The Reverse Sweep

Ravi Bopara's big opportunity

At first glance, Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara wouldn’t appear to have much in common as cricketers.

The first extracted the absolute maximum out of his abilities to have a long and successful international career, whilst the latter has yet to justify his obvious talent consistently on the biggest stage. Collingwood is one of the mentally toughest cricketers to have played for England whereas Bopara has a reputation for being a bit flaky and prone to serious lapses in form, confidence and concentration.

But Bopara was the man Andy Flower initially earmarked as Collingwood’s replacement in the Test side before Eoin Morgan stole the prize from the Essex man at the death prior to the home series with Sri Lanka last summer.

Since then Bopara had suffered misfortune after misfortune as first Samit Patel and then Jonathan Bairstow were handed opportunities to cement a role in England’s troublesome number six position.

But finally Bopara has got his turn again, and after an inauspicious duck in the 1^st innings at The Oval now has the chance to prove he is a worthy successor to Collingwood. The Ginger Ninja cemented his reputation as the iron-willed Brigadier Block with starring roles in the nine-wicket down rearguards at Cardiff, Centurion and Cape Town.

As Geoffrey Boycott forcibly stated on TMS yesterday evening, the mindset required to save a Test is markedly different to coming in and playing a few strokes. Does Bopara have the aptitude, concentration and sheer bloody-mindedness to tough it out on a day five pitch against a formidable attack spearheaded by the irrepressible Dale Steyn?

We are about to find out. If Bopara leads England to an unlikely escape, it could be the making of him.

Where next?

Cricket heroes: Paul Collingwood

Is Ravi Bopara the unluckiest cricketer in the world?

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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County Championship of the week #10

Chris Rogers (Middlesex) - We've said it before and doubtless we'll say it again but it's criminal that the Victorian has played just one Test. His 173 against Somerset at Lord's emphasised his classy batsmanship once again.

Joe Denly (Middlesex) - Rogers' accomplice in a 245 run stand for the 2nd wicket continued his renaissance since arriving from Kent - his record in the championship in 2012 is 557 runs at 61.88.

Nick Compton (Somerset) - The batsman of the season continued to shine with 275 minutes of defiance for 69 to prevent Middlesex from securing the victory their dominance deserved. 

Luke Wells (Sussex) - Scored his second hundred of the season against Surrey to rescue his side from 87 for six and instead secure a winning position at Horsham.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) - Whilst Jonny Bairstow continued his struggles in the Test series against West Indies, Bopara put on a batting exhibition against Northants with 174 for his second ton of the week.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) - Finally passed fifty for the first time in a disappointing season and promptly turned it into a fine unbeaten 134 not out against Kent.

James Foster (Essex) - Completed the 18th first-class hundred of his career in the rain-affected clash with Northants as he and Bopara added a mammoth 294 for the fifth wicket.

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) - Continued his impressive belated start to the season with seven wickets and 29 runs at Durham where a washout on the final day ruined what looked set to be a tremendous finish between the sides at the top and bottom of the table.

James Anyon (Sussex) - Fine all-round match at Horsham with four 1st innings wickets, a career-best 64 not out and then two of the final three Surrey 2nd innings wickets to fall as Sussex won in the final half hour. 

Monty Panesar (Sussex) - Helped Anyon add 80 for the final wicket and then produced a high-class exhibition of spin bowling to send Surrey spiralling to defeat - his 2nd innings analysis was 32-21-33-3.

Tim Groenewald (Derbyshire) - Whilst Tony Palladino's hat-trick stole the headlines it was Groenewald's five for 29 that looked to have helped his table-topping side create a winning position against Leicestershire before the rain intervened.

Where next?

Read our previous County Championship XI's of the week

We Need To Talk About Durham - we really do

Guantanamo Cricket Club - seriously, we're not kidding...

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Who should bat at six for England?

It may not have quite attained quite the same gravitas as other great questions of our time such as Boris or Ken, Redknapp or Hodgson, or indeed Who shot JR, but with the 1st Test against West Indies just one week away, the identity of England’s number six is the topic of fevered speculation – well it is in our neck of the woods anyway.

So, what better for our latest piece for All Out Cricket then to mull over the likely runners and riders, which include in our view the current Surrey captain (that’ll get the inverse snobs going). Have a read of Who Will Be England’s Number Six? and see whether it will be amongst others Mr Unlucky, Mr Splinter, Mr Orange or Mr Rank-Outsider.

Where next?

Is Ravi Bopara the unluckiest cricketer in the world?

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Rory Hamilton-Brown

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

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County Championship XI of the week #3

Arul Suppiah (Somerset) – Stepped up in the absence of his skipper and usual opening partner to prove that a top order batsman can flourish at the bowling mecca of Trent Bridge.

Phil Jacques (Yorkshire) – Looked a class apart (along with our number four) as he eased to an effortless hundred at Headingley. How the Australian selectors saw fit to give him just 11 Test caps - despite an average over 47 - defies belief.

Nick Compton (Somerset) – Grandad Denis’ 1947 haul of 3816 first-class runs for the season is still some way off, but Compton is in the form of his life and took his tally to 685 (and we’re still in April) with his second double ton of the season against Notts. Alas, rain prevented Somerset recording a deserved win.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) – After a winter mostly serving drinks and twiddling his thumbs, the unluckiest batsman in the country gave the selectors something to think about with a brilliant unbeaten 117 out of an Essex total of 199 at Headingley.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) – He may not have reached three figures like Ben Wright did in the same match, but the Zimbabwean’s 75 off 92 balls helped Hampshire chase down a tricky target in the nick of time at Cardiff.

Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) – Baled out his red-faced batsmen with a superb unbeaten 104 (out of a total of 162) against Somerset and now averages in the high forties since the start of 2009. Indeed, he has saved Nottinghamshire’s skin so many times, that Marvel Comics are reportedly developing a super hero in the diminutive Read’s image.

Darren Maddy (Warwickshire) – The veteran had a game to remember at Aigburth with four Lancashire wickets in the first innings followed by a courageous hundred made mostly in partnership with Rikki Clarke that saw Warwickshire turn likely defeat into victory against the team that pipped them for the title last season.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) – Strode to the crease with his side in desperate trouble at 81/7 against the Champions but was unafraid to play his shots in a stand of 224 with Maddy, duly collected 140 runs and promptly turned the match on its head.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) – There weren’t many pickings for spinners on a dismal weekend of weather, but a week after blasting his side to victory with the bat against Somerset, Patel took five Lancashire second innings wickets to help his side to a second win out of two.

Graham Onions (Durham) – Got the first ten-wicket match haul of his career, took the England captain’s scalp in both innings and was the best bowler on show from either side at Lord’s. That's not nudging the selectors that is giving them an almighty shove.

Alan Richardson (Worcestershire) – Some have questioned his inclusion as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year – as if almost single-handedly keeping his county in Division 1 last season wasn’t enough. Ten wickets at The Oval should quieten the doubters for now.

Where next?

Naughty boy nets - 2012 style

County Championship XI of the week #2

County Championship XI of the week #1

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

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County Championship 2012 Preview: Division 2 - Essex

Seventh was a hugely disappointing return for a side that had been in Division 1 the season before last. Can they mount a promotion challenge this season?

Strengths

Charl Willoughby joins to offer support to David Masters who took 93 wickets in Division 2 last season - both should prove excellent mentors for young tyros Tymal Mills and Reece Topley. Another acquisition is Alviro Petersen following his acrimonious departure from Glamorgan who will add steel to the batting line-up in the first part of the summer. James Foster is still the best keeper in the country and was also the County's leading run scorer in 2011. Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah add class to a batting line-up, which also features the promising Adam Wheater.

Weaknesses

No-one reached 1,000 Championship runs last season and with Alastair Cook and Bopara lost to England, Shah to the IPL and Petersen to the South African tourists, a lot will once again depend on Foster. Tony Blair wouldn't approve of the distinct lack of spin. If Masters gets injured they could struggle to take wickets.

Main man

With apologies to Masters, the main man as ever at Chelmsford is the superlative James Foster - captain, keeper extraordinaire and a much better batsmen than many give him credit for - including sadly the England selectors over the last ten years.

Look out for

Changes to the breakfast menu at Chelmsford. After the Mervyn Westfield trail, Danish pastries are likely to have been removed from the menu.

Prediction

4th - The two teams coming down from Division 1 look particularly strong so whilst Essex will improve on 2011 they will probably fall short of promotion.

Where next? 

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northants and Yorkshire

2011 County Cricket Review: including Heroes of the Season, Best and Worst XIs, and a whole host of other nonsense

County Championship 2011 Preview - Essex

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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Is Ravi Bopara the unluckiest cricketer in the world?

Maybe not – it’s not as if he is fighting cancer like Yuvraj Singh, but put it this way if Bopara bought a racehorse the most apt name would be Black Cat given the number of the feline creatures that seemed to have crossed his path in the last few years.

Consider the evidence. After the debacle at Headingley in 2009, the selectors could just have easily have dropped Ian Bell or Paul Collingwood, but it was Bopara (promoted above his level at number three) who proved to be the fall guy. Then to make matters worse, his replacement – a certain Jonathan Trott – came in and scored a nerveless hundred on debut. Bang! That was one door firmly shut in Bopara’s face.

Finally, an opening in the Test side emerged with Collingwood’s retirement at the end of the Ashes series last winter. Ravi sacrificed a money-spinning jaunt in the IPL, impressed with bat and ball in the County Championship and looked in pole position for a call-up to face Sri Lanka at Cardiff. Then Eoin Morgan hopped off a plane from India and smashed 193 in the Lions game against the tourists. Slam! Another door was smashed into Ravi’s face.

And now perhaps the cruellest one of all. Having seen Morgan being dropped after failing dismally in the desert against Pakistan, Bopara looked finally to have secured the number six spot for the 1st Test in Galle before a side strain meant England decided to opt for the extra overs offered by Samit Patel in the Sri Lankan heat. Given it is the same venue where in 2007 a pair led to him being dropped from the Test side for the first time, Bopara’s sore luck will be particularly galling (sorry, we couldn’t resist that one). Crash! Another day, another door shut for Bopara.

If this sorry tale of woe isn’t a case of rotten misfortune, we don’t know what is.

Where next?

Sri Lanka's far from ideal preparation

Dropping Andrew Strauss

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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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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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England, the Lions, a treacherous banana skin and a Buttler

As potential banana skins go, tomorrow’s 50 over warm-up match between England and the Lions is a particularly slippery one surrounded by a cricket square sized area of treacherous black ice that is invisible to the naked eye.

On the one hand you have a team mostly coming in on the back of a chastening 3-0 Test series whitewash trying to immediately adjust to the 50 over game. Either that or in the case of Ravi Bopara for example, having spent the last three weeks carrying drinks.

Whilst on the other you have a young side fresh from winning a series 3-2 against Sri Lanka A who have done nothing but play limited over cricket in Asia for the past few weeks.

When you also factor in that individuals like Jos Buttler and Jonathan Bairstow will be eager to impress coach Andy Flower in order to get the nod for the ODI series with Pakistan and others like Joe Root and Alex Hales will be striving to show that they are ready for a call-up to the first choice squad, it’s not difficult to see what is perhaps more than likely going to happen.

A couple of years ago, strong performances from Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb for the Lions against the senior squad propelled them into England’s T20 side for the victorious World Cup campaign in the Caribbean.

Who will be the big noise this time? We’re going to go for the safest of bets and predict that Buttler, a man who scored two centuries in the aforementioned trip to Sri Lanka and who averages 70.57 in List A games with a strike rate of 128. That’s pretty decent.

Flower and the senior squad are probably relieved that it is Pakistan and not they who are Afghanistan’s opposition in their first ODI tomorrow. Either way the senior side are likely to be up the Khyber come the end of proceedings tomorrow.

Where next?

How good are this England cricket team?

India v England ODI series: England marks out of 10

Pakistan vs England - England series marks out of 10

England's tale of woe against spin in Asia

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Who should England pick to face Pakistan?

It's been a long time since England played a Test match - 22nd August to be precise when they completed a resounding 4-0 victory over India at The Oval. 

Since then every other Test playing country - even regrettably Zimbabwe - have been in action whilst the likes of Andrew Strauss have taken to their sofas, inserted their pipes and caught up with the first series of Danish sensation Forbrydelsen (that's The Killing to you and us) on BBC 4. 

England's next assignment as they look to cement their position as the number one ranked side is in the unlikely surroundings of the United Arab Emirates where a three Test series with a rapidly improving Pakistan starts on January 17th in Dubai. 

Whilst there is a whole host of mince pies, mulled wine and other festive delights to negotiate before then, the encounter with Team Misbah will come closer into view with the announcement of the touring party this Friday. 

The selectors don't have any injuries of any significance to worry about but they will need to factor into their deliberations what make-up will be required for the slow turners that will likely be prepared for the 'home' side and their wily spinner Saeed Ajmal. 

England will have to make serious consideration to foregoing their usual six batsmen policy to play two spinners in each of the three Tests. Either that or they retain a four man attack of either three seamers and one spinner or two seamers and two spinners. The squad they name will need to cover each of these eventualities.

With the six frontline batsmen picking themselves, the discussions will centre on identifying the spare batsman, back-up keeper to Matt Prior, two spinners to accompany Graeme Swann and whether to pick four or five seamers.

The spare batsman will probably be Ravi Bopara, although we'd opt for James Taylor. The keeper will be one of Steven Davies (back-up Test keeper in the last touring party, but who hasn't been seen since), Craig Kieswetter or Jonathan Bairstow (who could double up as the spare batsman) with Davies getting our vote as he is the best keeper of the three. 

The choice of seamers will likely be in order of preference James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and if a fifth quick is required Steve Finn with Graham Onions next to step in. 

The most interesting decision will be in the spin department. Monty Panesar is by some distance the second best spinner in the country and also has experience on his side, but the selectors seem to like Scott Borthwick and it cannot be a coincidence that Samit Patel announced only a few days ago that he was withdrawing from the IPL auction to concentrate on securing a Test spot.

Borthwick is a big spinner of the ball, can bat and has the added bonus of being a leg-spinner. If England play a second spinner instead of a sixth batsman than Patel could slot in at seven behind Prior. But both are probably not quite Test class yet, so Panesar plus Patel seems the best option to us. 

Of course this could have been the tour to blood Adil Rashid, but he has fallen out of favour with the selectors and had an erractic season with Yorkshire last summer, so once again he will have to sit on the sidelines.

Make no doubt, Pakistan will be a tough proposition for England - as they were in 2005 just a few weeks after that famous Ashes triumph - and the selectors will need to ensure that Strauss and Andy Flower have the requisite resources and flexibility in the squad to combat the steely Misbah and his rapidly improving Pakistan side. 

Our 17 man squad: Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Taylor, Prior, Davies, Swann, Panesar, Patel, Bresnan, Broad, Anderson, Tremlett and Finn.

Where next?

Andy Flower and the curse of autobiographies

Spot-fixing: What should the ICC do next?

Is this the greatest England XI of the last 30 years?

England v India: England series marks out of 10

The England cricket team's newest recruit from South Africa

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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India v England ODI series: England marks out of 10

Alastair Cook - 4 (133 runs at 26.60, SR 84.71): A pair of sixties sandwiched three failures in the middle three games. His honeymoon as captain is well and truly over and as leader must take share of blame for England's poor discipline and negative body language in the field.

Craig Kieswetter - 4 (135 runs at 27.00, SR 101.50): Shocking performance with the gloves cost England the game in Mohali and with his batting flattering to deceive his place will come under scrutiny. Did bat well in Kolkata, though should have dug in to see his side over the line.

Jonathan Trott - 6 (202 runs at 50.50, SR 79.84): Received ridiculous and undeserved criticism after his 98* at Mohali - the only game that England ran India close in. Does need to find another gear, but it is churlish to call for his head when he has a one day average in excess of 50. Definitely not Trott's fault.

Kevin Pietersen - 6 (170 runs at 42.50, SR 82.52): Dealt with the furore of Swann's autobiography with dignity and looked close to his best in Delhi and Mohali but still couldn't pass 64 despite reaching 40 on three occasions. Hasn't scored a one day hundred for three years now.

Ravi Bopara - 2 (80 runs at 16.00, SR 62.99): Went horribly backwards after taking what seemed to be several significant steps forward in the summer. His dreadful dismissal bowled behind his legs in Kolkata could prove his international epitaph.

Ian Bell - 2 Endured a frustrating time on the sidelines before being part of the woeful collapse in Kolkata.

Jonathan Bairstow - 3 (49 runs at 12.25, SR 59.75): After all the hype from to his remarkable debut in Cardiff, the youngster looked woefully out of his depth against spin and the slower Indian wickets. Needs to learn from the experience. 

Samit Patel - 6(160 runs at 40, SR 91.95; 4 wickets at 45.50, ER 6.03): One of the few plus points - memorable innings at Mohali and was as good if not better than Swann with the ball.

Tim Bresnan - 3(5 wickets at 49, ER 5.65; 61 runs at 15.25, SR 87.14): Out of sorts with the ball and proved a poor leader of the attack in the absence of Anderson and Broad, which perhaps explains his fractiousness. Useful knock in Mumbai at least gave England a slither of hope.

Graeme Swann - 2(2 wickets at 95.50, ER 5.30): Being dropped for the Mumbai game must have been a chastening experience for the side's budding Shakespeare. His performances and mood were as bad as the timing of the release of his autobiography, and the success of Ashwin and Jadeja puts his poor form even more into context.

Scott Borthwick - 2: Came in for Swann at Mumbai but didn't look even close to an international class spinner. Has plenty of promise though and the Durham leggie's time will come again.

Steven Finn - 6 (8 wickets at 31.62, ER 5.27): England's lone star with the ball was up on pace and at times the Indian batsmen found him too hot to handle. Needs to channel his temper better.

Jade Dernbach - 2(1 wicket at 168, ER 6.54): Struggled badly and completely lost the plot in the final overs at Mohali and was consequently dropped for the last two games. However, given it was his first venture on Indian pitches, should be persevered with.

Stuart Meaker - 5 (2 wickets at 55, ER 5.78): Came in at Mumbai and Kolkata, showed immense promise and character and didn't let anyone down - even if his final over at Kolkata proved to be a MS Dhoni masterclass. 

Where next?

Virat Kohli - The (Little) Master's Apprentice

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the King of Cool

England are as bad as India

Is it really Jonathan Trott's fault?

They also played cricket - an XI of illustriously named Cricketers

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England v India: England series marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss – 7 (229 runs at 38.16): Looked in decent enough touch but was only able to convert one of his many starts past fifty to extend his wretched run to just one hundred in his last 25 Tests. As captain, he timed his declarations, bowling changes and field placings perfectly and Flower rightly lauded his leadership. Can now put his feet up until the New Year.

Alastair Cook – 7 (348 runs at 58.00): After failing at Lord’s and Trent Bridge, Cook responded with the second longest and sixth highest Test innings by an Englishman showing remarkable levels of concentration and discipline.

Jonathan Trott – 5 (98 runs at 24.50): Ground out a handy 70 when England were under the cosh at Lord’s, but thereafter a couple of rash shots and a nasty shoulder injury curtailed Trott’s participation in the series. His Test average has now fallen below the immortal level of 60 to a still heady 57.79. Will he bat at three or five when he returns?

Kevin Pietersen – 9 (533 runs at 106.60): We predicted that KP’s love of the big occasion would probably see him do well in the series and for once we were proved correct. His double hundred at Lord’s was at first almost Cookesque before reaching its brutal climax. By the time he reached The Oval, KP was back to his arrogant, strutting and dismissive best and punished the woeful Indian attack accordingly.

Ian Bell – 9 (504 runs at 84.00):  Trott’s injury gave Bell the chance to put the past to bed as far as the number three spot went and he did that with aplomb. The hundred at Trent Bridge was magnificent and helped turn the match, whilst the double hundred at The Oval exhibited Bell’s class and elegant stroke making to the hilt. Since coming back into the side at Edgbaston in 2009, Bell has raised his Test average from a touch under 40 to its present 49.28 and he now should surely be considered as currently the best batsman in the world.

Eoin Morgan – 6 (194 runs at 32.33): Clearly has the temperament for Test cricket as his hundred at Edgbaston showed but nagging doubts over his technique to the seamers outside off-stump were there for all to see. Plays the spinners impeccably though so should enjoy the winter Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Ravi Bopara – 5 (51 runs at 51.00): Looked like a nervous boy on his first day at boarding school at Edgbaston but showed glimpses of his talent in a brief cameo at The Oval. It is hard to see how he can secure a permanent slot in the XI and with the likes of James Taylor and Jonathan Bairstow coming up fast on the rails, Bopara’s Test career is in danger of falling into the ‘could of, would of, should of’ category.

Matt Prior – 8 (271 runs at 67.75, 16 catches, 1 stumping): Saved England’s bacon at Lord’s with a brilliant counter-attacking hundred and embellished England’s second innings score at Trent Bridge. Made the occasional mistake behind the stumps but the difference with Dhoni was like night and day as evidenced by his brilliant stumping of Raina at The Oval.

Tim Bresnan – 8 (16 wickets at 16.31, 154 runs at 77): England’s lucky mascot with ten wins from his ten Tests proved a more than adequate replacement for the injured Tremlett. Now has career Test averages of 45 with the bat and 24 with the ball and could well have a secured a permanent spot in the XI for the winter.

Stuart Broad – 9 (25 wickets at 13.84, 182 runs at 60.66): Deservedly named man of the series. His performances at Lord’s and Trent Bridge bordered on the Bothamesque – the partnership with Prior steadied the ship in the second innings 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. Bowled a fuller length and was richly rewarded. Unrecognisable from the player that struggled so badly against Sri Lanka.

Graeme Swann – 6 (13 wickets at 40.69, 55 runs at 18.33): Struggled in the first three Tests on pitches that offered little assistance, but bounced back at The Oval with a nine wicket haul to help seal the whitewash. Formed a crucial partnership with Broad in the first innings at Trent Bridge to keep England in the game.

James Anderson – 9 (21 wickets at 25.71, 20 runs at 20.00): Bowled even better than his figures suggest, was often unplayable and made the likes of Tendulkar, Laxman and Sehwag  look like novices at times. Ranks alongside Dale Steyn as the best fast bowler in the world and has a bag of tricks that even accomplished wizards like Merlin and Gandalf would be proud of.

Chris Tremlett – 6 (4 wickets at 31.00): Injury restricted him to just the one Test, but that didn’t stop him impressing at Lord’s where one passage of play of Tremlett bowling to Tendulkar was Test cricket at its absolute gripping best. England’s man of the series against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer now faces a fight to get back into the XI over the winter.

Marks for India to follow tomorrow...

Where next?

England v India: India series marks out of 10

4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10

4th Test: The Oval - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

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4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss – 6: Had his helmet broken by Sharma and then batted as if stuck in treacle on the second morning to yet again fail to go on after making a start. His golden touch as captain still shows no signs of eluding him though.

Alastair Cook – 5: Left the run plundering to others on this occasion after edging a good ball from Ishant to first slip early on day 2.

Ian Bell – 10: Now ranks alongside Gower and Vaughan as the classiest and most elegant England batsmen of the last 30 years. Batted beautifully to record a richly deserved first Test double hundred and reach a monumental 835 Test runs for the summer. Fantastic catch to snare Mishra when India batted first time.

Kevin Pietersen – 9: Enjoys batting at The Oval and didn’t it show? Now back to his arrogant, dismissive and strutting best. More of a team man now though as his visible joy at the success of others showed.

Eoin Morgan – 2: Succumbed to his obvious weakness to seam outside off-stump once again. Safe for now but may be looking over his shoulder at the likes of Taylor, Bairstow and Bopara.

Ravi Bopara – 6: Much better. The nerves of Edgbaston dissipated as the Essex man compiled a composed and unbeaten 44 to probably seal a spot as the spare batsman over the winter.

Matt Prior – 6: Brilliant stumping of Raina in the first innings was tempered with a couple of dropped catches off Swann. However, the magnitude of his improvement as a keeper is that these errors came as a surprise.

Tim Bresnan – 7: Not as impressive as he was at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston but still picked up three late order wickets first time around and the prize (but fortuitous) wicket of Tendulkar on the final day. England’s lucky mascot with ten wins from his first ten Tests.

Stuart Broad – 8: Highly impressive once again to crown a fantastic series for the T20 skipper. Extracted formidable bounce and movement from a prime batting wicket and caused India’s supposedly stellar top-order batsmen no end of problems.

Graeme Swann – 9: Finally got his chance in the spotlight on a pitch he’d like to take everywhere with him. Spin, turn, bounce and variation – it was all there as he snared a nine wicket match haul.

James Anderson – 8: Swapped roles with Swann to play an unaccustomed support role on this occasion but was as impressive and dangerous as ever, bowling a beauty to remove Laxman in the second innings.   

Where next?

4th Test: The Oval - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

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3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

Andrew Strauss – 7: A first Test fifty of the summer at last, but the skipper will have been disappointed not to have converted it to what would have been his first home Test hundred since Lord’s 2009. Took the bold step to insert India after winning the toss and was richly rewarded by his bowlers. Captain of officially the best Test side in the world – I bet that feels great.

Alastair Cook – 10: Made India pay in spades after missing out at Lord’s and Trent Bridge. Has incredible levels of concentration and now has the sixth highest Test score by an English batsman to his name. The Anti-Sehwag: it may not be pretty to watch but it is certainly relentless and effective.

Ian Bell – 5: A strangely skittish cameo with the bat after his triumph at Trent Bridge even if it still contained some characteristically wonderful strokes. Perhaps he wanted to do well in front of his home crowd too badly?

Kevin Pietersen – 7: Looked in imperious form and back to his absolute best as he raced to fifty before suddenly stuttering and losing his wicket. Maybe it was too easy for him? Still the leading run scorer in the series despite Cook’s momentous innings.

Eoin Morgan – 8: Made India pay for dropping him twice and really knuckled down to complete a workmanlike second Test hundred. Still looks suspect to the seamers outside his off-stump, but luckily for him the winter Tests are in Dubai and Sri Lanka.

Ravi Bopara – 3: Poor old Ravi. Kept from the crease until the score was 596/4 and looked incredibly nervous when he did finally arrive not knowing whether to stick or twist. Didn’t bowl a ball. With Trott set to come back and Taylor waiting in the wings, will he get another opportunity?

Matt Prior – 6: An almost immaculate performance with the gloves once again even if he wasn’t able to embellish another England batting performance on this occasion.

Tim Bresnan – 8: Picked up another five wickets and a second consecutive fifty to raise his Test batting average over 40. Looks a proper Test bowler now and bowled the ball of the match to castle Dravid on the first morning. What happens when Tremlett is fit again? An interesting conundrum for the selectors.

Stuart Broad – 8: Continued his excellent form in the series with match figures of six for 81. Is this really the same player who struggled so badly against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer? A cricketer reborn.

Graeme Swann – 5: Must feel like a bit of a spare part at the moment, but at least the pitch offered him some assistance in the second innings and the wickets of Raina and Mishra to boot. Clearly didn’t enjoy being battered all over Edgbaston by Kumar.

James Anderson – 9: Bowled far better in the first innings than his figures suggested – the working over he gave Tendulkar was sensational and Broad owes him that wicket. Got his reward second time around though with a wonderful opening spell on day four. Now stands shoulder to shoulder with Dale Steyn as the best Test quick in the world.

Where next?

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad

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Poor old Ravi Bopara

Ravi Bopara is not what you would call a lucky cricketer.

After being made the scapegoat when England were hammered by Australia at Headingley during the 2009 Ashes, he watched the man who replaced him - Jonathan Trott - score a bucket load of runs.

Then with Paul Collingwood having retired and his place in the side seemingly Bopara's, he saw Eoin Morgan step off the plane from India and score a big ton for the Lions to steal the spot.

Finally, with Trott's injury giving him another chance, he is kept waiting by a huge partnership from Cook and that man Morgan before finally walking to the wicket at 597/4.

Unsurprisingly, Bopara was a bundle of nerves and the resulting failure was sadly inevitable.

Clearly it wasn't just one black cat that crossed the unlucky Bopara's path.

Experimental England? Our XIV man T20/ODI squad to face Sri Lanka

 
With a fairly underwhelming Test series now finished attention can turn to the limited overs chapter of the trip, which comprises one T20 and five ODI.

As Sri Lanka showed in the World Cup, they are a formidable limited overs unit and even with the distraction of the Sanath Jayasuriya Farewell Tour in the T20 and first ODI, they should give England a real run for their money.

To be frank, the series is an unwelcome sideshow for England with by far the most important date of the summer being the Test series with India that starts on July 21.

As such, we at the Reverse Sweep hope that England rest a number of key players from the series to ensure that they are fit and raring to go to face Duncan Fletcher’s new charges at Lord’s in four and a half weeks time. It won’t happen, but for the purposes of this post we have replaced Geoff Miller as Chief Selector.

So with Miller gagged and bound in the committee room, the likes of Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Prior, Anderson, Tremlett and Swann would all be omitted. They can combine putting their feet up with turning out for their counties, whilst England take the opportunity to look at a number of likely candidates as they build towards the World Cup in 2015.

That leaves ODI captain Cook, T20 captain Broad and Morgan from the XI that played at The Rose Bowl. We would augment this trio with 11 additional in a 14 man squad.

Batsmen

We’ve already declared our support for Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales to open with Cook, and our number three would be Leicestershire’s James Taylor, followed by Morgan at four and Ravi Bopara at six. Slotting in between these two would be our wicket keeper Craig Kieswetter, who just shades it ahead of Steve Davies and the coming up fast on the rails Jonathan Bairstow. We’d liked to have seen how Ben Stokes would have fared at international level, but injury delays that for now, so our spare batsman would be James Hildreth.

Spinners

With Swann putting his feet up, Mike Yardy sadly unavailable and the James Tredwell experiment surely now at an end, Samit Patel and Adil Rashid would come in as our XI’s two spinners. Their contrasting slow left-arm and leg spin styles should dovetail perfectly and the fact that both can bat is a real bonus.

Seamers

Having declared Anderson and Tremlett unavailable and with Tim Bresnan still injured, we’d select Chris Woakes and Jade Dernbach to join Stuart Broad in the XI with Graham Onions and either James Harris (if fit) or Stuart Meaker joining them in the squad.

So our XIV with our first choice ODI XI in bold is as follows:

Cook, Hales, Taylor, Morgan, Kieswetter, Bopara, Patel, Woakes, Rashid, Broad, Dernbach, Hildreth, Onions and Harris/Meaker. Hildreth would replace Cook for the T20.

Where next?

Lay off England after World Cup proves a bridge too far

Ten to watch in 2011: Half-Term report - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Ten to watch in 2011: Adam Lyth, Jade Dernbach,  Rory Hamilton-Brown, Samit Patel, Alex Hales, Danny Briggs, Ben Stokes, James Harris, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid

Jack Hobbs by Leo McKinstry | Book review

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2nd Test Preview: Lord's - Imperious England target series win

 
As we wrote earlier in the week in some ways it was no great surprise that England shot Sri Lanka out for 82 on the final afternoon in Cardiff, given that it was the fifth time in the last ten Tests that they have bowled the opposition out for under 100.

Even as typical glass half-full England supporters, it is time for the Reverse Sweep to confidently (this is not hubris you understand) state that England have an embarrassment of riches at the moment.

Cook, Trott and Bell are in the form of their lives and plundering runs for fun. Swann is indisputably the best spinner in the world and to top it all off, Chris Tremlett has been transformed from a meek, awkward and inconsistent fast bowler into the new Curtly Ambrose. Indeed, England are so strong that they can even afford to carry Pietersen and do without their best bowler Anderson.

England also has a bench that is comparable in strength to Barcelona’s with the likes of Finn, Panesar and Bopara all ready to come in if required. The youth team also has immense promise with James Taylor, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid (eventually) all likely to have long Test careers.

Moving back to the 2nd Test at Lord’s, it will be fascinating to see if Sri Lanka can recover with such a short turnaround time from Cardiff. The bowling was shockingly impotent and some of the shots that the batsmen got out to during the collapse were tantamount to dereliction of duty. If Sri Lanka are to get anything out of the match then the bowling will need to be more penetrating (could it be less?) and their star batsmen Sangakkara and Jayawardene will need to produce substantially more than the 44 runs they managed in total at Cardiff.

England on the other hand will be supremely confident of getting the victory they need to secure the series and continue their impressive march towards the summit meeting with India later in the summer.

Likely line-ups

With Anderson injured, the only change in the England XI will see the return of Finn ahead of Jade Dernbach.

Wholesale changes are likely to the Sri Lankan bowling attack with Fernando, Welegedara and Randiv all coming into contention. Coach Stuart Law will also be casting envious eyes towards Northampton where the legendary Chaminda Vaas has just taken a 10 wicket Championship haul against Glamorgan. If another batsman is required, expect Dinesh Chamdimal, who has a first-class average of over 60, to make his Test bow.

Look out for…

Chris Tremlett will be relishing the chance to get stuck into the Sri Lankan batting line-up again after his exploits on Monday. He’s always had the talent, but now seems to have finally acquired the fitness, luck, aggression and most importantly confidence to fully exhibit his wares. Expect him to continue making up for lost time at Lord’s.

Mahela Jayawardene was one of the few to not give his wicket away on Monday and he is too good a batsman not to produce something special at some point during this series. Lord’s the scene of one of his greatest innings in 2006 (and another century in 2002) seems an apt place for this most regal of batsmen to shine.

Previously at Lord’s

2006 – Match drawn

All appeared to be going to plan as England enforced the follow-on after dismissing the tourists for 192 in reply to their 551 for 6 declared. But skipper Jayawardene led the spirited resistance with 119 as Sri Lanka batted out 199 overs for an improbable draw. Replacement captain Flintoff got his sums completely wrong, bowling himself for 51 overs and Hoggard for 46 whilst only using Panesar for 27 overs (despite him taking 2/49 and dismissing two of the top three).  

2002 – Match drawn

This three match series was the first time that Sri Lanka had played more than the solitary Test in England. They started well by getting the better of a drawn opening test at Lord’s. They won the toss and racked up 555/8 declared with Atapattu (185) and Jayawardene (107) both scoring hundreds before dismissing England for 275 and enforcing the follow on. England did what Sri Lanka were to do four years later by batting for 191 overs to post 529/5 declared. Vaughan and Butcher both scored hundreds. This was as good as it got for Sri Lanka as England powered to a 2-0 series win.

Prediction

Sri Lanka to improve but England to secure the series with a comfortable win and Pietersen to score a hundred.

Where next?

England bowling out Sri Lanka for 82 is not such a big surprise

1st Test, Cardiff: England marks out of 10

Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott are just like Barcelona

Cricket Heroes: Jack Hobbs

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1st Test: Cardiff - Preview: England reach for the feel good hit of summer

 
The first Test of the English summer has always been an historic event and this year is no different as England embark on their first Test action since that wonderful Ashes triumph down under.

We’ve already written why Sri Lanka should not be underestimated, but talk of England's quest to become the number one Test side in the world shows no sign of abating.

Even Sri Lankan coach Stuart Law has been at it saying that over the last eighteen months “I believe England are the best team in Test cricket”. Whether he truly means that or if it is simply a case of Law getting his excuses in early awaits to be seen.

Certainly, we will know a lot more about how close England are to achieving their goal by the end of the summer given that current top ranked side India visit English shores for a four test series after Sri Lanka have departed.

India are yet to lose a series in eleven under the leadership of MS Dhoni, but England also have a long unbeaten run stretching back to the Caribbean in 2009 where the first series of the Strauss-Flower axis was lost. Since then the pair have overseen home and away wins over Australia and Bangladesh, as well as home victories over Pakistan and West Indies and a creditable drawn series in South Africa.

But India can wait for now as the series with Sri Lanka promises to be a tasty and intriguing hors d’oeuvre.

Likely line-ups

Now that the Morgan vs Bopara contest has been settled in favour of England’s adopted Irishman, the only question mark over England’s final XI is between Chris Tremlett and Steve Finn. In our view, it is the Surrey giant who should get the nod to build on his pivotal role in the last three Ashes Tests.

Things are not so clear with the Sri Lankan line-up. Nuwan Pradeep has gone home with injury and there is a doubt over Dilhara Fernando. Farveez Maharoof, who has been called into the squad from Lancashire will probably play.

Look out for…

As usual a lot of the focus in the build-up to the Test has been on Kevin Pietersen, with some in the media suggesting that he could be dropped for India if he fails to shine. Pietersen has said that he has got the bug back, so the RS expects him to build on a successful Ashes series where he averaged over 60 and hit that magnificent double hundred at Adelaide.

It will be interesting to see how Tillakaratne Dilshan fares as Sri Lanka’s new captain. He has made a good start with two wins and a hundred in each of the warm-up games. He has the experience of former captains Sangakkara and Jayawardene to call upon should he need it, but even so it will be a real test to see how he works with what is an inexperienced and largely unproven bowling attack.

Previously at Cardiff

This is only the second Test to be held at Sophia Gardens, and this Test will have to go a long way to match the finish of the inaugural Test in 2009 where Paul Collingwood, Monty Panesar and James Anderson memorably led England’s Great Escape against Australia.

Sri Lanka’s record in England is two wins, three draws and four defeats from nine matches, with both wins (The Oval 1998 and Trent Bridge 2006) being engineered by Muralitharan. How they fare without their spin genius, is just one of the many posers of what promises to be a fascinating series.

Stat attack

Kumar Sangakkara is criminally underrated despite a Test average of over 57. His stats are even more impressive when he doesn’t have the added burden of keeping wicket - a Bradmanesque 76.52 from 46 Tests sans gloves.

Since being rested from the tour of Bangladesh in early 2010, James Anderson has taken 56 wickets at 20.78 in 11 Tests. With a strong battery of quicks to call upon, expect rest and rotation to become a feature of England’s selection over the summer.

Prediction

Earlier this week, we had a hunch that this could be Sri Lanka’s match, but with the pitch likely to favour the batsmen and rain forecast throughout the game, the draw seems the most likely result.

Where next?

Seven reasons why England should not underestimate Sri Lanka

Read all the excerpts of KP's Summer of Cricket Diary

10 reasons why Ian Botham may have worn sunglasses at the premiere of 'From the Ashes'

Eoin Morgan has got "it"

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And the winner is...Eoin Morgan

 
When it came down to it, what was always going to be a borderline decision as to who should replace Paul Collingwood in the England Test XI against Sri Lanka came down to a final audition against…Sri Lanka.

And that seems just about right.

Ravi Bopara scored a nervous 17.

Eoin Morgan scored a nerveless 193.

So, it is difficult really to fault the logic of the selectors in going with Morgan.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride eh Ravi?

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week #7

Eoin Morgan has got "it"

Who should get the vote to be England's new number six batsman?

Who should make the England Lions XI to play the Sri Lankans?

So, Eoin Morgan is a test batsman after all

Lionel Messi & Eoin Morgan - Masters at Work

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Eoin Morgan has got "it"

 

We're pretty sure that Roy Orbison didn't have England's adopted Irishman in mind when he penned "You've Got It", but Eoin Morgan definitely has "it".

Despite reportedly falling behind Ravi Bopara in the running to be the replacement for Paul Collingwood in England's Test XI, and having not played a first-class match in 2011 thanks to him prioritising the IPL, Morgan would have given the selectors a timely reminder of his qualities at Derby yesterday.

Whilst Bopara fell for just 17, Morgan racked up a big ton and will be intent on reaching 200 as the Lions resume their innings this morning.

Will Morgan's big hundred have done anything to have changed Andy Flower's mind? Probably not, but Morgan has once again showed that he has the appetite for the big stage and the perfect temperament required to be successful in international cricket - two of the biggest concerns with regards to Bopara.

A borderline decision made even tougher for the selectors and don't count out James Taylor either. He drew the short straw in being asked to open and then compiled a useful 76. As we've said before, the diminuitive Taylor will play 100 Tests - remember where you read it first!

Where next?

Who should get the vote to be England's new number six batsman?

Who should make the England Lions XI to play the Sri Lankans?

So, Eoin Morgan is a test batsman after all

Lionel Messi & Eoin Morgan - Masters at Work

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