Adam's England Player Ratings

England Player Ratings

Andrew Strauss - 5

After so much success in the last 18 months, the England captain was overdue an off-colour series. Made some important contributions, not least his momentum-changing 54 at Durban, but generally struggled against the South African pacemen. Captained astutely for the most part, but probably made the wrong decision at all three tosses that he won.

Alistair Cook - 7

With just two centuries in 24 months coming into the series, the opener had quietly found his way into last-chance saloon. A quiet start and a disappointing finish bookended a masterclass of concentration in Durban, where he willed himself back into form, and important knocks in both innings at Cape Town.

Jonathan Trott - 4

The biggest challenge for England’s number three was how to manage expectations. Came into the series with an inflated reputation after his debut hundred at the Oval, but his lack of international experience eventually proved telling. Has showed enough, though, to warrant an extended run in the team.

Kevin Pietersen - 2

With Flintoff having hobbled over the horizon, KP is now England’s only superstar. He did not play like one. Only one innings of substance, albeit a crucial one at Centurion, and as the series progressed he looked increasingly out of form. Needed time in the middle after a long injury layoff; South Africa’s bowlers were not prepared to give it to him.

Paul Collingwood - 9

Collingwood’s failure to make a hundred should not detract from his brilliance in this series. The only batsman to perform in every game, he replaced Strauss as the fulcrum upon which the fragile batting hung together.

Ian Bell - 8

After a desperate start in Pretoria, where he left a straight one from Paul Harris (a spinner, remember, who doesn’t spin the ball), Bell responded with a fluent 140 in Durban. Much more significant for his long-term future, though, was his innings at Cape Town, where he refused to buckle on the final day and batted almost to the end. It was the kind of knock under pressure that in the past he has been incapable of playing.

Matt Prior - 5

The keeper played a couple of sweet knocks, but mostly looked nervous, often attacking from the start of his innings when caution should have been his watchword. Virtually no runs in the second innings of games. His glovework was practically faultless though.

Stuart Broad - 6

Bowled impressively at Durban and well in patches elsewhere, but his burgeoning and probably misguided reputation as ‘the new Flintoff’ suffered as he averaged only 10 in seven outings with the bat, including just a solitary run in three second innings. Did not endear himself to the South African, or indeed English, crowds with his petulance.

Graeme Swann - 9

Not many people expected a spinner to have much of an influence on South African pitches, but Swann was magnificent, bewitching the South African left-handers and bagging 21 wickets in all. Averaged higher than Pietersen, Strauss, Trott and Prior with the bat, too.

James Anderson - 5

Despite collecting 16 wickets, this was a disappointing series for Anderson. When he gets it right, he is virtually unplayable, but he looks toothless more often than he looks dangerous, and that is not good enough from someone who purports to be the leader of the attack. It is the reason Steve Harmison was dropped, after all.

Graham Onions - 7

The decision to axe him for the final game was mystifying, as he had been the most potent of England’s three seamers up til then. Toiled away on a probing line and length without getting much reward in the wickets column. And that’s before we even talk about his sizzling heroics with the bat, which by rights ought to see him promoted to the top order in Bangladesh.

Ryan Sidebottom - 5

Bowled willingly, but not particularly effectively, in his only appearance. Having lost the yard of pace that made him so dangerous in 2007-08, he should probably be consigned to the scrapheap now.

(These ratings are based on author Adam Bayfield's evaluation and understanding. iSport.in purely serves as a platform to present the same to all its readers. Please feel free to get in touch with the author should you have any queries or comments or suggestions regarding the same. iSport does not endorse the same.)