3 reasons England will win
1. A top three who should score runs - umm oops
2. Graeme Swann - 26 wickets
3. An excellent home record in Tests - continued once more
3 reasons Australia might cause an upset
1. Michael Clarke - 381 runs at an average of 47.62. Good but not enough
2. Michael Clarke (just kidding)
3. A good pace attack - Australia showed why they have one of the world's best pace attacks
4. History - Unlike the 1989 tourists, Australia proved unable to take their chances
Player by player guide:
Here is how the rankings system works:
0 – Kesteven
1 – Horrendous
2 – Shocker
3 – Why always me?
4 – Liability
5 – Distinctly average
6 – Pretty, pretty, pretty… pretty good
7 – Gary Neville orgasm
8 – Shares in Kleenex have doubled
9 – Needs boning right now
10 – Babies were born on the back of his performances
In Italics is what I wrote before the series and after is my assessment and a rating.
In Italics is what I wrote before the series and after is my assessment and a rating.
England:
Alastair Cook: A talisman in big oversees wins but finds it harder against the moving ball at home. Fair to say he has good memories of playing Australia
Played 5 - 277 runs, average 27.7, top score 62
Three fifties which if even one had been converted to a hundred would have salvaged his series with the bat. As stated before, he finds it harder batting at home than abroad so should do better in the return series. Came under criticism for his field settings which in many ways is fair, but like predecessor Andrew Strauss his great strength is his leadership skills. Rating: 5
Joe Root: Has done everything asked of him so far in his career and now has a Test hundred to his name, but will have to make another step up to prove he should have been picked over Nick Compton. His off-spin could prove useful if pitches turn
Played 5 - 339 runs, average 37.66, top score 180. 3 wickets, average 11.33, best return 2/9
If an edge at Lord's had been taken then Root's series would have looked massively different, but he showed his class thereafter. Looked better when transferring his weight forward at The Oval and will most probably do well on the bouncier Australian pitches. As predicted his off-spin proved useful, with Root now seen as something of a golden arm and good enough to be a second spinner in helpful conditions. Rating: 7
Jonathan Trott: England's Mr Reliable would normally be a definite 9, but his standards have dipped slightly. His average since 2012 is 42.45, not because his form has dropped but because he has not been converting starts into hundreds like he used to. In this period he hit nine 50s and two hundreds but that also includes a number of other starts which he failed to convert. Like Cook he often struggles against left-hand seamers which might explain why he did not score big against New Zealand
Played 5 - 293 runs, average 29.3, top score 59. 1 wicket, average 28, best return 1/12
Continued the theme where he would get in then get out which is proving worrying. Many of his dismissals were tame such as caught down the leg-side or out flicking off his hip. Rating: 5.5
Kevin Pietersen: Like Cook and Trott he has scored big runs against Australia and looks in excellent touch once again. Assuming he is fully fit, expect probably one match winning innings, if not a consistent number
Played 5 - 388 runs, average 38.8, top score 113
As expected there was one excellent knock which - alongside the weather - prevented England from losing at Manchester although unlike some of his other stunning innings it did not lead to a win. Some poor dismissals as expected but batted responsibly at Trent Bridge in England's third innings and if not for bad light he would have played a hand in a win on the final day at The Oval. Another player who would not have enjoyed the pitches. Rating: 7
Ian Bell: It may have gone under the radar but Bell should feel his place in the side is under threat. From the start of 2012 he averages 32.07 with one hundred and once more he is getting out cheaply, a problem which he looked to have sorted out. A couple of quiet Tests and even his excellent fielding at short leg might not be enough to keep him in the side
Played 5 - 562 runs, average 62.44, top score 113
In a series which did not see run scoring at a premium, Bell shone throughout with important innings coming in every Test. His 562 runs is the joint third highest by an Englishman in a home Ashes series, putting him alongside Denis Compton and behind just David Gower and Graham Gooch.
Ironically, Bell was the player in the top five who was the least secure of his place in the team before the series but he threw away all doubts about his temperament which he admitted had held him back in the past. Without getting too carried away, Bell was the reason England won the series. Rating: 9.5
Jonny Bairstow: A lack of cricket both this winter and since the New Zealand Tests have hampered his progress but he is a good counter-attacking player and has shown already he has the bottle for the big stage
Played 4 - 203 runs, average 29:00, top score 67
A disappointing series which saw the Yorkshireman lose his place in the team for the last Test. A top score of 67 only came in an innings where he had earlier been caught off a no-ball and his overall strike-rate of 40.11 was too low for someone who is meant to give the innings an impetus. His wicket-keeping will take him Down Under but he must work on a technical fault if he is to have a bigger impact. Rating: 5
Matt Prior: After the winter his rating would have been even higher but an uncharacteristically poor summer so far, with few runs and unusual errors behind the stumps, have seen him slip from his normally incredible standards
Played 5 - 133 runs, average 19, top score 47, catches 18
Probably the worst series he has had since being recalled to the England set-up follows a series against New Zealand where you would have said exactly the same. The reigning England Player of the Year was due a poor series but he will bounce back quickly after a difficult summer which has regardless seen him come out with five wins and no losses in Tests. Rating: 4
Stuart Broad: Like Pietersen a man who will normally win you a match but might not deliver Test after Test. Showed his best form two years ago against India when he was all over their batsmen and England fans will hope for a repeat
Played 5 - 179 runs, average 25.57, top score 65. 22 wickets, average 27.45, best return 6/50
Broad's overall figures were boosted by some cheap wickets as Australia hit out at The Oval but they were a reward for some continually excellent bowling which did not always reap the rewards it deserved. The one match defining spell came at Durham which must go down alongside Anderson's at Trent Bridge for the best of the series. Having the wool over Clarke proved invaluable.
As for his batting, it proved useful and there are no complaints for not walking when many of the Australians didn't. Rating: 8.5
Graeme Swann: Quite simply, in my opinion, the one player England cannot afford to lose. A match winner with the ball, useful with the bat and an excellent slip catcher, England look extremely vulnerable when the off-spinner is not there
Played 5 - 126 runs, average 25.2, top score 34. 26 wickets, average 29.03, best return 5/44
With dry pitches supposedly for his benefit, Swann did his job well with another excellent all-round series. Maybe he didn't quite have the same dramatic effect as Broad and Anderson but he was consistent throughout and enjoyed Australia's left-handers. Rating: 8.5
James Anderson: Alongside Swann as the player England need most. Possibly the most skilled bowler in world cricket (if not the best) he will fancy his chances against the Australian openers before Swann starts wheeling away
Played 5 - 36 runs, average 7.2, top score 16. 22 wickets, average 29.59, best return 5/73
A masterclass at Trent Bridge (it is hard to do justice to that performance on that pitch) set lofty standards which were never matched but some wickets at The Oval were a happy ending after struggles at Old Trafford and Durham where he would have expected to do well. Rating: 8
Steven Finn: A worrying loss of form means Finn can not be relied upon here, but his pace and knack of picking up wickets will probably give him the edge over Tim Bresnan. Will need a quick start, though, with the more versatile Yorkshireman back to full fitness and form
Played 1 - 2 runs, average 2, top score 2*. 2 wickets, average 58.5, best return 2/80
With Broad off the field, Finn steamed in late on day one at Trent Bridge and knocked over Watson and Cowan in successive deliveries. After that, though, it all went wrong. As expected, the Middlesex paceman got the nod over Bresnan but his stuttering run-up continued to cause him problems and he suffered at the hands of Haddin on the final day. Fortunate that a difficult dropped catch did not cost his side, Finn can at least be reassured that he is still highly regarded and can get his place in the side back. Rating: 4
The rest: The Finn/Bresnan/Onions debate: Finn has the pace, the height and the knack of picking up wickets. Bresnan is accurate, can reverse the ball and bat. Onions is an excellent stump-to-stump bowler and is effective against left-handers. If the pitch is dry and rough I'd lean towards Bresnan and if it's green then Onions. Finn's form is a concern but he would still be a decent choice if selected.
Bresnan: Played 3 - 103 runs, average 25.75, top score 45. 10 wickets, average 29.6, best return 2/25
Considering he took no more than two wickets in an innings it seems bizarre to say Bresnan was an important player but he always seems to have an effect on the result. Back to his best after injury problems, his loss to a stress fracture in the back caused selection difficulties at The Oval, highlighting just how important his all-round package as a cricketer is. Rating: 8
Chris Woakes: Played 1 - 42 runs, average 42, top score 25. 1 wicket, average 96, best return 1/96
Put in as a batting all-rounder, there were glimpses of his talent but he bowled too many bad balls and was out flashing hard outside his off-stump. Runs in the second innings during a run chase show why for now he is a better bet as an ODI player. Rating: 5
Simon Kerrigan: Played 1 - 1 run, average n/a, top score 1*. 0 wickets
Had a good domestic season in division two but was torn apart by Watson. Will almost certainly be back though as he is seen as the most likely successor to Swann. I'm not going to be too harsh and give him a rating.
Australia:
Shane Watson: A Test batting average of 35.34 is misleading. Watson finds it difficult to hit hundreds, with his last coming at Mohali in October 2010, 20 Tests ago. But few players survive the new ball as well as him, and considering the fragility of the Aussie batting line-up (and the importance to protect Michael Clarke) putting Watson back to the top of the order is a shrewd move. If Lehmann can coax the best from him with bat and ball, Watson could be on of the stars of the series. Early indications are good if his runs against Somerset and Worcestershire are to go by
Played 5 - runs 418, average 41.8, top score 176. 2 wickets, average 89.5, best return 1/21
A series which seemed to have it all for Watson with: ridicule over his reviews and propensity to be out lbw, talk over his relationship with Clarke, movement up and down the order, and finally redemption at the end. After all the laughter, Watson ended the series with the most runs by an Australian and now secure in the number three spot for the time being.
As for his bowling, it did not prove penetrative but sending down 38 maidens from 85.3 overs was a real boost for his captain. Rating: 7.5
Chris Rogers: Cricket Australia haven't got much right recently, but picking the Middlesex opener is an exception. A first-class average of 50, a domestic average of 65.83 this season, and plenty of experience opening in England, Rogers is the perfect choice alongside Watson. Taking that record to the international stage, though, will not be easy
Played 5 - 367 runs, average 40.77, top score 110
A Swann full-toss aside, this was a good series for the 35 (nearly 36) year-old. A maiden Test hundred at Durham was the highlight after coming close at Old Trafford and it can be said that he is one of the few Australian batsmen that has enhanced his reputation. Should do well in the return series where pitches will not suit Swann as much. Rating: 7
Ed Cowan: A dogged batsman who sells his wicket dearly, Cowan was well liked by previous coach Mickey Arthur but is not a scorer of big runs. Has scored for Nottinghamshire this summer, but showed his failings with four fifties and no hundreds. Will probably keep his place in the team even if it's in a different position to one he is used to
Played 1 - 14 runs, average 7, top score 14
A golden duck and 14, both times out flashing loosely outside off-stump at times when England needed a wicket. Maybe it was harsh that he was dropped, but clearly he is not a cricketer who Darren Lehmann fancies and he will have to score well in the Sheffield Shield to get his place back. Might have been an inglorious end to his Test career. Rating: 3
Phil Hughes: The biggest enigma of Australian cricket, Hughes has a suspect technique which saw him dropped last time he was here. In five Tests against England he has scored just 154 runs with a top score of 36. In India he at one staged faced 39 consecutive balls against spin, scoring no runs and being dismissed four times.
Hughes has pedigree though, with back-to-back hundreds in South Africa and runs against Sri Lanka in the Australian summer. England bowlers will be glad to see him, though
Played 2 - 83 runs, average 27.66, top score 81*
A really good showing in his first knock made it seem like things could be different for Hughes, but three innings and two runs later he was once more dropped after the Lord's Test as he had been in 2009. Interesting to see where he goes from now on with that number six spot in the order still up for grabs. Rating: 5
Michael Clarke: His batting has already been mentioned but his captaincy is also very good. He won in the West Indies declaring behind in the first innings and in India he declared his side's first innings at 237-9 just to get a few overs at the Indian openers on the first evening. Like Brendon McCullum, Clarke will attack England at all opportunities
Played 5 - 381 runs, average 47.62, top score 187
A big knock at Old Trafford which came with his side under pressure and 2-0 down in the series, but even then he did not look comfortable with plenty of loose strokes. Roughed up by Broad, it is clear Clarke is not as comfortable as he has been in racking up big scores since the start of 2012 but he again looked classy against spin, despite his aberration to Root.
As for his captaincy, he is one of the best on the field I have ever seen with England's top order suffocated through imaginative field placings and his willingness to attack at all costs and really go for a win is a great credit to him. Rating 7.5
Steven Smith: A late addition to the side after Warner's suspension and Clarke's back problems, Smith is only meant to be with the tourists until the second Test but could gatecrash the side. Scored 133 for Australia A against Ireland and 161 from four innings in India. Runs against Worcestershire will only have helped his cause. Is seen as a batsman but bowls handy leg-spin
Played 5 - 345 runs, average 38.33, top score 138*. 4 wickets, average 26.5, best return 3/18
Big runs in the final Test saved his series like with Watson but there was not enough when it counted, bar his three wickets at Lord's. As suggested, despite being a late replacement in the squad he started the series and his leg-spin did prove handy, but it was those runs which have cemented his place in the side. Can clearly play but looks susceptible against the moving ball. Rating: 6.5
Played 5 - 206 runs, average 22.88, top score 71, catches 29
Out-performed his opposite number with bat and gloves, securing a record 29 catches in a series. Not prolific but scores tough runs as seen at Trent Bridge. A bit more consistency with the bat is all that could have been asked of him. Rating: 7
Peter Siddle: Often underrated by those outside Australia, Siddle will steam in all day, give the batsmen no respite and can take wickets with the new and old ball. Siddle proved himself as the leader of the attack when he bowled himself to exhaustion in Adelaide where he tried to take the final South African wickets, and he did well in the last two Tests in India.
Siddle's Test average of 28.84 is pretty good and in his two series against England he has averaged 30.8 and 34.56. Also useful with the bat (he top scored with half centuries in both innings of the final Test in India), Siddle will almost certainly keep his place despite a slow start to the tour
Played 5 - 84 runs, average 10.5, top score 23. 17 wickets, average 31.58, best return 5/50
Similar bowling average as in his two other Ashes series, Siddle backed up his opening burst in the first day of the 2010/11 series with another salvo here, but he faded a bit towards the end. Can be proud of his efforts considering he rarely got to use the new ball. Rating: 7.5
Mitchell Starc: A potential superstar. Similar to Mitchell Johnson in name, bowling action and the way he plays the game, Starc seems to be the better bet to be a mainstay of the Australian side. After one successful Test against India and the West Indies, Starc really announced himself in another of his one-Test series, this time against the number one ranked side in the world at Perth. Clean bowling Alviro Peterson and Jacques Kallis in successive overs with inswinging deliveries, Starc could repeat Johnson's performance against England at Perth from the last Ashes series if the ball swings. Likewise, he can prove expensive if conditions are not in his favour.
Starc is also probably the most talented tail-end batsman from either side. He averages over 32 with the bat from his nine Tests, including 68* from 64 balls against South Africa and an incredible 99 in the dust bowls of India
Played 3 - 104 runs, average 26, top score 66*. 11 wickets, average 32.45, best return 3/76
I predicted big things for Starc who didn't quite perform as well as expected. Still, it wasn't a bad series and he can be considered slightly unlucky to have been dropped twice after doing nothing wrong. Despite being seen as expensive, his economy was 2.97 for the series which is pretty good.
With the bat there was only one show of his explosive talent with 66* off 71 balls but as an all-rounder he has room to develop. Rating: 7
James Pattinson: Like Starc, Pattinson is 23 and is another who can become a world star. His bowling average from 10 Tests is 23.37 and he impressed with his pace against India. Like Starc (and indeed Siddle) he can bowl 90+ mph and has an excellent yorker. Again, as with Starc, he has suffered from injuries but has been back to full health and could be a big threat with ball in hand. Like his fellow bowlers he is also more than handy with the willow
Played 2 - 72 runs, average 36, top score 35. 7 wickets, average 43.85, best return 3/69
Only managed two Tests before going home injured once again but failed to show why he is so highly rated. A man capable of searing speed whilst moving the ball into the right-hander, he did not take enough wickets. With the bat, though, he looked accomplished with runs in both Tests. If he can stay fit he is still one for the future. Rating: 5.5
Nathan Lyon: Sorry to say but Lyon is the weak link of the Australian side. He is not a bad bowler, as his average of 33.18 shows, but it is clear that his own team do not rate him. Dropped after one Test in the spinners' paradise of India, the attempt to fast-tract Fawad Ahmed's citizenship after 15 first-class matches is revealing. Possessing a doosra he calls "Jeff", it would be no surprise if Lyon was jettisoned at some point
Played 3 - 12 runs, average 6, top score 8. 9 wickets, average 33.66, best return 4/42
I said he may get dropped but I at least thought he would start the series. For some reason Lyon is still trying to justify himself as Australia's best spin bowler but he again showed why they should keep faith with him. After bowling well at Old Trafford without luck and with Pietersen in the mood, he bizarrely got his rewards on the first day at Durham. Surely now he must be played in every match. Rating: 7
Ashton Agar: 19-year-old left-arm spinner who has hit three 50s from his nine first-class matches. Did well with Australia A and is a definite contender for Lyon's place
Played 2 - 130 runs, average 32.5, top score 98. 2 wickets, average 124, best return 2/82
Agar's debut was the story of the Ashes and his knock of 98 - just two runs away from becoming the first number 11 in Test history to hit a hundred - was astonishing. However, he did not threaten enough with the ball although he missed out on one wicket after Broad was given not out at Trent Bridge following his massive edge. Rating: 6
Jackson Bird: A control bowler with an excellent first-class record and 11 wickets from his two Tests against Sri Lanka at 16.18 runs apiece, he is another exciting seamer who could come in and took wickets against Worcestershire
Played 1 - 1 run, average n/a, top score 1. 2 wickets, average 62.5, best return 2/58
Did not do enough in his one Test to justify re-selection and ended up returning home with a back injury. Another seamer who is highly rated and will surely come again. Rating: 5
James Faulkner: A highly-rated all rounder (especially by Shane Warne) who bowls left arm over and is more than handy with the bat as he showed in the Champions Trophy. Will probably be a mainstay in the Australian team in all three formats in the future
Played 1 - 45 runs, average 22.25, top score 23. 6 wickets, average 16.33, best return 6/98
Looked fairly innocuous with bat and ball on a dead Oval pitch but ended up with six wickets. When Watson stops bowling Faulkner could come in as a batting all-rounder. Rating: 7.5
Ryan Harris: Another top seamer who can hold a bat, 33-year-old Harris averages 23.63 from 12 Tests and has troubled England in the past but is injury prone
Played 4 - 99 runs, average 19.8, top score 33. 24 wickets, average 19.58, best return 7/117
Supposedly injured for the first Test, Harris then countered expectations by playing the final four with Old Trafford and Durham being back-to-back. Unlike some of the younger players, Harris continually delivered excellent performers and for consistency was probably the best bowler of the series. Rating: 9
Usman Khawaja: A Test average of 29.22 from six Tests is not much, but he is highly rated and a 73 against Somerset will have done him no harm. Number six is the position which looks hardest to call with David Warner and Steve Smith around, so if given the chance Khawaja needs to start well
Played 3 - 114 runs, average 19, top score 54
Brought in for Cowan, a decent half-century at Lord's was as good as it got with Swann enjoying bowling to him. Like Hughes he does not look to have a good enough technique but Sheffield Shield runs might get him back in at number six. Rating: 4
Matthew Wade: A wicket-keeper whose Test average of 34.61 is only slight worse than Haddin's, Wade might find himself displaced because Haddin is seen as the better option with bat and gloves
The only tourist not to get a game!
David Warner: Almost certain not to start after being banned from the warm-up matches for punching Root, Warner could find himself in the middle order where he is less exposed to the new ball. A free scoring batsman with a respectable Test average of 39.46, his lack of form is a concern but a clean slate under Lehmann could be in his favour
Played 3 - 138 runs, average 23, top score 71
After being sent to South Africa where he made 193 for Australia A, Warner was brought back in with his side 2-0 down but he ended up flattering to deceive. A promising 71 at Durham looked to be winning the Test for his team but his dismissal to a good Bresnan delivery caused a collapse. Despite a poor series average he is likely to continue at the top of the order even with a habit of being caught flashing outside his off stump. Rating: 5
Overall prediction
Conditions and the toss at Trent Bridge will have a massive effect. If it's bowler-friendly and Australia win the toss the whole series can change. Otherwise, it's hard to see past an England win. I'm going 2-1 but I expect it to be tight throughout the series
Despite losing the toss Australia had favourable conditions to work with which they made the most of. However, failing to win that opening Test made it a monumental task to win the series. Unlike some others who made predictions, I did see a close series which in some ways it was with both sides having chances to win in four of the five Tests. As it was, England managed to sneak over the line in two of them.
Top run scorer prediction:
England - Trott, Australia - Clarke
Actual result: Bell, Watson
Top wicket taker prediction:
England - Anderson, Australia - Starc
Actual result: Swann, Harris
Final word...
1. Six of England's top seven may have struggled to make runs, but a reminder of their averages in 2010/11 suggests they will do better Down Under: Cook - 127.66, Trott - 89.00, Pietersen - 60, Bell - 65.8, Prior - 50.4
2. Australia, barring another crisis of their manufacturing, will start next series in much better shape than this one with four of their top five likely to start in Brisbane having hit a century in these five Tests. They know they can score runs and take wickets against England now and any fear factor will be gone. England will have to raise their game
3. In 2009, Australia had six of the top seven run scorers and the top three wicket takers. Here, they had four of the top six run scorers and bowling wise the averages are similar. What is clear, though, is that England have a winning habit. This, more so than the players, are what separates the sides
4. The ICC should make a grovelling apology. It was dark, the floodlights were on, the crowd was generating a great atmosphere and England were romping home. It was a fantastic occasion and a stunning ending to the biggest series in Test cricket which those present and watching at home would never forget. Instead, the mood was somewhat ruined by provisions that meant the players had to go off. And we wonder why Test cricket is sidelined for the limited overs versions
5. The pitches were crap. Before the series I believed we should make the pitches dry as it would give us an advantage but these five Tests have made me change my mind. From now on I hope to see quintessential English pitches which means swing at certain grounds, pace and bounce at others but also something there for the spinners
6. Stuart Broad doesn't walk and there is a massive outcry. Brad Haddin doesn't walk and I hear almost nothing. I don't want to hear any more criticism of Broad for standing his ground
