Life is a Rollercoaster - England Story

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2011/12 Season Review - ODI Team

Results:
Home India - 0-5
Home Pakistan - 4-1
Away India - 1-2
Away New Zealand - 5-0

Batting:


Bowling:


Player of the Year - Pietersen

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2011/12 Test Rankings

Championship


Batting

26 - Bell
48 - Patel
53 - Ambrose
70 - Broad
79 - Cobb
90 - Swann
98 - Woakes
112 - Bresnan
118 - Anderson
134 - Collingwood
137 - Rashid
139 - Prior
141 - Davies
151 - Finn

Bowling

26 - Rashid
29 - Broad
43 - Woakes
56 - Pietersen
65 - Bopara
69 - Bresnan
71 - Finn

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2011/12 ODI Rankings

Championship


Batting

44 - Patel
63 - Flintoff
66 - Davies
68 - Trott
83 - Swann
86 - Broad
92 - Bell
101 - Wright
124 - Anderson
127 - Morgan
137 - Prior
170 - Rashid

Bowling

64 - Rashid
64 - Wright
68 - Bopara
81 - Patel

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A Preview of the Coming Year

Fixtures: Sri Lanka H(2 Tests, 3 ODIs), South Africa H(5 Tests, 5 ODIs), South Africa A(3 Tests, 3 ODIs), Zimbabwe A(3 ODIs)

Tests - Only 10 Tests this year means it's quite a short year but one where England could make big strides. With having drawn the last home series against Sri Lanka and losing home and away to South Africa a good year could mean a big step up the Test rankings.

ODIs - A complete contrast to the Tests. After whitewashing the New Zealanders this looks to be a tough year with not much to be gained but alot to lose. If the ODI side made improvements last year now is the year to prove it.

Jonathan Clare has also regrettably announced his retirement from cricket due to injury at the age of 25. The youngster was expected to appear more regurlarly for England in the coming years after being on the fringes of the side recently and his forced retirement has come as a huge shock.

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Playing South Africa back to back with 8 Tests and 8 ODIs??? Who's idea was that, surely not the ECBs!!!

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First Test

Patel is injured for the first Test of the summer. Cobb earns a recall, beating competition from Horton and promising young batsmen Gould and Cale of Notts and Derbs respectively. Prior's fights off Ambrose and Davies due to good form, though Snell and Glamorgan's young keeper Skelton also came into contention.

England win the toss and bat.
Strauss and Cook get off to a good start but neither go on to 50s, out for 40 and 44 respectively. Bopara is out for 22 while Bell and Pietersen put on 113 together. Both reach 50s but, along with Cobb and night-watchman Woakes, fall before the close. A 44 run parthnership between Broad and Swann the next morning gets them to 296.
Englands seamers do real damage to the Sri Lankas batting order bowling them out for 153. Sangakkara is the only batsman to reach 50 as Broad takes 5 wickets with Anderson and Woakes sharing the rest.
Strauss is dismissed in the last over of day 2 and Bopara survives a caught behind appeal off the last ball with England 35/1. Cook departs early next morning. Pietersen and Bopara rebuild but both fall after making starts. Bell follows quickly. Cobb and Prior build a good partnership but after Prior loses his wicket England are left 134/6. Cobb bats patiently and puts on 44 with Woakes. Another 45 run stand with Swann gets England up to 229 with Cobb on 80. Anderson is the last wicket to fall leaving Cobb stranded on 94 and Sri Lanka 5 sessions in which to chase 395 on a very worn pitch.
Anderson and Woakes tear into Sri Lanka removing the top 4 for just 11 runs. Anderson takes a further wicket to leave the batting side 38/5 at lunch. Swann takes two wickets to expose the tail before Woakes and Anderson return to finish Sri Lanka off for 118.

England Man of the Match - Cobb, poor score in the first innings but played a vital role in the second, dragging England to a defendable lead.
Other Notable Mentions - Anderson, Broad, Woakes
Poor Game - Prior

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Second Test

With Patel fit again he comes back into the squad. Cobb, though, keeps his place in the side, partly due to his performance in the last Test, but also because of Patel's low fitness. The captain Strauss is playing in his 100th Test.

England win the toss and bat.
England lose Strauss and Bopara early but Cook and Pietersen add 139. Cook is out for 77 but Pietersen goes on to a century. A 58 from Cobb and Broad's 49 not out helps England to 380 all out by tea on day 2.
Sri Lanka take advantage of the flat pitch making 505/5 with a double century from Sangakkara before declaring just before lunch on day 4. Anderson picked up two wickets while Swann, Bopara and Woakes each took one.
England make a solid start but lose Cook for 24. Bopara follows him but Pietersen and Strauss bat till the close with a small lead. Pietersen is out in the first over of day 5 for 54. Strauss is out half way through the session for 53. England lose Cobb and Prior just before lunch but England recover through Bell who brings up his 50 just before tea with England 124 ahead at the break. England lose Broad for 22 but Swann's unbeaten 32 help England bat out the rest of the session with Bell reaching a century before being dismissed with only a few overs left.

England Man of the Match - Pietersen, scored a valuble century in the first innings and followed it up with 54 in the second.
Other Notable Mentions - Bell, Cook
Poor Game - Bopara, Prior, Anderson, Woakes, Swann, Broad

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The ECB Selection Committee has announced the 15 man squad for the T20 match at home vs Sri Lanka:

ECB Selection Committee
A Flintoff*
J Anderson
R Bopara
S Broad
M Cale
S Davies
A Ingram
S Neville
S Patel
K Pietersen
M Plant
A Rashid
I Skelton
C Woakes
L Wright

Davies has been in good form this season averaging 86.83 in the County Championship. comes back into the squad. The T20 squad also includes a few youngsters. Neville looks likely to open the batting alongside Davies. Davies may also find some competition for the gloves with Skelton included. Cale is in line to make his first England appearance while fellow batsman Plant profits from an injury to Gould to recieve an unexpected call-up. Young pace bowler Ingram has also earned a call-up.

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Player Profiles
The T20 squad sees the introduction of 5 new faces.

Scott Neville RHB, RM
Nottinghamshire
Opening Batsman
Aged 21

Batting Averages
First Class - 48.93
One Day - 43.90
T20 - 35.52

Aggressive style
Slight spin bowling preference
Slight back foot preference

Mike Cale RHB, RM
Derbyshire
Batsman
Aged 22

Batting Averages
First Class - 64.16
One Day - 47.48
T20 - 28.42

Slight front foot preference
Slight off side preference

Michael Plant RHB, RM
Northamptonshire
Batsman
Aged 19

Batting Averages
First Class - 51.45
One Day - 27.00
T20 - 30.11

Aggressive style
Slight pace bowling preference
Slight leg side preference

Ian Skelton RHB, RM
Glamorgan
Wicket-Keeper
Aged 24

Batting Averages
First Class - 45.18
One Day - 34.96
T20 - 24.60

Aggressive style
Slight front foot preference
Slight off side preference

Albert Ingram RHB, RMF
Somerset
Bowler
Aged 21

Bowling Averages
First Class - 20.01
One Day - 19.33
T20 - 11.06

Slight pace bowling preference
Slight back foot preference
Slight off side preference

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First T20

Neville and Cale are the only 2 out of 5 possible players to make their England debuts in this match. Neville opens the batting with Davies and Cale bats in the middle order. Wright is the other player to miss out.

Sri Lanka win the toss and bat
Woakes takes 3-21 bowling 4 of the opening 8 overs. Matthews and Silva rebuild for Sri Lanka with Patel and Broad particularly expensive. England bowl well at the death with Flintoff picking up 2 wickets in the final over to restrict Sri Lanka to 168.

England lose Neville, Pietersen and Bopara early. Davies and Cale form a good partnership but the rate steadily climbs. Davies is out for 58 and Patel makes 15 as England fall 22 runs short of their target with Cale not out on 56.

Sri Lanka win by 21 runs
Man of the Match - Matthews
England Man of the Match - Woakes, opened the bowling well going at 5.25 RPO and taking 3 early wickets.
Other Notable Mentions - Davies, Cale
Poor Game - Neville, Pietersen, Bopara, Broad

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The ECB Selection Committee has announced the 15 man squad for the ODI Series at home to Sri Lanka:

ECB Selection Committee
A Cook*
J Anderson
I Bell
R Bopara
S Broad
M Cale
S Davies
A Flintoff
S Patel
K Pietersen
A Rashid
G Swann
J Trott
C Woakes
L Wright

In contrast to the T20 squad the ODI squad is mainly similar to the ODI squad from the New Zealand series with only a couple of changes. Both Davies and Cale performed well in the T20 match and replace the out of form Prior and Denly with Cale expected to put pressure on Trott's place in the side.

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First ODI

Bopara retains his opening birth with Davies batting at 7. Cale comes into the ODI side in place of Trott.

Sri Lanka win the toss and put England in to bat.
England start with a century partnership with Bopara the aggressor. He is out for 78 and is soon followed by Cook for 48. Pietersen's 78 off 46 balls with the help of good knocks from Bell, Patel and Flintoff sees England to a total of 304.

Flintoff takes 2 early wickets but Sangakkara and Jaywardene rebuild the innings. That is until Swann dismisses both of them. He picks up andother wicket, as does Patel, who came back into the attack after being expensive earlier on before Flintoff and Anderson finish off the tail.

Engladn win by 84 runs
Man of the Match - Flintoff
England Man of the Match - Flintoff, useful innings with the bat and bowled exceptionally.
Other Notable Mentions - Pietersen, Bopara, Swann
Poor Game - Davies, Cale

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Second ODI

England remain unchanged for the second game of the series.

Sri Linaka win the toss and bat.
Flintoff and Broad get early breakthrough but Sangakkara and Jayawardene add 120 before the next wicket. That comes with the return of pace, Flintoff takes 3 more with Anderson also taking 3 to restrict Sri Lanka to 230.

Bopara and Bell contribute most of the runs of the chase after losing Cook and Pietersen early. They put on 151 runs together until Bell falls for 84. Bopara is also out for 95 as England as England close in on the target. England lose wickets quickly but a late flurry from Davies and Swann gets them over the line.

England win by 3 wickets
Man of the Match - Flintoff
England Man of the Match - Flintoff, great display of bowling for the second consecutive game.
Other Notable Mentions - Bopara, Bell, Anderson
Poor Game - Cook, Pietersen, Cale

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Third ODI

England keep the same team as they look for their second consecutive series whitewash.

Sri Lanka win the toss and bat.
They bat well and with Swann expensive in the middle overs they pile on the runs. England take wickets in the last 10 overs but can't stop Sri Lanka posting a total of 313.

England's chase gets off to a good start with a well paced opening stand of 139.Pietersen and Bell get in but are both out in the 20s. Bopara goes on to a career best 127 but falls as the run rate bedings to climb. England falls 22 runs short after being bowled out in the final over.

Sri Lanka win by 21 runs
Man of the Match - Bopara
England Man of the Match - Bopara, great innings but couldn't bring his side victory.
Other Notable Mentions - Flintoff, Cook
Poor Game - Broad, Anderson, Swann

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Series Reaction
England win Test series 1-0
England win ODI series 2-1

Two series wins against Sri Lanka is a great start to the summer. The batting throughout the Tests was generally poor. It improved for the second Test but just enough to prevent a loss. The bowling, meanwhile was just as good in the first Test as it was bad in the second.

The ODI side continued it's upward trend with Bopara's move to the top of the order currently looking like a masterstroke and with Flintoff bowling as well as he ever has in ODIs showing just why he's still in the side.

Man of the Test Series - Anderson, best of the bowlers over the two Tests, taking 10 wickets at 20.1. Though he didn't have much luck in the second Test he bowled economically throughout.

Man of the ODI Series - Bopara, could've been Flintoff but Bopara continued his good form from at the top of the order vs New Zealand scoring 300 runs at an average of 300 reaching 50 in each innings and going on to three figures once. Now the worlds best ODI batsman and by some margin.