The English cricket win in India was great. The Captain batted brilliantly and gave good leadership to his team. Alastair Cook now has a Test batting record that puts him amongst the all time greats at such an early age, with many more years to add to his runs tally. In this four match series he made 562 runs himself at an average of 80.
Pietersen, Bell and Trott all proved their worth as world class batsmen again, with good averages and some great innings. Prior also batted with distinction and did his job behind the stumps. Swann, Panesar and Anderson bowled so well, taking 49 wickets between them. In this series Stuart Broad did not have such a good time, but his past performances tell us he does have what it takes to perform well at Test level. Time will tell if England now have found the second opening batsman and the Number 6 they need to once again be the top team in the world.
This was another sporting triumph for our country under a new Captain who proved his worth and led from the front.
December 18, 2012
The fact that we had spinners who can take wickets helped….Swann is a consistent performer but it’s a shame that they didn’t play Panesar in the first test. I hope that Cook can maintain his form and keep control of a certain influence in the team who can and has had a previous corrosive effect……
zorro
December 18, 2012
At least the bit their stiff upper lips and played 2 spinners in the 2nd test this time. They usually insist they are right one and keep playing 3 seamers until they have have lost the series before selecting a second spinner on the subcontinent.
December 19, 2012
In fairness to Broad, the Indian tour is not the test of a seam bowler, albeit Anderson was splendid in unhelpful conditions.
December 18, 2012
What – you have time to watch the Cricket as well?
December 18, 2012
Certainly an excellent result and performance, especially after having come from a first match defeat.
Shows two good spinners in India are worth picking when playing on their pitches.
December 18, 2012
I think everyone, bar the ECB selectors, knew that and has known that for many a year. Even the aussies used to field Warne and MacGill in India.
December 18, 2012
Bell’s body was in India while his mind was in England until the birth of his child, and I think that’s why he didn’t fire until the second innings of the fourth test. Panesar was amazing throughout. His final stint of 30-odd overs for nothing may have been wicketless, but it made India realise that a run-chase wasn’t on. Prior batted well, but his performance behind the stumps was ordinary, Panesar being the main sufferer. Broad I think has been carrying a niggle for some time. His pace has been down and he’s bowled too many 4-balls. A rest will do him no harm. Joe Root opens for his County. He and Compton could be interchangeable, and Bairstow, more of a batsman than his Dad is heir-apparent to Prior. England’s future is looking rosy, and once the aberration against the saffers is corrected, they will be acknowledged a very good side by all.
December 19, 2012
Fair play to ‘the (South Africans)’ they are the team to beat and have the only bona fide ‘great’ seam bowler in the world, probably the only ‘great’ bowler playimg now full stop.
December 18, 2012
Agreed. Except Pietersen should not be in the team full stop. Irrespective of talent his lack of loyalty and team spirit should have consigned him to the worldiness forever.
December 19, 2012
My problem with Pieterson is that there are now so many South Africans in the side that it is becoming an Anglo-Springbok team. Pieterson, Trott and Compton were all brought up and learned their cricket in South Africa as well as fringe players such as Dernbach and Kieswetter and several others. Even Matt Prior was born in South Africa although he came to England as a young boy.
December 18, 2012
The recovery after the innings defeat in the 1st test was very impressive. I read somewhere that the pitches were prepared to suit the home team`s spin bowlers, so the outcome was especially creditable.
December 18, 2012
A superb sporting year for Britain.
(I was about to correct that statement but decided to leave it. I’m sure that most English people would have worded it the same way too.)
December 18, 2012
You need to read some of the information about the England/Wales census (why is there not one census for the entire kingdom?) that was released recently. English people are increasingly identifying as English first, or English alone. That trend is unlikely to change soon. Personally, I’d prefer a good year for English sport. Andy Murray, for instance, is no more my compatriot than a Japanese, despite having the same citizenship. Brad Wiggins and Jess Ennis, on the other hand, are English, so I’ll celebrate their achievements.
December 18, 2012
Here here here, but, would never put our money on England – in any sport !
December 18, 2012
Cook and England have done brilliantly, but a bit of perspective.
Cook has a test batting average of 49.42 from 154 innings.
Len Hutton has an average of 56 from 138 innings.
Ken Barrington has 58 from 131
Hammond has 58 from 140
Denis Compton 50 from 131
Everyone listed ,except Cook, played on uncovered pitches in days when there were no restrictions on field placings and the amount of bouncers per over.
December 18, 2012
And….no helmuts
December 18, 2012
or even… helmets. !
December 18, 2012
Indeed. There’s a mystery. Why is Ken Barrington the forgotton man?
December 18, 2012
Can’t remember.
December 19, 2012
Think back to the days when England fans were glad of Thorpe’s 60’s and 70’s in the middle order. We’re lucky to have batsmen like Cook.
December 18, 2012
I agree – a great all round performance.
Pity the side lacks a bowler with your action.
I seem to remember Henry Blofeld at Sutton Valence describe your bowling action as like ‘a demented windmill’.
It certainly terrorised the spectators -not sure about the batsmen !
December 18, 2012
That reminds me that someone once said that the safest place for spectators to stand during a celeb golf tournament was the middle of the fairway.
December 18, 2012
” Pietersen, Bell and Trott all proved their worth as world class batsmen again, with good averages and some great innings.”
Bell? He did well in the last test and last inning but he was lucky that Patel got dropped and not him. If it hadn’t been for some bad decisions Patel might have survived.
December 18, 2012
Now all we need is a new Captain and vice-Captain for Cameron’s Cabinet team and we’d be getting somewhere.
December 18, 2012
Spot on. Anderson becomes more accurate and reliable with each series. Hopefully, he can carry on another 10 years to his late thirties, in the way that Sir Richard Hadlee of New Zealand did.
December 18, 2012
Great post Mr Redwood. An outstanding performance from England. Alistair Cook will go down as one of our most accomplished batsmen and, possibly, one of our greatest captains. Keep up the good work – the Aussies are coming next year!
December 18, 2012
Agree. And made all the better by the ability to bounce back after defeat in the first Test. They could have become discouraged and made excuses, but they didn’t. Well done Andy Flower as well.
December 18, 2012
A great victory and congratulations to everyone. I must admit my interest in cricket has waned over recent years with the scandals and commercialism, but it’s still a great English game.
And using this, rather indiscreetly, as an opportunity to introduce a comment about England, the nation, I saw some of the debates in parliament yesterday. After Mr Redwood’s interventions in the Infrastructure Bill and his leaving the Chamber after voting I heard the short speech by Welsh Nationalist MP Jonathan Edwards on Energy generation in Wales, making the case, of course, for more devolved powers.
He spoke of ‘my country’, ‘the people of Wales’, ‘the British State’, ‘London’, making it clear he wanted to be viewed as detached from the British State. It struck me, as an English nationalist, would I ever hear an English MP, sitting for an English constituency, speak in the same way for his nation, England? For, there is no reason why he should not, the English have the same rights to national self-determination as the Welsh and Scots. They have a national Assembly, and a national parliament recognising their unities. The English have neither.
So what about English MPs? How do they feel when a Welsh nationalist challenges the British Establishment? Should they not feel and demonstrate the same detachment from the British State? If they do not, are they not conceding that there is no difference between the British and the English which the other nations often claim, and that it is the English therefore who are their ‘oppressors’? This also denies England and the people of England their rights to true identity and self-determination, does it not? And when they say, nevertheless, they do represent England, are they not being disingenuous?
Which MP will be the first to make his or her position clear beyond doubt, to demand a parliament for England and speak against British rule over England?
If the Scots and Welsh can do it, and be respected and rewarded for their beliefs, let an Englishman or Englishwoman do the same. Where is the difference, after all?
Or will The People of England need to cry ‘Lawful Rebellion, anyone’?
December 18, 2012
OK you’ve passed Tebbit’s Test. So order a pint, a funny hat, and prepare to accept losing for ever and a day with good humour, grace and fortitude. We are masochists for the inevitable humiliation.
But, why oh why, are you not leading from the front on that historic decision of Dave and Gideons: same sex marriage.
December 18, 2012
Well done indeed England ,great effort
December 19, 2012
Bread and Circuses.
David Cameron is pushing to arm Syrian Rebels – who could end up being Al Queda!
The UK Economy is getting worse, with the prospect of a deepening recession next year.
Electricity Prices have gone up 9%, last year they went up 17%.
William Hague is saying that Assad is commiting attrocities on it’s people while ignoring the attrocities in Bahrain.
House Prices are still too high, causing poverty for millions in the UK.
Food Prices are going up.
The unsustainable debt that has built up in the Private Sector is preventing a Private Sector led recovery.
Why the hell should we care whether the English Cricket won or not against India? Why has India got the time to play Cricket with us if they are still going to receive Aid from us up until 2015?
Is the Aid to help them buy Cricket Bats?
Our own NHS is in Financial Crisis (ask you Colleague Chris Grayling about Epsom Hospital) – and yet we feel that India – a growing Economy (with it’s own Nuclear Defence Program and well equipped Military) requires us to provide “Aid”.