through the group stages and failed to put in even one commanding performance.

But whilst the likes of Willis, Botham and Boycott will no doubt baulk at the idea, England never had a chance of success at this World Cup because of the ridiculous poisoned chalice of a schedule they were handed this winter.

Sure, England lacked match-winners and key players like Anderson underperformed, but these guys were dead on their feet.

Whoever agreed to a schedule that saw some players spend just three days at home between arriving back from Australia and embarking to the holding camp in Dubai for the World Cup needs to be summarily sacked.

Lest it not be forgotten, England won an Ashes series down under for the first time in 24 years this winter. The successful campaign was meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed.

But not unsurprisingly, these efforts had a physical, mental and emotional strain on the players.

Fatigue leads to injuries and England’s one day squad doesn’t have the strength in depth to cope with the absence of the likes of Broad, Pietersen and Shahzad.

Of those that remained, Anderson was a virtual imposter such was the emptiness of his tank and the likes of Bell, Prior and Swann all fell significantly from the peaks they reached during the Ashes series.

Perhaps with hindsight, England’s first choice players should have flown home for a much needed break immediately after the Ashes series finished in Sydney.

Then a second-string ODI squad could have battled for the final World Cup squad places in the utterly pointless seven match series with Australia.

But contracts between the cricket boards of Australia and England doubtless prevented that.

The schedule is not an excuse for England’s failure, but it is a reason. England aren’t good enough at ODI cricket either – especially in a World Cup in sub-continental conditions, which negated their main strengths further.

But before casting stones at Strauss, Flower and co, do remember that the main prize this winter – the urn – has been secured and whilst yet another World Cup campaign has ended in disappointment, it was always going to be a bridge too far.  

Where next?

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

Heroes: Bob Willis

An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Back-to-back Ashes series? Doomsday is here...

 
We blame football and specifically the Champions League. The European Cup was a perfectly good competition, but UEFA and the leading clubs wanted more cash, so lo and behold eligibility was extended to sides finishing 2nd, 3rd or even 4th in their respective leagues and the cumbersome Group Stage was born. Tedium and money ensued.

Cricket soon followed suit. The World Cup may only come every four years, but the tournaments in South Africa and West Indies felt like they lasted that long. This year’s edition will feature 42 pointless matches before the real action starts in the quarter-finals.

Twenty 20 competitions around the world – particularly those in England and India have got longer and longer. There may be more money in the short-term, but eventually the patience of cricket fans will run out and attendances will fall – this is exactly what happened in last year’s FP T20 in England, which featured the mind-boggling torture of 151 matches.

The concept of less is more seems to be alien to cricket and football administrators alike. Rather than leaving their audiences wanting more, they leave them begging for the pain and torture to end.

But amidst all this overkill, at least there was the sacred Ashes. A five-Test series every two years was just perfect with plenty of time for anticipation to build and then the main event itself that always leaves you wanting an encore.

Until now that is.

Now we know that with the World Cup being held down under in 2015, staging an Ashes series in the same Australian summer wasn’t going to be viable. But rather than delaying the series by a year – meaning that the sequence would go England 2013, Australia 2015/16, England 2017, the greedy men in the ECB and Cricket Australia have come up with a doomsday scenario.

The result is a back to back Ashes series in 2013 – 10 Tests in six months. And then to compensate for what would be a three-and-a-half year gap until the next scheduled series in England in 2017, the men in suits are likely to sanction another series in England in 2015.

We love the Ashes – you may have noticed – but the prospect of back-to-back series is about as appealing as being trapped in a lift with Westlife and Simon Cowell.

Maybe its time for cricket fans to stage an Egyptian style revolt and unseat the faceless administrators that are ruining the game?

Where next?

Twenty 20 cricket’s very English crisis

151 = Pure Greed

Cricket’s warning from Football

100 stories about the Ashes

Full coverage of the Ashes 2010/11 series

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

How England won the Ashes: Part 4 - Runs, runs, runs...

 
Despite England finally managing to win on Australia Day of all days, we are still not bothered too much by the never ending story that is the one-day series. Time to look back again, then…

With the notable exception of Jonathan Trott, England’s top six came into the Ashes series with doubts hanging over them after a collective poor return against Pakistan over the summer. Ian Bell, who had been injured for the Pakistan tests, was deemed a concern too given his previously poor record against Australia.

The man considered the biggest concern was Alastair Cook, with some pundits, including as shrewd a judge as Michael Atherton, calling for the opener to be dropped in favour of Eoin Morgan with Trott promoted to open. Thankfully, England’s selectors stuck with their man and Cook repaid them by transforming himself into a left-handed Herbert Sutcliffe to score more runs in a test series than any Englishman ever except Wally Hammond in 1928/29.

And it wasn’t just Cook. For those that grew up in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s, you will doubtless be familiar with Roy Castle singing “dedication is what you need…if you want to be a record breaker”.

Perhaps this tune was played alongside KP's favourite Carly Simon song on the dressing room stereo, as this is exactly the mantra that England’s batsmen followed during the series. Having all got into nick in the crucial warm-up matches prior to the 1^st Test, England’s batsmen showed exemplary patience and good judgment throughout the series – except in the aberration that was Perth. But even though they left the ball much better than the Australians, England still managed to post a higher run-rate per over for the series – 3.5 to 3.1.

In seven innings, England reached 500 four times. They hit their highest totals ever in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, with the latter being England’s highest ever test total in Australia.

In those seven innings, England’s batsmen hit nine hundreds (Cook (3), Trott (2), Strauss, Pietersen, Bell and Prior) – with six being at least 135 or over, compiled 11 hundred partnerships and all of the top seven – with the exception of Paul Collingwood – comfortably averaged above 40 for the series.

The comparison with the Australians was stark. The home side only once passed 400 in ten innings, hit just three hundreds (Hussey (2) and Haddin), only had four century partnerships and three batsmen averaging over 40 for the series (Hussey, Haddin and Watson). And unlike Cook, Australia’s premier opener Watson was unable to even convert one of his several good starts into three figures. That meant that with Australia’s supposed best batsmen Ponting and Clarke having dreadful series', none of Australia’s top four registered even one hundred.

If that wasn’t enough proof of how much Australia were outgunned with the bat, how about the fact that their average runs per wicket lost in the series was 28.9 to England’s 51.1? Or even that England had Bell coming in at six instead of North or Smith. Now that is perhaps the most damning point of all!

Where next?

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

How England won the Ashes: Part 3 - Hunting as a pack

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including amongst others James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Graham Gooch, Dennis Lillee and Mitchell Johnson

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

How England won the Ashes: Part 3 - Hunting as a pack

 
Just like a particularly canny pride of hungry lions, England’s bowlers hunted as a pack during the series and were utterly ruthless in executing the consummate planning of Australian bowling coach David Saker.

In the process, they comprehensively overcame question marks about their ability to be effective with the kookaburra and their suitability on Australian pitches. Especially pack leader James Anderson, who by the series end had emerged as one of the top three seamers in the world along with Dale Steyn and Zaheer Khan.

As well as executing specific plans for certain batsmen, England stuck admirably to their strategy of containment. This frustrated the Australian batsmen and induced a catalogue of needless fatal strokes outside off stump. By Sydney, this choking of Australia’s batsmen reached such an extent that the home side had struggled to only 171/6 by the time that the second new ball was taken.

All of England’s frontline bowlers impressed even Stuart Broad, who may have only taken two wickets before he went home injured, but was so miserly that others – notably Steve Finn – got the wickets Broad probably deserved.

The rest of the seamers got the wickets that their hard work and brilliance merited. Anderson took 24 wickets – the most by an England fast bowler down under in a five match series since Frank Tyson in 1954/55 whilst Chris Tremlett was a revelation after coming in at Perth and snared 17 victims at 23 and consistently troubled all of Australia’s batsmen.

England even had the luxury of dropping Finn after Perth, despite him being the leading wicket-taker in the series to that point. He may have had 14 wickets, but they had come at the price of an economy rate of 4.3 runs per over. England’s plan was not to be as expensive as Prada, so out went Finn and in came Tim Bresnan.

We’ve written about our doubts about Bresnan’s credentials as a test bowler before, but the big lad was nearly as much of a revelation as Tremlett, taking 11 wickets at 20, and most importantly doing so at an economy rate of just 2.6.

Then there was Graeme Swann. Only the pitch in Adelaide helped him, but other than a poor match at the Gabba, Swann was content to play the support role for once whilst still managing 15 wickets. Doubters will highlight that Swann’s wickets cost almost 40 runs a piece. But when you consider that collectively Australia’s spinners took just five wickets for a beastly 666 runs in the series, Swann actually did very well.

The biggest compliment you can give England’s bowlers is that on the same pitches where England passed 500 four times and made Australia’s attack look horribly toothless, England’s bowlers looked like they were bowling on different surfaces. They found movement where it seemed there was none, they got reverse swing much earlier and unlike their Australian counterparts, were relentlessly accurate.

Their batsmen may have broken the records, but England’s bowlers were equally as crucial. They took 91 out of a possible 100 wickets in the series (to Australia’s 56) and that tells you everything you need to know.

Where next?

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including amongst others James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Graham Gooch, Dennis Lillee and Mitchell Johnson

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

A brilliant T-Shirt that celebrates England's Ashes success

 
 
Apologies to all the kangaroos, wallabies and koalas out there as well as Rolf Harris, but as a long suffering England fan that has endured successive disastrous Ashes tours down under, we intend to gloat and glorify about the recent 3-1 victory for some time to come.

So what better to celebrate the success of Strauss and the boys than to don the t-shirt above and wander down to the Walkabout in Shepherds Bush to have a beer and friendly banter with some of the London based Australians. We'll certainly be doing that next time we are in the big smoke.

Hop over to our friends at Philosophy Football to reward yourself for those late nights and early starts in England's cause. Celebrate the blissful moment of final victory in the Aussies' backyard. Philosophy Football's ingenious victory T-shirt design features all 5 matches of the series with scores, venues and results.  Wear with pride that the little urn is staying put where it belongs.  Plus a half-price mug version when you buy the shirt. Sizes small-XXL, plus child and women's skinny rib sizes. Just £16.99 for the first celebratory week from www.philosophyfootball.com.

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

 
Let’s be honest, England have made a number of selection blunders in the make-up of their Ashes squads to tour Australia over the last 20 years.

Who can forget that Martin McCague - with catastrophic results - was preferred to Angus Fraser in 1994/95? Or that Andrew Caddick was left out for the 1998/99 trip, despite taking 105 wickets in the summer of 1998. And then in the ill-fated 2006-07 series, that a rusty Ashley Giles got the nod over Monty Panesar for the first two tests.

But there were no guffaws this time. On the contrary, the borderline selections of Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan proved to be positively inspired.

They also stuck with Alastair Cook despite before the series the likes of Mike Atherton calling for him to be dropped in place of Eoin Morgan. Of course, Cook then repaid the selectors’ faith by becoming a left-handed reincarnation of Herbert Sutcliffe. The selectors also resisted the temptation to move Jonathan Trott down the order and retained the six batsmen-four bowler policy.

All of these decisions paid off spectacularly. As did the one to keep Ian Bell at six when Paul Collingwood’s form faltered. Moving Bell up the order would just have undermined Collingwood and perhaps even given the Aussies a bit of a fillip – the sight of an in-form Bell coming in at four wickets down must have been soul-destroying for the Australians at times.

The two changes that England made during the series also paid off in spades. Tremlett was a revelation with 17 wickets after replacing the injured Stuart Broad. And what must have been a tough decision to replace Steven Finn with Bresnan for the last two tests also proved correct. Finn may have been the leading wicket-taker in the series at that point, but his economy rate of 4.3 runs per over threatened England’s plan of containment. So out he went, and in came Bresnan, who probably even surprised himself with how well he performed.

Whilst the England selectors deserve a tick in every box, Australia’s were hopeless and clueless despite what that ridiculous excuse for a Chairman Andrew Hilditch thinks. Forced into naming a confused and elongated initial 17 man squad 10 days before the 1st Test by Cricket Australia’s Marketing Department, they then compounded their error by jettisoning incumbent spinner Nathan Hauritz before a ball had even been bowled.

They then panicked after Brisbane by dropping Mitchell Johnson for the clearly unfit Doug Bollinger. Whilst for Perth they concluded that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Steve Smith was a number six Test batsman and that the out-of-form and technically deficient Phil Hughes should replace the injured Simon Katich. Admittedly they did get it right by sticking with Mike Hussey and the selection (albeit belatedly) of Usman Khawaja, but the overall picture they portrayed was one of poorly thought out plans, risky and ill-advised punts and a general sense of making it up as they went along.

Not only did England end nearly a quarter of a century of hurt down under by winning the series (yes, we're still gloating), but their selectors transformed from a bunch of bumbling incompetents into Gandalfesque shrewd soothsayars whilst somehow transferring their discarded 'attributes' to their Australian counterparts. That makes it even more satisfying.

Where next?

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

The curious case of Nathan Hauritz

Doug Bollinger as you've never seen him before

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

KP's Ashes Diary: 11th January - The urn needs some bling

 
Well I, KP the magnificent we did it. KP we won the Ashes and gave the Aussies an almighty trouncing. I have to say though that I’m not impressed with the urn. It’s too small, it isn’t gold and it doesn’t have any diamonds on it. And as you can see from the picture above, you cannot even put any champagne in it. Maybe Lord’s should let me and Jess design a new bling version, so that next time we have a proper trophy to lift up?

Another sour point was Cooky getting the Man of the Series award. What did he do to justify getting that over me? I was the one who sacrificed the captaincy to get rid of Moores - without which none of this would have been possible. I was the one who scored a double century in a Test we actually won. And I was the man who got the key wicket of the whole series when I outfoxed Clarkey in Adelaide. Cooky scored a few runs granted, but compared to what I did at the Oval in 2005 it was small fry.

Anyway peeps, must dash as I have to get some shuteye before the T20 match tomorrow at the ground that should be re-named the KP Oval. I’ll talk to you about the IPL next time…

Where next?

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

Delve into our comprehensive Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including Paul Collingwood, Douglas Jardine, Hedley Verity and Matthew Hayden

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

 
Like many English cricket fans we are still basking in the joy of Ashes triumph and fully intend to gloat and glorify about it for some time to come. We make no apologies for this as having been starved of success down under for 24 long years and having copped plenty of flak from our Antipodean cousins, the shoe is now most definitely on the other foot.

As such over the next few days, the Reverse Sweep will look at some of the reasons why we believe that England triumphed and Australia choked. Preparation seems a good place to start.  

It was Thomas Edison who coined the phrase “genius is only 1% inspiration, but 99% perspiration” and in terms of having done all their homework prior to the big event, Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss would get a large tick in the box from Thomas.

In 2006 England arrived beset by injuries, had the untried axis of Fletcher and Flintoff at the helm and played a couple of jolly warm-up matches before taking the field for the 1^st Test at Brisbane thoroughly under-prepared. Unsurprisingly, they were royally rogered by an Australian side intent on revenge from 2005. The whole thing stunk of complacency, hubris, ineptitude and eventually farce.

Messrs Flower and Strauss however left no stone unturned. Following a team-building boot-camp in Bavaria, England played three proper first-class matches upon arriving in Australia, which they played to win. They sent their first-choice bowling line-up to Brisbane early to acclimatise whilst the likes of Tremlett, Bresnan and Shahzad blasted England to a 10 wicket win over Australia A.

Australia on the other hand, played a one day series with Sri Lanka just prior to the first Test, named a 17 man squad and then jettisoned their first-choice spinner Nathan Hauritz for a punt on the untried Xavier Doherty. The whole thing smacked of uncertainty and a lack of planning.

Consequently, when England were blown off course first by Peter Siddle and then Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin in the 1^st innings at Brisbane, they were able to come back in the second with the infamous 517/1. In part this was down to the ineptitude of the Australian bowling, but it was also because the England players had been well-prepared, well-drilled and knew exactly what they were doing.

The best-prepared side won at a canter in 2006, exaggerating the already large gap between the sides. But with the two sides supposedly so evenly matched before the series started, it was England’s preparation and their ability to hone and execute well-defined plans that was one of the keys to their triumph.

Flower and Strauss - Edison would be proud of you.

Where next?

The curious case of Nathan Hauritz

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Twenty 20: Two pumps and a squirt and it's all over

 
God has been rather good to us recently. As a long-suffering England fan who had endured 24 years of hurt, the last six weeks or so have been manna from heaven.

And the cherry on top of the cake has been the South Africa-India Test series, which although we didn’t see enough of - due to the aforementioned Ashes, was compulsive viewing when we did. Watching those Three Masters – Steyn, Tendulkar and Kallis – at work in Cape Town was particularly satisfying.

So, as we said God has been rather good to us.

However, it only took the day after the night before for things to change dramatically. We were already reconciling ourselves to a diet of ODI cricket in the run-up to the over-hyped and over-long World Cup in six weeks – and incidentally why are Australia and England playing a SEVEN ODI series again?

But much worse was to come when we realised that the day after England had secured a 3-1 Ashes series victory in Sydney (and yes, we are going to continue to gloat and glorify about that for some time to come), was the obscenity that is the IPL Auction.

We gave the IPL a go last year and even picked an IPL team to support, but the whole spectacle of mediocre cricket, blanket advertising, dreadful television coverage and endless matches left us cold. And this year there’s not even Lalit Modi to make things interesting.

By now you may have deduced that we are not big fans of Twenty 20 at the Reverse Sweep. If Test cricket is like a long passionate relationship with gymnastic sex and one-day cricket is like a series of one night stands – some memorable but most eminently forgettable, then Twenty 20 takes you back to the dreadful sex you had as a spotty teenager. Two unsatisfying pumps and a squirt and it’s all over.

We endured the World T20 last year – but that probably had something to do with England winning the thing, and we’ve been known to watch the occasional match from the English domestic T20 competition, but in truth we don’t regard T20 as proper cricket at the Reverse Sweep.

So whilst this site won’t  be a completely IPL free zone this year, it’s safe to say that for the most part we’ll be concentrating on the longer and more satisfying form of the game.

Now where did we leave our zimmer-frame?

Where next?

The A-Z of IPL 3: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Read our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

 
Australia's selectors confusingly named a 17 man squad prior to the Brisbane Test, so it is perhaps fitting that 17 men - not the same 17 mind - were eventually used throughout the series. Here are how they rated:

Shane Watson - 6 (5 Tests, 435 runs at 48.33, HS 95; 3 wickets at 74.33, BB 1/30): 435 runs and four fifties wouldn't normally be a bad series return especially in a well-beaten side, but Watson's failure to go on to record even one big score after getting to 36 eight times demonstrated that he is still a lower-middle order batsman desperately trying to be an opener. Doesn't rotate the strike enough, although maybe his abysmal running between the wickets has something to do with that after being involved in three catastrophic run-outs in the series. A reluctant bowler.

Simon Katich - 4 (2 Tests, 97 runs at 24.25, HS 50): Probably has the same low opinion of Shane Watson as us after being run out without facing a ball in the batting paradise of Adelaide. Started the series with a typically gritty 50 and ended it prematurely in Adelaide on one leg bravely refusing a runner. Australia missed his battling qualities thereafter, but with a team to reconstruct it is unlikely that the 35 year old will wear the Baggy Green again.

Phillip Hughes - 3 (3 Tests, 97 runs at 16.16, HS 31): Looked all at sea when he came in at Perth especially against Tremlett, but improved steadily match by match. However, a top score of 31 in three Tests is not good enough for an opening batsman and he would appear to have so many technical deficiencies that one wonders whether he will ever make a successful test batsman. Another sold down the river by Watson's keystone cops running, but he served his revenge cold in the second innings at Sydney.

Ricky Ponting - 2 (4 Tests, 113 runs at 16.14, HS 51*): Could it have been any worse for Ponting? Became the first Australian skipper to preside over three Ashes reverses since Billy Murdoch - when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Then there was his batting, where he made less runs in the series than Siddle and Johnson. Finally, his epitaph as captain - and maybe even as a test player - was the unseemly incident with the umpires at Melbourne. A broken finger is the least of his problems. 

Usman Khawaja - 6 (1 Test, 58 runs at 29.00, HS 37): Came in for his debut Test at Sydney with an increasingly desperate Australian press hyping him so much we were expecting the new Brian Lara. Khawaja did reasonably well though, dismissively pulling his second delivery in test cricket for four and generally looking composed and relaxed at the crease. Expect to see much more of him in the Baggy Green.

Michael Clarke - 4 (5 Tests, 193 runs at 21.44, HS 80): With Ponting's form deserting him, it was up to the vice-captain to step up to the plate. Clarke failed dismally and was guilty of a number of careless dismissals - especially getting out to Pietersen in Adelaide after his one decent knock of the series. Became Australia's 43rd Test captain at Sydney and quickly found that Lara Bingle was easy to manage in comparison. Is Clarke the tough character required to lead the rebuilding project? We're not so sure.

Michael Hussey - 9 (5 Tests, 570 runs at 63.33, HS 195): Came into the series with the axe hovering over his head, but emerged as Australia's best performer. Batted like Superman at Brisbane and Perth and fully deserved his two centuries. And for three Tests he stood almost alone of Australia's top six in facing down the England attack. Faded at Melbourne and Sydney after the effects of the kryptonite wore off, but that should not detract too much from a fine series for Mr Cricket.

Marcus North - 2 (2 Tests, 49 runs at 16.33; 1 wicket at 110.00): Started the series with his head in the noose and was hung out to dry after the heavy defeat in Adelaide. Australia's best spinner in Brisbane and Adelaide - not that there was much competition, but looked all at sea with the bat especially against Swann. Another unlikely to don the Baggy Green again.

Steve Smith - 4 (3 Tests, 159 runs at 31.80, HS 54*; no wickets): Ridiculously picked as a number six by the increasingly erratic Australian selectors at Perth, Smith was clearly out of his depth. His leg-spin showed some promise, but he picked up no wickets and went at four and a half runs an over. He is not yet ready for test cricket with either bat or ball, although he certainly has some pluck as evidenced by his fifty on the final day of the series.

Brad Haddin - 7 (360 runs at 45.00, HS 136): Started off the series like a train with a brilliant century at The Gabba, which as part of his 300 partnership with Hussey seemed to have put Australia in control. Increasingly became derailed as the series wore on with careless dismissals and some none-too-pretty work with the gloves. How long will Haddin be able to fend off the challenge of young pretender Tim Paine?

Mitchell Johnson - 4 (15 wickets at 36.93, BB 6/38; 122 runs at 17.42, HS 62): The ultimate hit or miss cricketer. Atrocious in Brisbane, dropped for Adelaide, the matchwinner in Perth, poor in Melbourne and indifferent in Sydney. Bowled plenty of tripe and went at over four an over during the series, but when he gets it right - as he did in Perth - Johnson is unplayable and therein lies the paradox. Also blew hot and cold with the bat with two fifties and three ducks.

Ryan Harris - 6 (3 Tests, 11 wickets at 25.54, BB 6/47; 14 runs at 3.50, HS 10*): Came in at Adelaide and bagged a king pair, but was Australia's best (make that only) bowler without getting much reward. Cashed in at Perth with nine wickets, before going wicketless at Melbourne and picking up a stress fracture. Has the pace, ability and heart to make a return to the test side, but perhaps not the body.

Peter Siddle - 6.5 (5 Tests, 14 wickets at 34.57, BB 6/54; 154 runs at 19.25, HS 43): Started off the series with a bang at Brisbane with a hat-trick and six wickets, and then took another six for in his home test at the MCG. But only two other wickets in the other five innings he bowled in smacks of inconsistency and it is interesting that he was successful when bowling a slightly fuller length. Probably didn't expect to score more runs and have a better average than Ponting, but looks to have some promise with the bat. One for the Australian selectors to persevere with. 

Ben Hilfenhaus - 2 (4 Tests, 7 wickets at 59.28, BB 3/121; 55 runs at 11.00, HS 34): Was our tip as leading wicket-taker before the series but proceeded to bowl like a bowling machine stuck in one delivery. He had only played one test in Australia prior to the series and it transpired that he was a shadow of the bowler who did so well in the 2009 Ashes. Needs to watch religiously a DVD of how James Anderson bowled.

Doug Bollinger - 1 (1 Test, BB 1/130, 7 runs): Was full of talk before the series about how he was going to let Pietersen's ego get him out, but as plans go it was up there with playing russian roulette with a fully loaded gun given KP's double hundred. Went at 4.5 runs per over, showed poor fitness levels, and made Watson's body language look positive. Unsurprisingly, the selectors decided the champagne was flat after just the one test. 

Xavier Doherty - 1 (2 Tests, 3 wickets at 102, BB 2/41; 27 runs at 9.00): Plucked from nowhere by Australia's erratic selectors to replace Nathan Hauritz and started well with 2/41 in the 1st innings at Brisbane. The wheels fell off after that though with Doherty looking every inch what he was - a bowler with a first-class average of over 50. Went at over five an over in Adelaide, but did do what he was brought into the side for by getting Pietersen out - for 227!

Michael Beer - 2 (1 Test, 1 wicket at 112; 4 runs at 4.00): Was surprisingly picked in the squad for Perth after only a handful of first-class matches and was finally handed a debut at Sydney. Looked a better bet than Doherty, but the moment that he over-stepped and handed Cook a reprieve proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Australia. Did enough though to suggest that he may get another chance.

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

5th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

The Curious Case of Nathan Hauritz

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

 
Andrew Strauss - 8 (307 runs at 43.85, HS 110): Captain Fantastic led his troops to a second Ashes success in just 18 months and whilst his series wasn't as run-laden as 2009, he more than played his part. His forceful hundred in Brisbane set the tone for England to save that Test and further brusque fifties at Melbourne and Sydney laid the platform for others to fill their boots. Hardly put a foot wrong in the field as his side executed specific plans for the likes of Ponting and Clarke to perfection. That third ball dismissal in the first innings at Brisbane seems a long time ago now. Surely a knighthood awaits?

Alastair Cook - 10 (766 runs at 127.66, HS 235*): Immense. Was at the crease for 36 hours and 11 minutes and scarcely looked like ever getting out. Scored three hundreds and his 766 runs was apart from Wally Hammond in 1928-29, the most runs ever by an Englishman in a test series. His namesake Captain Cook may have discovered Australia and claimed it for the crown, but this Cook is the one taking the spoils home to the motherland this time. 

Jonathan Trott - 9 (445 runs at 89.00, HS 168*): If Cook was immense, Trott wasn't too far behind and the two of them will forever be able to dine out on that 517/1 declared scoreline at Brisbane. Packed full of runs and mannerisms, and his stunning run out of Katich at Adelaide sent England on their way. Now has a staggering test average of 61.53, yet still some people suggest he shouldn't bat at 3.

Kevin Pietersen - 8 (360 runs at 60.00, HS 227): Started the series under immense pressure, but looked to have rediscovered his confidence and form straight away in a cameo innings at Brisbane. Cashed in big style at Adelaide with a career best. Whether it was being caught speeding in a lamborghini, ranting about the groundsman at Adelaide or disingenuously claiming credit for the success on this tour you couldn't keep KP out of the spotlight.

Paul Collingwood - 5 (83 runs at 13.83, HS 42): It proved a series too far with the bat for Colly, but at least he was able to bow out on his own terms with a third Ashes win to his name, nine catches and the wicket of Hussey with his last ball in test cricket. His one-handed diving catch to dismiss Ponting was one of the most poignant memories of the series. Farewell England's working class hero.

Ian Bell - 9 (329 runs at 65.80, HS 115): Looked the most classy batsman on show from either side and finally reached his Holy Grail of a three-figure score against Australia. Has now completed the transformation from Sherminator to Terminator and unfortunately for Australian bowlers, at just 28, Bell will be back for at least one sequel.

Matt Prior - 8 (252 runs at 50.40, HS 118): Took 23 catches to demonstrate once again that he has gone from a being a clown behind the stumps to a world-class keeper. When you add his batting to the mix, England have arguably the best keeper-batsman in the world at the moment -although MS Dhoni's legions of fans may disagree. His hundred in Sydney meant he just about won his personal duel with Haddin.

Stuart Broad - 5 (2 wickets at 80.50, BB 1/18; no runs): Statistics, damn statistics. Broad may not have had the wickets he deserved - Finn probably got those - but his tight bowling at Brisbane and Adelaide were vitally important to England. Injury denied him the chance of emulating his father's outstanding series of 1986/87, but Broad junior will come again.

Tim Bresnan - 8 (11 wickets at 19.54, BB 4/50; 39 runs at 19.50, HS 35): Written off by many - including us- before the series, Bresnan came in for the last two tests and showed that he is very much at home in Test cricket. Gives England the option of playing five bowlers with him at seven.

Graeme Swann - 7 (15 wickets at 39.80, BB 5/91; 88 runs at 22, HS 36*): Other than Adelaide Swann was not given a turner, but after a poor start to the series in Brisbane he played an excellent support role to the seamers and only went at 2.72 per over. Demonstrated his class by going around the wicket to Clarke in the second innings at Melbourne and immediately inducing an edge to second slip.

Chris Tremlett - 9 (17 wickets at 23.35, BB 5/87; 19 runs at 6.33, HS 12): Our tip as England's dark horse for the series was an absolute revelation after coming in for Broad at Perth for his first test in over three years. Has all the right ingredients - pace, movement, accuracy and that almighty bounce. Now looks the finished article and is set to be Anderson's new ball partner for some time to come.

James Anderson - 9.5 (24 wickets at 26.04, BB 4/44; 22 runs at 4.40, HS 11): Took the biggest haul of wickets by an England bowler in a five-match Ashes series in Australia since Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson in 1954/55 - where England also won the series 3-1. Dispelled once and for all the suggestions that he is a one trick pony in swing friendly conditions of England - we're certainly sorry - see Dear Jimmy...Now up there with Steyn and Zaheer Khan as one of the best three fast bowlers in the world.

Steven Finn - 6 (14 wickets at 33.14, BB 6/125; 3 runs at 3.00, HS 2): Despite being more expensive than Prada with an economy rate of 4.3 runs per over, Finn did reasonably well for a 21 year old playing his first Ashes series. Perhaps unlucky to be dropped for Melbourne, but likely to play many more Ashes series before he retires.

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

5th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

5th Test - Sydney: Australia marks out of 10

 

If any more proof was needed, the defeat in Sydney showed that this is the worst Australian side since the dark days of the mid-1980's. Impotent with the ball and, in most cases, clueless with the bat, Australia were beaten by an innings again - the first time ever they have had three such defeats in one series.

A massive rebuilding programme awaits, but how did the well-beaten XI rate here (see England marks out of 10 here): 

Shane Watson - 5: Two more starts and two more failures to go on call into question again the long-term viability of Watson opening. His shout of "oh no" when he was dismissed in the first innings summed things up perfectly - what he said about being run out in the second is probably unprintable. We're looking forward to the "Shane Watson's Comedy Moments" DVD - crazy run-outs, serial failures to reach three figures and plenty of sulking and preening.

Phil Hughes - 4: Actually resembled a reasonable test match opener in the first innings before ruining all his hard work by having an injudicious swish outside off-stump with lunch just three balls away. Gave Watson an eye for an eye for Melbourne by running him out in the second innings. The less said about his antics when claiming a catch off Cook on 99 the better.  

Usman Khawaja - 6: A composed debut with the dismissive pull to the boundary off only his second ball in test cricket being positively Goweresque. Not the finished article yet, but likely to emerge as a vital cog in a rebuilt Australian side.

Michael Clarke - 3: Not a great first match as Australia's 43rd Test captain with two more careless dismissals and his side conceding more runs in an innings to England down under than any previous Australian side in history - and Pup thought that Lara Bingle was hard to manage. At least showed he was prepared to be bold by opting to bat under grey skies and in handing the new ball to Johnson, but as job interviews go this wasn't a compelling performance from Pup to get the job as top dog on a permanent basis.

Michael Hussey - 4: To say that Mr Cricket will have been disappointed to get out to Collingwood to the delivery before the new ball was taken is a massive understatement. Made a late bid to be classified as an all-rounder by rolling his arm over, but the kryptonite he took before the Brisbane Test has well and truly worn off now.

Brad Haddin - 4: Moved up to six and immediately got out chasing a wide one in the 1st innings before Tremlett got him with a brute of a delivery in the second. A very good batsman, but with Australia rebuilding, how long will it be before Tim Paine comes in?

Steve Smith - 5: Plucky 50 in the second innings doesn't hide the fact that Smith is not yet ready for Test cricket. Not good enough to play as a specialist batsman or bowler and not good enough either yet as an all-rounder. Clarke would seem to agree too given that he didn't hand him the ball until the England innings was over 100 overs old.

Mitchell Johnson - 4: A typical hit and miss performance from Johnson. His 1st innings 50 kept Australia in the game, but he was then wayward with the new ball and despite taking four wickets went at nearly five runs an over. His downhill performance continued with a first-ball duck in the second innings. Makes Steve Harmison look accurate and consistent.

Peter Siddle - 4: After his strong performance at the MCG, Siddle had to be content with just the solitary wicket of nightwatchman Anderson here. Further demonstrated his promise with the bat with a fighting career best 43 on the final day. A man that Australia can rebuild a team around.

Ben Hilfenhaus - 4: Rode his luck with the bat in the partnership with Johnson that gave Australia a foothold in the game. Poor with the new ball, he at least managed to pick up three wickets - his best return of the series, but he could do worse than sitting down to watch a DVD of Anderson to see how a swing bowler can be effective - and more importantly less predictable - on Australian wickets.

Michael Beer - 3: Bowled tidily enough but will rue for the rest of his days the no-ball that let Cook off the hook when he had made only 46. Looked a better bet than Doherty, but how Nathan Hauritz didn't play even one Test in this series is a mystery.

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

5th Test - Sydney: England marks out of 10

 
Mission accomplished for spymasters Flower and Strauss. No-one would have predicted that England would record three victories by an innings before the series but that is exactly what they did, and where better to seal the series but the wonderful Sydney Cricket Ground.

Here's how the victorious XI rated in Sydney (see Australia marks out of 10 here): 

Andrew Strauss - 7: Gave England's innings a lightning start to regain immediately the momentum that his side had lost because of the Johnson and Hilfenhaus partnership. Played around a straight one from Hilfenhaus and set the field too deep to Johnson, but has now joined the immortals by captaining England to Ashes series wins home and away. A knighthood awaits.

Alastair Cook - 9.5: Another gem of an innings even if the luck was with him when Beer overstepped. The transformation from the batsman at war with his technique in the summer against Pakistan is quite remarkable. Now looks so at ease and so untroubled at the crease that he could bat without being dismissed for days - and that is exactly what he has done in this series.

Jonathan Trott - 2: So he is mortal after all. After his machine like domination of Australia in Melbourne where he was unbeaten after 499 minutes and 345 balls he was gone in the blink of an eye at the SCG for a six-ball duck. Never mind, he still has a test average of 61.53.

Kevin Pietersen - 5: After his modest claim before this Test that Ashes success here and in 2009 was all down to his martyr-like sacrifice of the captaincy, Pietersen again looked in good touch at the crease. Resisted the temptation to blast Beer out of the attack whilst demonstrating that any fallibility against left-arm spin seems to have been eradicated from his game. Then added to his career catalogue of poor dismissals by getting out hooking Johnson with just four overs of the day left. Maybe the presence of David Hasselhoff at the SCG was to blame? 

Paul Collingwood - 4: The retiring hero chipped in with the wicket of Mr Cricket on what proved to be his last delivery in Test cricket. Failed again with the bat, but let that not diminish from the memory of the hero of Cardiff, Centurion and Cape Town. Farewell England's working class hero.

Ian Bell - 9: It took some time but finally Bell has an Ashes hundred to his name and a classy knock it was too even if he courted controversy and luck in equal measure along the way. His partnership with Cook wrested control of the match once and for all and made the final denouement inevitable.

Matt Prior - 9: Took his tally of catches for the series to 23 and like Bell, hit his first Ashes ton and the quickest by an Englishman against Australia since a certain Ian Botham in the never-to-be-forgotten Headingley Test of 1981. What a luxury it is for England to have a batsman of his beligerence coming in at 7.

Tim Bresnan - 8: Followed up his surprisingly impressive performance at the MCG with another in Sydney to prove that his bowling has come on in leaps and bounds from last summer. Batted well too, which gives England a five bowler option with tghe larger-than-life Bresnan at 7.

Graeme Swann - 7: For once, the SCG pitch did not favour the spinners so Swann had to be content to play a support role once again, and as at Melbourne he did it with some aplomb tying up one end and getting a couple of wickets. Exciting cameo with the bat, with the 17 runs he took from one Johnson over particularly enjoyable.

Chris Tremlett - 9: A lot of his fellow Australians chuckled when Shane Warne suggestedbefore the series that Tremlett could be the best bowler in the world if he got his head right, but after taking his tally to 17 wickets in just 3 matches who's laughing now? Troubled all the Aussie batsman by moving the new and old ball and especially with his lethal extra bounce. Looks like being Anderson's new ball partner for some time now and will enjoy telling his grandchildren again and again that he took the wicket that clinched an Ashes series win in Australia.

James Anderson - 9: Outstanding again with 7 wickets in the match to finish the series with 24 wickets to consign the memory of his performances in the 2006/07 series to the waste paper basket of history. The boy has become a man. 

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Boundary View: England crush Australia to end 24 years of hurt - Sydney, Day Five

 
24 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming 

Like many we wrote before the series that this Australian team was there for the taking, but despite this our natural English pessimism led us to predict that the series would end 2-2. How wrong we were. All 13 players used by England during the series performed well - even Paul Collingwood who led the way in the field, whilst only four Australian players turned up - five if you include Mitchell Johnson at Perth. England prepared thoroughly, were well led and performed brilliantly, and after 24 years of woe down under, it feels good to give the Australians a dose of their own medicine. Long may it continue.

High noon

Just before noon it was Chris Tremlett who fired the final bullet by bowling Michael Beer and so consigning Australia to a third crushing innings defeat of the series - the first time that they have suffered this ignominy even against the mighty West Indian sides of the 1980s. Tremlett has been a revelation since coming back into the side at Perth, but this is the moment that will be retold again and again to the grandchildren.

Jimmy floors 'em like Tyson

Alastair Cook deserves all the plaudits coming his way as Man of the Series, but James Anderson deserves equal mention. The wicket of Ben Hilfenhaus gave Anderson an impressive 24 wickets at 26 for the series - the most wickets by an England seamer in a five-Test series in Australia since Frank Tyson took 28 in the 1954/55 series. The 'Typhoon' has gone down in Ashes folklore for his contribution on that tour and that is exactly what Anderson deserves for proving all the doubters before the series incontestably wrong - including us (see Dear Jimmy...).

A bright future

Collingwood may be retiring but the rest of the squad should be around for some time yet. England's current ICC ranking of 3 is about right as there is still some way to go before this side can be mentioned in the same breath as India and South Africa. But with the Proteas being perennial bridesmaids and with the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman probably nearing retirement,England's goal of becoming the number one side in the world seems more than realistic. A downer like the one suffered by the Ashes winning side of 2005 doesn't seem likely for this team with Messrs Strauss and Flower at the helm. 

Player of the day

Paul Collingwood led England out on his final day as a Test cricketer and as such he is our sentimental player of the day - farewell to England's working class hero.

Zero of the day

This one has to go to the Australian selectors. Their confused selection of a 17 man squad before the series set the tone and plenty of strange selections followed - Australia's best spinner Nathan Hauritz didn't play a single Test with the selectors preferring a man with a first-class average of over 50 (Xavier Doherty) and then Michael Beer - a bowler with only a handful of first-class matches under his belt. Phil Hughes was picked with a first-class season average of 15 and Steve Smith was picked for... well despite his plucky 50 today we are still trying to work that one out.

Where next?

Day 4 @ Sydney: England on the brink of joining Ashes immortals

Day 3 @ Sydney: Cook & Bell in the pink as England take command

Day 2 @ Sydney: England progress after Johnson's sting in the tail

Day 1 @ Sydney: Rain interrupts war of attrition

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

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The Boundary View: England on the brink of joining the immortals - Sydney, Day Four

 
England on the brink of joining the immortals

On a day when that doughty fighter Paul Collingwood announced his retirement from test cricket, England are on the verge of gaining admittance to the cricketing equivalent of Valhalla after once again dominating a pathetic Australian side on day 4 at the SCG. If Adelaide and Melbourne were good, Sydney has been even better. Other than Perth and the first innings at Brisbane, England have utterly dominated this series and a final scoreline of 3-1 will provide the gloss that their efforts have deserved. On the same pitch that England amassed 644 in 177.5 overs, their bowlers once again showed the impotence of their Australian counterparts by getting plenty of reverse swing to send the hosts spiralling to what will be a third innings defeat of the series. That is a comprehensive walloping in anyone's language.

Prior does a Beefy 

Matt Prior has had a sound series with the gloves, but perhaps his defining moment came with the bat in Melbourne. With hardly a run to his name in the series, Prior looked all at sea and it was no surprise when he was out to a catch behind the wicket. But Aleem Dar asked for a review to check if Johnson had over-stepped. He had, so Prior was reprieved and went on to score an ugly 85. The value of that time at the crease was magnified today with a fluent Prior reaching his fourth Test hundred off just 109 balls. It was the quickest Ashes hundred by an England batsman since a certain Ian Botham turned around the Headingley Test of 1981.

Shane Watson's Comedy Moments - Number 375

A quick glance at his stats of 435 runs at 48.33 suggests that Shane Watson has had a pretty good series. However, although he has reached 36 in eight out of ten innings, a three figure score has eluded him each time and his running between the wickets has bordered on the catastrophic. He ran Katich out in Adelaide before his partner had even faced a ball (a Katich-astrophe?) and then Hughes was the victim in Melbourne. Watson said afterwards - probably insincerely - that he wished it had been him and not Hughes who had fallen short. Well his wish became the cricketing Gods command today when he and Hughes turned an easy two into an almighty mix-up. A DVD of 'Shane Watson's Comedy Moments' featuring crazy run-outs, serial failures to reach three figures and plenty of sulking must be due for release soon. 

Racking up the runs

England's total of 644 was their highest ever in Australia, which coming after 517/1 at Brisbane, 620/5 at Adelaide and 513 at Melbourne shows England's unquenchable thirst for runs this series and the utter ineptness of Australia's woeful bowling. England's batsmen have racked up nine hundreds between them - a record for them in Ashes encounters and Cook, Trott, Bell, Pietersen and Prior all average over 50 for the series. And it is unlikely to get any better for Australia as their next Test series is in Sri Lanka. Just imagine how many runs the likes of Sangakkara and Jayawardene will plunder from this dreadful attack.

Player of the day

Up to the start of the Boxing Day Test, it seemed that Brad Haddin was going to win the battle of the wicketkeeper-batsmen, but it's now a hands down victory for Matt Prior. He has consistently been better with the gloves than Haddin and his quickfire hundred today gave him the honours with the bat too. 

Zero of the day

Australia's bowling was again woeful and impotent, but this award has to go jointly to Shane Watson and Phil Hughes. For the second successive test Australia faced a huge first innings deficit and both times the opening pair contrived to throw away a good start by running between the wickets like headless chickens. Watson in particular should hang his head in shame. "Oh no" indeed. 

What happens next?

Immortality for Andrew Strauss and his men and yet more ignominy for Australia. 

Where next?

Farewell to Paul Collingwood - England's Working Class Hero; Heroes: Paul Collingwood

Zeroes: Shane Watson

Day 3 @ Sydney: Cook & Bell in the pink as England take command

Day 2 @ Sydney: England progress after Johnson's sting in the tail

Day 1 @ Sydney: Rain interrupts war of attrition

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

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