Quick thoughts: West Indies v England ODIs

This is a series that seemed to creep up on me unexpectedly, sneaking in when I was just starting to turn my attention to the county season ahead. But that's not to say it has no significance. With England's focus being on ODIs until after the Champions Trophy, as they seek to end their eternal wait for a 50 over tournament win, the series offers more opportunities for players to seal their spot in the team, or to throw their name into the reckoning. As such, here's a quick look at the series after England's win in the opening game.

With Alex Hales missing through injury, Sam Billings got another chance at the top of the order. Whilst he still falls into the category of makeshift opener at this point, he has shown his promise with two fifties in three innings at the top - without quite sealing the deal by making that big score. Despite Hales scoring a record 171 only five innings ago, after missing the tour of Bangladesh and having a quiet tour of India before injury his place may not be so secure. There is an opportunity to take, but it'll have to be soon, with Hales hoping to make his return before the tour ends.

Eoin Morgan's 2016 was, well, quiet - averaging 29.81 with just the two fifties across his thirteen innings. So far, 2017 has served him better, with a century in the first ODI following another in India. It wasn't an innings that started fluently, but it was an innings England needed - coming in at 29/2 and helping them to the brink of 300. In partnership with Stokes (55) and Moeen Ali (a 22-ball 31 at the death), it might not have been the big-hitting bravado we've come to expect from England, but it was a clever innings that suited the situation and conditions.

With a spate of injuries to the fast bowlers, Steven Finn returned to the ODI side for the first time since September 2015. Such a long absence has always surprised me somewhat, given his decent record in the format, and that height, pace, and bounce that will always make him a threat. But as many times as he steps up, he steps back, and this winter has seen him drift from the side. There were no wickets in the first match, but with England short on resources, it's another chance to claim a spot. Another exciting name to have received a call up is Surrey's Tom Curran, and it's surely only a matter of time before we see him in the team. And after flying him in from the other side of the world, hopefully that time will be on this tour.

It was a good day for both Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett who finished with four wickets apiece in what was, all in all, a good performance by England's seam bowlers. The fourth option, Ben Stokes, wasn't even used. Adil Rashid also returned to England's ODI side after being dropped in India, and it will be interesting to see how both him and Moeen Ali perform in the series ahead. England might not need two spinners once they return home, and though Rashid might be more of the wicket taking option he has perhaps slipped behind Moeen in recent months after his mauling at the hands of India's batsmen in that sole ODI. But in the meantime, Moeen has been wicketless in the format. It'll be as much a question of what England want from their spinner as who is the most effective.

The one-day revolution

About fifteen months ago, England were being knocked out of the ODI World Cup. Another international tournament had come around, and once again England were left chasing the big boys, playing in slow motion as the game had whizzed on ahead of them. The cricket was bland and unexciting, even though the players had the talent to be anything but. Talk of the numbers and par scores seemed to take precedence over the the team's own freedom to attack and express themselves.

Watching England now still almost feels difficult to believe, like if you pinch yourself you might wake up from the dream. There has never been a huge change in personnel - though of course some new faces came in - but the change in attitude has been dramatic. Getting to 300 with the bat no longer feels like a rarity, more like a minimum. England made 324 in the last match and it still felt like they hadn't fully hit their stride. Gone are that team that looked so far behind the times at the 2015 World Cup, with no freedom, joy, or attack. That team lives in the past. The new England are here to stay.

And sure, it's not all been plain sailing. Series losses to Australia in South Africa show that it's still a learning curve, the latter especially an example when they let the series slip from their grasp after taking a 2-0 lead. The first ODI of this series too, showed that the threat of the traditional English batting collapse hasn't disappeared - though a brilliant game of cricket with a thrilling finale, it was still a match where England snatched a tie from the jaws of defeat of a match they should have won. At times it can be that there's just that extra maturity lacking - knowing when to hold back a little and not be gung-ho all the time, or with what approach to take when bowling. But maturity comes with experience, and experience comes with time, and a young team should have plenty of time on its side.

Perhaps Sri Lanka weren't the strongest side, and they have certainly endured a torrid tour. Injuries haven't helped them, and neither has a lack of match practice in English conditions. It was always going to be difficult post-Sangakkara and post-Jayawardene, but there are still shoots of hope. Mathews and Chandimal shared several partnerships worth over fifty, scoring three and four fifties apiece. Kusal Mendis also looked very promising early on in his international career. But the wickets would often come at the wrong times, and just at the moment when Sri Lanka wanted to be gearing up for the back end of the innings, they had to play themselves in again and England could apply the pressure.

After the first match, England just made batting look easy. In the second game, Sri Lanka saw their total of 254 chased down in only 34 overs, Roy and Hales both making centuries without losing their wickets. After a washout, game four brought another century for Jason Roy - 162 runs, just five short of England's record held by Robin Smith. Roy was brilliant, and if he didn't quite find his fluency during his first year in the England team, he's certainly found it now. Smith's record might not be lasting for very much longer. There were fifties too for Root, his typical way of getting runs before anyone notices; Buttler - a 93 that held the innings together in the first match, then a thrilling 70 in the last; and one for Woakes, the key man in the opening tie with 95* before Plunkett's six off the last ball stole the headlines. James Vince also chipped in with a fifty in the final match after coming in for Hales, a first international fifty that will surely give a confidence boost after a difficult test series.

England were on top with the ball, too. Bowling in ODIs is never an easy - or enviable - task, but England did enough to impress. Plunkett and Willey topped the wicket taking charts with ten each, whilst Rashid and Woakes had economies under five for the whole series. England might not know their best bowling attack, and in any case, rotation will always be a factor with others such as Stokes, Finn, Wood, and Topley absent in this series. Here though they struck a good balance - the left arm swing of Willey, the aggression of Plunkett, the pace and consistency of Woakes, and the legspin of Rashid.

Certainly, this England team is more exciting than ever before. And maybe even better than ever before as well, or at least the best England ODI team there's been in recent years. They've made it fun to watch their one day cricket again, something they didn't particularly do before - instead it was more often with a resigned sigh. It was hard to get excited about England's chances when they never valued the game in the way of other countries, but since Strauss took the job at the top every format is a priority, and there has been a focus on one day cricket that was never there before. And it's paying off. England's ODI revolution is going strong. 

World Twenty20 reflections

Four balls, four sixes. The final was over, just like that. A final full of twists and turns; ups, downs, and ups again; forty overs filled with drama. England found themselves in a strong position with the West Indies needing 19 runs from the last six balls, but Carlos Brathwaite only needed four of those to pull off a spectacular win. It was one of those brilliant, freakish innings that you can't count on to happen, and yet happen they do. England, and especially the bowler Ben Stokes, were left heartbroken. For the West Indies, it was time to celebrate.

But as painful as that final turned out to be, to finish the tournament as runners up is still a great achievement for this very young England side. It was a team that had made tonnes of progress over the past year, but over which there were still plenty of questions to be answered, plenty of new tests to be had. It was a team with minimal experience of playing in India, and a side that still seemed to be searching for its best eleven. It was a team filled with the optimism of youth and promising results over the past year, but whose confidence might easily have been dented by a Twenty20 series defeat in South Africa, with many also involved as a 2-0 lead was surrendered in the ODI series. It was a team that had the potential to do something, but just as much potential to crash out in dramatic fashion.

And after a game and a half, it was the latter that seemed the most likely outcome. An opening loss to a Chris Gayle-inspired West Indies, and the tall task of chasing down 230 against South Africa. The tournament had barely begun and England were already facing an uphill task to make it through to the next stage.

But there was Joe Root, and Jason Roy, and Jos Buttler. The total was, unbelievably, chased down. That mantra of no fear, to always play with confidence and aggression, didn't look quite so foolish as it sometimes could. This was a team that backed themselves, a team on the up. They stumbled against Afghanistan but they still came on through, then delivered two of their best and most complete performances in matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand - the first an effective knock out game, the second being the semi final.

The players were coming through, making their mark on the big stage. The ones you'd expect - Joe Root and Jos Buttler making key innings with the bat, Ben Stokes taking on key overs at the death. And then those perhaps less heralded faces. Chris Jordan, often maligned, but who has turned into England's main man with the ball at the death of an innings. Liam Plunkett, in and out of the side, but becoming England's most economical bowler once he found his way back in. David Willey, England's leading wicket taker who earned a spot in the team of the tournament. Jason Roy was another rising England star who made that team (Root and Buttler being the other England men), his innings of 78 against New Zealand being a particular highlight.

The final, well, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. 23/3 down in the powerplay, a recovery led by Root and Buttler, then further stumbles, comebacks, and stumbles. 155/9 was a total that didn't quite look enough, but at the same time a decent total considering the start they made. And it looked a better total after Joe Root - of all people - opened the bowling and dismissed both openers Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle. England were taking wickets and keeping things tight, but they couldn't budge Marlon Samuels, his 85* keeping West Indies in the game. But still, with 19 required from the last six balls, England had to be the favourites. Then there was Carlos Brathwaite.

Ben Stokes will be hurting after that final, after that over. But it's what sport is about: those amazing moments for one team that are so heartbreaking for the other side; those setbacks and how the person responds. Stokes has already had his share of setbacks in his brief career, and still has come back to do brilliant things. And I would back him again, he will learn from this experience and come back stronger.

Yet still, England can be proud of their performance in this tournament. For an unfancied, unproven team to get to the final - and come so close to winning the thing - is still an achievement, and bodes well for the future. There might still be some maturity to learn, but already they are showing the potential to beat anyone and challenge at the top. And if you compare the team now to how they were after the 50 over World Cup, things are almost unrecognisable. What a difference a year makes. Hopefully the upward curve will only continue.

A team on the rise

It was difficult to know what to expect going into the Twenty20 series, the final leg of England's tour to the UAE. England were in an experimental mode, trying out many different faces and resting the more familiar as they search for their best eleven for the World Twenty20 in March next year. Their record since the last tournament might be a good one, but before this series, it was a record based upon four matches. With many new names around the squad - as well as a rather new coach - it was a chance for many to prove themselves worthy of making the trip to India in the spring.

Match one certainly showed their intent to mix it up. Despite being in the squad, players like Root and Buttler were absent from the side, with Sam Billings taking on the keeper's gloves and James Vince making his long-awaited debut. Both made their impact, too - Billings was the top scorer with 53 from just 25 balls, whilst Vince scored 41 and helped England recover from early setbacks that left them 19/3. Partnerships were key - the recovery between Vince and Morgan (45*); the later assault with Morgan and Billings, as 65 runs came from the last six overs to bring England's total to 160.

The bowlers did their job too, another attack with different faces. Topley continued to impress early in his international career, taking 3/24; whilst Stephen Parry took two wickets in his first match since England's defeat to the Netherlands at the previous World Twenty20. Parry has long been an important part of Lancashire's Twenty20 success, and showed he has something to offer England in India where spin will be important. The pick of the bowlers though was Liam Plunkett, something of a forgotten man on this tour and playing only his second international Twenty20 after making his debut back in 2006. Plunkett took 3/21, constantly looking a threat as his pace troubled the batsmen. What perhaps hurt Pakistan most though was the run out of Umar Akmal - as both he and Sohaib Maqsood were left sliding their bat in at the same end. It was comedy cricket at its finest, and the first of three wickets to tumble in the space of six deliveries. The lower order took Pakistan close, but they had been left with an uphill struggle. England took the first match by 14 runs.

England continued to mix things up in the second match. Morgan was out of the team as Buttler captained the side for the first time, with Moeen Ali was also missing out. No one player stood out with the bat for England as several made starts, Vince top scoring with a 24-ball 38 in England's total of 172/8. With Plunkett again taking three wickets, and Rashid taking 2/18 from his four overs, England looked to be heading for a comfortable victory. The run rate was getting out of hand for Pakistan, but Pakistan had Shahid Afridi. You never know when Afridi will go full Afridi, but it happened in match two. Pakistan needed 47 to win from 18 balls; Afridi faced eight and scored 24. But Woakes held his nerve. He had taken the brunt of Afridi's attack, but took his wicket with the last ball of the 18th over, and in the final over came out on top. England secured a narrow 3-run victory, and with a match still to play, the series was theirs.

When they fell to 86/6 in the last match, they'll have been glad the series was already secure, too. Both Roy and Moeen Ali had been dismissed for golden ducks, and both Buttler and Billings were out for single figures. This time Woakes starred with the bat, hitting 37 from 24 to help England's score to a competitive 154/8, and Vince again top scored with 46 in something of an anchor role as the wickets tumbled around him. Pakistan had a rather chaotic start to their reply: Willey's first over having a boundary, four wide balls down the legside, a wicket (bowled), and then a run out after another mix up that left both batsmen at the same end. But the game was never over - Shoaib Malik making 75 from 54 and Afridi starring again with 29. Pakistan needed ten from the final over, and after Tanvir hit a six on the second ball, victory looked like theirs. But it wasn't. A dot, a single, and finally the wicket of Malik, before a bye on the last ball that left scores tied.

A super over was called for. Pakistan would bat - unsurprisingly, Afridi was their man; surprisingly, Akmal was chosen over Malik. England chose Chris Jordan as their bowler, another surprise - in the main match he hadn't taken a wicket, and was their most expensive. But his super over was bang on. The fifth ball especially was spot on, a yorker that could only be hit back to him. Pakistan could muster only three runs, and Akmal was bowled on the last ball. Afridi took the ball for Pakistan, and though it wasn't easy for England either, Morgan and Buttler saw the job through. The matches got closer and closer, but England had come away with a 3-0 win.

And so, England have cause to be optimistic for the World Twenty20. An inexperienced group of players have impressed in both the Twenty20 and ODI games in new conditions for many, and though England still might not know their best eleven yet, they'll know more about what their players can do on this stage. It might be too soon to think that they have a chance come March, but the signs are there that this is a team on the rise, and there's certainly something to look forward to in the future.

The Bell tolls

Yes, I know you're groaning as you read that title; I just couldn't resist. This week, England announced their squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, and there was one name noticeably missing: Ian Bell. A veteran of over 100 tests, a senior figure in the team, and yet one that has struggled so much for runs over the past two years. The door has been left open for a future return to the side - and the way England's middle order has been, there is always a chance - yet at 33 years old, it's often hard for a player to come back after a drop like this.

Ian Bell has certainly been one of my favourite players for England over the past decade. There's that effortless sense of beauty about his batting, a player you could just sit and watch for hours. Just watch him play a late cut and you'll see that ease of timing, technique, and perfect placement that the rest of us can only dream of. There are those golden periods: the 2013 Ashes where his three centuries were key in the series win; average over a hundred in the summer of 2011, hitting four centuries (one a double) along the way. When he was on song, everything just looked too easy. But there as well was always the frustration. All the talent in the world, but not always the mentality to go with it. His early centuries always came once a teammate already had one on the board, and if there was a collapse he'd rarely be the man to stand up and fight. Of course, he improved with time - his resistance in Cape Town at the start of 2010 showing a different side to him - but it was a reputation that seemed always to follow him around. 118 tests show a fine career, but an average of 42.69 shows he could perhaps have made more of his talents.

And the past two years haven't been so fun to watch. The glorious summer of 2013 gave way to the whitewash of the winter, where Bell wasn't alone in struggling against the Australian bowlers. And since then it has been a mixed bag: odd centuries, odd fifties, but even more scores of nought or one. Mistakes in the field haven't helped either, with more than one dropped catch that has proved costly to the team cause. And so, a drop from the side doesn't come as a huge shock, but seeing him absent from the whole squad was a surprise. There's still the chance for him to knuckle down, make a ton of runs for Warwickshire, and force his way back into the side; but if this does turn out to be the end of his international career, it's a sad one indeed.

Of course, Bell's absence is not the only noteworthy selection or non-selection. Whilst Hales looks likely to be the next man opening alongside Cook, the inclusion of Compton shows the selectors aren't yet closing the door on anyone. With hindsight, they might be wishing they hadn't dropped him in the first place, so long has the search for an opening batsman gone on. It's a good decision: Compton has been one of the most consistent batsmen in county cricket over the past few years, and there's potential for a return at the top or at number three, his position for Middlesex. Gary Ballance also returns, and it will be interesting to see if he has adapted his game during his stint away. Bowling wise, with Wood and Finn both absent through injury, Woakes, Jordan, and Footitt come in. The omission of Plunkett is one that surprises me: after carrying the drinks in the UAE, South Africa is a place that looked made for him, and yet he has been leapfrogged by others. I am though, looking forward to seeing Mark Footitt potentially making his debut - a left-arm option and someone who has had a lot of success in the county game. Rashid also misses out with England very unlikely to need a second spinner, looking set to join up with Jason Gillespie in the Big Bash in Australia.

In the meantime, England's ODI team is on the rise. Whilst the first match saw the collapses of old, coming at both the start and the end of the innings, the next three have brought convincing victories and many impressive performances with them. There was the bowling of Topley in game one, with three wickets in the opening ten overs; Alex Hales's maiden century in the second match; the bowling of Chris Woakes at the death, with four wickets in both the second and third game; the way Taylor (67*) and Buttler (49*) chased down Pakistan's total in the third game, not the highest total to chase but coming to the crease in a far-from-easy situation; and Jason Roy making his maiden century as well in the final match, both openers really starting to flourish. And then there was Buttler.

Jos Buttler played the kind of innings that's still hard to believe, no matter how many times you watch it. He has now twice broken his own record for England's fastest ODI century, coming this time off a mere 46 deliveries. He scored in 360 degrees around the ground - giant sixes down the ground one minute, a four over the keeper's head the next. How can you set a field to that? How are mere mortals supposed to compete with that at all? This is a man who looked so bereft of any form, any confidence during the test series that he didn't play the final match. He could be a different person right now. It's his world, and we're just living in it.

If Buttler looks unrecognisable from just a few weeks ago, England's ODI cricket is looking unrecognisable from the start of the year, too. They're far from the finished article yet, but there's a lot more to be hopeful about than there ever was before. Even if ODI cricket is Pakistan's weaker format - being ranked eighth in the world - for a young England side, an away win in very unfamiliar conditions is a very good achievement. Now they will be hoping this form can extend to the Twenty20 side, with a three match series to come before the World Cup at the end of the winter.

A work in progress

It was a disappointing end to the international summer for England, as they collapsed to 138 in the deciding match of the ODI series against Australia. It was perhaps a fitting end to Australia's tour: a second half of the summer where the overall scorelines have been close, but results themselves have most often been one-sided affairs dramatically flip-flopping between the teams from one game to next. But for England, after such a debacle at the World Cup earlier in the year, an overall scoreline of 3-2 against the world champions isn't really a bad result at all.

Of course, when England went 2-0 down early on in the series, there was a slight feeling that any progress made against New Zealand earlier in the summer was slipping away. England failed to take advantage when on top at the Rose Bowl, the brilliance of Wade (71*) and Marsh (40*) seeing Australia to a total of 305/6 after being more precariously placed at 193/6 with thirteen overs to go. And after starting brightly in response, as wickets fell the pressure of a large total on the scoreboard and the greater Australian pedigree proved the winner. The second match proved much the same as the first. England chased a similar score and had a decent enough start - but when the wickets fell the pressure became too much and Australia could easily press home. It was the dismissal of Stokes - given out obstructing the field - that grabbed the most headlines, but it was hard to mask how poorly England batted on their way to 245 all out.

England though showed the series was still very much alive. At Old Trafford England batted first, their own chance to put Australia under the pressure of the scoreboard, and of batting under the lights. England reached 300, and could probably have made more - only three players made it past 20, but those three players made it count. Roy (63) got England off to a flyer, making his mark in this series after struggling to have a great impact against New Zealand; while Morgan (62) followed up his runs in the previous match and the Twenty20 preceding the series. James Taylor though was the star, making his maiden international century, justice at last after missing out with 98* in the World Cup. This time England could press the advantage, and spectacular catches from Roy and Finn further showed how the pendulum had swung in their favour. A successful chase at Headingley, thanks largely again to the bat of Morgan (92) but with contributions coming across the order, levelled the series for a final decider on return to Old Trafford.

But it just wasn't to be. It all went wrong from the first over - no review taken when Roy was dubiously given out LBW - and the wickets only continued to tumble. Morgan was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the head, a nasty blow that left him with a concussion and understandably shook all those playing and watching. All England could muster was 138, a target Australia duly chased down within 25 overs. The final crushing, one-sided affair in a summer full of such contests between the two sides.

It will be terribly disappointing for England to have been beaten so badly, and it's a shame that a summer that has seen so many dazzling highs has to end on a lower note. Australia's team for the final match was vastly different from the eleven that won the World Cup in March - seven players absent for various reasons - showing that there is still a considerable gap between the two. England, have struggled for consistency in all forms of the game this summer, capable of thrilling the crowds and running rampant on their day, but on others collapsing with the bat and struggling to make an impact with the ball. They have shown this summer that they are capable of posting big scores and chasing them down, and certainly look much less inhibited in their approach with the bat, but at the same time there's still a lingering thought that a collapse might not be that far away.

Of course, it's a team in which many are still so new to international cricket. Many of this team didn't feature in the World Cup, and are still learning their games at this level just as much as the selectors are finding out more about them. It's even the same for many who did feature earlier in the year; for instance James Taylor, who returned to the side this series after missing out against New Zealand. Though he didn't always make the most of the starts he had, for me he was particularly impressive - looking busy at the crease and looking good against spin, something England could well need in the winter. He came into the side with Joe Root rested, and did enough to show that England should try and find room for them both. Jason Roy too started to make an impact and show his big-hitting potential. With two fifties he saw England off to some quick starts, though more than once he was dismissed tamely and failed to capitalise on his early efforts. Of the bowlers, I thought Plunkett showed he has a lot to offer - his pace offers a lot to the attack plus his lower order hitting can help see through the late stages of an innings. David Willey is another who has impressed me - he's not the quickest bowler but the left arm angle gives another dimension, plus he can really get that ball moving. His attitude too is great to see - he gives it his all and is a fierce competitor.

Others though haven't had the same impact. Alex Hales has struggled for runs over this series, and though his batting ability is undoubted, right now he looks desperately out of form. He's struggled so far in his ODI career to have the same impact that he's had in the Twenty20 side, though admittedly over the winter he was often played out of position at number three rather than his usual role opening up. Against New Zealand he started to show the damage he could do at the top of the order, and for me it's only a matter of time before the partnership with Roy, already showing some signs of flowering, really reaches full bloom. Chris Woakes is another who struggled this series. With Woakes I'm never sure if he's quite got the pace to succeed at international level, and though he was one of England's more effective bowlers over the winter, during this series he didn't look very threatening at all. There's a lot to play for among the bowlers with England still looking for their preferred attack, and Woakes didn't take advantage of the opportunity presented to him, going wicketless in three games played.

Even with the stumbles along the way, it does though feel like England are making a lot of progress in the shortened formats. The World Cup was the lowest of low ebbs, a time when England looked to be so far behind the times, and the players all bereft of confidence in their abilities and of any form. The consistency is still lacking, but in general England look much more competitive, much more capable of making those big scores and playing with the freedom and fun that was so lacking before. There's definitely still a lot more to be done, but they've showed they can compete with the rest again.

England's progress report

So, we have come to the end of the test summer and while it's been a bumpy ride, progress has definitely been made. Once again England have provided a rollercoaster of emotions - going from the tension and disappointment of the tests against Sri Lanka; close to rock bottom after defeat to India at Lord's; to emphatic victories in the last three tests. England have shown progress throughout the summer - but the task is not over yet and there are still plenty of areas for improvement. Here is my take on England's summer and what still needs to be done.

First of all, the captaincy. I was among those who believed Cook should go after Lord's, though still not knowing who the best man was to replace him. Thankfully, it has got better since then. The thing with Cook is that while he does have his moments where he is inventive and makes good decisions, he sometimes has long periods when he has no answers - and particularly when England are put under pressure. This was something particularly visible in the second game against Sri Lanka, when Angelo Mathews' brilliant performance took the game beyond England's reach and set up his team's eventual victory. Credit must be given to Cook though for England's recovery - he does look to have helped create a team spirit with everyone behind him, and he must have said something right for them to come bouncing back in the fashion they have after such a low ebb. He does truly have a team to lead now, not like the fracturing side of the Ashes. Yet England were barely put under any real pressure in the last three tests, so he should not rest easy yet. He still needs to have more back up plans for when England are really under pressure, as they will undoubtedly be when they come to play teams such as Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan in the coming year. But he has shown enough to stay in his job, when at times this summer it really looked like he wouldn't.

The question of the opener is still one that has gone unsolved since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012. Unfortunately, the search may still continue with Robson still not having nailed down his place in the side. He did show his potential with a century and a fifty but too many times he was nervous around his off stump, that famous corridor of uncertainty where batsmen can be exposed in test cricket. He is young enough and has enough promise to come back, and I do hope he gets another chance, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him replaced in the side when England return to test cricket in the Caribbean in April. A strong showing in the one day side could help Alex Hales find his way into the test team, a move that would be popular among many; or perhaps one of the Yorkshire pair of Adam Lyth and Alex Lees could work their way in (Lyth the more likely - Lees just a bit too young). There are options for England, but the man chosen for the spot in the tour of West Indies will in all likelihood be the man they go for in the Ashes - so it will time to stick or twist.

The middle order though does look close to being solved. Gary Ballance looked at home batting at number three despite his lack of experience that high, making three fifties and three centuries and impressing in the calm way he seemed to handle it all. Bell remains a class act, and though he didn't perform to his best he is always a great player to have in the side. Joe Root put his troubled winter behind him and continued to show why he is one of the most promising young players in world cricket. Jos Buttler also showed no nerves stepping up to the test arena, and though his glovework is still a work in progress, his batting brought excitement and youthful energy; he really looks a player who can take a match away from the opposition. The only question mark so far would be over Moeen Ali, though his spin bowling has made up for his lack of runs. He showed great character against Sri Lanka, coming so close to saving the game with his century in the second innings at Headingley, but since then the runs have dried up and a concerning problem against the short ball become evident. England will have to hope he learns fast, because he will certainly be targeted next year by bowlers like Johnson and Harris, Steyn and Morkel. There's also the question of finding the right spot for Ben Stokes - despite his horrible form, number eight is still too low for him really and the right balance has to be found.

The bowling is still a work in progress - though Broad and Anderson are nailed on for England's strongest eleven, the question is about who their support should be. Steven Finn remains around the side, and if he does get back to his best then he has to be a definite pick - his pace and height are just such valuable assets and he has proven ability at international level. Of those we have seen this summer, they have all had their moments. I was pleased to see Plunkett back in the side and finding success with his nine wickets at Headingley before injury put him out of action, and looks a good option to have in the pack. Stokes is an exciting player, a genuine all rounder, and though his batting fell apart I was surprised to see him dropped after doing well in the two tests he played against India - particularly after batting at number eight anyway. Jordan is a player who looks to have something about him and a knack of picking up wickets, though he is still a work in progress with consistency an issue. Woakes is the one I'm least sure about - I'm just not sure he has that extra quality to take wickets at international level (or at least tests - he could fit into the ODI team). But I must say he has seemed to improve with every test, and also didn't always have the luck he deserved. I think generally they have a good crop of young bowlers who it is worth sticking with, and it's good to see that there are several in their plans because with 17 tests in twelve months coming up, rotation will be important.

With spin bowling it does look like England have found an answer as to who should replace Graeme Swann. Moeen Ali has improved as the summer has gone on, going from someone only seen as a part timer at the start of the summer to now being viewed as a genuine front line bowler. The way he has adapted to this level has been impressive; he has taken on advice from other players and people in the game to find what works best, and the results have been visible. Filling the boots of Graeme Swann, one of England's most successful spinners ever, was always going to be a difficult task but he has done a good job of it so far and played a large role in England's victories. He is no world beater yet, but has done away with the doom and gloom foreseen when looking at England's apparently bare spin cupboard at the start of the summer.

The bigger challenges are yet to come for England, and it won't be surprising to see many more bumps along the way with next year's Ashes and tours to South Africa and Pakistan to come within a twelve month period. But there is certainly hope - there are a good young bunch of players who have really started to perform, and that much sought after team spirit looks to have returned. The misery of the start of the year, and of points during the summer, is starting to be dispelled and as fans we have something to cheer about once again. England's jigsaw isn't yet complete - one series win does not make them world beaters - but maybe, just maybe, the pieces are starting to fall into place.

The 'Enforcer' Trap

A thought that has been on my mind for a while now is about why it is that England's bowlers consistently bowl short when it doesn't appear the best option nor suited to conditions; about why they like to have someone labelled as their 'enforcer' when in reality by bowling at their natural length they would be able to do much better and 'enforce' an advantage further.

It seemed to begin with Stuart Broad, around 2011. He's tall with natural pace and bounce, plus a combative attitude, so on they slapped that 'enforcer' label and made him the aggressor. The idea was that with teams such as Sri Lanka and India touring that summer, he would be the one to expose their shortcomings against the short-pitched delivery. In the process they seemed to forget what is usually the secret to success with such a tactic - make it the shock ball, not the stock ball; put the threat of the bouncer into the batsman's mind to make him hesitant to come forward, rather than knowing what to expect and so able to stay back and attack, duck or sway. England won the series, but Broad averaged 48.75 with the ball and by the final innings of the series had lost his position as new ball bowler to Chris Tremlett. Also tellingly, when England lined up with three beanpole fast bowlers in the second test - Broad, Tremlett, and Finn - Sri Lanka racked up 479 with the bat, further showing how variety is often the key. Heading into the India series, on the verge of being dropped, Broad then went back to his more natural, fuller length and it paid off - topping the bowling averages with 25 wickets at 13.84 as England recorded one of their most emphatic series wins and duly went to the top of the test rankings. Quite a contrast.

The role of the enforcer hasn't been seen as much since - though England are still keen on using bouncers and targeting certain players, there hasn't been the talk of one player with that out and out role. But once more with Sri Lanka and India touring - teams from the subcontinent after all not well known for their strengths against the short ball - England seem to be falling into the trap again. This time Liam Plunkett seems to have been picked as the man - he has the natural pace and showed against Sri Lanka how well directed his bouncers can be, and it did bring him some success as he took nine at Headingley. But the secret here was again that it wasn't overused - he threatened with his pace and some close fielders, but his most memorable wickets were when he was threatening (and demolishing) the stumps. The worry is that England are using him in a way where he is repeatedly bowling bouncers even when the pitch doesn't suit - be it a slow low deck like Trent Bridge or a green one like at Lord's - rather than letting him do what got him back in the side. His pace also seems to have dropped, nullifying the threat of the 'enforcer' to some degree anyway, be it from the amount of the workload or other reasons. He hasn't stopped picking up wickets for the team, but there is a feeling that he is being wasted to an extent, his talents not utilised in the right way. Given that he's already on his second spell in the side, it would be a shame to see him not given the chance to reach his best.

But why is it that England seem to persist with this tactic? Is it part of the plans of the bowling coach, David Saker? There was a moment in a recent interview with Steven Finn where he described him as being more of a tactical than a technical coach, something that - though we have always known it - didn't make him look good in a summer where the bowlers have struggled to dismiss the batsmen on several occasions and often looked without answers, the team's tactics often blamed. There have been several changes in the coaching staff recently, with Saker one of the few to remain from the old Flower regime, and with the bowlers' struggles this year there have been suggestions that he should go too. But part of it must be the captain and the bowlers as well - surely they aren't just trained robots without a say in the game they are playing and no ideas of their own. Why not back the bowlers' strengths and just use the short ball as a shock delivery, as an alternative tactic perhaps like used by Sharma on day five? It's something that looks like common sense to those of us watching the game, pundits and fans alike, yet those in and around the England team see it differently.

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.