The 2010 Ashes Series is over. England celebrates, while Australia mourns its worst performance on home soil since er...ever. Is a revolution taking place in English cricket? Is Australia being run by a bunch of space cadets? In the wash-up, we rate the players. Here, we rightly review the victors first.
England
Andrew Strauss: Very well presented, affable all-round nice guy and looks dapper in that royal navy blue blazer with the three lions on it. Mothers love him. Bit of an up and down series personally for the skipper. Won the toss in Brisbane, followed it up with a third ball duck...just what his side didn't need with memories of Steve Harmison never far away. Recovered with a good century second dig and scored solid runs through the rest of the series. Unflappable under pressure. Enjoyed his role and the ideal man for the job. Great working relationship with coach Andy Flower. Captain Calm. 7.98/ 10 (not quite good enough for an eight..he did leave that ball in Adelaide that hit the top of off and made Doug the Rug look better than he was)
Alistair Cook: Lovely head of hair but weak little goatie beard doesn't make him look like Bruce Willis. Perhaps he needs to shave his dark locks off to look meaner. Perceived weak link before the series but dominated with the bat from start to finish. Doesn't like to watch his colleagues bat so stayed in the middle for five whole test matches...or so it seemed. Brilliant. 9.9/ 10
Jonathan Trott: Short, balding, ungainly and from South Africa...not normally lovable traits. Scored a sack full of runs and drained the spirit of the Aussie bowlers. Two crucial run outs effected by making Aussie batters think he couldn't field. Who cares if he parks in a caw pawk. 9/10
Kevin Pietersen: Oh Kevin. Genius or clown? Match winning innings in Adelaide, some contributions elsewhere. Highlight was winding Ponting up in the Melbourne Test leading to the Aussie skipper 'losing it' in front of 70,000 people. Priceless. Got out in Sydney needlessly...again and to Mitch Johnson of all people. 8/10
Paul Collingwood: A 'ranga and apparent fielding specialist. Not his finest series with the bat, but took some stunners in the field, notably the one handed leap in Perth to dismiss opposition skipper Ponting. Retired from test cricket at the end of the series. Take a bow, collect your gong. Two marks here. 9/10 (fielding), 2/10 (batting).
Ian Bell: He is small isn't he? Silkier than a Paris Hilton negligee, Bell oozed class as he stroked the ball at will around the grounds. Deserved hundred at Sydney. The Sherminator finally got laid. Still a bit poncy....got caught getting his hair dyed at Toni and Guy in Melbourne. 8.5/10
Matt Prior: Horrible beard, misguided if he thinks it's cool. You should never trust a man with a beard. Sharp behind the stumps and got plenty of practice thanks to the poor technique of the Australian batsmen. Fantastic hundred in Sydney capped off a great series for the stumper. 9/10
Stuart Broad: Really quite a tall chap, Goldilocks provided a great foil to Jimmy Anderson. Accurate and sharp with the ball, ruffled batsmen and kept things tight. Steve Finn, at first change, benefited most as batsmen relaxed and lost concentration in search of 'easier' runs. Loss didn't hamper England like it might a few years ago. 7/10
Graeme Swann: Has his own song, own dance and marches to a different beat. Nutcase of the side, hilarious and good for morale. Toiled away on wickets not made to measure, but apart from Brisbane, contributed solidly and won the game in Adelaide. Great video diary. 7.5/10
Jimmy Anderson: Swing-ba-da-bing. Couldn't stop moving the ball all series and troubled every batsmen. Along with Cook, key player in England winning the series. Taken up the hobby of sledging and seems good at it too. Even went on holiday mid-series. Best spell of the series was in the Aussie first innings in Brisbane, third morning, and didn't even take a wicket. Unplayable. 9.5/10
Steve Finn: Young, learning, took wickets in his three tests. Solid contribution although a bit leaky on runs. See comments about Stuart Broad. Will benefit massively from the experience. One to watch. 6/10
Chris Tremlett: Gladiator or gentle giant? Massive bloke, arms bigger than most people's thighs. Frightened Aussie batsmen with the bounce he extracted from the pitches. Phil Hughes looked like he needed a change of underwear every time he faced him. Fantastic influence on the series, offered the bowling attack something different. 9/10
Tim Bresnan: Big Yorkshire lad. Looks like a rugby playing farmer. Would expect him to put a few ales away down the local without them even touching the side - wouldn't want to boat race him. Like Tremlett, blazing entry into the series and his spell in the Aussie second innings at Melbourne was a clincher. Strong, good pace, swing (traditional and reverse) and some good runs in Sydney too. 8.5/10
Andy Flower: The silent assassin. Masterminding the resurgence in English cricket. Appears methodical, calm, focused and in control. Perfect combination with Strauss. ECB...give this man a big contract. 9.5/10
Monty Panesar: Solid and enthusiastic drinks carrier...head and shoulders above his Aussie counterparts. Sometimes brought out the wrong gear or appeared in the middle with no reason. Crowd favourite even when not playing. Didn't drop a catch. 7/10
Agree or disagree? Feel free to post your own ratings here.
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