England player rater

England have just returned home from the West Indies, where the test series defeat was countered somewhat by victory in the one day series, but how did England’s players stack up... just in, here’s the top 20.


20. Ian Bell
1 test, 32 runs @ 16.00
Looked frightened by his own shadow in his only test match when he probably shouldn’t have been selected in the first place. Time for a season away from the spotlight at Warwickshire.


19. Ryan Sidebottom
3 tests, 32 runs @ 32.00, 2 wickets @ 181.00
Turned up injured, picked injured, his pace was well down and to be honest he never really looked like taking any wickets. Fingers crossed he get his body right for the Ashes, as on form his variety will be valuable.

18. Amjad Khan
1 test, 1 wicket @ 122.00,
1 Twenty20, 2 wickets @ 17.00, 2 runs
Very erratic test debut some good balls interspersed with a lot of rubbish, and not especially trusted by his captain on the final day. Decent pace, but I’m not convinced he’s an international class player.


17. Gareth Batty
3 ODIs, 24 runs @ 12.00, 1 wicket @ 72.00
1 Twenty20, 4 runs, and no wickets for 17
An erroneous selection, Batty’s not the man for the present, and certainly not the man for the future. Surely Rashid should have been given a go. Performed adequately but no more.


16. Steve Davies
1 Twenty20, 27 runs
Batted well in his one opportunity opening the innings in the Twenty20. Davies scored his 27 runs off just 21 deliveries – I actually think he may be a better option in one-dayers than Prior.


15. Monty Panesar
3 Tests, 0 runs @ 0.00, 5 wickets @ 54.00
Monty responded well to a bad start and being dropped, and finally bowled superbly on the final afternoon at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad nearly contributing to a fine win. May well benefit from the added competition Graeme Swann offers.


14. Little Timmy Ambrose
1 Test, 76 runs
Came in when Prior popped off home to see his new baby and couldn’t be faulted on his performance, scoring 76 in his only innings, and keeping wicket well. A little unfortunate to lose his place once Prior decided he wanted to play again.

13. Owais Shah
4 Tests, 133 runs @ 22.16,
1 Twenty20, 6 runs
5 ODIs, 107 runs @ 26.75
Finally given the chance many had been calling for when Bell was dropped after the first test and although it wasn’t in his natural home at number five or six he was disappointing. Great batting tracks and an average attack should have offered more than a batting average of 22. Unfortunately Shah our best ODI batsman of the last couple of years took his test form into the 50 over game.


12. Steve Harmison
2 Tests, 4 wickets @ 36.75, 14 runs @ 7.00
4 ODIs, 0 wickets for 139 runs
Hurt somewhat by seeming to be picked on all of the wrong tracks Harmy still doesn’t look like an experienced pack leading fast bowler. Took a pasting at times in the one-dayers, down on pace an inspiration, he’s not even half the bowler he was on the last tour and to be honest I just wouldn’t trust him to play for England again.


11. Dmitri Mascarenhas
1 Twenty20, 0 runs, 0 wickets for 17 runs
5 ODIs, 65 runs @ 21.66, 5 wickets @ 30.40
Pretty average figures from an average player, bowled a little better than I expected, batted a little bit worse – at strike rate of 57 is dire for a big hitting lower order player


10. Matt Prior
4 Tests, 310 runs @ 77.50
5 ODIs, 74 runs @ 37.00
Topped the test match batting averages where he performed very well with the bat, but his keeping remains poor at best, catches dropped, and nearly a world record number of byes conceded in the Trinidad test match, and many more in the ODIs, which could prove very costly in tight games. He also doesn’t convince as a limited overs batsman not scoring as quickly as he should through a lack of inventiveness in shot making.


9. Andrew Flintoff
3 Tests, 67 runs @ 16.75, 5 wickets @ 30.20
3 ODIs, 3 runs @ 1.50, 6 wickets @ 16.00
Mixed as he always seems to be these days, inspired for his decisive bowling performance in the final ODI in St. Lucia, he never bowled less than well, although generally not quite hitting the heights. Batting form more impeded by his on-off injury problems.


8. Kevin Pietersen
5 Tests, 406 runs @ 58.00
1 Twenty20, 12 runs
5 ODIs, 80 runs @ 20.00
Not quite himself after losing the captaincy, started with a typically belligerent 97 in the first test, and hit an important century in Trinidad, there apart too often out to poor shots, and not looking quite as self assured as usual. Well below par in the ODIs when apparently he was thinking of home. Needs to find his spark again in time for Australia.


7. Stuart Broad
5 Tests, 94 runs @ 18.80, 12 wickets @ 30.58
1 Twenty20, 2 runs and 1 for 26
5 ODIs, 11 runs @ 3.66, 8 wickets @ 26.75
Broad has continued his rapid improvement as an international cricketer, with the injuries suffered among the seamers he stepped up to a senior role, leading the pack alongside Anderson and growing as a wicket taking threat. Remains a quality one day bowler, although didn’t get going with the bat.


6. Ravi Bopara
1 Test, 104 runs
1 Twenty20, 13 runs
5 ODIs, 146 runs @ 29.20
Quality hundred in his one test match in Barbados, full of great attacking shots to the leg side, and was a little unlucky to miss out when the extra bowler was selected for the final game. Bopara also showed promise opening in the fifty over games without getting the big score. He’s got the ability to clear the infield in the early overs, I’d tell him now he’s opening the batting through to the next world cup.


5. Alastair Cook
5 Tests, 384 runs @ 54.85
Broke that hoodoo by finally turning a half century into a hundred at Barbados and batted well throughout the test series forming a very reliable opening partnership with his Captain. Sure to me a major fixture in the side for years to come, maybe at number three though?


4. Graeme Swann
3 Tests, 31 runs, 19 wickets @ 24.05
Established himself as the number one spinner in the side following on from out bowling Panesar in India. Missed out on the first test, but after that bowled with control and variation, finishing as the leading wicket taker on either side. Also looks like a good character especially on a long tour.


3. Jimmy Anderson
4 Tests, 24 runs @ 12.00, 9 wickets @ 38.00
1 Twenty20, 1 wicket for 19 runs
5 ODIs, 8 runs, 9 wickets @ 21.11
His test stats don’t quite justify this ranking on their own, but I think he bowled superbly throughout. Ando’s always bowled wicket taking deliveries but his consistency has improved, and he’s also bowling at a really good pace now. Batting has improved and he’s turned himself into a reliable nightwatchman – even when he shouldn’t be used in that role.


2. Paul Collingwood
5 Tests, 430 runs @ 61.42, 0 wickets for 73 runs
1 Twenty20, 14 runs, 0 wickets for 8 runs
5 ODIs, 111 runs @ 37.00, 5 wickets @ 22.80
Confession time, I was wrong – before the tour I was advocating dropping Colly, but he’s been absolutely superb. As always never looking too pretty, but bloody effective, and always there when he’s needed. Two hundreds in four completed tests speaks for itself, and he’s still as absolutely essential member of the limited overs side – taking useful wickets, and topping the scoring rate charts (of anyone facing more than 20 balls) at 88.80.


1. Andrew Strauss
5 Tests, 541 runs @ 67.62
1 Twenty20, 22 runs
5 ODIs, 204 runs @ 51.00
No surprises that the skipper is in at number one. Handed a hospital pass by the Pietersen / Moores debacle before the tour, he handled himself brilliantly throughout, and the captaincy clearly helps his batting. Four hundreds in all forms of cricket, Strauss led from the front and actually played more fluently than for years, culminating in some one day innings as welcome as they were unexpected. A world class tour, where my only criticism is a tendency for slightly negative captaincy in the test matches.