Championship team of season

Marcus Trescothick

As imperious as ever, Trescothick scored 290 more runs than anyone else in either division, despite missing three games to a cruel injury. His dominance is such that it has become a cliché to describe him as batting on a different pitch from everyone else.

Mike Carberry

Though it wasn’t enough to keep Hampshire in division one, Carberry’s return, after fears his career was over, was astounding. Against Yorkshire, he hit 300*, displaying the range of shots and concentration that earned him an England Test cap only 18 months ago, while his last-day century against Warwickshire denied them the title.

Chris Rogers

Brought in to average over 50 and lead a side to promotion that finished eighth in division two in the previous two seasons, Rogers made the twin challenges seem positively easy.

Dale Benkenstein

There was no third championship in four years for Durham, but Benkenstein’s excellence remained unabated: only Trescothick exceeded his 1353 division one runs. Long established as his side’s crisis man, Benkenstein’s experience as skipper was a valuable aid for Phil Mustard.

Zander de Bruyn

In a Surrey top six that is as gung-ho as they come, de Bruyn provides stickability, and two hundreds and two fifties in the last three games allowed Surrey to claim a remarkable promotion. Somerset fans, not unreasonably, will feel they might just have won the championship had he not been lured to The Oval.

Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper)

In an otherwise bleak season for Yorkshire Bairstow’s excellence, culminating in a memorable England ODI debut, provided some solace. Attractive and calm in front of the stumps, he scored his runs at a strike-rate – 69 – that few top-order batsmen can match. With the gloves Bairstow improved but is not yet the equal of his late father.

Will Gidman

With one first-class appearance before the season began, bookmakers would have given any odds on Gidman becoming the first man for 15 years to score 1000 championship runs and take 50 wickets. But do that he did; and with a batting average (45) more than double his bowling one (21). A late developer at 26, Gidman deserves England Lions recognition.

Glen Chapple (captain)

It’s not only sentimentality that earns Chapple a place in this side, which his achievement in lifting the pennant without stars ensures he leads. At 37, his canny fast-medium bowling was effective enough to claim 55 wickets at under 20, despite often not being fully fit. Though he was uncharacteristically short of runs, Lancashire would not have won the championship without his 97 in their penultimate game.

Tim Murtagh

Unlucky to never represent England (though he may yet play for Ireland), Murtagh’s best season yet propelled Middlesex to promotion. A round 80 wickets in 15 matches highlight his potency, which is especially great with the new ball, as a three-wicket bust in 16 balls against Derbyshire illustrates.

David Masters

Lazy cricket writers have spent years describing Masters as a “nagging seamer” and “journeyman”, but he forced them to be rather more imaginative after claiming 93 wickets. Masters’ mastery of the Tiflex ball and constant ability to seam it was never more evident than when he claimed 8/10 against Leicestershire.

Gary Keedy

The mark of Keedy’s bowling is that his left-arm spin is almost as effective in April as August, while his parsimony (giving away just 2.5 an over) means Lancashire never lost control in the field. His 4-57 from 28 overs in the first innings of the victory at Taunton perfectly encapsulated his qualities.

Wish you were here XI

This is an XI from current cricketers who, for various reasons, will not be gracing this World Cup.

Hershelle Gibbs
His autobiography may have been a gripping read, but its vivid depiction of the cliques in the South African dressing room helped end his international career. Which is a great shame, because, even at 36, Gibbs’s panache and audacity at the crease, best illustrated in his 111-ball 175 against Australia, have the capacity to thrill – as does his fielding.

Marcus Trescothick
For a man often described as ‘stand and deliver’ in his style, Trescothick is remarkably nimble on his feet. Of all the examples of his clean striking in the opening overs of ODI innings, perhaps the best was against Glenn McGrath in the Champions Trophy in 2004: Trescothick, happy to charge virtually any quick, drove McGrath for four consecutive boundaries. If he made himself available, there is no doubt Trescothick would have been opening for England: Andrew Strauss’s forays down the wicket look almost apologetic in comparison.

VVS Laxman
Too orthodox for ODIs? Perhaps, but tell Australia, against who he’s scored four centuries at an average of 46. If Hashim Amla can become the top-ranked one-day batsman in the world, it seems strange that there is no place for Laxman in India’s side. His classical style looks incongruous in Twenty20, certainly, but a man with his range of shots and ability to accelerate could be invaluable in ODIs.

Brad Hodge
Despite seven centuries in his past 20 Australian domestic one-day games and a limited overs know-how few batsmen can match, there’s no place for Hodge at the World Cup. Labelled the “hard-luck story of the century” by Matthew Hayden, it’s pretty hard to argue – rumours that he never fitted into the Australian dressing room are one potential explanation.

Owais Shah
Overly intense and a shoddy fielder he may be, but Shah has a six-hitting ability England appear to lack in their middle-order. That much was epitomised by an 89-ball 98, with six maximums, against South Africa in the 2009 Champions Trophy. And his ease against spin helped him average 59 in England’s last one-day series in India. In the absence of Eoin Morgan, could Shah have been England’s finisher?

Zulqarnain Haider
Remembered for fleeing mid-series against South Africa last year, promising to blow the whistle on match-fixers, Haider retired from cricket aged just 24. Those who saw his superbly gritty 88 on Test debut last summer will know he should be in south Asia now, rather than England.

Albie Morkel
The ‘next Klusener’ will not be appearing in the World Cup. For a fifth bowler, he was always too liable to be expensive with the ball. Nevertheless, South Africa may long for him when chasing eight-an-over: Morkel can exploit the batting powerplay like few others, most notably when looting Australia for 40* (off 18) and 40 (off 22) in two match-winning innings down under in 2009.

Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan’s skipper will rue the change in the format from 2007: if 16 teams were permitted as they were then, he would be appearing in the World Cup. An off-spinning all-rounder who also has a first-class hundred to his name, Nabi is a useful cricketer who, with 13 wickets at 10 in the World Twenty20 qualifiers last year, did more than anyone to secure Afghanistan’s place in that tournament.

Mohammed Amir
Yes, yes, we know why he won’t be playing, and that is right. But there’s no denying the sight of Amir’s mastery of the left-arm craft would have added to the tournament. Facing him under lights is not a prospect any opener would relish.

Simon Jones
The notion of a fit Jones may seem ridiculous, but his performances in the Carribbean Twenty20 competition, including claiming 4-10 in four overs, served as a reminder of his reverse swing mastery of ’05, as well as his oft-ignored subtleties. Still capable of touching 90mph, could he yet play for England again, if used in a manner akin to Australia with Shaun Tait?

Shane Bond
A slight cheat of a selection in that he’s retired, but what a shame it is. His last series – nine wickets at 21 against Australia last year – suggested Bond still possessed a genuine threat at international level. With express pace and canny use of bouncers, yorkers, cutters and slower balls alike Bond, even at 35, would have provided New Zealand’s attack with the cutting edge they are conspicuously lacking.

Championship Review - Week 15

A Roses match normally means poor weather, and there was no change to that this week. The main winners were those who didn’t play and Mark Ramprakash, for whom the runs have started again.

Division 1
An eagerly awaited top of the table clash at Durham saw the hosts and Nottinghamshire sit in their respective dressing rooms for four days. No ground gained by either team, but a good result for the rest of the league.

At Old Trafford, the Roses battle started a day and a half late and Yorkshire made light of Lancashire’s decision bat first bowling them out for 231, with Adil Rashid continuing his excellent recent form taking five wickets. Yorkshire batted to ensure maximum batting points, with Andy Gale (136) and Antony McGrath (99) putting on 215 for the second wicket to set up a declaration at 400 for 6. This left 51 overs to try to force a win and having reduced Lancs to 29 for 3, there was a sniff of victory. However an obdurate 69 from Paul Horton led Lancs to safety, but Yorkshire’s points take them out of the relegation zone.

Somerset and Surrey played out effectively a two day match in a dash for bonus points. Somerset started off fast, with Marcus Trescothick and Zander de Bruyn both getting centuries in a stand of 223 as Somerset declared on 401 for 3 made in just 77 overs. Surrey’s progression was more sedate, but they reached 406 for 9 on the back of an unbeaten double century for Mark Ramprakash with another veteran Andrew Caddick taking five wickets.

Division 2
The best weather of the week seemed to be in Derby, where Middlesex were put in by Derbyshire and made 306, despite only Ed Joyce making a fifty. Greg Smith then made a century as Derby made 347. Charl Langeveldt was the star of Middlesex’s second innings, taking five for 40 as Middlesex made just 166 to set Derby 130 to win, which they managed for the loss of just 3 wickets. Derby’s promotion push continues while Middlesex’s season is drifting.

Little more than a day’s play was possible at Edgbaston where Warwickshire were skittled by Danesh Kaneria, who took 6 for 48 in the total of 154. In reply, Graham Napier showed some of his one day form with the bat, scoring 76 in just 62 balls as Essex made 216. Second time round, Warwicks finished on 68 for 2 when the game ran out of time.

Finally, the bottom two teams in the league met in Swansea. Gloucestershire had the better of the limited time that was available, declaring on 400 for 7 with William Porterfield and Chris Taylor both getting out in the 90s. Glamorgan finished up on 108 for 2 as Gloucester won the battle of the bonus points.

England Player Watch
With the test players being given time off and the ODIs coming up, only Adil Rashid’s 5-fer and Tim Bresnan’s 2 wickets and unbeaten 40 showed gave the selectors anything to think about.

Player of the Week
Another century for Andy Gale in an excellent breakthrough season, while at the other end of his career Marcus Trescothick also scored an important century. However, it was always likely that once he’d got his 100th hundred, more would follow quickly. And for his unbeaten double century, this week’s player of the week is Mark Ramprakash.

England will retain the team and gain a record

England suddenly have a settled team, but not all of its members are guaranteed to start the next Test.

If England name an unchanged team for the match with South Africa at Lord’s on 10th July, they will set a new record. Never before have the same 11 players played in six consecutive Tests. Quite a start for Geoff Miller’s selection panel.

Injuries permitting, the landmark will surely be set, as England are now far more reluctant to change their team. The ‘fail in two Tests and you’re dropped’ policy of the 1990’s has been replaced by central contract continuity and the selectors are eager to keep faith with the players that they have invested time in.

The changing of the bowling guard that took place after the Hamilton defeat necessitated a run of matches for the new unit, and all four bowlers have credit to use up in the sterner challenge of the South Africa series.

The batting line-up is less secure, but is also likely to remain untouched. The selectors clearly have deep faith in the ability of out of nick Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood, but the lack of alternatives is just as much of a factor.

A look at the top Division One runscorers – the most sensible place for international recruitment if the two tier system is to have credibility – reveals a mix of former England players, overseas stars and just two possible new caps.

Marcus Trescothick tops the list – it was hard not to feel regret about his international retirement as I watched him score a recent match-winning ton at Tunbridge Wells – and is joined in the top eight of the list by Matt Prior, Mark Butcher and Ian Blackwell, who are experiencing varying degrees of time in the international wilderness. Jacques Rudolph and Justin Langer also feature.

Lancashire’s Paul Horton has hit 573 runs at an average of 63.66 and his overall first class average of 51.29 will make the selectors sit up and take notice. Statistics are only half the story and his temperament and ability to handle Test level pressure will be evaluated. He might be the latest addition to the line of Australia-reared England players.

Australia is in the selectors’ minds. The Ashes are 12 months away and any batsman hoping to feature will need to be blooded imminently, as England’s only other test action comes in the Caribbean in the new year and in a trimmed two-game series in India.

Horton and Yorkshire’s former England U19 captain Andrew Gale (501 runs at 55.66) might have to wait for their chance as the selectors believe Bell and Collingwood are the men most likely to make runs against the Australians.

It is for this reason that Division Two’s most prolific English batsmen – Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah and Jonathan Trott – will remain restricted to One Day opportunities.

Bopara’s selection in Sri Lanka suggests he is next line for a Test call, especially as the claims by fellow England Lions Michael Carberry and Rob Key have been hit by poor county form.

2008 Season Preview: Somerset

2007 in a nutshell:

It was a pretty successful year for the Sabres with a double promotion to the top tiers of both the County Championship and Pro40 League One. A more sporting wicket at Taunton was much hyped but never seemed to materialise as early doors Somerset both recorded and conceded over 800 runs in an innings!

2008 prospects:

The talk is of a title challenge and while that may be a little optimistic, the west country club can expect to retain their newly found top tier status in both formats of the game. Any success will be built around a formidable batting unit which blends youth with experience throughout. It will be fascinating to see if the Taunton wicket is the usual featherbed which all have come to expect, or if it will have a little more in it. If the latter is the case, then Somerset may have a chance to bowl out opposition sides twice and in the process push for the title. If not, then Somerset’s ageing attack may well struggle at home.

Batting:

This facet is definitely the strength of the side with two former world class international openers in Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer. Sandwiched between the two in unlimited overs cricket will be Neil Edwards, who is highly thought of at Taunton, hence the decision to allow the promising Matthew Wood to leave for division rivals Nottinghamshire. The much hyped James Hildreth will come in next and he will be looking to press his England claims further this year. Ian Blackwell missed most of last season so will be eager to get back into the fold this year. Young wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter will be looking to build on his impressive start at Somerset, whilst Peter Trego, Omari Banks and Alfonso Thomas are all capable of contributing decent runs at a fair pace. Wes Durston and Arul Suppiah may well struggle to work their way into the four day side, though at least one of them will feature in limited overs cricket, if not both, with Edwards likely to make way.

Bowling:

This could be the weak link, especially at Taunton. Andy Caddick enjoyed a phenomenal season last year during the twilight of his career. However, that was in Division Two, during a wet summer. He will find the challenge harder in Division One, especially after back surgery, but will undoubtedly relish the test as he enters possibly his final season. Both Charl Willoughby and Steffan Jones are experienced but not getting any younger. Ben Phillips is returning from a year out through injury so it will be interesting to see how he fares. Peter Trego will look to build on an impressive season last time out as he develops into a genuine allrounder. New signing Alfonso Thomas will meanwhile be eager to show what he is capable of. The spinning options are good with both Blackwell and Banks experienced at international level. There is also the young Michael Munday to factor into the equation as he looks to develop his improving leg spin bowling.

Probable side:

Trescothick
Edwards (Suppiah/Durston for limited overs)
Langer (c)
Hildreth
Blackwell
Kieswetter (wk)
Trego
Thomas/Phillips (Banks/Munday when it’s turning)
Banks/Munday (Banks will likely feature heavily in limited overs matches)
Caddick
Willoughby (Suppiah/Durston for limited overs)

The side bats impressively and a long way down, on what is renowned as a fantastic home pitch. Runs will not be a problem for this side in any format and they should come at a good rate when needed, even without the cavalier Cameron White. Defending totals and bowling sides out might be a cause for concern though, especially at home, with Trego and Thomas needing to take increasing responsibility as the season wears on. Omari Banks will need to show that he is more than a bits and pieces cricketer, while the loss of Matthew Wood may be felt slightly in limited overs cricket.

Key Man:

There are a few to go for and they are all batsman, which tells the story of the season ahead. Marcus Trescothick has freed himself from the pressure which came with an anticipated England return. He will be able to focus purely on Somerset for the next couple of years which is fantastic news for everyone who is associated with the club. He is a fantastic player who will continue to plunder runs of the Ramprakash proportions in all formats for a good few years yet with his aggressive and domineering style of play.

Rising Star:

Michael Munday is my pick for the rising star. He is 23 now and should be looking to play on a more regular basis after making his debut in 2005. The young leg spinner has already taken 66 first class wickets in 22 matches to date, at a good average and strike rate. Aptly for a spinner he is a keen chess player. Young wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter will also be looking to push on at a higher level.

Captain and Coach:

Justin Langer brings a lot to the party as he winds down his playing career with the Cidermen. He knows how to win the biggest of prizes and has the knowledge and the resilience to inspire his troops and claim honours for the west country club. Coach Andy Hurry meanwhile will be looking to build on last years successes and is keen to match Langer’s lofty ambitions for the club. A first County Championship win would be a fine tonic for both.

Trescothick leaves a terrific England career behind

Confirmation of the end was sad but inevitable. Marcus Trescothick has seemed a tormented man for two years, weighed down by problems far superseding anything that occurs on the cricket pitch. So it was somehow fitting that he did not go out in a blaze of glory, but a low-key announcement that he was officially retiring from international cricket. For he has been a man not entirely comfortable with the intense media glare international cricketers are now subjected to, preferring to go quietly about scoring runs than chase headlines or the England captaincy.

For six years from his debut in 2000, Trescothick was a fearsome sight at the top of England's order. Commentators frequently bemoaned his lack of foot movement, but he developed a highly effective 'stand and deliver' method that relied on fantastic hand-eye coordination and, above all, an uncluttered mindset that focussed on hitting the ball cleanly. If that sounds a little demeaning, it should not, for it takes a fiercely single-minded individual to have trust in his method and succeed with a technique that many believed was fundamentally flawed, and could not succeed over an extended period against the best.

Trescothick was very much Duncan Fletcher's pick, selected not for any sterling county deeds but largely for an innings of 167 against Glamorgan, whom Fletcher was coaching at the time, in 1999. The knock displayed his uninhibited talent, his ability to play his natural game even as others around him were losing confidence in theirs, and a power that could intimidate the world's finest bowlers. He was a tremendous team-man, too, whose selflessness was exemplified when he compromised his batting in accepting the challenge of keeping wicket for England in the one-day series in New Zealand in 2002.

Trescothick was at his best when he stopped worrying about technique, and allowed his rich natural instincts and belligerence to come to the fore. These were the hallmarks of some of his most memorable Test knocks, including his momentum-seizing 90 in the 2005 Ashes and an epic 219 to help England square the series with South Africa two years previously. The latter was particularly noteworthy, as it came at a time when his technique was under exceptional scrutiny. But he succeeded in freeing his mind from technical jargon, displaying admirable resilience aided by the less glamorous attributes of selectivity, patience and sheer determination in his nine and-a-half hour masterpiece.

The finest and most valuable of his innings was indisputably at Johannesburg in 2005. A pulsating match - and series - was decided by Matthew Hoggard's 12-wicket haul, but it was Trescothick's brilliance under pressure that set-up victory. He scored 180 out of England's second innings 332, launching a fearless assault on the South African attack while team-mates floundered. This was vintage Trescothick: driving powerfully; pulling audaciously; treating the spin of Nicky Boje with disdain; and steadfastly refusing to get bogged down by the pressure team-mates were succumbing to.

It is for knocks like these that Trescothick deserves to be remembered. While his technique was to some extent found out by Gillespie and McGrath, he had the faith to stick with it and play a vital part in the 2005 Ashes - though failing, sadly, to score his first Test hundred against Australia. While he can be pigeon-holed as a thrasher of trundling medium-pace, the truth is Trescothick was a wonderfully adaptable player, who excelled himself against South Africa but, utilising his long reach and slog-sweep, was also a close second to Graham Thorpe as the most successful Englishman of his time in the sub-Continent. His vigil of 193 in Pakistan in late 2005, when he had reluctantly accepted the captaincy, seemed to signal a time of renewed productivity, when he would consistently combine patience with his natural free-hitting skill. But it was not quite to be.

Trescothick was the consummate team-man, and deserves to feel no guilt for walking out of the Ashes tour. With 26 international hundreds, he was a high-class international batsman, and one of the finest openers England have ever possessed in ODIs, the man behind countless daring assaults during the overs of fielding restrictions.

At 32, he could have still had his best international years in front of him. It is not to be but everyone will hope Trescothick will replicate his form of last season for several more years with Somerset, the county of his birth and, in these days when international superstars seldom turn out for their counties, almost nostalgically close to his heart. If he does, he may yet achieve something just as satisfying as the 2005 Ashes win: a first county championship for Somerset.

Championship Team of the Season

As regular readers will be aware, I have been awarding a Player of the Week during my Championship reviews during the season. With the exception of the wicket-keeper, these are the only players to be considered for my squad for the Team of the Season. Five batsmen, an all-rounder, my wicketkeeper of the year, three pace bowlers and a spinner make up the team.

Marcus Trescothick
Englands’ loss was Somerset’s gain. The only double winner of the Player of the Week, he scored 1300 runs at over 60 with four centuries, albeit on a helpful Taunton wicket. He also took an incredible 33 catches. If he’s still on duty for Somerset next season, then they will be in the mix for honours.

Mike Carberry
A thousand runs, 5 tons and the reason that Hampshire put in a late run to challenge for the title. Particularly in the second half of the season he ran into a rich vein of form which he’ll be looking to continue in to next season.

Mark Ramprakash
2000 runs, averaging over 100. The difference between Surrey finishing 4th and being relegated. No other Surrey player managed 1000 runs or averaged over 50. Another awesome season and many people’s player of the year

Younus Khan
Got very close to being a double winner as his leg spin bowling backed up his batting prowess. Indeed his bowling average was less than his batting average of nearly 50. A good club man for Yorkshire, he was missed at the end of the season as he went back to Pakistan.

David Hussey
Edges out his club captain Stephen Fleming for the number 5 spot, with 1200 runs and an average of over 90.

The other batsmen to miss out on the final selection were Ben Smith, Mark Stoneman, Travis Birt and Ronnie Irani.

Adil Rashid
The first player of the week, he scored nearly 800 runs at an average of 46, scoring his maiden ton in the process. With the ball, despite the unhelpful weather this summer, he took 40 wickets (with three 5-fers) at less than 40 to confirm his immense promise as a cricketer. It’s a measure of his ability that some still see this as a disappointing return. The England Lions tour (hopefully) beckons and full recognition won’t be far away.

Rashid beats Alex Gidman to the selection

Chris Read
The only wicketkeeper to average above 50 in either division, he is also the best gloveman in the country. He hit his maiden double hundred this season and was a major factor in Notts promotion this season. He beats off the challenges of Nic Pothas, Tim Ambrose and Paul Nixon.

Stuart Broad
Although he spent most of the season carrying the drinks for England, he took his frist 5-fer in county cricket and smashed an unbeaten 91 in the same match, taking him to the top of Leicester’s batting averages. As he showed for England, he’s a potential all-rounder with bags of promise and first division cricket with Notts next season should see him progress further.

Ottis Gibson
The only real competition for Mark Ramprakash as player of the season. Cricket365 use his success as a reason that the Championship is a weak competition. To me it shows how much younger bowlers are able to learn from experienced campaigners and the progress of Liam Plunkett and Graeme Onions at Durham will be interesting to see. 80 wickets at just 20 for the season including all ten in an innings, he also chipped in with over 500 runs.

Andrew Caddick
He probably still feels hard done by every time the England team is selected without him, but he is another reaon why Somerset will be a welcome addition to Div 1 next season. 70 wickets at 24 playing half of his matches at Taunton is a great return.

The pace bowlers to miss out were James Harris, Yasir Arafat and Mark Davies

Mushtaq Ahmed
The final winner of the award, he edges out the evergreen Robert Croft by spinning Sussex to the title again. Not as dominant this year as last, he still took 90 wickets at 25

Championship – Week 11

Just two games per division this week, but both with big implications at the tops of the leagues. Plus will it ever stop raining? I’m thinking of building an ark

Div 1
Sussex played their first match since the 20/20 break, taking on a Durham team who have been a little of of form recently. Mushtaq took five wickets as Durham struggled to 209. Things them got worse for Durham as Steve Harmison went off injured after just 5 overs with his hernia problem. Chris Adams with 193 benefited from the weakened bowling attack as Sussex racked up 517 for 9. This was more than enough as Durham managed just 206 second time round. Durham’s title challenge looks to have faded, while Sussex are just a point behind Yorkshire in 2nd.

Yorkshire fell victim to the weather again with two days of the game at Warwickshire lost to rain. Anthony McGrath’s unbeaten 182 enabled Yorkshire to get to 400 for 9 and claim maximum bowling points. However, on a good batting track, Warwickshire replied with 254 for 2, Darren Maddy getting an unbeaten 135 and both teams take 9 points from the game.

Div 2
Weather problems also for Nottinghamshire where three days were lost to rain. In the little time remaining, Notts declared on 400 for 8 with David Hussey getting 180, while Gloucestershire had to face only one ball before the whole thing was abandoned.

Somerset took their chance to capitalise with a remarkable finish at Taunton. Batting first Northamptonshire scored 221, which was eclipsed by Somerset’s 459, Marcus Trescothick scoring 146. Northants were then struggling second time round on 120 for 6 before Lance Klusener started a rescue mission, scoring 122 and getting Northants up to 358, setting Somerset 124 to win with just 16 overs to get them. However, in this situation there are few better than Trescothick, who scored 69 in just 42 balls, despite batting with a runner and Somerset got home with two overs to spare.

England Player Watch
With much of the match against Lancashire washed out last week Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard turned out for Yorkshire. Vaughan scored just 6, while Hoggard got ten overs under his belt, taking one wicket. Ian Bell did better for Warwickshire, scoring 65. The only other England player in action was Steve Harmison who further injured his hernia to finish his season early and is going under the knife today

Player of the Week
The fact that Chris Adams messed Yorkshire around so much in the winter is not the reason he doesn’t win the player of the week (although it’s a good one). This week’s player of the week is my first double winner of the award. A century in the first innings was good, but for bringing Somerset home in a brutal run-chase, the award goes to Marcus Trescothick.

Who should England pick for Twenty20?

With the Twenty20 World Cup looming in September, it is time England assemble a strategy to win the tournament. Considering the amount of domestic Twenty20 played, England should be genuine contenders for tournament victory – but not if they dogmatically insist on playing an identical side to the one utilised on one-day internationals.

Here is the side they should pick:

Marcus Trescothick
The powerful left-hander has long since proved himself a superb international player, and has a game perfectly suited to Twenty20; indeed, he averages 55 in the three international games he has played to date.

Mal Loye
Mastered the art of the slog sweep off quick bowlers, an idiosyncratic shot which infuriates bowlers and has been extremely effective, even during his brief ODI career. Loye’s aggressive, fearless style has worked terrifically well to date in this form of the game.

Darren Maddy
Dubbed "Mr Twenty20" by David Lloyd, Maddy was the key man in Leicestershire’s two Twenty20 triumphs, opening the innings to great effect and scoring a match-winning 86* in last year’s final.

Kevin Pietersen
The world’s best ODI batsman is a must pick if England choose to treat the game with the respect it deserves.

Paul Collingwood (captain)
Collingwood is seen as a nudger and nurdler but, as he showed with a 26-ball 46 in the Twenty20 game against Australia in 2005, is very adept at improvising to hit boundaries. He also possesses an ice-cool temperament and his accurate medium-pace bowling has much Twenty20 potential – his 4-22 against Sri Lanka are the best international figures in this form of the game.

Andrew Flintoff
An extremely destructive hitter when his mind is uncluttered, Flintoff’s accurate and fast bowling would surely prove very effective in Twenty20.

Paul Nixon (wicket-keeper)
Matt Prior has done terrifically in Test cricket and is a big hitter but, at the death in the claustrophobic environment of Twenty20, Nixon, with his resilience under pressure and penchant for the reverse-sweep, is an ideal man to have coming in – and his relentless sledging could also be worth a few wickets.

Ian Blackwell
Monty Panesar could prove too predictable in Twenty20 cricket, but Blackwell has fared well with bat and ball in this form of the game. His excellent ODI economy rate – 4.27 – suggests he could tie top quality batsmen down; regulars at Tauntan know he has copious destructive batting potential.

Mark Ealham
Snigger if you must but Ealham’s brand of frugal medium-pace bowling and uncultured hitting have earned extraordinary success in Twenty 20: his strike-rate is a phenomenal 174; his economy rate a mightily impressive 6.8.

Darren Gough
Gough was never granted a satisfactory international farewell but, in Twenty20 cricket, his love of the big stage, fantastic yorker and late-order biffing are deserving of one final international crack – remember he claimed 3-16 against Australia in 2005.

Stuart Broad
Broad revealed his big-match temperament with some sterling exploits in Leicestershire’s Twenty20 triumph last season, taking 3-13 off four brilliant overs against Kent in the quartr-final. An immensely promising quick, he can also bat reasonably well.

Other squad members:
Owais Shah
Shah has done disappointingly for England in ODIs, but he is a richly talented player whose unorthodoxy and flair have come good in Twenty20 - he averages 35 and has a strike-rate of 147.

Ravi Bopara
A Collingwood clone, albeit more obviously talented, Bopara had an excellent World Cup and, despite a modest Twenty20 record, is well suited to this format of the game.

Jeremy Snape
Snape’s nerve and willingness to bowl extraordinarily slow balls - known as 'moonballs' - have served him brilliantly in Twenty20; he has captained Leicestershire to their two titles and also averaged 25 with the bat.

Ryan Sidebottom
Sidebottom brings variety, in that he is a left-armer, control and the crucial ability to swing the white ball. These have certainly stood him in excellent stead in the helter-skelter of Twenty20: his economy rate is an exceptional 6.6.

If Trescothick were unavailable, Shah would replace him - he would bat at three and Maddy would open.

If Flintoff were unavailable, Snape or Bopara would replace him.

On the periphery: Mark Ramprakash, James Hildreth, Matt Prior, Michael Yardy, Dimi Mascarenhas, Monty Panesar

The Championship - Week 4

Blimey, we’re a quarter of the way through the season for some teams already. This week, the gap between Division 1 and 2 looks even greater, the weather plays a part and Trescothick’s therapy is revealed!

Div 1
Yorkshire are back to the top of the league with an emphatic win over Worcestershire. It was a game that was always going to be weather affected, but the Yorkshire innings took a familiar look, with Joe Sayers (123) and Craig White (98) putting down a solid platform for the middle order – this time Jacques Rudolph with 129 – to build upon. Declaring on 521 for 7, the Tykes then skittled the Pears for 129 (Matthew Hoggard 5 fer) and 131 (Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid four each) and a huge win. Three losses out of three for Worcester though.

Last year’s other promoted team, Surrey, were also on three lost out of three although they finished a rain affected draw at home to Warwickshire on top. The Bears batted first, scoring 329, largely thanks to Darren Maddy’s ton. Surrey made batting look easy, scoring 400 for 1 declared, hundreds for Jon Batty and inevitably Mark Ramprakash. Unfortunately that was it, as the rains came down.

The weather also ruined a highly anticipated clash at Hampshire, where Lancashire, complete with Jimmy Anderson, Saj Mahmood and Andrew Flintoff were the visitors. Stuart Clark took seven wickets as Lancs could only manage 207. The Hants reply was 272 and that was it.

A positive result was possible at Durham, where Kent were the visitors. A double hundred from Mike Di Venuto got the home team to 407, which ended up being a lead of just 7 as Rob Key scored a ton for the visitors (Five for Liam Plunkett, four for Steve Harmison). Durham then set Kent over 300 to win, which despite 92 from Joe Denley, they fell 150 short (Five for Harmison, Three for Plunkett).

Div 2
The relegated teams did battle at Trent Bridge. Nottingham scored 336, with Paul Franks getting 92 and Tim Murtagh getting 6 fer. Middlesex capitulated to 176 (six for Charlie Schrek) but did much better following on and an Andrew Strauss ton led them to rain affected safety.

The only positive result in the second division was at Derby. The home team took a lead of 50 in the first innings (259 to 209) and then bowled out Leicester for just 137 (Tom Lungley five fer and nine in the match). They lost three wickets on the run in but ran out comfortable winners.

Somerset look to have their home games sorted as draws, with the Taunton wicket being a graveyard for bowlers. However, this week at Northampton, it would appear that they took the Taunton pitch with them as a high scoring draw was played out. However, one person clearly enjoying that is Marcus Trescothick, who scored a career best 284. There were also hundreds in the game for James Hildreth for Somerset and David Sales for Northants. Andy Caddick got six wickets in the game and must be wondering what he’s done to upset the Division 2 groundsmen.

England Player watch
Lots of them on display, getting used to dodging the showers. A ton for new captain Andrew Strauss in his second inning. Owais Shah was just getting going second time round when it was all called off. Paul Collingwood followed up a first innings duck with a quickfire 58 to set up the Durham declaration. However, Ian Bell didn’t get a second chance having got 9 for Warwicks. Most important, though, was Andrew Flintoff top scoring for Lancs with 61 and hopefully that will be the start of a return to form.

Wickets again for Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard who look in prime form. Liam Plunkett bowled himself back into the test team with eight wickets, while Jimmy Anderson and Saj Mahmood shared 6 of the Hants wickets to fall. Monty Panesar also got plenty of overs under his belt, and three wickets, on the bowlers graveyard that was Northampton.

A look at the batting averages shows wicketkeepers Nic Pothas and Tim Ambrose in first and second place. However, for those in the England reckoning Steven Davies got 0 and 38, Paul Nixon got a pair of 40s and Chris Read got 20. However, it’s what Matt Prior does next week that will be crucial

Player of the week
A tricky decision with lots of good team displays. An honourable mention to Steve Harmison for the whole of his start to the season but, because he’s one of my favourite players and because it was a career best, I’ll ignore the fact that the Northampton pitch was as flat as a pancake and my player of the week is Marcus Trescothick.

Championship Tails – Week 1

While England finally show some decent form in the World Cup, albeit a match too late, the domestic season has got off to a bang. In unusually warm weather for the start of the season, there were runs galore and some highly impressive performances.

Division 1
Parochial, I know, but I’m going to start with Yorkshire’s win over Surrey. Runs galore in the first three innings, with Rudolph, Bresnan, Gillespie, Newman, Ramprakash (of course!) and White all hitting tons. However, Yorkshire’s bowling was the difference, with Rashid, Gough and Hoggard proving too much for Surrey to handle and the Tykes ran out comfortable winners.

Sussex also took maximum points as Mushtaq started where he left off last season with ten wickets against Kent. The Sussex batting relied heavily on Richard Montgomerie’s 175, with Naved and Kirtley also chipping in with useful 50s.

The other winners were Durham, where Steve Harmison took eight wickets as Worcester were put to the sword. Hundreds for Di Venuto in the first innings and Blenkenstein in the second, whereas the Worcester batting was disappointing, with only Jacques showing much resistance.

The match between Warwickshire and Lancashire ended in a draw. Warwicks started on top, with Loudon and Troughton scoring hundreds, Sutton doing the same in reply as Lancs were 150 runs behind on first innings. Tight bowing in the Warwicks second inning meant that the didn’t leave enough time to worry Lance, for whom Mal Loye hit a hundred as the match petered out.

Division 2
Notts were the only winners, against Leicestershire, on the back of a great all round bowling performance and centuries for Gallian and Hussey. Only Ackerman offered much resistance as Notts got home by nine wickets.

Runs galore at Taunton, with Middlesex declaring on 600 for 4 (hundreds for Shah, Godleman and Nash). Somerset then made 850 for 7 (another triple hundred for Langer, with tons for Hildeth, White and Trego). Middlesex saw the game out with little fuss (and a hundred for Ed Smith). It could be a hard year for the Somerset bowlers at home, for whom Andy Caddick has signed a contract extension – he may be regretting that if they don’t get a bit more life into the pitch.

A high scoring draw at Chelmsford too, where Derbyshire were on top for most of the game. Hundreds for Harvey, Pipe and Cook, but the declaration didn’t leave enough time for a result and Essex secured a comfortable draw.

England Players
With the World Cup on, there are a few England contenders on show.

On the batting side, Ali Cook hit another century for Essex, while Owais Shah scored had two good innings, 193 and 72 not out on a batsman’s paradise at Taunton. Relatively speaking, Marcus Trescothick should be disappointed in “only” getting 70.


On the wicket-keeping side, Chris Read was run out in the 30s in his only innings, gaining ground on Matt Prior, who scored 14 and Steve Davies who got 14 and 6, but losing out to James Foster who scored 61. Geraint Jones (if he is still a contender) was out in single figures in both innings.

The bowling does look promising, with Hoggard and Harmison both bowling aggressively and getting wickets. Coming on the back off his performance in the Sussex-MCC match, stories about the demise of Steve Harmison may have been premature.

Player of the Week
Sorry, but it’s a Yorkie. Some great batting performances this week, but the award goes to an all-round performance. For scoring 86 (in a stand of 190 with Jacques Rudolph) and taking seven wickets, my first player of the week is Adil Rashid.

England's One Day Headache

England have patently struggled so far at this World Cup and generally in One Day cricket since the end of 2005 at least. We now examine some of the key problems for England and what can be done to resolve them by the summer's end.

Aggressive Opener:

Marcus Trescothick has the ability to take the game to opposition sides at the top of the order in both forms of the game, but it is his ability to plunder the powerplay overs that England have especially missed to date. With no Tresco, there have been no blistering and imposing starts, no centuries from the top, no senior player to turn to and a missing pair of ever-reliable slip catching hands. Once Trescothick is under way he is incredibly hard to stop (just ask Devon!) and his ability against spin makes him a fantastic all round player, capable of pulverising opposition attacks ala Jayasuriya. In his void there has been no reliable replacement. Mal Loye was tried, but in relative terms failed and following that there was no time to find another chosen one. Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan and Ed Joyce, for all their qualities, fall into another bracket entirely. Will Jefferson and Michael Carberry are two openers who will look to press their claims further this summer.

Strike Bowler:

Australia have Brett Lee and now Shaun Tait, New Zealand have Shane Bond, Sri Lanka Lasith Malinga. Without Simon Jones England are missing that go to strike bowler, the magical one who is capable of getting a wicket at any stage of the innings, especially during the middle overs, when the ball is starting to show signs of reverse swing. In 2005 Jones was being groomed as the replacement for Darren Gough and how badly they have missed a man who can fill those boots. Without that special strike bowler England have struggled to turn games around, or finish the job. For all the qualities England’s other bowlers have, without Jones and the retired Stephen Harmison, England are, as Michael Vaughan himself stated, a “squeezing attack.”

The Pietersen, Flintoff quandary:

Pietersen bats too low, Freddie too high. It is as simple as that. As the best player in the side KP should be batting at number three, where he can make full use of the fielding restrictions and bat for the nigh on maximum amount of time. We don’t see Ricky Ponting or Jaques Kallis batting at four. It is a point I continue to dwell on though! Flintoff meanwhile has averaged a woeful 22 since the start of the India series one year ago and on that basis would be better suited to playing at seven. The Freddie to open debate is a dangerous one, lest we all forget his failings at number three at the ICC Champions Trophy, just six months ago, against a new ball. His skills are best suited to the last ten overs and that is when he should make his thunderous entrance, not whilst the spinners are on, with quick singles and nurdling required. Flexiblity in the batting order is not though something which England seem to understand however.

Issue for the future:

The wicket keeping situation is still one that will rouse curious debate throughout the nation and indeed world. Whilst Paul Nixon has impressed many with his commitment and desire, at 36 he can not be considered the future, nor groomed for the next Ashes series, ICC Champions Trophy, or World Cup. It is also questionable as to whether he has the technique to survive at Test level. With Chris Read and Geraint Jones seemingly failed men of yesterday now, there are two main contenders for the role and those two players resided within the academy squad over the winter. They are of course Matt Prior and Steven Davies, the young wicket keepers currently playing in the county season curtain raiser at Lords.

Simplistically stated, Prior is seen as the better and more explosive batsman of the two, whilst Davies is seen to have more potential with the gloves and a Gilchristean resemblance (he is left handed!). Prior has already tasted international cricket, albeit on the subcontinent and in positions varying from opener, to number three, to number five. He plays his best cricket for Sussex at six though and should be looked at as a serious contender for the lower order of the one day side at least, given Davies’ younger years. Davies is probably the long-term heir apparent, but may be too fresh to throw in immediately. James Foster is of course another option, but his exclusion from the academy squad would seem to signal that he is further down the pecking order in the race to become England’s first undisputed wicket keeper since Alec Stewart retired.

The line-up:

With Tresothick and Pietersen in the top three, England would be a powerful side to be feared once again. Both are capable of huge innings at fast rates, whilst Ian Bell is a player who would look to accumulate and bat more cautiously, allowing others to bat around him. With a lower order of Flintoff and the aggressive wicket keeper, England would be well placed to also attack those final overs. That leaves us the middle order trio whose jobs would be to milk the middle overs and wristly flick the ball in to gaps, turning ones in to twos and running the opposition ragged. Paul Collingwood is brilliant at this and is also one of the best finishers in the game, but is slightly suspect against serious pace around offstump early on in his innings. Ravinder Bopara meanwhile has shown us that he too could be a brilliant finisher and innovative gap finder, but he is still young. Both are probably suited to coming in against spin, so numbers five and six seem appropriate.

A number four is thus required, someone capable of playing against both pace and spin. Andrew Strauss may seem an obvious choice and he could yet prove to be the answer, he did after all start his promising international career there. However, Owais Shah showed in India, during a crucial innings of 88, that he is a fantastic player of spin, capable of wristy stroke play that many fine players would drool over. As a regular first class number three and one day opener he also has the technique against pace. He has long been a fine domestic one day and Twenty20 player and has really kicked on in the longer form of the game over the past two seasons as well. Given just a paltry three matches at number three in India during yet another woeful one day series for England, he has since dropped back into the abyss, though he lined up for the MCC vs Sussex at Lords on Friday. Rumours abound that Fletcher does not like him much, John Emburey claims his face does not fit. Only such reasoning can explain his exclusion to date. Maybe if Fletcher departs this summer, Shah may finally make the step up.

England’s best one day line-up undoubtedly looks a lot like this, can England get them fit and gel them together by the end of the summer though, in time for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa?:

Marcus Trescothick
Ian Bell
Kevin Pietersen
Owais Shah
Paul Collingwood (c)
Ravinder Bopara
Andrew Flintoff
Matt Prior/ Steven Davies/ Paul Nixon (wk)
Simon Jones
Monty Panesar
James Anderson

12th Man: Ashley Giles/ Liam Plunkett


Chris Pallett

Marcus Trescothick

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead. Also keep an eye on King Cricket's list.

Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)
Trescothick’s last year has been extremely traumatic, with twin tour walkouts and an international future looking doubtful in the extreme. But he took out some of his anger on Devon in a pre-season game, plundering a phenomenal 117-ball 256.

While he is said to have been in fine spirits during pre-season training with Somerset, his mental welfare will palpably continue to remain a great concern. Even if he scores bucketfuls of runs, the English selectors will obviously need much convincing that he is in a fit state to return. And, despite his assertions to the contrary, does Trescothick really want to play for England again, considering all the pressures of doing so?

In the meantime, pulverising mediocre county attacks in tranquil surroundings should help Trescothick; hopefully, he will revel in the glorious futility of sport. His opening partner and county captain Justin Langer - whom he will form a potentially superb opening partnershp with - could be crucial in helping him recover his focus.

If anyone doubts how much England need him, they should only see their opening struggles in the Caribbean. But a return is a long way off, and we should just be pleased to see Trescothick enjoy a harmonious and productive county season.

The Ones Who Got Away

Consistent and planned are not two words that could ever be used to describe England’s One Day selection, which is strange considering the success that approach has had with the test team. Since England’s last trip to the West Indies just three winters ago, around 40 players have donned the blue pyjamas. This is the squad of fifteen that didn’t make it.

Marcus Trescothick – By far and away the biggest loss to the World Cup squad. A shoe-in for England’s best One Day team of all time. 12 hundreds and an average of nearly 40 at an astonishing strike rate of 85 per hundred balls. Without his stress related illness, the debate over Mal Loye would be superfluous. With his stress related illness, England’s task has become much harder.

Matt Prior – Included as a batsman, because that’s how he’s played most of his International cricket. A destructive batsman for Sussex, he couldn’t bring that form to the International arena failing to pass 50 in 12 attempts. Still in the frame when the wicket-keeping position is discussed and it would be a surprise if he isn’t given another chance.

Vikram Solanki – Here’s an odd one. Over fifty games for England without ever looking like a regular. Even his two centuries (only Pietersen, Flintoff and now Collingwood have more in the current squad) only ever hinted at what might be rather than looking like the catalyst for a real breakthrough. Admittedly he wasn’t helped by the ill-fated substitute rule, or batting at anywhere from 1 to 9 is a terrible batting line up, but a measure of how far his star has fallen is that no-one even considered him in contention for the World Cup.

Anthony McGrath – Also never in contention for the World Cup, and some would wonder why he played for England at all. Fourteen ODIs (and that’s 14 more than Mark Butcher) with an average of 16 and a strike rate of less than 50, his debut performance of 33 runs in 75 balls should have been a giveaway. As an “all-rounder” he bowled less than 3 overs per match.

Owais Shah – Made a promising ODI debut in 2001, and has played just 17 matches since. Badly used by England after his debut, his perceived lack of ability in the field may have counted against him during the Fletcher years. Still scoring healthily for Middlesex.

Michael Yardy – Genuine all-rounder as no-one really knew if he was a batsman or a bowler. The figures would suggest the latter, despite him batting at number 4. English conditions suited his bowling. However, subcontinent and the Champions trophy didn’t and off he went.

Rikki Clarke – A two ball duck in his debut, a golden duck in his last game, England have tried and tried to convince that Rikki Clarke is the answer to our one day problems. A bit like Yardy in that no-one really knows if he’s principally a batsman or a bowler, and with a batting average of 11 (strike rate just 62) and bowling average of 37 (economy over 5) he’s not good enough at either discipline.

Alex Loudon – Selected for the ODI squad in 2006 possibly because he can bowl a doosra, he played one game, was run out without scoring and bowled six overs going for a run a ball (reasonable in the context of the game, but crucially not as good as Jamie Dalrymple). By the end of the 2006 season, he was struggling to stay in the Warwickshire team.

Chris Read – The man who murdered Duncan Fletcher’s favourite dog. Surely that is the only explanation for his treatment at the hands of the England selectors over the past few years. A contender for best wicket-keeper in world cricket and an unorthodox batsman. His best series was in the WI last time England toured with two cameos of 20+ to see England home.

Geraint Jones – It all started so well. Brought in on the back of his superior batting, he started at 3 in the batting line up and was also used as a pinch hitting opener. However, he eventually found his place at 7 and when his Test match form became untenable even for Duncan Fletcher, he disappeared from the One Day scene as well.

Tim Bresnan – Injuries cost him his chance to come back from the debacle of the Sri Lanka series and at still only 21 (despite having been in the Yorkshire team for 5 years) he should get more chances. Currently scoring and conceding runs at over one a ball in International cricket.

Steve Harmison – England’s best ODI bowler for a number of years, he seems to have been more mentally scarred than most following the Sri Lankan demolition of last year. The three-fors in the first two matches were forgotten with the 0-97 in the final game. Confidence gone, Harmison retired from ODI cricket after the Champions trophy a pale shadow of the match winning bowler seen two years previously.

Kabir Ali – A promising start away to South Africa where he played in all seven matches of the 04/05 series taking 13 wickets, he was then dropped for a year. Always expensive, the latest nail in his international coffin came at the hands of the Sri Lankans. Six overs for 72 runs and back to Worcestershire.

Alex Wharf – Another wonderful example of England’s selection policy. A regular for 6 months two years ago, he played 13 matches in five months, taking 18 wickets at an economy of just over four…..and hasn’t been seen again since.

Darren Gough – No shortage of self-belief and England’s leading ODI wicket taker. Despite lobbying and the support of Graham Gooch, Dazzler’s dream of one more World Cup didn’t come true. Last seen playing beach cricket, a career in show business beckons.

Turning the tide?

There has been nothing but doom and gloom surrounding the England team and their woeful tour of Australia, until now. Following what from a distance appears another abject and downright pathetic performance against the hosts, England can actually take heart from two major positives, their best opening wicket stand on tour so far, between the dominant Mal Loye and out of form Andrew Strauss and the re-emergence of James Anderson as a dangerous One Day International bowler.

It may just be that England emerge from this tour in a better position to challenge for the World Cup. Even suggesting that their could be a challenge may sound laughable at present, but slowly England are realising what makes a successful One Day International side. Perhaps they are learning from the masters, Australia.

Prior to Michael Vaughan’s latest injury David Graveney stated that he was happy with a top three of Strauss, Vaughan and Bell. Distressed does not come close to describing how this made me feel. Fortunately though, Vaughan’s misfortune has been England’s fortune. Forced to give Mal Loye a shot in at least three games now, England’s selectors have found an answer to part of the puzzle. Marcus Trescothick has been England’s dominant one day top order batsman since the retirement of Nick Knight. Rather than replacing Trescothick with a belligerent like for like though, the selectors chose to open with Ian Bell and promoted Andrew Flintoff to three, which encouraged slow starts and prevented Freddie from doing what he does best, finish games.

Having realised that they were wasting Flintoff at three, England then failed to answer the problem by opening with Michael Vaughan, who one suspects would not even be in the side if it were not for the absence of Trescothick, the recent demoralising sequence of defeats and the current lack of inspired and intelligent leadership. Now, we must not get carried away. Loye scored just 36. But it was a speedy and aggressive 36, scored at a run a ball rate.

When Pietersen is restored to the side for the World Cup, with Flintoff lurking below, England will have three attacking players spread throughout their order, who sides around the world will fear.

Currently lacking Pietersen though, England are still desperately short of fire power. Ed Joyce is a classy player, full of talent, but his mental state on this tour appears frail and if one is brutally honest he is not the type of player England currently need to replace a power player like Pietersen. Joyce is a nudger and nurdler, not a player who will take a game by the scruff of its neck. Joyce’s Middlesex colleague Owais Shah would have been the closest England have to a replacement for Pietersen, but he is seemingly out of Fletcher’s good books. Joyce is more in the mould of a Strauss, a Bell, a Collingwood. England already have too many of those unfortunately.

Ravi Bopara will now surely get a chance in the rest of this series to stake his claim for a middle order slot in England’s one day team. However, ultimately there will not be room for more than three of Vaughan, Strauss, Bell, Joyce, Bopara and Collingwood in England’s one day side. Long term, the likely occupants are Strauss, Bell and Bopara. For now though, few will place Bopara above Collingwood, who has though shown a worrying deterioration in form at precisely the wrong time. It is also likely that Michael Vaughan’s leadership skills will get him the nod at the World Cup if fit, although as I have stated before I believe he should be concentrating on Test cricket afterwards, in order to prolong his career.

This could leave Strauss and Bell fighting it out for the number three/four position in England’s middle order. Strauss has occupied the role before, whilst Bell has shown that he can be a success in that middle order position, especially against spin.

Long term, many believe that Strauss should be the captain and no disagreements will be found here. He has shown time and again that he raises his game when captain and England have made a mistake in returning to Andrew Flintoff, rather than turning to his namesake, Strauss. Flintoff, in contrast to Strauss seems to wilt somewhat under the burden of captaincy and freed of responsibility he gave his best performance by far on tour so far against New Zealand.

In the wicket keeping department it appears as though the management are going to stick with Paul Nixon through until the summer, when one hopes that one of Matt Prior, Steven Davies or James Foster will get the gloves. Nixon, reminiscent of Geraint Jones with his constant verbals and tendency to average fifteen, is not the gloveman that Chris Read undoubtedly is, but his experience makes him a better option with the bat and England are now in need of quick fixes. Many though would still prefer to give one of the above trio the gloves.

One further point which is worthy of consideration is where Kevin Pietersen bats. When you look around the greatest sides in the world the best player often bats at three, just ask Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting. Pietersen, undoubtedly England’s best batsman, needs to bat at three in most situations. Flexibility is though a key string to a sides bow in one day cricket and Pietersen and the number four should of course be interchangeable in certain situations. With Pietersen batting at three though, England will look a far more threatening side during the power plays and it also gives him the chance to bat for the optimum amount of time. With Flintoff lurking down the order at five/six (interchangeable of course!) England would still have a power player to attack the final ten to fifteen overs. Surely it makes sense!

Earlier it was stated that England could learn from Australia and they can and should. For if England were to line up as so, their side would bear striking similarities to that of Australia and surely that is no bad thing:

Trescothick/Loye - Gilchrist (wk)
Strauss/Vaughan (c) - Hayden/Katich
Pietersen - Ponting (c)
Bell/Strauss - Clarke
Flintoff - Symonds
Collingwood/Bopara - Hussey
Dalrymple - White
Prior/Davies (wk) - Watson/Hogg/Johnson/Clark
Tremlett - Lee
Panesar/Broad - Bracken
Anderson - McGrath


Chris Pallett

Time for a breather

Thursday was the day for cricketing news. The biggest news of course was that Shane Warne is retiring from international cricket following this Ashes series. Only four more times will us England fans sit there staring despairingly at our television sets as the chief magician bamboozles our batting line up.

My initial reaction was one of relief, relief that this will no longer happen and also that he plans to play on for Hampshire for a further two years. However, then I began to wonder, is international cricket about to become a whole lot more boring and the answer is undoubtedly yes. Those nail biting moments emanating from the pressure cooker environment which Warne creates are not going to be replicated again during my generation I fear. He has been the best and likely will be forever.

Thursday also brought the announcement that Stephen Harmison was retiring from One Day Internationals, just three months before the 2007 World Cup starts in the Caribbean, a region in which Harmison enjoyed his best form. This is a bold and justifiable decision by Harmison who undoubtedly recognises that he needs to play more first class cricket for his county if he is to maintain his place in England’s test side.

The Durham pace man has left England in a spot of bother though with such a major tournament so near. It is unlikely that he would have been selected for the World Cup squad anyway based on current form, but had he bowed out a few months earlier England could have conducted a more thorough search for a replacement. Now though, time is of the essence, which may have counted against Stuart Broad and his lack of experience. Whether this is the correct decision remains to be seen.

The third piece of news that broke on Thursday was of course the announcement of England’s ODI squad for the forthcoming series against Australia and New Zealand. The absence of Broad is a disappointment. However, much to my pleasant surprise I actually quite like the look of the bowling, if England select the correct five. Andrew Flintoff is a given. Jamie Dalrymple and James Anderson have probably also done enough to be in the side.

Following the dismal performance at the Champions Trophy I argued that a new approach was needed, that England needed to play two spinners in the Caribbean and that they had to play Monty Panesar. Michael Yardy looked troubled with the bat and average with the ball in his handful of appearances in an England shirt. If England are to play two spinners, one must be a wicket taker and Monty is certainly that. Four parts of the jigsaw are now in place.

Finally, I also argued that Chris Tremlett should be in the side. Surprisingly he now gets his chance following a year of troublesome injuries. However, he must play. Tremlett spent a lot of time working on the mental side of his game with Warne over the past two years and he has emerged a more threatening bowler. He will not let England down and has good control unlike Sajid Mahmood. He can also bat to a reasonable standard. Perhaps Broad could have had more success than Anderson in the Caribbean and on the current Australian pitches, but bringing in three new bowlers would have been a big change with the World Cup so near.

Ultimately, Anderson is a seasoned campaigner and knows the one day game well. Jon Lewis performed fantastically in England, but it remains to be seen whether he is up to standard abroad. Mahmood still needs more county cricket to develop, whilst Plunkett has not played for nearly two thirds of a year. In summary then I am happy with the bowling, but would have campaigned for Broad’s inclusion in the squad, along with Simon Jones when fit, for Plunkett and Mahmood.

To the batting now and I am also reasonably satisfied. Michael Vaughan will hopefully open and bring a lot to the game with his captaincy, though England must be certain of his fitness. He should though retire from ODI’s after the World Cup to prolong his Test career. I suspect that had Trescothick been fit Vaughan may have done so already. With Vaughan back there is hopefully a shot maker in the top three, with Strauss and Bell looking to build their innings more.

England will though miss the power of Trescothick and may regret not looking at players such as Owais Shah and Mal Loye. Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Flintoff are givens now, along with Jamie Dalrymple in England’s middle order, but they must be played in that order. That means no more experimenting with Flintoff at three. He is needed for the last ten to fifteen overs. Collingwood and Pietersen are the best players of spin, hence their positioning in the middle order, whilst Bell and Strauss are the most likely innings builders at the top.

Vaughan must though play some shots to get England off to a quick start. That is likely to be the key position. Ed Joyce is a quality player but offers little different to Alastair Cook, who has performed well when involved. England are probably a bowler heavy and a batsman light, which indicates their doubts concerning the bowling attack at the moment. They may well rue the omission of an aggressive top order player though. However, all in all I am sounding reasonably happy so far.

Now we turn to the wicket keeping situation. This completely baffles me. Why England have turned back to a thirty-six year old really is beyond me. Paul Nixon is a good one day player and especially proficient at Twenty20 cricket. However, having named Chris Read as the number one wicket keeper I fail to see the point in calling up a short term player as reserve.

This was the perfect opportunity for the England management to take a look at the two academy keepers, Matthew Prior and Steven Davies. They have not done so and this is my main criticism, unless of course they plan to usurpe Read once more and play Nixon at the World Cup, which would still be a backward step. Batting at number eight though, England can afford to select the best glove man, whoever that may be.

In conclusion, England have made a better fist of selecting a competitive one day squad on this occasion. Gone are the likes of Vikram Solanki, Rikki Clarke and Michael Yardy. However, it remains to be seen whether or not they select the right eleven to take to the field and then play them in the best order. By selecting the best spinner though England have finally sent a message. They are going to look to be more positive in their one day cricket and about time too.

Andrew Strauss (vc)
Michael Vaughan (c) (Marcus Trescothick/ Mal Loye/ Owais Shah)
Ian Bell
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Jamie Dalrymple
Chris Read/ Paul Nixon (wk) (Matthew Prior)
Chris Tremlett
Monty Panesar
James Anderson (Stuart Broad)


Chris Pallett

Who will replace Stresscothick?

My worst fears regarding Marcus Trescothick have been realised. His play all summer-long had been unconvincing; and, it touched the confines of lunacy to suggest he would be fully recovered for an Ashes tour despite not being able to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy a month earlier. So it now seems increasingly likely that Trescothick’s final international appearance will be a first-ball dismissal against Pakistan in a one-dayer. He has had a fine career that included 26 international hundreds – although just a solitary one, in a ODI at Headingly last summer, against the best team in the world.

But, although his excellence is beyond doubt, he seldom thrived against Australia, who frequently exposed his notorious lack of footwork. Though the loss of his experience is a blow, it allows Alistair Cook to move up to his natural position as opener; Paul Collingwood is a gutsy cricketer who should do ok at number five. Trescothick’s withdrawal then, does not weaken England greatly.

Clearly, a replacement is imperative, and will be announced within the next day or so. Robert Key appears to be a front-runner. He is a man who, it seems to be universally acknowledged, showed character and earned the respect of the Aussies in 2002/03 – all this while averaging just 18. Key is a good batsman, but ultimately too prone to careless dismissals; and he only averaged in the mid-30s for Kent last season. If he is selected, it will add to the feelings of some that Andrew Flintoff is rather keen to include his mates in the side.

Owais Shah averaged little better than Key last season. But his class as a batsman is beyond doubt; the ease with which he took to Test cricket in India last winter – scoring 88 and 38 and having the nerve to charge Harbhajan Singh on numerous occasions - certainly merits another opportunity. His county teammate Ed Joyce also has a case for selection, though he has not yet shown he can thrive at international level.

Trescothick’s absence means Andrew Strauss is now the side’s most experienced batsman. The chances of a Vaughan welcome sometime this series have increased, but he will palpably not be ready to play until the 4th Test.

The amiable Mark Butcher has a very good chance of selection; he has scored three Test hundreds against Australia, two of them down under. His form for Surrey was most encouraging last season, while he was only dropped from the England set-up due to injury. Indeed, in his second incarnation as a Test cricketer, from 2001, Butcher’s grit and sweet offside play resulted in an average of 41.

But, if you are going to pick someone on their performances in the last domestic season, it is hard to look beyond Mark Ramprakash; persuading him to leave Strictly Come Dancing for an Ashes tour should not prove too problematic. People will point to his Test record and age as evidence of why he shouldn’t go. But, at this stage of his career, he really would have nothing to lose; equally, this most classical of batsmen remains an impressive fielder (certainly superior to Messrs Shah and Key.)

Ramprakash’s technique has already earned him success against Australia, at home and away – he averages 42 in 12 Tests against them. Having averaged in excess of 100 for Surrey last season, thanks to a series of gargantuan hundreds and his unrelenting professionalism, Ramprakash is in the form of his life, while his character, once a problem, has mellowed considerably. He could slot in seamlessly to number three, filling the void of a classy, attractive and experienced batsman who has excelled in Australia before. Whether Duncan Fletcher is prepared to sanction such a controversial selection, however, remains to be seen.

Tagged with: Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash, Mark Butcher

The trouble with Trescothick

As the Ashes approaches, I will be assessing every Englishman’s chances of success down under. I will start with Marcus Trescothick.

Trescothick pulled out of the ICC Champions Trophy on account of his stress-related illness, though he has since professed to being in perfect mental condition ahead of the Ashes.

But I am not overly hopefully. Since his 193 in Pakistan last year, things have gradually deteriorated for Trescothick. If he is truly in peak condition, he should benefit from the absence of nemesis Jason Gillespie and the apparent decline of Glenn McGrath and enjoy a triumphant winter, especially given his aptitude playing spin. But, if my fears are correct and he is unable to focus entirely on the cricket, then Trescothick’s average will be considerably nearer the 26 in 2002/03 than the 43 he averaged in England last year.

Tagged with: Marcus Trescothick, Ashes 2006/07, stress-related illness, Jason Gillespie