10 things we learnt from the Gabba Test Match

The first test of the 2010 Ashes is over, ending in an entertaining and record-breaking draw. With the second test in Adelaide kicking off on Thursday night, the teams have little time to reflect on their time in Brisbane. But what has been learnt?

1. England have metal: Many questioned whether, despite arguably being the more talented side, England would have the required character to succeed when under pressure. However, led by the superb Alastair Cook, England's top order showed that the team is a different animal to those that have previously been humiliated Down Under. In similar situations, the tourists have usually relied on the likes of Paul Collingwood to dig them out of trouble, but by not needing his services the confidence in the batting order will be sky high.

2. James Anderson can bowl in Australia: By the end of the 2006/07 series, James Anderson was, like every English cricket fan, thoroughly downbeat. However, unlike most English cricket fans, the Lancastrian had even more reason to feel sorry for himself, as he had felt the full force of the Australian batting line-up. With a distinct lack of swing, the man from Burnley put in some very ordinary performances. Four years on, though, and he is a man reborn. He was England's most dangerous bowler and was very unlucky not to pick up more wickets than the two that he did. He is known as 'The Bowling Captain', and has a huge job to do over the remaining four tests.

3. Mike Hussey is back: Before this test match, Mike Hussey was in the last chance saloon. A failure in Brisbane could have ended his test match career. However, despite looking shaky early on, Hussey batted brilliantly to put Australia in a commanding position. He was very unlucky not to make a double century, and has surely now cemented his place in the side for the foreseeable future.

4. Marcus North is walking a tightrope: Many cricket fans already knew North needed a big performance at the Gabba to get the critics off his back. However, he scored just one and again fell victim to Graeme Swann. His only highlight was the wicket of Andrew Strauss in England's second innings, and his ability to bowl occasional off-spin may be the reason why he has been retained for Adelaide, a pitch which usually aids spin bowling.

5. Mitchell Johnson has fallen off the tightrope: Match figures of 0-170. A nineteen-ball duck. A horrendous dropped catch. A even more horrendous moustache. I don't think anything more needs adding.

6. Xavier didn't have the 'X Factor': Xavier Doherty's selection for the opening test was greeted with raised eyebrows, with many commentators asking whether a man with a first-class bowling average of 48 would be able to trouble England's batsmen. The answer to that question was no, he couldn't. In his much anticipated battle with Kevin Pietersen,  England's number four won hands down, whilst his two wickets were not exactly due to world-class bowling; Ian Bell was caught in the deep when hitting out whilst Jimmy Anderson was bowled playing the reverse sweep (I never thought I'd ever write that sentence).

7. Ben Hilfenhaus bowls a mean first over: On the whole, Ben Hilfenhaus did not have a great test match. However, in both innings' his opening over caused no end of problems to the England batsmen, and namely captain Andrew Strauss. In the first innings Strauss was caught in the gully from the third ball of the opening over, whilst the first ball of the second innings saw the England captain survive a huge lbw appeal. If Hilfenhaus can translate this type of form into his other overs, he could become a real threat in the test matches to come.

8. Australian fans are very good as dressing up as empty seats: The final two days of the test match saw very disappointing crowds, especially given the tightness of the match. Whether this is down to ticket prices or a lack of interest is unclear, but whatever the reason the relevant authorities at Cricket Australia will be hoping to see a huge improvement on the attendances from Brisbane.

9. The Barmy Army haven't changed: Despite the 5-0 whitewash of the 2006/07 series, many people remember the series for the brilliant visiting support given by the Barmy Army. Despite reports suggesting less England fans would be travelling Down Under this time round, the Army seemed to be louder than ever in Brisbane. With new songs and old, they are sure to keep us entertained throughout the series.

10. This could be the closest series ever!

JN2053 Skills Tests: Video

As part of my university course, I interviewed Everton fan Ell Bretland regarding the Toffees' season thus far. Ell travels around the country with his beloved Everton, and is hoping they can improve on their current league position.

JN2053 Skills Tests: Data

Last night, the Ashes began in Australia. Many see this serries as England's best chance in years to retain the urn down under, with the majority of supporters and commentators happy with the team the selectors have chosen.

However, having looked at the batting averages of England's top six batsmen in the 2010 County Championship, many might question their credentials.

In this graph I have taken the batsmen with the highest batting average from each county in Division One of the county championship. To make the graph fair, I placed a restriction on that the batsman must have batted 15 times to qualify. I did this as otherwise there may have been some anomalies.

On the right hand side of the graph I have shown the batting averages of England's top six batsmen, which are generally lower than those who do not play in the national side.

Despite the England players having such low averages, I believe they are the right men to lead the country in the Ashes. The likes of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen (who have the two lowest averages on the graph) had their county seasons somewhat curtailed due to injuries and international commitments, and this is reflected in their averages.

The data used for this chart can be accessed here-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/sep/21/county-championship-batting-bowling-averages

JN2053 Skills Tests: Maps

View LEP 15/10/10 in a larger map

As part of my university course, I was tasked with creating an interactive map using stories from the Lancashire Evening Post (LEP). I had to choose four stories from the newspaper, before using a map to show the locations of where each story happened.

When the icons are clicked, a short paragraph about the story will appear, along with links to the LEP website and to other useful sites.

Despite this small section of the map only showing two of the icons, there are two others (just click on the 'View in larger map' link below it).

JN2053 Skills Tests: Audio

Vox Pop Edit by maston91

Preston North End have endured an awful start to the season, finding themselves bottom of the Championship table and six points away from safety. I spoke to the fans before their game against Hull City to find out what had been going wrong at Deepdale.

AFC Fylde 5-2 Radcliffe Borough

AFC Fylde moved back into the play-off positions after taking all three points from an absorbing encounter at Kellamergh Park.

After an enforced two week break, the home side took some time to get into their stride as neither team seemed able to string any meaningful passing moves together. Despite this, Fylde had the better chances as Jamie Milligan twice had long range efforts saved by Nick Culkin, whilst Kevin Townson cut in from the right to test the ex-Bristol Rovers stopper.

The deadlock was finally broken midway through the first half as Townson was felled just inside the box, leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by captain Milligan. However, the lead lasted less than two minutes as David Sherlock latched onto a good through ball to slot past Lewis Edge in the Fylde goal.

This did not deter the Coasters, as Tom Cahill restored their lead after turning in a low Michael Barnes cross. The lead was then doubled moments later as centre-back Phil Doughty won the ball in the centre circle before playing in Townson who made no mistake with the finish.

As half-time loomed young midfielder Mike Nolan stung the palms of Culkin, but there were to be no more goals before the break.

Whatever was said by Radcliffe manager Gerry Luczka in the dressing room had an immediate effect as Adam Roscoe beat Edge at his near post from a near impossible angle. This galvanised the visitors, and they began to control the game, despite not creating any clear-cut chances.

Borough were made to pay for not turning their possession into goals as Townson tapped in his second and Fylde's fourth after a Barnes shot ricocheted off two Radcliffe defenders. That was to be the former Macclesfield striker's final action as he was replaced by Matt Walwyn, whilst Andy Bell continued to make his comeback from injury, replacing Cahill.

It did not take long for Walwyn to make an impact, with the striker picking the ball up just inside the visitors half before unleashing an unstoppable drive from 30 yards which many of the world's best keepers would have struggled to keep out.

With a three goal lead established, Fylde began to relax and the remaining 25 minutes did not bring many chances, although Bell and fellow substitute Matty Kay both tested Culkin before the 90 minutes were up.

Who should be lining up for England in the 2014-15 Ashes?

Following Matthew Wood and Ben Roberts’ discussion regarding who should feature in the Australian side for the 2014-15 Ashes, I thought it only fair to give them some opponents, and draw out my own England side for four years time.

Opening the batting in my side is current vice-captain Alastair Cook, who, despite questions surrounding his technique, has managed to keep his place in the side. Given the ECB’s recent policy of simply picking the most experienced player in the squad to be skipper, the Essex man also gets the nod as captain.

Alongside the skipper is Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth, who is already showing great promise despite only having two full seasons in first-class cricket. After becoming the first man to reach 1000 runs in 2010 County Championship, he is well and truly on the national selector’s radar. He will also be 27 by 2014, and in the prime of his cricketing career, giving him more than a good chance of facing the Aussies in four years.

At three I have chosen Ian Bell, who will still only be 32 come 2014. Despite not having the best record against Australia, he seems to be now eventually becoming a quality international batsman, and by the time he reaches his 30’s he has every chance of being in the top 10 test match batsmen in the world.

James Taylor is my choice at number four. He currently averages over 45 in first-class cricket, and at only 20, he is one of the brightest prospects in English cricket. He has already impressed in the England Lions side and if he continues his good form should be one of the most exciting young batsmen in world cricket by the time 2014 comes round.

Eoin Morgan takes his place in the team at number five. His innovative style of batting has catapulted him into the limelight, and it won’t be long before he begins stamping his authority on the test match stage. At 28, he will be another who should be in the prime of his cricketing career, and he has every chance of being the man the Australians most fear come 2014.

At six I have gone for the slightly controversial choice of Ravi Bopara. Many Australians would be rubbing their hands with glee at the sight of Ravi walking to the crease, but I feel in four years time he will have matured and be more consistently showing the form he showed against the West Indies in the summer of 2009. Also, batting at six should give him slightly more freedom, instead of having to come in when the pressure is on after the first wicket.

England’s wicket keeping position is always up for much debate, but I have gone with Steven Davies to fill the position by the time 2014 comes around. He has established himself in the one-day side after some good performance against an admittedly downhearted Pakistan side, and the fact he has been taken to Australia this year as back-up for Matt Prior shows that he is very much the man the selectors see as Prior’s long-term replacement.

As much as I would love to put Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid in my side, I am going to instead going to give Graeme Swann one final ‘Swann-song ‘ (sorry) and choose him in my side. He will be 35 by 2014 and most probably coming to the end of his career, but spinners always seem to get better with age, and I believe Swann will be no different.

England’s seam department should be fairly similar to what it is now, with Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both looking likely to be top quality international bowlers, whilst with their height they should both do well in Australia. 

The third seamer position goes to Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes, who at 21 is the best young seamer in England at the moment, having already recorded to eight five-wicket hauls in his already short career.

As seems the way, England’s squad usually consists of 16 players, and therefore I have chosen Adil Rashid, Yorkshire’s Jonathan Bairstow (back-up wicket keeper), Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams, Durham’s Ben Stokes and Jonathan Trott, who could very well get a chance in the side if the pressure gets to the likes of Taylor or Bopara.

So there it is, a fine side if I do say it myself. Some familiar names, but also some exciting new faces. I look forward to looking back at this in four years time and giving myself a pat on the back, or most probably asking myself what was I thinking. 

This article can be found at worldcricketwatch.com

AFC Fylde 7 - 1 Warrington Town (26/10/10)

After Saturday’s 1-1 draw between the two sides, many were anticipating another tight game at Kellamergh Park on Tuesday night, but it was anything but.

Kelham O’Hanlon made three changes from the weekend, with Matt Walwyn, Mike Nolan and Leon Gierke all coming into the side. However, it was the away side that started the brightest, with Tony Evans and Anthony Hickey both firing over, whilst Kevin Townson fired wide from range for the home team.

It took a moment of brilliance to break the deadlock, and captain Jamie Milligan duly delivered, as he swept home a Gierke lay-off from twenty yards.  This opened the floodgates for Fylde, as Townson continued his excellent recent form, scoring a brace of brilliant goals. His first was a powerful drive into the top corner from outside the area, whilst his second found the same corner as he curled it around the goalkeeper with his left foot. The former Rochdale striker has scored six goals in his first four games for O’Hanlon’s side, and his recent form has vindicated the decision to sign him after his return from Australia.

As the opening 45 minutes came to an end, Rick Mercer added a fourth as he got the final touch on a Phil Doughty’s goalbound header. The half-time whistle couldn’t come soon enough for Warrington, as arguments between their players threatened to get out of hand.

Townson was substituted during the interval, with former Manchester United youngster Mike Barnes his replacement, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact. The pacy winger embarked on a mazy run through the away sides defence before crossing for top scorer Walwyn, who tapped in for his 10^th goal of the season. Walwyn was impressive throughout, and could have had more, as he saw a shot cleared off the line, whilst he also missed a virtual open goal from another Barnes cross.

At 5-0, the away side eventually began to come to life, and Hiskey’s consolation was no more than they deserved, as he fired in an angle drive which hit the post on its way in. However, it wasn’t long before Fylde regained their 5-goal advantage as Nolan scored his maiden first-team goal, prodding home from substitute Tom Cahill’s cross. It was then left to Cahill to complete the scoring in injury time, as he fired home from a Walwyn cross.

The victory sees Fylde into the third round of the President’s Cup, a competition the club last won in 1995, and many associated with the team will hope that the success of fifteen years ago can be repeated.

JN2053 Skills Tests: Images

As part of my university course, I was tasked with taking pictures of a famous landmark in Preston. From a list of five possibilities, I chose Deepdale, the home of Preston North End. The stadium lies just outside the centre of Preston, and is the longest continually used football ground in the world.

As part of the task, I was asked to take an original image of the ground and then re-size and crop it three times. Below is the original image followed by the three edited versions.

This is my original image. It shows the main entrance to the ground's Sir Tom Finney stand. The club's emblem can be see at the top of the stand, whilst at the bottom vehicles parked in the stadium's main car park are visible.

My first edit has re-sized the image to a 400px x 300px image. I have cropped the image down so it still shows the club logo and the large floodlights which are a staple of modern stadia. However, I have cropped out the vehicles at the bottom of the image, as I feel they do not add anything to the image for the audience.

The above image is my second crop of the image. It has been re-sized to 200px x 500px. I aimed to make the club logo the focal point of the picture, and therefore cropped the image accordingly. This therefore meant taking out the floodlights, but for an image of this size this had to be done.

The final image has been cropped to a 100px x 100px thumbnail. I aimed to keep all the main points of the image in the thumbnail, whilst again taking out the vehicles at the bottom.

IPL- The Soap Opera Continues...

­It promised to change the way cricket was played, give the brightest youngsters the chance to shine and bring together the biggest names in the game. But now, three years since the IPL was launched, the competition now lies in disarray. Lalit Modi, the man behind the competition, is facing allegations of corruption, whilst two of the established franchises have now been expelled from the tournament. So what now for India’s premier cricket competition?

The expulsion of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab is a major blow for an already controversial tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have cited the reason that the two franchises ‘broke ownership rules’, but have not given any further details. With the huge question marks surrounding the game of cricket at this time, one fears for what may have been going on behind the scenes. Tie this in with the charges that face the one-time commissioner of the league, and the whole future of the competition has to be questioned.

Despite the obvious hit to the cities where the two sides play their games, the loss of Rajasthan especially will be felt all over the world, no more so in the county of Hampshire.

It was announced in February of this year that Hampshire, along with South African side Cape Cobras, Australia’s Victoria and West Indian team Trinidad & Tobago, would be joining together with the Royals to create the “first global cricket franchise”. The deal meant that players from all five teams could switch between sides, for example both Dimitri Mascharenhas and Michael Lumb turned out in the IPL for Rajasthan, whilst the English county changed their one-day side’s name from Hampshire Hawks to Hampshire Royals to show their faith in the deal. Now though, this faith looks as if it may have been misplaced. 

As well as the impact on the different teams associated with the Royals, it will also hit the players involved. In the case of Rajasthan, both Shane Warne and Damien Martyn have come out of retirement to play in the tournament, whilst many talented young Indian stars have been able to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience. In both cases, these players will now be missing out on the different perks that the IPL offers, be it money or experience. This in turn may put off possible future stars of the tournament, as they may see their future’s as being insecure.

In 2007, the IPL was billed as being the most exciting competition in world cricket. Now, in 2010, some would argue it still is exciting, but more off the pitch than on it, as cricket fans worldwide sit and wait to find out what will happen next in what is becoming the biggest soap opera in modern-day cricket.

Why do England keep playing to Australia's strengths?

When England’s Ashes squad was announced just less than two weeks ago, eyebrows were raised over the selection of Surrey bowler Chris Tremlett. Despite not playing for the national side in any form of the game since June 2008, the selectors saw fit for him to be selected, mainly due to his 6’7” frame.

Tremlett’s height will, the selectors believe, be a huge advantage in Australian conditions. The extra pace and bounce that the pitches in Australia offer has meant that the 29-year old has gained selection over the likes of Yorkshire’s Ajmal Shahzad and Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes. Alongside Steven Finn, who is much more likely to be picked for the First Test at the Gabba, the former-Hampshire star should be the most suited bowler to the conditions Australia has to offer.

However, a selection that the ECB may have felt has strengthened their bowling options may also be looked upon with happiness by the home side. A man whose bowling is suited to Australian conditions is likely to be something not too threatening to the home side’s top six.

Tremlett’s similarities with Sajid Mahmood (a man picked for the 2006 Ashes whitewash) are alarming.

Mahmood is a tall, fast bowler who, like Tremlett, should be very much suited to the conditions Down Under. However, in 2006, Mahmood took five wickets at an average of 52.8 in the final three tests of the series, whilst going at over five runs an over. The home batsmen took a particular liking to him and he hasn’t played a test since the final match in Sydney. The fact that Mahmood was very much part of the national set-up, something that Tremlett can’t claim to be, makes the Surrey man’s selection slightly more worrying.

Realistically, Tremlett will most probably not play in the series unless there are injuries amongst the front-line bowlers. However, his selection in the squad shows that the English selectors are not learning from the mistakes made four years ago. Some of England’s finest bowlers have struggled in Australia, so a selection of a man without an away test match to his name must be seen as a risk.

This article is not saying Tremlett is a bad bowler. He has had a good first season at The Oval and may have felt himself slightly aggrieved to have not at least gained a call-up for the one-day side over the English summer. However, his selection for an Ashes tour after over three years in the test match wilderness with a style of bowling that the Australian batsmen will look upon fondly is a strange one to say the least, and further proof that the England selectors don’t seem to learn from their mistakes, something which has meant their team may again struggle to retain the famous little urn.  


This article can be found at worldcricketwatch.com

Is the Twenty20 gimmick getting old?

With the impending ECB announcement that the amount of Twenty20 Cup group games in England’s domestic calendar is going to be cut from 16 to ten, many commentators have asked whether the pull of the newest form of the game is beginning to drop.

Throughout the 2010 County season, the issue of Twenty20 overkill was raised many times, with counties playing 16 group games each as appose to the usual ten. Attendances were down on previous seasons, whilst certain international games also saw less than capacity crowds. Players also complained of burnout, with some becoming injured before the season had come to an end.

This season’s competition was billed as the biggest and best so far, with more overseas players than ever before. The introduction of stars such as Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist to the competition failed to galvanise audiences as the ECB and the various counties had hoped, and with the sheer volume of games, audiences dwindled. England’s matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan were watched by less than full stadiums as cricket supporters struggled to finance watching all the cricket that was on offer.

It wasn’t only the public who couldn’t handle the amount of games, but also the players. The likes of England Twenty20 World Cup winner Michael Lumb had their season’s cut short due to injury, whilst other players were rested so as to save them from burning out. Six extra days of cricket a year may not sound a lot, but with travelling and the enhanced warm-ups and fitness training that the modern cricketer has to go through, these six days can be the difference between a player staying fit or picking up an injury.

So is Twenty20 cricket, the format that those at the top of the game said would bring in a new mass audience, now losing its appeal?

The answer is most probably not yet, especially in countries such as India and Australia, where the IPL and KFC Big Bash have the biggest stadium and television audiences. However, in the country in which Twenty20 was formed, the draw of the shortened format is at its lowest since its inception in 2003. In the event that this pattern spreads from England’s shores, then the future of “the future of cricket” could be under threat.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

IPL- really the future of cricket?

When the idea of the Indian Premier League was first proposed by Lalit Modi, the whole cricket world sat up and took notice.

However, since that announcement the tournament has been less about the on-field action and more about the off-field controversy. Security fears leading to a change in venue, the banning of several high-profile players and disputes with several international boards are just some of the problems the organising committee have faced.

So now, on the eve of the third annual competition, many cricket followers are asking whether the competition that was billed as the future of cricket will ever live up to its potential.

This years IPL, or IPL 3 as it is being billed in the Indian sporting media (one of the many examples of how the sport is becoming Americanised) could be the best tournament so far, with a plethora of the world's best players taking part at some stage.

The fact that players such as Shane Warne, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist have decided to prolong their careers to take part shows the appeal the competition has. Whether that appeal is the urge to play cricket at a high level or the money involved is up to debate. The fact that the Twitter accounts of Warne and Martyn have this week been inundated with reports of them taking part in different photo shoots may answer this question.

The standard of the cricket in the competition is helped by these legends of the game taking part, and the experience and expertise they pass onto the many Indian youngsters in the various franchises will become invaluable to them as they build their own careers.

However, that is all but where the good points surrounding the IPL end. The main talking points surrounding the competition are contentious to say the least, with controversy seeming to follow it wherever it goes.

The security fears that have surrounded the Modi's brainchild since its inception have caused the most controversy, with some players expressing there fears in the build-up to the 60-game tournament.

The expulsion of all Pakistani players is also an issue which has raised debate. In last year's competition there was a blanket ban on all of Pakistan's players. However, this year the majority of Pakistan's national side were available in the main player's auction and many onlookers felt that normal service would be resumed.

The fact that not one of the eleven Pakistani players who were available in the auction were snapped up by the franchises might show that the countries differences are still at the fore. The excuse of the players being unable to obtain Visa's was given, but the fact that the tournament will miss the like of Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, two of the world's best Twenty20 cricketers, is a great shame.

So whilst India prepares itself for its biggest sporting event of the year, many back in England will be none the wiser to what is going on. That is, unless, a major off-the-field incident again steals the headlines...

England's One Day Side: The Seamers

Now that England's one-day series against Bangladesh has drawn to a close (with England recording a 3-0 victory), the nation's once ridiculed side is now threatening to become a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunities to new candidates to be part of the team at the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt cause the selectors no end of problems

The Seamers

England's seam department is easily the most keenly contested, whilst also being one that causes the most debate. The sheer amount of possible seam bowlers means that the selectors will have the most difficult of all their jobs to select the three best.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad are believed to be England's first choice, and both would be very unfortunate to miss out on a place in the XI.

Anderson, on his day, is England's best bowler, matching wicket taking deliveries with consistent, economic spells. However, many England fans believe that he only becomes this bowler when the conditions suit, with his ability to swing the ball both ways a massive part of his armory.


It would also be hard for the selectors to overlook Broad's ability in the 50-over format, due to him being, like Anderson, a very economical bowler with both new and old ball, whilst having the ability to take key wickets. His ever-improving lower order batsman also means that the team's batting order can be lengthened more than most other sides.


So with Anderson and Broad almost guaranteed a place in the side, who will fill the position of third seamer?

Three Yorkshiremen are the main contenders for this berth.

Tim Bresnan now has 21 ODI caps and is slowly becoming an England regular in the shorter formats of the game. His form for Yorkshire with both bat and ball alerted the selectors to his talent, and his 4-wickets in the final one-day game in Bangladesh gave a timely reminder of his potential on the international stage.

Ryan Sidebottom is an interesting bowler. Since his return to the international set-up, the fiery haired son of one-test wonder Arnie has seen his form dip. Despite this, he still seems to be selected for crunch matches, most notably the final test of the recent series in South Africa. A further problem with the left-armer is he is prone to injury, illustrated perfectly by his early departure from the tour of Bangladesh.


Completing the trio of white-rose born internationals is Ajmal Shahzad, who is currently on his first senior England tour. His appearance in the final ODI showed some glimpses of what he can do, the dismissal of dangerman Tamim Iqbal with only his third ball was a good example of this.

There are plenty of other bowlers who could challenge for a place in the side. Liam Plunkett is seems to be back in the selector's mindset, Graham Onions has done well in his limited one-day outings, whilst it is yet to be seen how Steven Finn performs on the international stage.

All we do know is that the selectors will face some tough decisions come 2011.

England's One Day Side: The Spinners

Now that England's one day series against Bangladesh has drawn to a close (with England winning the series 3-0), the nation's once ridiculed side is threatening to become a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunities to new candidates to be part of the team at the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt cause the selectors no end of problems

The Spinners

England's spin department is almost unique; the selectors should have no problem in choosing who is going to take up the role.

Graeme Swann's transition into a world-class off spin bowler has been nothing short of miraculous. Just over 18 months ago he was a good county bowler who was picking up wickets on a regular basis for Nottinghamshire.

However, after three memorable test and one-day series' against the West Indies, Australia and, most recently, South Africa, Swann has become one of the top spin bowlers in world cricket.

His ability to bowl at and get left-handers out has made him England's turn-to bowler whenever a leftie strides to the crease. His impressive lower-order batting makes him the perfect one-day spin bowler.

But what of the rest? James Tredwell has been called up to the senior squad after impressing last season and he hasn't disappointed. His six wickets in the first innings of England's three day warm-up match in Bangladesh this week has meant he is now unrivalled as England's second choice spinner and if he carries on to perform, it will be hard to dispense of him.

Whilst Swann & Tredwell are traditional off-spinners, the other varieties of spin have passed by for England of late. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has spent two winter tours carrying the drinks, and the tonking he took against the hands of South Africa as meant the selectors have decided to look elsewhere, despite the undoubted talent of the Yorkshire all-rounder.

And let us not forget Monty Panesar. Once the Barmy Army's cult hero, the slow-left arm has not only been dropped by his national side, but also by former county Northamptonshire. His poor fielding and batting just added to the ease of his displacement as England's first choice slow bowler.

But remember, without Monty's first test heroics, the Ashes would be back Down Under...

England's One Day Side: All Rounder

Now that England's one-day series in Bangladesh has finished (with England winning 3-0), the nation's once ridiculed side is threatening to look like a professional outfit.


The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunities to new candidates to be part of the team at the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt cause the selectors no end of problems.

All Rounder

The position of all-rounder in the England side is a position which many of the current players could easily claim. However, the likes of Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan should be classed as 'bowlers who can bat' as appose to full blown all-rounders.

That therefore leaves two main candidates: Luke Wright & Andrew Flintoff.

Wright is currently the man in possession of the position, and his selection in recent Test squads strikes me that he maybe the selectors choice for the long-term successor to Freddie. His swashbuckling style of batting and 85-90mph bowling would make him seem like the ready made replacement.

However, his batting is inconsistent and he is not getting enough overs with the ball (this was especially evident in Bangladesh where he bowled a total of 12 overs in 3 games). The bowling is the main worry, as a replacement for Flintoff would have to step up and cover the amount of overs he bowled. Instead, the likes of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen are having to fill these overs.

All this means that the door is by no means closed for Freddie. No one will ever doubt his ability, and especially his bowling, in the 50-over format of the game. However the fitness and speediness of his recovery from his latest operation means that he will have to do a lot for Lancashire over the summer to prove he is a gamble worth taking.

The debate regarding Freddie could be compared to that which is taking place at the moment surrounding David Beckham. There is no doubt both are extremely talented and are legends of the game. The question that remains is "Is there a better, younger replacement?"

In Freddie's case, there probably isn't.

England's One Day Side: Wicket Keeper

Now that England's one-day series against Bangladesh has been decided (despite the third match taking place this Friday), the nations once ridiculed side is now looking like a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunity to others to stake a claim ahead of the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt pose the selectors no end of new problems.

Wicket Keeper

Ever since Alec Stewart hung up his gloves, the England wicket keeping position has been a point of much debate. Many have been given a go, but only now does there seem to be a regular stumper for the nation to rely on.

Matt Prior has all but cemented his place in England's line up. Prior's batting prowess has never really been questioned, but more so his keeping ability. It is in no doubt that he has made huge strides since his debut back in 2004, and he is now much more reliable than some of his predecessors. However, almost every keeper is prone to a mistake, and Prior is no different and some harsh critics still question his ability at international level.

There are those that believe that James Foster would be a better option. Foster is, without doubt, the best and most natural keeper at England's disposal, and his performance in the recent Twenty20 World Cup highlighted this. However, in today's modern game where a keeper who bats is seen as the best option, Foster will struggle. His one-day average of 27 is way short of his rivals, and this may mean he will have to play second fiddle.

Other candidates for the post include Craig Kieswetter, whose is yet to deliver with the bat on the international stage, and Surrey-bound, left-hander Steve Davies, who would be more naturally suited to opening the innings, a position that has enough worthy candidates as it is.

England's One Day Side: The Middle Order

Now that England's one-day series against Bangladesh has been decided (despite the third match taking place this Friday), the nations once ridiculed side is now looking like a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunity to others to stake a claim ahead of the World Cup in 2011.

However these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt pose the selectors no end of new problems.

The Middle Order

When asked, many England fans would probably say that their sides middle order in the 50-over format of the game is now set in stone.

Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan have all staked a claim that they should be in England's first-choice middle order, and most cricket followers would struggle to argue against their inclusion.

Dublin-born Morgan is now seen as the first name on any England limited overs team sheet. His fantastic timing and power mixed in with some audacious reverse sweeps and cheeky flicks mean that he is the perfect modern-day 50 overs batsman. His match winning innings in the 2nd ODI was one of the all time greats, with the huge six over the leg side to finish the game a fine example of what he is all about.

Collingwood has also cemented his place in the side due to him mixing his raw talent and grit with a consistency, that was majorly lacking in his early international career. Add to that his fantastic fielding and more than useful medium pace and Colly rates up there as one of the top one-day players in the world.

The case of Pietersen is an entirely different one. Ever since he returned from the Achilles injury that ruled him out of the final three Ashes tests he has looked an entirely different batsman, one who is deprived of confidence and the swagger that used to accompany him whenever he was at the crease. Despite looking like he might be back to his best in the recent Twenty20 games in the United Arab Emirates, his total lack of form in both South Africa and now in Bangladesh must have the selectors scratching their heads.

So who else is there who could either replace or deputise for these three. Many of the other options are from the "Been there, tried them, dispensed with" school, with Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and Robert Key being the most obvious names. Bopara's well documented Ashes failure has meant he has fallen of the radar, whilst even a match winning knock against South Africa in the Champion's Trophy wasn't enough to save Shah from the chop. Key, on the other hand, hasn't been given much of an opportunity to impress for the Three Lions, with his only match since 2005 being that infamous defeat to The Netherlands at Lords last summer.

So if not the tried and tested, who else is there to possibly take up the mantle. Current Lions and Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale did not cover himself in glory during the Lions' recent winter tour, and would have to play out of his skin to get a seat on the plane. However, Leicestershire's 20-year old James Taylor did have a productive tour, and after an excellent 2009, a good summer could see him banging on the door.

England's One-Day Side: The Openers

Now that England's one-day series against Bangladesh has been decided (despite the third match taking place this Friday), the nation's once ridiculed side is now looking like a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunity to others to stake a claim ahead of the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt pose the selectors no end of new problems.

The Openers

The position of opener looks like it will be two from five, with Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook being in pole position.

After being installed as one-day skipper, it seems as if Strauss, who is also currently England's best batsman, will be the man tasked with leading the team to World Cup glory. Therefore it would be safe to presume that his place is secure.

Cook looks the most likely to join his skipper, with his one-day game now seriously improved since his early international career; his two quickfire half-centuries in Bangladesh are a fine example of this. His current one-day average of just over 33 will need some improvement, but the changes he has made to his game should land him in good stead as he presses his claim.

Craig Kieswetter is the man who is currently in occupation of the openers role, but his two failures in his maiden one-day series mean that he has a lot of work to do to prove he is up to the task of seeing off the white ball in the 50-over format as well as in Twenty20's.

Other candidates for the role include Jonathan Trott, whose Ashes winning century seems longer than just 7 months ago and Joe Denly, whose constant failures in the Three Lions shirt have finally worn thin with the selectors.

Outsiders such as Michael Lumb, who seems destined to open the batting at the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, and Ian Bell, a former England opener who hasn't played a 50 over game for his country since November 2008 in Zimbabwe, have just over a year to impress the selectors, but both face an uphill struggle.

The future of sports journalism will be...

...something much different from what it is today.

As a sports journalist, I feel the future of the profession can be looked at from two very differing angles. The newspaper business is in rapid decline whilst online output goes from strength to strength.

Images of journos frantically scribbling on notepads so as to meet editor's deadlines are becoming a thing of the past, with lightweight TV cameras and hand held dictaphones now becoming the norm at big-match press conferences., whilst 24-hour news has meant the modern day journalist has no time constraint.

Online media is now a key constraint of any newspaper, tv or radio news output, with all placing a large impetus on getting their readers, viewers and listeners to log on to their sites. Videos, exclusive interviews and guest blogs are all used to entice a prospective online audience, whilst match highlights are the norm on many television sites.

A further example of how the online medium will dominate sports journalism in the future is the phenomenon that is social networking.

Stories regarding Ryan Babel and Darren Bent and their networking habits have become top stories on sports bulletins, whilst Facebook groups regarding sportsmen and women have also found their way onto the back pages.

Whilst the future of sports journalism looks bright, it also looks as if it will be something far away from what it was known as at the start of the 21st century.