Highlights of 2014

I didn't think I'd write another post this year, but here I am with a little thing to round the year off. These are my personal highlights in English cricket this year - generally the ones I've found the most entertaining, exciting, or have just made me happiest.

5. Joe Root & James Anderson's last wicket stand

This won't be remembered as a particularly special match, as on the face of it, it was just a very dull draw and even finished with Alastair Cook bringing himself on to bowl. But it had its moments: India in their first innings putting on a century stand with batsmen number nine and eleven before England went even better, racking up a world record 198-run stand for the final wicket. It probably said a lot more about the pitch than anything else, but even so this was just so fun at the time - the sense of disbelief as Anderson first made it to his highest first class score, then his first fifty, coming so close to an improbable test century before eventually falling for 81. Joe Root's unbeaten 154* wasn't bad either.

4. Jos Buttler's ODI century

There aren't really any words that can describe this innings other than brilliant. Though ultimately in a losing cause as Sri Lanka came out as winners by seven runs, it took England a lot closer than they would have come otherwise. Buttler took England to the brink with a phenomenal 121 from 74 balls batting at number seven, and some of the shots he hit were just unbelievable. I was listening on radio at the time whilst cooking my dinner, and this was an innings that nearly made me burn it: I just couldn't drag myself away. Moreover, after such a miserable winter, this innings gave a glimmer of hope for the future; and by the end of the summer Buttler was no longer a limited overs specialist for England.

3. A new king of spin emerges

At the start of the year, the future looked bleak in many ways for England, and the problem of replacing a spinner as successful as Graeme Swann was a major concern. When Moeen Ali was called up to the test side, it was mainly as a batsman and a part time bowler - not all that trusted by the captain. That wasn't the case by the end of the summer, Ali taking 19 wickets at 23 against the team perhaps most known for playing spin - India. When he bowled India out in the third test at Southampton, taking 6/67 as they fell for just 178, his name was on everyone's lips. More than that, his attitude impressed - his composure, determination to better himself, and how unfazed he was by all the attention; qualities that should stand him in good stead for the future.

2. 8/4

There are moments you have to see to believe, and there are moments you struggle to believe even as you see them. This was the latter. In what was barely the blink of an eye, India's score of 8/0 became 8/4. The series stood at 1-1 at this point with two to go but England were finding their feet again, and from this moment the series seemed as good as theirs. Broad (6/25) and Anderson (3/46) ran riot on the first morning in near perfect conditions, dismissing India for 152 on the way to an innings victory. And English cricket really had a smile on its face again.

1. Yorkshire win the County Championship

I generally stick to the international game on this blog, but for me this was the cricket highlight of the year. I was seven years old when Yorkshire last won the competition, only just starting to become aware of the game and certainly not knowing much about county cricket. Since then there have been ups and downs, relegations, promotions and near misses, but 2014 was the year where Yorkshire put themselves firmly on top of the pile again. Across all areas they excelled, having the strength in depth to cope with the absences of players like Root, Ballance, and Plunkett on international duty, and with several others pushing for further places in the national side. I'm always hopelessly biased towards my county, but this was the moment that put the biggest smile on my face for days on end - so it has to be my personal highlight of 2014.

Where do we go from here?

Another ODI series has been and gone, and now England are left with just one more series to finally find their feet before the World Cup begins. I must say, the seven matches in Sri Lanka did go better than expected (honestly I wasn't entirely expecting them to keep it alive for six games, as bad as that may sound), but as ever there were times where it felt like one step forwards, two steps back.

Let's start with the good points, because despite the 5-2 series scoreline, they were there. England did put in some good performances: despite losing the first match, they put up a good fight and fell only 25 runs short; there were impressive run chases in the rain affected third and fifth games - the fifth also seeing what was probably their best bowling performance of the series. And batting wise, there were certainly a few players who put themselves forwards. Moeen Ali, although fading as the series went on, had some good performances in his new role as opener - his century in the first match being especially memorable and just so enjoyable to watch. He didn't perform with the bat so well in the later games, but his attacking attitude certainly impressed and he was also one of the team's most economical with the ball in hand. James Taylor was finally given a chance in the side and instantly showed why with innings of 90 and 68 in his first two matches (and suddenly the talk changed from him being too short to play international cricket to 'why are short batsmen so successful?'). Joe Root cemented his position further, finishing as England's leading scorer and proving an important cog in the middle order. I also thought Bopara did a decent job, though once again he found himself out of the side by the last match - forever seen as a useful player, never quite finding the luck to make himself essential.

But even so, the problems are still there in the batting. Morgan's form continues to be a concern, though interestingly 62 of his 90 runs across the seven match series came in his one innings as captain. Cook's woes with the bat continued, Bell disappeared from the side, Hales couldn't make an impact in his very limited chances. The collapses in the middle overs against spin continued. And though there were some good run chases, there were also totals of 202 and 215 in response to targets of around 300 to go with a first innings score of 185 in the second match of the series. As ever, when they fired, they looked very good - but you could never knew when they would fire or when they would crumble away.

Bowling wise, there were probably more downs than ups. Woakes and Jordan were probably the picks of the bunch; Stokes went backwards with 8 overs disappearing for 85 runs; Gurney wasn't quite the left-armer England are desperate to find;  Finn wasn't at his worst, but still wasn't at his best. Tredwell's place can be doubted now too - though he has been pretty solid whenever he's played, he's less likely to be needed with Ali (and a few overs from Root) in the team and there being less need for spin in Australia. Wides were a problem throughout, simply gifting too many free runs to Sri Lanka. And it was at the death when they often really struggled - even when they got themselves in a good position, those last 5/10/15 overs could often see that final score get away from them. Hopefully with Broad and Anderson back, with their added experience and nous, this will improve. Or maybe it is just a reflection of the game as it is - teams are geared towards a final assault at this point in the innings, encouraged with a powerplay to use as a platform. But you'd still think short and wide isn't the best way to bowl at that stage. It was just frustrating to see decent positions let slip too often.

As I've been writing, Cook has been replaced by Morgan as captain. It's a good move - Cook can focus on the longer format and (hopefully) get back to his best in what will be a massive 18 months or so for England in test matches. And hopefully Morgan can get back to his best too - maybe the added responsibility can be a spark for him as it has hinted to be. But the confusion is still clear to see. With just a series to go, England are still trying to find their best side, have a squad filled with many still trying to prove their worth at this level and lacking in experience. There may be the odd signs of progress, but there is still a long way to go and it feels like the World Cup is just coming too soon. England are still trying to find their winning formula.

Another ODI Rant

The first three ODIs have been a mixed bag for England: a respectable performance in the first, where a middle order collapse saw a 25-run loss; a shocker in the second, mustering only 185 runs; overcoming another collapse to win in a rain-affected third game. There have been some very good individual performances along the way - Moeen Ali's innings as opener have been especially impressive - and the ingredients of a decent ODI team are definitely there to see. But once again, it feels like with every match a new set of questions can be raised about their competitiveness.

And it always seems to come back to Alastair Cook. I know I probably sound like a broken record, questioning his place in the side again and again and again, but I just don't see him as one of the best one day players in the country and so deserving of a place in the side. He is without a doubt a brilliant test player, probably one of the best England have ever produced - certainly in terms of the stats - and though I was calling for his head earlier in the year, his captaincy is coming along in that format. I would call myself a fan, but there's always a but. I don't think he has the right mentality for the modern ODI game, in batting or captaincy, and it's been highlighted by watching Moeen Ali's sparkling performances as his opening partner at the other end. I'd much rather see an opening pair of Ali and Hales, rather than Hales coming in at number three as he did in the most recent game. Leave Cook to the test side, let him focus on the longest format; without the pressure of leading the ODI side as well his form could well and truly come back and fully flourish there as it has before. The next match, with Cook banned for a slow over rate, will be an interesting one to see: Morgan will be leading the side, James Taylor could even get a chance in the team, and Ali and Hales will in all probability be the openers. It's a brilliant opportunity for both of them, but most of all Hales: if they can put on an impressive opening stand, it will create quite the headache for the selectors and the shouts for Cook to go will grow ever louder.

Form in general seems to be an issue. Morgan will be captain for the next match, but his innings so far this series have been very brief: 1, 17, 1. He is a proven performer and a match winner for England in the both the limited overs formats, but he really hasn't been at his best over the past year or two, and it is starting to be a big concern. When he's at his best, he can score runs all around the ground, hit the ball in places you don't expect - just be a very difficult man to set a field to. But at the moment with the bat he's not adding much to the team. Maybe the added responsibility of being captain for a game will give him the boost he needs - it certainly seemed to help during the Twenty20 against India at the end of the summer. And hopefully he will find those runs very soon, because with an on form Morgan England would already look much for threatening. Ben Stokes is another whose form has been especially frustrating. We've seen in domestic one day competitions how dangerous a player is, and hints of it internationally, but in this series his form has looked a long way off. He's been expensive with the ball and has so only bowled six overs across the two matches he's played, and being in and out of the side can't have helped either - dropped the second game, he returned for the third though how he would have had time to find form in between, I don't know. I wrote at the start of the series about how with Broad and Anderson both missing, there was a big opportunity for the fast bowlers to step up, but so far none have really put themselves far ahead. Wides have been a problem, and often the bowling simply hasn't been good enough. Woakes and Finn are probably slightly ahead but even so there is still a lot of room for improvement.

I know I'm repeating myself, constantly ranting about England's one day team, but it's only because I believe that they can be so much better, and that there is the basis for a good, effective team there. Moeen Ali has been a star at the top of the order, his century in the first game being one of the best ODI innings I can remember seeing by an England batsman. Bopara's come back into the side and done well, if not quite getting England over the line in that first match - though he wasn't helped by the players around him. Both also give England extra options with the ball. Root and Buttler have also done a good job, especially taking the team over the line in the third game. Even with my complaints about Cook, he too batted well in the last game. There is a promising young core of the side there, that should only get better with more maturity and experience. Generally it is a team that always has a chance of winning, it's just that they seem to have a greater chance of self-imploding. Hopefully it can turn the other way around.

A Tale of Two Captains

And so on the fourth day of the second test, English cricket returned to normal. After coming so close to victory in the first test and then looking ahead after the first two innings (though not taking full advantage of their superior position – the lower order crumbled too swiftly to amass a huge lead they had the potential to do), day four saw England fall apart, showing their troubled winter is far from behind them.

The second test has been a tale of two captains – Angelo Mathews' has continued to lead Sri Lanka from the front, starring with bat and ball; whilst Alastair Cook's run of poor form looks to go on and on, his captaincy once again looking uninspired. Mathews played one of the great captains' innings, reaching 160 and building a considerable lead for his team, surely preventing defeat and turning the match on its head - turning a 108 run first innings deficit into a lead of 349. It's certainly been an impressive series for Mathews – first getting his name on the famous honours board at Lord's and his 18 from 90 in the second innings going a long way to saving the test; whilst at Headingley he has made his contributions with both bat and ball – his bowling perfectly suiting the surface and taking four first innings wickets. Mathews has certainly been one of those players for whom captaincy has brought the best out of, at least so far in his career, averaging 78.83 with the bat as captain compared to 39.71 when not leading his side. His wicket has become one of the most prized of the opposition, up there with Sangakkara and Jayawardene.

For Alastair Cook, however, the misery has continued. Cook's form with the bat has completely fallen away after leading from the front when he first took over. From averaging 80.28 in his first permanent series as captain (the series win in India), in his most recent three series he has averaged under thirty, the captaincy taking its toll. And the results on the pitch have not been able to shield him. Not all the criticism he has received for his captaincy has been deserved, but it must be said that a brilliant tactician he is not. A problem with English cricket under the central contract system, although an overwhelmingly positive development, is that once a player becomes a fixture in the team they have little chance to gain experience captaining a side. This is particularly true for those who come into the team at a very young age, touted with the 'future England captain' tag from the start of their international career – players such as Cook and now also said of Joe Root. What experience can be gained is often through the Lions side – but not the intensive, long term involvement that can be gained with a county. But counties need their captains to be around and playing regularly for them – creating a vicious circle that just makes it difficult for obvious captains to emerge within the England set-up. Previous captains such as Strauss did have experience, but came into the team at a slightly older age and so at least had some chance to captain their county sides first. I don't believe that Cook is suited to the job, but I struggle to see anyone really putting himself out there, secure enough of his place in the side, to replace him. Bell has had brief experiences captaining Warwickshire but doesn't seem to be considered internationally, and now in his thirties doesn't have time on his side; Prior was vice-captain but has since been dropped and must now re-establish himself in the side; Broad has captained the Twenty20 side but is unlikely to take the role for tests; Morgan also captaining in Twenty20 but remaining outside the test team. It's difficult to see an obvious solution.

Cook's captaincy has certainly been lacking. I don't think he did badly in the first test - the timing of his declaration has been criticised but to me it suited the match situation. But it has shown before and was shown again – when the team is under the cosh they often seem to have no answer, no 'plan B', an alternative strategy for when the first one fails. He is too often too defensive and hesitant. On day four he persisted with his pace quartet, not turning (no pun intended) to the spin option of Moeen Ali until many overs were bowled with the 'new' ball. He may not be Graeme Swann, but he does at least offer a change of pace, and an option you would think to go to when not much seems to be happening. The bowlers should also take some blame; those with the experience of Anderson and Broad should be able to make more of a contribution in such matters. The team as a whole fell flat. And then the batting fell apart under pressure. Reckless shots – nightwatchman Plunkett's the first to come to mind, a shot completely unsuited to the match situation – and good balls seeing England's top order crumble to 57/5. With just Root, Ali, and Prior the recognised batsmen left for England – Broad and Jordan hard to predict – England face an Everest to save the match. The questions will continue to come.

On Liam Plunkett and second chances

When Liam Plunkett played his first match for England in late 2005 the circumstances weren't ideal, particularly for a twenty year old seam bowler. The third test against Pakistan in Lahore saw England in the midst of their post-Ashes hangover and up against players such as Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Yousuf at their brilliant bests. Plunkett didn't do especially badly, picking up two wickets, but Pakistan racked up over 600 and won by an innings and 100 runs.

Plunkett showed promise in his first spell in the England side, but without ever doing enough to hold down a regular place. His best period perhaps came in the one day side, in England's surprise win in the ODI triangular in 2007 after an Ashes whitewash where he was England's joint highest wicket taker in the series along with Flintoff - taking 12 wickets at 23.00 but playing four less matches. But overall in this first phase he just faded away. Like many players in the Fletcher era, Plunkett seemed to be put in the 'one for the future' box, picked young to be forgotten about later. His action too seemed a bit mechanical, constantly practicing it between deliveries. Over the next few years Plunkett slipped back into the pack as others emerged - young players such as Broad, Finn, and Bresnan as well as the re-emergence of the more experienced Sidebottom.

Something that was notable in Peter Moores' first stint as England coach was how he seemed willing to give second chances to players either forgotten about or who had burnt bridges under Fletcher - the most obvious examples being that of Sidebottom and Graeme Swann. Players who, like Plunkett, had probably been selected at first when too young and didn't know their own games or lacked the maturity for international cricket at the time. What can also be seen with these players is how a change of scene also helped to revitalise them - both Swann and Sidebottom finding new challenges and a new environment at Nottinghamshire - a fresh start also helping to give them the push they needed. The same thing happened with Plunkett. After slipping down the pecking order at Durham, hampered also by injuries and problems with his action while also picking up a couple of driving bans, a move away was also to be what he needed. Yorkshire took a risk in signing him but it paid off - under the coaching of Jason Gillespie he has returned to doing what he does best - bowling fast and taking wickets. There is competition for places at Yorkshire but Plunkett has managed to break through and this season 24 wickets at 24.83 has seen him make his way into an England side looking for fresh blood.

And so it has been a delight to see Plunkett back in the side; I do always appreciate it when a player is given another chance and starts to deliver. At Lord's, though he didn't necessarily pick up the wickets, he did a good job, bowling the fast and nasty into the ribs of the batsmen as England used the short ball to good effect. Sometimes I feel England overdo it with bouncers - sometimes getting distracted from the main way to take wickets - bowling at the stumps. But in general I think they did better at Lord's - doing enough to make batsmen hesitant about going forward and exploiting the often uncertain techniques against the short stuff. At Headingley so far Plunkett has found his rewards: his first five wicket haul in test matches, joining in as wickets clattered after tea to dismiss Sri Lanka for 257. Broad's hat-trick must also be mentioned - only the fourth man to take two in test cricket, and probably one of the only ones not to realise he had done so after it was split across two overs. But it was great to see Plunkett in the wickets - especially in front of his new home crowd - and hopefully more success can follow. He has the kit to succeed at international level and does offer that bit of extra pace to England's attack, and now with more experience and more knowledge of his own game - he can start to deliver on the potential England first found nearly ten years ago.

And the new age begins...

Okay, so I know that we've already had the ODI series, and though I don't have a problem with it coming first - if anything I'm in favour of it - the first test still for me marks the beginning of the international summer.

The announcement of the test squad came with a whole host of new faces - only six players remaining from the last test on English soil, three debutants, and another whose last test came in 2007. On the whole I was quite happy with the squad - though some had called for Buttler or various others to join the side I thought it was a good mix of the old and the new. With a batting line up featuring Robson, Ballance, and Ali - a grand total of one cap between them - plus Joe Root with just over eighteen months' experience, to keep Prior in made sense and was a good move. Though he has struggled over the past year with bat and gloves - leading to being dropped in the winter - it was a good idea to have a man of his experience and known class in a very young side. Safe maybe, but in my eyes the right call. To see Jordan and Plunkett in the side also made me particularly excited. I've been impressed by Jordan in the recent ODI series and he looks like a player that can make things happen, whilst Plunkett has really improved since moving to Yorkshire, looking to become the player England always hoped he would after his career stalled in Durham.

And then came the match. Sri Lanka chose to bowl first which did seem a bit odd - though the pitch did have a greenish tinge on the first morning in general Lord's is a ground that suits the batsmen best. And so it came to be. Early wickets fell and though the Sri Lankan bowlers didn't bowl badly, initially they came more through poor shot selection from the English batsmen. But there was a change from the recent months in their approach which looked a lot more positive. Ian Bell once more looked at ease, showing that when he's in form not many look better. Moeen Ali also looked comfortable on his test debut, showing promise in his innings of 48, whilst in the tail Jordan, Broad and Plunkett all put in positive, attacking innings. In the mean time, Joe Root seemed to pass under the radar for much of the innings, especially on the first day, but put his troubles of the past year behind him in a brilliant innings of 200*, his highest test score following his 180 at the same ground the previous year. England declared on 575/9, the first time they had passed 400 since March 2013 and first score over 500 since December 2012. Perhaps they weren't facing the best bowling attack, but it was nice to see them in the runs once more.

Sri Lanka also looked comfortable with the bat as the pitch continued to offer little for the bowler. Chris Jordan's first test wicket came with only his third delivery, as he continued to look like a player that just tends to make things happen. But it only meant that Kumar Sangakkara came to the crease. In his three previous matches at Lord's he was yet to make a century, something that on his probable last tour of England he would have been determined to correct. I mentioned that Bell is one of the best looking players when in form - well he's up there with Sangakkara. It was a century popular among all cricket lovers, and the celebration was also a treat - a hug from his best friend Jayawardene. Sangakkara looked so comfortable that it came as a surprise when he got out - in many ways it looked like he was set to bat the match. Angelo Mathews' innings must also not be forgotten - it is always an honour for any visiting player to get their name on that honours board, and especially as the captain leading from the front. Sri Lanka were all out for 453, a perfectly respectable total but still 122 behind.

Another fine innings came from Gary Ballance. Surprisingly moved up to bat at number three for his second test - a position he hadn't even batted at for Yorkshire - Ballance found himself in a pressured situation as England slipped to 102/5 and 121/6 but coped admirably. He has put in similar performances for Yorkshire in difficult situations over the past few years and so to see him doing it on the international stage was great to see, and will hopefully be the first of many centuries for England. England declared on 267/8, 389 runs ahead. Perhaps they would have liked a few overs before the close of play on day four but after having to rebuild earlier in the day, it was safety first for the captain.

So it all came down to the final day. Sri Lanka needed a nominal 390 to win or to bat out 90 overs for a draw, England needed ten wickets. It was slow progress for England as Sangakkara and Silva bedded in again, only one wicket down by lunch, only three down by tea. But then England struck. A bizarre field was in place - and who knows whether it got into the batsmen's heads - but Anderson struck twice in the overs immediately after the break and getting the especially important wicket of Sangakkara. The result suddenly looked possible once more. England were back bowling aggressively - a good mix of fast and nasty deliveries directed at the body with those aimed at the stumps - and the new ball was on its way. They struck with the new ball, crucially dismissing Mathews who had been digging in to save the game with 18 from 90. But still two wickets were needed from the last over. Down came the first ball and Herath gloved it to Prior - replays showed that his hand was not on the bat when it hit him but it didn't matter as he walked anyway. England thought they'd won when on the penultimate ball the umpire gave Pradeep out LBW, but his referral showed a clear edge. The final ball was edged but didn't quite carry to slip and that was it. A draw.

This match showcased nearly everything I love about test cricket - the drama and tension, a good contest between both sides, and fine batting performances and spells of bowling. That it can take five days of cricket and still all go down to the final delivery for me just shows how great a sport this is. The two sides meet again at Headingley on Friday, with England looking the favourites and hoping to secure the first series win of this new era.

Mankad-ing - masking England's greater problems?

So as we can see I very rarely update this blog so I can't expect anyone to be reading this but there we are. I can try. Occasionally.

It's a new era for England, something that seems to be talked about everywhere in the press - new coaching staff, an influx of new players, a general feeling of out with the old and in with the new. It is something already visible in this ODI side - players such as Harry Gurney being given a chance for the first time, plus more game time for those we started to see in the winter like Chris Jordan and Gary Ballance. However, in many ways the same old story looks to be continuing.

The one day series against Sri Lanka has seen its fare share of heroics and controversies for England: Chris Jordan with bat and ball and Jos Buttler's brilliant century in a losing cause being weighed against the great Mankad-ing incident of 2014 by Senanayake, a man already down in popularity after being called for an illegal action. For me the issue has been blown completely out of proportion - of course it is controversial as it is rarely seen in the game, but it is within the rules. The 'Spirit of Cricket' is a much talked about element of the game - yet still batsmen don't walk after giving edges, catches are claimed when they may have gone to ground - or challenged if a batsman isn't sure. To me, if a batsman is trying to gain an unfair advantage by backing up too far - and is warned about it by the bowler - then why not? If you don't want it to happen in the game, then don't have it in the rules. In any case, the whole Buttler/Senanayke incident seems to have served to distract from the real issue in relation to England - once more the batting hasn't looked up to scratch for a modern ODI team.

I am a very big fan of both Joe Root and Gary Ballance - being a Yorkshire fan I am unashamedly biased after seeing them do so well for the county in previous seasons. I do believe they have great futures in the England side, but in this series though they have got runs, it hasn't necessarily been fast enough. It's a great debate that always seems to follow this England team - players such as Cook and Trott regularly accused of scoring the runs but at a pace that only serves to put pressure on the rest of the team - and these two appear to be continuing in this tradition - in this series at least. Often the strategy is one that works in England, but around the world they can particularly struggle. I would love to see Hales come into the side as he would seem to be a player capable of rising to the challenge and has certainly contributed exciting innings in the Twenty20 side. He looks like the man to give the team the impetus at the top of the order that they need. Players like Buttler and Morgan can do it further down the order, but can be left with too much to do too late - as was the case in the fourth game. It is an issue though that seems to crop up time and time again with this England side - you have to wonder if it is something that will ever be addressed.

But onwards we go, and with the prospect of several more new faces in a test side with much to prove after one of the worst winters for English cricket in recent memory. I do find rebuilding stages fairly exciting - players out to prove themselves, the new coach looking to mould a side, and just the matter of who will play - I can't remember a time when so many places in the test team looked up for grabs. With the added spice from the ODI controversies to throw into the mix, it certainly promises to be an interesting summer.