AB, Ajmal and Co

The Test, ODI and T20I XIs of 2013, as picked by ESPNcricinfo's staff

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AB de Villiers shone bright in both Tests and ODIs in 2013 © Getty Images

TEST

David Warner
909 runs at 39.52
It was a year of two halves for Warner, either side of a cantankerous phase in May-June when he vented against a couple of journalists on Twitter and punched Joe Root at a Birmingham bar. He had a forgettable tour to India - despite two fifties - but he finished 2013 in style with 124, 83 not out, 60 and 112, which helped Australia regain the Ashes in 14 days.

Hashim Amla
633 runs at 57.54
He's not a traditional opener but Amla walked in inside the first ten overs in five innings this year. And with two hundreds and four fifties in eight matches in 2013, he continued to power South Africa's quest to remain the No. 1 Test side. He began with 66 and 110 in the 2-0 whipping of New Zealand and notched up three half-centuries against Pakistan at home. His most memorable knock was a century on the first day of the series in Abu Dhabi, where he showed immense patience and technique to help his side stay afloat.

Cheteshwar Pujara
829 runs at 75.36
With a double-hundred, two hundreds and three fifties, Pujara was undoubtedly India's star batsman through the year. His 204 in Hyderabad set up a massive win against Australia and he continued to torture them with twin fifties in the final Test in Delhi. An innings of 113 against West Indies in Mumbai followed, but he saved the best for last: a masterful second-innings 153 in Johannesburg, on a tricky pitch, against the world's best side.

Michael Clarke
1093 runs at 47.52
The leading run scorer in 2012 also led the charts in 2013. Unlike in 2012, though, Clarke didn't post monster scores but his four hundreds and three fifties were instrumental in reviving Australia. He was one of the few notable performers on their horrid tour to India, and he came away from the Ashes in England with a century and a fifty. However, his most inspired efforts were hundreds in Brisbane and Adelaide, innings that helped take Australia to Ashes glory after a four-year gap.

Ian Bell
1005 runs at 41.87
Bell had a relatively quiet start to the year, with just one half-century in the first half, but he exploded during the home Ashes with three hundreds and two fifties. On three occasions, with England in trouble, he pulled off match-defining hundreds that stood out for their strokeplay and assured defence. Through the year he also showed that he was one of the best short-leg fielders in the world.

AB de Villiers
933 runs at 77.75; 45 catches, one stumping
Since Adam Gilchrist retired in 2008 few wicketkeeper-batsmen have made the kind of impact that de Villiers did in 2013, when he finished as the top-ranked Test batsman. His four hundreds and five fifties showcased his versatility - he could snatch the advantage, consolidate a solid foundation, and also knuckle down and play out time. His 46 dismissals behind the stumps made him the most valuable Test cricketer of the year.

Stuart Broad
62 wickets at 25.80, 326 runs at 16.30
If we look beyond Broad's decision on July 12 - to not walk when he edged a delivery from Ashton Agar to first slip (via the wicketkeeper's gloves) - we will find a set of stellar performances in varying conditions: 6 for 51 in a draw in Wellington, a lethal 7 for 44 against New Zealand at Lord's, an Ashes-winning 11-wicket haul in Chester-le-Street, and a hard-working 6 for 81 in a loss in Brisbane. We will also see a lower-order batsman offering gritty resistance at important times through the year.

Mitchell Johnson
34 wickets at 17.52
He played only six Tests in the year but turned in spells so blistering that he drew comparisons with past masters like Jeff Thomson, Malcolm Marshall and Waqar Younis. With nine wickets in Brisbane, eight in Adelaide (including a scorching 7 for 40 that demolished England), six in Perth, and eight in Melbourne, he stamped his will on the Ashes, and, six years since his Test debut, showed us why Dennis Lillee called him a "once-in-a-generation bowler".

Dale Steyn
51 wickets at 17.66
Not many Pakistan batsmen will forget the devastating 8.1-6-8-6 that Steyn served up in Johannesburg, bowling them out for 49. He added five wickets in the second and picked up his second successive Man-of-the-Match award (after he had blown away New Zealand a few weeks earlier). He was hostile in unhelpful conditions too, taking eight wickets in two Tests in the UAE, and ended the year with a series-winning nine-wicket haul against India in Durban.

Saeed Ajmal
37 wickets at 24.72
He made his Test debut in 2009 but Ajmal had played only eight Tests outside Asia before 2013. In five Tests in southern Africa, he mesmerised batsmen across different conditions: his masterclass in Cape Town fetched him ten wickets in the match (in which Pakistan nearly pulled off a win) and his 11 wickets in Harare led them to a big win. As always he was a terror in the UAE and nabbed 12 wickets in the drawn two-match series against South Africa.

Ryan Harris
38 wickets at 21.94
A terrific bowler when fit, Harris shouldered a large part of the burden on Australia's tough trip to England. He often bowled more than 20 overs per innings and provided breakthroughs when games appeared to be slipping away. In the return series, he was a vital foil for Johnson and turned in some memorable spells in Adelaide and Perth.

Virat Kohli got to 5000 ODI runs in his 114th innings, the same as Viv Richards © BCCI

ODI

Shikhar Dhawan
1162 runs at 50.52
India's success in the one-day format was largely because of the solidity at the top of the order and Dhawan, with a strike rate of 97.89, often played the lead role. His 363 runs in the Champions Trophy - including two hundreds - won him the Player-of-the-Series award, and he ransacked 95, 100 and 60 in the home series against Australia.

Rohit Sharma
1196 runs at 52.00
Another fire starter at the top of the order, Rohit blossomed into one of the mainstays in India's line-up. His eight fifties set up many a tall score but he will always remember 2013 as the year he cracked 16 sixes - the most in an ODI innings - in his stupendous series-winning 209 against Australia in Bangalore.

Kumar Sangakkara
1201 runs at 63.21; 26 catches, six stumpings
He was the highest run scorer in 2012 and came close again with a string of influential performances. His 372 runs in the series against South Africa at home - including a monster 169 - led Sri Lanka to a 4-1 win. The other high point was his dazzling 134 at The Oval against England in the Champions Trophy.

Virat Kohli
1268 runs at 52.83
Melding Tendulkar's composure and Sehwag's derring-do, Kohli reinvented the art of batting in the middle overs of ODIs. His four hundreds and seven fifties showcase his consistency, but stats can't reveal the ruthlessness with which he chased down massive targets, or the control he showed while pacing an innings. The piece de resistance was the 52-ball hundred - the fastest by an Indian - against Australia in Jaipur when they hunted down 359 in a mind-blowing 43.3 overs.

George Bailey
1098 runs at 64.58
Few Australian batsmen have had as meteoric a rise in ODIs as Bailey - who has racked up more than 1500 runs in his first 35 games. His 1098 runs in 2013 came at a eye-popping average and he has been head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the batting line-up over the last couple of years. The ODI series in India was the watershed: he amassed 478 runs at 95.60.

AB de Villiers
1163 at 50.56, 25 catches
De Villiers finished the year in style, topping the ICC's Test and ODI rankings after the home series against India, where he tallied 189 ODI runs from three innings. For much of the year he feasted on the Pakistan attack - both home and away - carting them for two hundreds and four fifties over 14 matches. He also kept wicket for half of South Africa's ODIs in the year and took 17 catches behind the stumps.

MS Dhoni
753 runs at 62.75; 21 catches, 13 stumpings
Arguably the most valuable one-day player in the world, Dhoni repeatedly hoodwinked opponents with his skilful batting and wily captaincy. There were plenty of memorable wins through the year - a Champions Trophy triumph that made him the first captain to win all ICC trophies; a tri-nation series victory in the West Indies, where he smacked 16 off the last three balls with No. 11 for company; and a series win against Australia at home that included a scintillating 139 in a losing cause. He also had 34 dismissals behind the stumps.

Ravindra Jadeja
462 runs at 35.53, 52 wickets at 25.40
The man they call Sir came of age as a left-arm spinner in 2013, and his 52 ODI wickets played a big part in India's rise to the top. Two performances stood out: his 5 for 36 against West Indies in the Champions Trophy and his 4 for 23 against Sri Lanka in the tri-series final in Port-of-Spain. He also had the small matter of 462 runs at 35.53, which made him one of the leading allrounders in the format.

Saeed Ajmal
62 wickets at 20.45
The leading wicket-taker in 2013, Ajmal began the year with 3 for 20 against India in Kolkata, a match where Pakistan wrapped up the three-match series. He finished with starring roles in two more series wins - a historic triumph in South Africa and a victory against Sri Lanka in UAE. In between he put together controlled performances against West Indies and Zimbabwe, and it came as no surprise that he finished the year atop the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings.

Mitchell McClenaghan
40 wickets at 19.02
McClenaghan's 4 for 20 on debut, the best by a New Zealander in his first match, kickstarted his side's revival during their fairytale series win in South Africa. He continued his good form through the England series at home, and in the Champions Trophy, where he troubled batsmen with sudden bursts of pace and sharp bounce. He picked up four or more wickets five times during the year - the best by ODI bowlers in 2013.

Junaid Khan
52 wickets at 21.46
Entrusted with the final over against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, Junaid fired in yorker after yorker to defend nine runs and hand Pakistan their first-ever ODI series win over South Africa. He also had an impressive time in the West Indies, and gave Sri Lanka a hard time during their five-match series in UAE with the most wickets (13) at 16.07.

Mohammad Hafeez lost his spot in the Test side but continued to be stellar in the shorter formats © AFP

T20

Aaron Finch
262 runs at 43.66, SR 194.07
Finch's world-record 156 stunned England at the Ageas Bowl as he led Australia to their first victory in any format over a dismal Ashes tour. A month and a half later he exploded again, this time against India in Rajkot, but his 52-ball 89 was in vain, as Australia lost by six wickets.

Alex Hales
247 runs at 49.40, SR 153.41
Two big innings for Hales this year: a series-winning 80 not out against New Zealand in Wellington and a series-levelling 94 against Australia in Chester-le-Street - a knock that took him to the top of the T20 rankings in September.

Mohammad Hafeez
323 runs at 35.88, SR 132.92; 12 wickets at 21.50
He may have had a horrid year in Test cricket - where he lost his spot in the side - but Hafeez has been stellar in T20s. In March, during the series-winning match in Centurion, he became the first Pakistan batsman to 1000 T20 runs and flattened South Africa with his quickfire 86. He slammed two more fifties in the year and chipped in with wickets at crucial stages of games.

Faf du Plessis
234 runs at 39.00, SR 108.83
A 65-ball 85 in Hambantota was in vain, as Sri Lanka posted a consolation win, but du Plessis played a vital role in South Africa's 2-0 series win against Pakistan in Dubai. An unbeaten 37 in the first match was followed by a controlled (and again unbeaten) 58 in the second, his fourth half-century in the format.

JP Duminy
190 runs at 63.33, SR 125.82; 4 wickets at 8.75
Duminy's 51 and three wickets in Colombo enabled South Africa to recover from a perilous 21 for 3. He struck a controlled 30 in the second game, which played a big part in South Africa winning the series. An unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in Cape Town rounded off a consistent year.

Jos Buttler
130 runs at 32.50, SR 175.67; 6 catches
Providing valuable lower-order firepower, Buttler turned into a vital cog in England's T20 wheel. His innovate, often electric, strokeplay has propped up the lower order and England's think tank seem to believe Buttler can eventually don the gloves in all three formats.

Thisara Perera
125 runs at 125.00, SR 178.57; 8 wickets at 22.00
A handy batsman, cunning bowler and electric fielder, Perera was switched on through the year. He starred in the two matches in Australia - his 15-ball 35 helped wrap up the series 2-0 in Melbourne - and contributed with wickets at critical stages during the series against South Africa (at home) and Pakistan (in Dubai).

Shahid Afridi
199 runs at 39.80, SR 143.16; 10 wickets at 27.20
A key component of Pakistan's T20 side, Afridi chipped in with bat and ball through the year. Two performances stood out: a 20-ball 39 in the first T20 against Sri Lanka in Dubai and three wickets in the win over South Africa in Cape Town.

Sachithra Senanayake
10 wickets at 12.20
A tall offspinner who played a handful of limited-overs matches in 2012, Senanayake's career took off in 2013. First came the $625,000 offer from Kokata Knight Riders, then a comeback into the national side. Fruitful spells followed. He grabbed six wickets in the three-match series against South Africa, going at a shade over five an over, and played a big part in Sri Lanka drawing the series against Pakistan in Dubai.

Jade Dernbach
13 wickets at 15.00
He lost his place in England's ODI side but Dernbach continued to grow in stature in the shortest format. He had four three-wicket hauls during the year, the most recent being the 3 for 23 against Australia in Chester-le-Street.

Sunil Narine
8 wickets at 13.50
He played only five T20 internationals in 2013 but Narine was always a threat, nabbing wickets and restricting batsmen with his unconventional deliveries. He finished with an economy rate of 5.40 - the third-best among bowlers with at least 20 overs in the year. His 2 for 19 played a crucial role in West Indies' win over Australia in Brisbane, their first in any format for 16 years.

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Matthews working hard to justify captaincy

Without a mandate to rule, Angelo Matthews is having to work extremely hard to prove his worth as captain. He played an important innings to save his side from disaster on day one in Abu Dhabi

Sri Lanka's leadership is in a strange state. This XI features the country's best-ever tactical captain and a cricketer who is perhaps the most respected current player in the world. While either Mahela Jayawardene or Kumar Sangakkara could helm virtually any other Test side, a 26-year-old holds the reins for Sri Lanka.

In Abu Dhabi, Angelo Mathews's produced the sort of lone hand the two senior men have customarily provided. The batting had slid as it so often does in overseas Tests, and full of gall but tempered by good sense, Mathews diverted Sri Lanka's course toward respectability.

It was a reminder of what made him such a star three years ago, because in the ten months since he has been captain, it has been easy to forget his virtues as a cricketer. Sri Lanka have had decent results under Mathews but have rarely strayed from formula, and had been light on the verve that was at the core of their identity under Jayawardene.

Mathews has also seemed increasingly insouciant. The same composure in adversity that saw him anointed as a future leader has also dented his reputation as a captain. His poise, uncluttered mind, and dispassionate stare serve him well when he's running down a tall score, but when he fails it seems as if he's not trying, too aloof, doesn't care. Sometimes you want your captain to smash his bat on his pads when he gets out. Sometimes you want him to yell at the fielder who let a ball slip through.

And so, as Mathews rarely lets emotion bubble over, the discourse on him takes a turn towards moralism. His skill, temperament and cricketing sense are sideshows to the major questions: is he committed enough? Does he deserve the honour of his office? After all, his path to the helm has not been hard-won. He is from a top Colombo school; he was marked out for leadership almost as soon as he secured a place in the side, and he inherited the reins almost by default two years later.

It doesn't help Mathews that some alumni of 1996 publicly propagate the notion that the new breed of Sri Lankan cricketer lacks the passion that defined the world champions. Both former players and fans must perhaps realise that the same forces that propelled the amateurs may no longer be relevant to Sri Lanka, 18 years on.

It also doesn't help that Mathews has not improved substantially since his first 12 months in the team. There are few new shots in his repertoire, the inertia in his innings persists and while an average of around 40 is acceptable for a No. 6, he has not cracked the art of Test match concentration. Eleven times he has crossed 50, but only once has he forged ahead to triple figures. Even that century had been approached at a crawl, in service of personal catharsis and arguably at the expense of the team's cause.

	As Jayawardene and Sangakkara look towards retirement, Mathews has ahead of him the hardest task of any Sri Lanka captain since Arjuna Ranatunga

But as top order debris burned around him in Abu Dhabi, Mathews fought fire with aggression. Against a sharp attack running strong, tasting blood, it was hardly an advisable manoeuvre, because every time he pulled or drove, he risked an embarrassing exit. But as inaction either side of lunch had marked Sri Lanka's road to collapse, perhaps Mathews reasoned that the opposite was the way out. His success hit home the major truth about Sri Lanka's first innings: there was little in the pitch or from the opposition that demanded such feeble returns; the batsmen had surrendered all on their own.

The tail arrived towards the end of the second session and Mathews then struck the perfect note between courage and caution. Pakistan stopped attacking Mathews when he hit a spate of imperious square boundaries, but though the infield opened up for him, he declined the easy runs to keep the man at the other end safe. Any proper batsman should have done the same, but in a 60-run ninth-wicket stand with Shaminda Eranga, Mathews seemed a more responsible leader than he perhaps ever has. There was no doubting how much he cared.

It is the sort of innings that will undoubtedly be required of him regularly in the years to come. In this match six Sri Lanka cricketers have played fewer than 15 Tests. Only the supremely gifted can avoid brittleness at the start of their careers, and there is no batsman in the Sri Lanka side that possesses the talent of a Cheteshwar Pujara.

As Jayawardene and Sangakkara look towards retirement, Mathews has ahead of him the hardest task of any Sri Lanka captain since Arjuna Ranatunga. Beyond the batting, Sri Lanka's pace attack is doughty at best and more often toothless. Rangana Herath might stay two more years but no spinner has yet earned the right to call himself a successor. A time approaches where Mathews, still in his twenties, will probably be the most experienced cricketer in the team.

Mathews has so far avoided raising the ire of his bosses, but in the future, he would do well to avoid decisions that put his side at a marked disadvantage. A bleak first day in Abu Dhabi might have been avoided if Sri Lanka had insisted on at least one practice game in the Gulf - a startling oversight, given they had not played Tests since March.

Mathews perished charging an Ajmal doosra, nine short of a second hundred. It is strangely fitting that he did not reach the milestone, because in this, his best innings, every moment had been about his team.

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Zakir ton powers Dolphins to title

Karachi Dolphins 319 for 6 (Zakir 170) beat Peshawar Panthers 289 (Adil Amin 60, Shahzaib 2-46) by 30 runs
Scorecard

A second successive hundred from Asif Zakir, who scored an unbeaten 170, set up Karachi Dolphins' 30-run win over Peshawar Panthers in the One Day Cup final in Karachi.

Put in to bat, the Dolphins top order struck partnerships, with the most substantial one being the 110-run stand between Saad Ali and Zakir. The latter struck 20 fours and two sixes in his 135-ball knock, which was also his sixth ton in List A cricket, as the Panthers bowlers struggled to restrict the opposition.

Chasing 320, the Panthers top-order nearly emulated the performance of the opposition batsmen. The openers Iftikhar Ahmed and Israrullah put on 91 and kept pace with the asking rate. The Dolphins bowlers, although expensive, managed to strike regularly to stem partnerships between the Panthers batsmen, ensuring that the opening stand was the only fifty-plus partnership in the Panthers innings. The Panthers missed a big innings as both Israrullah and Adil Amin were out for 53 and 60 respectively. Although they struggled to contain wickets, the Panthers batsmen managed to keep up with the required rate, but the end came in the 44th over, with the batting side just 30 runs adrift.

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Where's the human touch?

There was something about England's cricket team, even when winning, that did not entirely connect with the public mood

David Hopps January 1, 2014

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By the end of the year Alastair Cook had turned into an increasingly hollow-eyed captain © Getty Images

This was the year that the English public fell out of love with its cricket team. It was not the case for everybody and there was reason to presume, as always, that it was only a temporary estrangement. But there was no doubt as 2013 came to an end that the powerful bond forged during England's tempestuous 2005 Ashes victory was broken. It's been emotional, said the English cricket public. But, at least for now, let's cool it.

As England completed the year 4-0 down in Australia, the Ashes relinquished, and facing the threat of a whitewash if they lost the final Test in Sydney, consternation had long given way to condemnation. England had endured beatings in Australia before but most had been against sides touched by greatness. This Australian side had its heroes, how could it not, but it was a long way from greatness. It made England's feeble display all the harder to bear.

But the source of public disaffection ran deeper than simply whether England were winning or not. Even their 3-0 defeat of Australia in the English summer - a Test series played out to packed houses - had been met with grudging praise. There was something about England's cricket team, even when winning, even as many of its most celebrated players reached maturity, that did not entirely connect with the public mood and, as the New Year came, and the talk was of new beginnings, an examination of that disaffection was necessary.

For Paul Downton, a former England wicketkeeper and the new MD of England cricket, it will be quite an introduction to the job. Andy Flower went into meetings with him as the year turned indicating that he wished to play a central role in a new era - a new era that in his view demanded the retention of Alastair Cook as captain, a man hugely respected for his batsmanship and general good eggedness rather than his tactical acumen, and no dismantling of his gargantuan backroom staff. Essentially, the message was that they should be entrusted with the rebuilding of a new side.

" Had England's planning now become so stifling that players felt disempowered, even demotivated?

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But England's commitment to micro-management - and nobody believed in it more than Flower - was itself under scrutiny as the year turned sour. Cook, an increasingly hollow-eyed captain, had some justification in suggesting that the same careful planning and large support structure which had been hailed as a prime reason for a Test series win in India a year earlier was now being held up as the problem as a tour of Australia went belly up, but the comment of an England player in early summer that he sometimes felt as if he was being marked when he went to the toilet kept springing to mind.

Had England's planning now become so stifling that players felt disempowered, even demotivated? Had England, with its data-driven tactics, psychological counselling on tap, and a commitment to nutrition so detailed that it resulted in the publication of a much-ridiculed cookbook, built a support structure so all-consuming that it was now having a negative effect? And, if the thrill had gone, and fatigue taken hold, had the public begun to spot it even before the players themselves?

That debate was thrown into focus in 2013 by the presence of an Australia coach, Darren Lehmann, drawn from the old school. Lehmann used data - he would be a fool not to, and Australia clearly had good plans, but he liked to give the impression that the knowledge gleaned would be disseminated over a couple of beers. Australia's cricket - even when they were losing the big moments in the English summer - was approached with verve and aggression. They had the human touch, in their vices as well as virtues. It was hard to see that freshness in England. England, whatever their protestations, lacked joy.

That two England players failed to reach the end of the Ashes series in Australia encapsulated the year. Jonathan Trott, it emerged, had been controlling a stress-related condition for much of his England career. When he left the tour abruptly after England's defeat in the first Test in Brisbane, a perfectionist no longer able to cope, it was another reminder of the pressures of top-level sport when expectations are so high and an excuse culture is not be tolerated. Mitchell Johnson's ferocious pace was the catalyst, but it was misguided to represent it as the cause, and those who equated Trott's departure with a lack of courage could hardly have been more inane. As Flower said, Trott had been England's rock at No. 3 and they suffered in his absence.

Graeme Swann's premature international retirement after three Tests was an expression of individual freedom at best, self-indulgent at worst. That such a popular player, in the timing of his departure, revealed a disconnect between this England team and its public was dispiriting. Swann deserved to be hailed as one of the most popular England players of his generation, an offspinner second only to Jim Laker in most eyes, and someone who was rightly cherished for playing and discussing the game with such evident delight.

Former players queued up to defend Swann's right to retire from international cricket when he wished. Others regarded him too fondly to criticise him. But polls suggested that a substantial majority were deeply dismayed by his failure to see the tour through, even if his debilitating elbow condition meant that he might finish it dropped and carrying the drinks. Revealingly, he would not have retired if the series had not already been lost. Those sitting through the night to follow England on TV, or fumbling for their radios or mobile phones at 6am to discover more bad news, wanted a display of solidarity, however meaningless, and that they did not receive it until the bitter end strengthened their conviction that something was awry.

Graeme Swann's premature retirement: an expression of individual freedom at best, self-indulgent at worst © Getty Images

England's decline was also seen, less controversially, in the form of Matt Prior. He began the year by saving the Auckland Test in March, won the England Player of the Year award, and was made Test vice-captain. By the end of the year, he was dropped, his international career in the balance. Of the coming men, whose progress was suddenly more urgent, Joe Root brought hope - even if his place at No. 3 in Australia proved to be overly ambitious - as did Ben Stokes, whose powerfully-struck hundred in Perth left England dreaming of a quality allrounder in the making and a return to a five-strong attack.

For a decade and more, England's improvement had essentially been supervised by two Zimbabwean coaches, Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower. Even the interregnum - the unsuccessful appointment of an English coach, Peter Moores, with a strong work ethic - did not change the overall mood. The much-needed commitment to instil greater professionalism into English cricket, and use the ECB's millions to fund it, was hugely successful.

The planning was still evident. England's defeat of Australia in an unusually dry home summer had been plotted on dry, slow, attritional surfaces, which played to England's strengths - the reverse swing of James Anderson, the offspin of Swann, the technical excellence of Ian Bell, and their general contentment playing a methodical, patient game - but it did not make for exciting cricket.

Five wins, five draws (three in a stalemate in New Zealand) and four defeats told of a middling Test side. In 50-over cricket, under the guidance of Ashley Giles, who was promoted to limited-overs coach to give Flower more time with his family, they reached the final of the Champions Trophy in a chilly early summer in England, but any talk of progress was stilled by a heavy defeat in a bilateral series against Australia and by the end of the year they had lost as many matches, ten, as they had won. In T20, the story was much the same and, until England's best players gained more exposure in IPL, it was unlikely to change.

England played more than was healthy, they had too many international grounds to finance, and their own relaunched T20 tournament would have to continue to make do without England players. By the end of the year, their rise to No. 1 in all three forms of the game was a memory. Talk of legacies had long been abandoned. Attention had turned to how England would negotiate their way through a difficult period.

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Alex Doolan added to Sydney Test squad

Tasmania batsman Alex Doolan could make his Test debut in Sydney after being added to Australia's squad. Injury concerns surrounding the No.3 Shane Watson and fast bowler Ryan Harris may lead to a significant shake-up of the side, with allrounder James Faulkner also in contention and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile a chance to debut having been named in a 14-man squad for the Test.

Doug Bollinger, who was with the group in Perth and Melbourne as a standby player along with Coulter-Nile, has been released from the squad. Depending on the fitness of Watson, who hurt his groin on Boxing Day and appeared unable to run at full pace in the field at times, and Harris, who has ongoing issues with his knee and various other parts of his body, as many as three changes could be made to the side for Sydney.

The coach Darren Lehmann indicated after the Melbourne win that Watson's place in the side would need to be considered if he was unable to bowl, which could encourage the selectors to choose Faulkner ahead of him to provide a fifth bowling option. That scenario would likely require Doolan to come in to replace Watson at No.3, while George Bailey could also make way for Brad Haddin to move up to No.6 with Faulkner at No.7. Coulter-Nile for Harris could be a straight swap.

"With some players still being assessed by our medical team after four demanding Tests, we have decided to add Alex to ensure we have sufficient cover in our batting line-up should it be required," the national selector John Inverarity said.

"Alex is a talented player who came under strong consideration for selection ahead of the Ashes series after a string of solid performances in four day cricket for Tasmania at the start of this season, but also after an excellent finish to last season and we feel those performances warrant his inclusion in the squad of 14 for Sydney."

Doolan, 28, emerged as a Test contender last summer with 715 Sheffield Shield runs at 42.05, as well as an unbeaten 161 for Australia A against the touring South Africans at the SCG. This season, Doolan has made 391 Shield runs at 39.10, his only century having come against New South Wales at Blacktown Oval in November, when his 132 set up a successful chase.

An elegant No.3, Doolan honed his craft last summer by learning from Ricky Ponting in the Tasmania setup, especially during a pair of century partnerships. Bailey, the Tasmania captain who is under pressure to hold his Test place, said last season that during one of those century stands Doolan and Ponting "were just on another level" to the other batsmen in the match.

Australia squad Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Steven Smith, George Bailey, Alex Doolan, Brad Haddin (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

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Flower set for England talks

England team director Andy Flower will meet with the incoming managing director of England cricket, Paul Downton, in Sydney over the New Year to plot a way forward for the team after their disastrous tour of Australia, which reached a new nadir in Melbourne as they threw away a position of strength with two days of awful cricket to lose by eight wickets.

However, Flower reiterated that he has the hunger to continue in his role beyond the final Test of this series. Flower is no longer directly involved in the one-day and Twenty20 set-ups having handed that role to Ashley Giles last year - although remains in overall control of all senior England men's sides - so if he was to stay on as team director his next hands-on duties would come in June when England face Sri Lanka before the visit of India for a five-Test series.

"Certainly I examine my role in the tour. I ask myself tough questions, but my focus at the moment is the Sydney Test match" he said in Melbourne. "Paul Downton the new managing director has arrived in Australia and I'll be meeting with him in Sydney.

"We'll talk about the leadership of the national team with regards to the coaching position. I'm very motivated to contribute to English cricket and that's what I'm going to do."

Flower also had no doubt over whether Alastair Cook was still the right captain: "Yes, he is. Alastair Cook has captained six Test series for England, and this is the first series loss he's had. But this is a very challenging time for any leader. For Alastair and me, it's certainly in that bracket. Out of challenging times, sometimes we can grow significantly.

England's third-day implosion at the MCG, where they went from none for 65 in their second innings - a lead of 116 - to 179 all out left Australia needing 231 for victory and when the visitors dropped early catches on the fourth morning the result was sealed. Only two England batsmen passed fifty in the Test - Cook and Kevin Pietersen - in a continuation of the almost complete loss of batting form that has struck the touring squad.

"The guys are fighting. Not fighting well enough," Flower said "Our batting over the four Tests has generally let us down. We are all responsible for this result, the management staff as well as the players.

"We don't want people to accept losses too easily. But equally sometimes you have to accept the fact you've been outplayed. I don't believe we should be totally distraught about where we are. Now we're faced with one chance in Sydney to redeem ourselves to a small extent."

Flower added that he expected changes to the side for the New Year Test at the SCG and appeared to stop short of guaranteeing Jonny Baristow his place after the wicketkeeper endured a tough second innings in Melbourne where he missed two chances after his batting was exposed by the pace of Mitchell Johnson

"He's a young man who's played 13 Test matches," Flower said. "He's still learning as a wicketkeeper/batsman and I hope when he gets another chance he'll do oustandingly well. I would imagine there will be one or two changes for the Sydney Test."

Among the changes mooted are Test debuts for Scott Borthwick, the Durham legspinning allrounder who was added to the squad after Graeme Swann retirement, and Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance.

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Big fish in a small pond

Ireland are undoubtedly masters among the minnows but they continued to be disappointed at not getting chances against the big boys

Ger Siggins December 30, 2013

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Ireland's domination of the Associate level is complete. Now they yearn for Test status © ICC/Saleem Sanghati

It may just have been Irish cricket's greatest year ever. Qualification was secured for the 2014 World Twenty20 (men and women) and the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and the senior men finished the year by completing the clean sweep of global Associate trophies in all three formats. But it rankles with the players that they failed to drive home victories in three games when they had Full Members on the rack, for it is against those opponents that they now measure themselves.

Their domination of Associate level is complete; despite an impressive emergence, Afghanistan are still no match - Ireland's margins of victory in their three most recent games against them in descending order of format is 122 runs, 59 runs and 68 runs.

Since the Caribbean breakthrough in 2007, Ireland have lost just 11 out of 107 games against fellow Associates. In the Intercontinental Cup they have lost just once in 20 games, and their record in limited-overs cricket is overwhelming. In 50-overs cricket they have won 43 out of 50, plus one tie, and their T20 record is 32-4, with just one defeat in 24 games since 2010.

Cricket Ireland has complained of the lack of opportunity to test their team against the best sides, and 2013 was again a disappointment on that score. Just three ODIs were granted, all in Dublin, but on each occasion the Irish were on top for long periods.

In May, Pakistan came for a two-game series, and escaped with a 1-0 win. In the first, the visitors racked up 266 for 5 but Paul Stirling scored a brilliant century - his second in succession against Pakistan - and Kevin O'Brien a typically barnstorming 84 off 47 balls, including a four off the last ball from Ajmal to secure a tie. Ireland switched pitches for the second game two days later, banking on a greener track to negate the Pakistan spinners. The €7,000 bill for moving the scaffolding and grandstands looked money well spent until the last ten overs.

Ed Joyce made three figures in an ODI for Ireland for the first time (joining Eoin Morgan as the only pair to do so for two countries) but the total of 229 looked inadequate until Trent Johnston and Tim Murtagh reduced Pakistan to 17 for 4. But both Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik were dropped before they had scored, costing the initiative - and 67 runs - and Kamran Akmal came in and blitzed 84 to secure a two-wicket win with eight balls to spare.

" Frustrated with the ICC's resistance over providing a road map to Test status, Cricket Ireland has written its own plan and commenced an ambitious three-team, three-format inter-provincial series

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The third ODI, against England, saw the opening of the new pop-up stadium in Malahide, when an unseasonably hot, sunny day brought the biggest crowd ever seen at an Irish game to the Dublin venue. It was a match that enthralled the watchers, and a live TV audience. It also impressed ICC Global Development manager Tim Anderson: "10,000 people in Dublin on a Tuesday afternoon suggests this is becoming a very serious cricket market," he said. "There is a growing culture of cricket in this country." As Cricket Ireland's Warren Deutrom points out, "Words like 'market' and 'culture' are very important in the ICC lexicon."

It was a game that was riddled with issues of identity that perplexed the casual observer and infuriated the partisan. Both captains were Irish, and both made centuries - William Porterfield's ended by his old Strabane Grammar school-mate Boyd Rankin. In fact both Rankin (4 for 46) and Morgan (124 not out) made their career bests in ODIs, as England exacted revenge for the defeat in Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup. Ireland made 269 for 7 and an opening burst by London-Irish Tim Murtagh (3 for 33) reduced England to 48 for 4. But Morgan found a partner in Ravi Bopara (101 not out) and their unbroken 226 stand was decisive.

Ireland's only other defeat in the 24-game programme came when an Australia A side came to Stormont, chiefly to give its Ashes bowling attack a run-out while the ODI series was in progress in England. Stirling was the only county player available, and made a fine hundred, while seamer Max Sorensen (5 for 50) and third-choice wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter (63) took their chances.

Frustrated with the ICC's resistance over providing a road map to Test status, Cricket Ireland has written its own plan and commenced an ambitious three-team, three-format inter-provincial series between Leinster Lightning, Northern Knights and North-West Warriors. The Leinster side, based in Dublin, was the strongest, but was pipped to the 50-overs title by the Knights.

Despite this innovation, English counties remain the most attractive route for ambitious youngsters, and Poynter ended the summer with a 2014 contract for Durham, while allrounder Andrew Balbirnie extended his deal at Middlesex and Jack Tector caught the eye of Glamorgan.

An Ireland supporter spoke for many during their ODI against England in Malahide © Getty Images

Qualification for the 2015 World Cup was secured in Amstelveen in July, and a 100% record at the T20 qualifiers ensured Ireland were placed in the less-challenging group at the first round in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. The season finished with a titanic five-day battle with Afghanistan just outside the ICC offices in Dubai, where epic individual tussles punctuated long periods of attrition as the sides struggled to assert supremacy. Eventually Ireland pulled away, the bludgeon of the second new ball breaking the Afghans' will in what was a Test match in all but name.

That game saw the retirement of Trent Johnston, and although his No. 23 shirt will be impossible to fill, coach Phil Simmons has not been idle in succession planning. A series of young seamers has been blooded, and three sent to Brisbane for the winter to work with Craig McDermott. An A tour to Sri Lanka in January, and the senior side joining the West Indies domestic Super50 will further aid the process.

High point
In a year of on-field high points, the opening of Malahide will probably be seen as the most important event. In coming years, permanent structures will be added, but the visit of England proved there was a 10,000-plus audience for the game on a Tuesday in September.

Low point
It may seem greedy but the failure to mark the opening of Malahide with a win over England was disappointing. That it took career bests by ex-Malahide player Morgan and fellow Irishman Rankin added to the pain for home fans.

New kid on the block
It has been a difficult couple of years battling against his own body for Craig Young. The Bready seamer has been at Sussex for four seasons but stress fractures to hip and back have meant he has yet to break into the first XI. Hearteningly, there were promising signs towards the end of the summer when he also made his international debut against Scotland, taking 4 for 53 and 2 for 57.

"Craig bowls decent pace - 82-83mph - and swings the ball naturally," says his county captain Ed Joyce. "He's also extremely strong so can bowl long spells when fit. I've also rarely seen someone keener to make it as a cricketer, so he's very hungry for success. Often that's half the battle to being successful, so he has quite a bit in his favour. He certainly doesn't shirk the work and everyone at Sussex loves him for it."

What 2014 holds
Ireland takes part in the West Indies Super50 tournament in January/February before the ICC World Twenty20 first round in Bangladesh, where the draw pits them against Zimbabwe, Netherlands and UAE, none of whom hold many fears for Simmons' side. With Rankin and Johnston gone there will be much attention on the seamers, with Murtagh and Sorensen set to step up while the youngsters hone their skills.

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The urn returns, and Tendulkar signs off in style

India's young brigade, Sri Lanka's post-war healing, Australia's travails and more in our staff's picks of the best and worst of the year gone by

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India's young turks clinch the Champions Trophy © AFP

George Binoy, assistant editor
Best: Tendulkar's farewell speech
Almost everything around Sachin Tendulkar's retirement was sickly sweet. From the hastily arranged West Indies series to the obscenely extravagant plans to send him off in what the administrators thought was style. In that environment, even the rousing chant of "Sachin, Sachin" lost its genuineness and became annoying, especially when the goal was to evoke some response, any response, from the man. Tendulkar cut through the embellishment with a speech that was startling in its sincerity. His fans and critics were easily moved - that was no surprise - but so were people who had barely followed his career. His last shot was perfectly timed.

Worst: The case of Gurunath Meiyappan
For years he had been seen around Chennai Super Kings: in their dug-out, at player auctions, and at press conferences. For years he had behaved like more than a mere "enthusiast", and said as much through social media. To all followers of the IPL, Meiyappan was someone who enjoyed privileges that only franchise owners did. And then he mucked it up, after which Chennai Super Kings mucked up by trying to wash their hands off him, saying N Srinivasan's son-in-law wasn't what he had purported to be for all this time. A press release attempting to disassociate the franchise from Meiyappan was an insult to the intelligence of anyone who follows the IPL.

Andrew Fidel Fernando, Sri Lanka correspondent
Best: Cricket's role in post-war Sri Lanka
At a time when Tests face increasing challenges from the shorter formats, it is perhaps easy to think of cricket as little more than entertainment. In Sri Lanka's post-war north and east, though, such a glib appraisal of the game is becoming profoundly inadequate. Passion for cricket has not only endured 27 years of devastating civil war, it has now become one of the foremost vehicles of reconciliation. Initiatives like the Murali Cup, which bring young teams from the south to play against northern sides, have put teenage sportsmen at the coalface of national healing. In places like Mullaitivu, children who endured the trauma of the war's final bloody months and spent months in IDP camps in 2009, have begun building their lives around cricket, which has come to define many of them as young people.

" Passion for cricket has not only endured 27 years of devastating civil war in Sri Lanka, it has now become one of the foremost vehicles of reconciliation

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Northerners are also increasingly embracing Sri Lanka's cricketers as their own, welcoming players into their towns and cities more ferociously than fans do anywhere else in the country. Young men and women have begun to aspire to play for Sri Lanka, and thanks to gestures of goodwill from the national board, a pathway now exists for them to realise that goal. Deep divisions that fuelled a vicious conflict have not totally disappeared since the war's end, but in cricket, Sri Lanka is a more united nation than in any other regard.

Worst: Financial disparities in cricket
At a time when there is more money in the game than ever before, no fewer than nine Test matches were removed from the 2013 calendar almost solely because boards felt them too big a drain on their finances. The WICB was the worst offender, having cancelled four Tests and replaced some of them with ODIs. Sri Lanka Cricket postponed three Tests, having cancelled four in the previous year. And Zimbabwe Cricket could not get funds together to host Sri Lanka in October. Elsewhere, CSA were held ransom by the BCCI.

Clearly cricket is poorer when India, England and Australia prosper but several nations can no longer honour their Test commitments. Financial mismanagement by boards is part of the problem, but the demand for a better revenue-sharing system grows desperate if cricket wishes to retain the less powerful nations within a competitive Test-match framework.

Brydon Coverdale, assistant editor
Best: Australia winning the Ashes in Perth
Regaining is always more emotional than retaining. Australia had been without the urn for 1577 days - even longer than the drought that ended under Allan Border's leadership in 1989 - when Michael Clarke's men finished the job on the final day at the WACA. It was a cathartic day for many in the Australian squad. Clarke was the only player who had won the Ashes before; Brad Haddin and Shane Watson had each played in three losing campaigns, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris two each. Not surprisingly, there were tears along with the celebrations, and a rare public singing of "Under the Southern Cross" on the WACA pitch a few hours after the victory. A 4-0 loss in India and a 3-0 defeat in England had given way to an unexpected triumph for a team cobbled together by circumstance. However long this group lasts together, they'll always have Perth.

That winning feeling © Getty Images

Worst: Australia's tour of India
What made the Ashes success all the more special was the knowledge that Australia had been a rabble earlier in the year. Not only had they lost 4-0 in India, Australia's first 4-0 defeat since the tour of South Africa in 1969-70 that cost Bill Lawry the captaincy, they had descended into chaos off the field. The suspension of four players from the Mohali Test for what became known as the homework saga was the low point and hinted at disharmony and self-absorption in the group. It also contributed to the sacking of coach Mickey Arthur a few months later. On the field Australia weren't just beaten, they were embarrassed. It was like they had never seen spin bowling before. Panicky selections, especially the axing of Nathan Lyon for Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell, added to the mess. Fortunately for Australia, things could only improve from there - and did.

Devashish Fuloria, sub-editor
Best: India's young brigade
An excess of wine, even of the finest vintage, can lead to a hangover. India stumbled through one as the powers of their once pre-eminent batsmen waned, before finally placing faith, seemingly reluctantly, in their young wards. The returns on those investments have exceeded estimates till now.

The switch from old to new might have happened in Mohali, where Shikhar Dhawan announced himself, or in England, where India won their first Champions Trophy. Maybe it happened during the ruthless wins against West Indies, or in Johannesburg, where India's batsmen possibly left the ball with more assurance than the previous generation had. One thing is clear on the evidence of 2013: the newbies are in no mood to relinquish the aura of Indian batting that they inherited.

Worst: West Indies' flop show
In the hoopla around Sachin Tendulkar's retirement, West Indies escaped scrutiny for their utterly spineless performance. Here was a team that only a year ago had exuded Caribbean flair during their World Twenty20 title win in Colombo. After a long while, they had looked united. In India, after six straight Test wins against New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, West Indies offered no resistance against a young team. They were then blown away by New Zealand, ranked lower than them. "We were taught a lesson on how to play Tests," Darren Sammy said after the losses in India. "We have been taught another lesson," he said after losing to New Zealand. Like perennial backbenchers, West Indies didn't show any signs of moving forward. The gains made in 2012 were wiped out in a disastrous 2013.

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Kallis thrives in his bubble

Kallis played the almost perfect innings - Petersen

Beyond the guard of honour, the handshakes, the hashtags and the heavy hearts, there was a Test to win. The most important person knew that. Jacques Kallis, who all the above gestures were for, blocked out the occasion and batted in his bubble. The same one many thought he had left when he announced his decision to retire from Test cricket. Kallis showed them he hadn't, because there was a job to be done.

He constructed an innings that Alviro Petersen described as being the antithesis of someone on the verge of the end. "You wouldn't say he was playing in his last Test match," Petersen said. In fact, because of its cautiousness, this knock was befitting of someone at the start of his career.

At first, the wariness was out of necessity. South Africa had lost Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla within six overs of each other, Ravindra Jadeja had found turn and India's seamers were searching for reverse swing. "Even before he faced a ball, there was a wicket," Petersen remembered. He was the man out, which meant Kallis was one of two new batsmen and, like he has often had to do, needed to provide South Africa with backbone.

With that responsibility, Kallis took 16 deliveries to score his first run. In that time, AB de Villiers got off the mark and Kallis got hit on the hand by Zaheer Khan. It wasn't a body blow like the one Dale Steyn gave Ajinkya Rahane on the second day. Neither was it a delivery that exposed Kallis' reactions, like the one he bowled to Ricky Ponting in Adelaide last year, which literally floored the Australian batsman.

Ponting had said he was "embarrassed" by that ball, so much so it confirmed in his mind that his time was up. Something similar could easily have happened to Kallis, which would have vindicated and even explained the reason for his retirement. There would have been proof to back up the whispering, a result of the number of times he has been lbw playing across the line recently, that his technique was waning. Kallis seemed to be consciously guarding against that. He concentrated on solid defence, for the team and himself.

Zaheer got the ball after the blow to the hand to bounce more but Kallis was prepared. He pushed the delivery behind point for his first run. Four overs later he had added only one more, when he changed tack. He charged Jadeja and lofted over mid-off for four, twice. The Kallis who could entertain had arrived.

De Villiers, as expected, played the more adventurous innings but Kallis grew in confidence too. He had not passed 40 in seven innings before this, stretching back to February, but as he spent time in the middle he brought out the sweep and the cut.

By lunch, de Villiers had overtaken Kallis and after the break Kallis needed to resettle again. He outside edged Mohammad Shami but with no slip in place, he was safe. It was only when the afternoon wore on that Kallis brought out the drive he has built his reputation on. He treated the crowd of 6900 to a couple against Zaheer, one off the back foot and one off the front, to enter the 40s.

For the next 46 deliveries, Kinsgmead waited as Kallis retreated further. In that time, de Villiers put in a dive that might have given him a painful grass burn to avoid being run-out, and was later dismissed. After what seemed an age, Kallis punched Jadeja through point and a misfield brought him his half-century.

There was a roar of appreciation, enthusiastic applause and for a moment, Kallis allowed himself to enjoy it. He removed his helmet and whirled around to acknowledge the crowd, which included his sister, and his smile spoke of satisfaction and relief. "With all the pressure of the last Test, he stood tall," Petersen said.

After that, Kallis stood firm once more, firmer than before. With India getting a fair amount of turn with the old ball, he focused on defence, and South Africa's run rate slowed dramatically after tea. In the 15.5 overs before bad light and drizzle stopped play, they scored only 32. Although the pitch may not have facilitated a run-rate of four an over, like South Africa had on day two, such a go-slow may not have been needed for survival.

Everybody noticed Kallis' introverted approach, including Mark Boucher who thought he looked "more focused than before." With Kallis in his zone, comparisons were drawn between this innings and his maiden Test century at the MCG 16 years ago.

It speaks of the consistency of the man that he can go out in a way that is eerily similar to the manner he came in. But there is a difference between what was needed in Melbourne in 1997 and Durban today. Then, there was a Test to be saved. Now, there is a series to be won.

Some are of the opinion that Kallis slowing down could have hurt South Africa's chances of winning. Others believe he has given them the platform to push for a result. Petersen believes Kallis played "the perfect innings for the situation we were in," but that his job was not done.

"If Jacques thought he could just cruise through his last Test match, he was wrong," Petersen joked. "We are really going to need him tomorrow."

It is the last time South Africa will be able to say that and know Kallis will be able to respond. That is still sinking in. "We haven't really thought about this Test team without Jacques Kallis. But lucky, it's not quite here for us yet," Petersen said. "We've got two more days to focus on." The most important person knows that.

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Rogers and Watson bury hapless England

Lunch Australia 204 and 1 for 143 (Rogers 81*, Watson 36*) need 88 to beat England 255 and 179
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Chris Rogers guided Australia's chase towards a fourth consecutive victory over England, though not without significant help from the bedraggled tourists who missed two catches on the fourth morning of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

By lunch the hosts had reached 1 for 143, only 88 away from the target of 231. Well as Rogers and Shane Watson batted, they had considerable help from England.

Jonny Bairstow failed to react to a catchable edge offered by Rogers when the opener had only 19, before Alastair Cook dropped a straightforward edge from David Warner on 22. Warner was dismissed soon after, but the misses visibly sapped England's already fragile confidence as Rogers and Watson set about reducing the target.

Rogers' innings provided the tourists' major obstacle, while also serving to shore up his place in the Australian team ahead of the tour to South Africa next year. Having made a series of starts in this Ashes series, he would dearly love to move to a hundred in the afternoon.

Resuming at 0 for 30, Warner and Rogers began ticking down the required runs, but would offer England a pair of chances to gain a foothold. Befitting of their play the day before, the tourists spurned them with all the disdain of a team that has lost all confidence or sense of how to grasp a match.

On 19, Rogers edged a fine delivery from Stuart Broad moving across him, and watched helplessly as the edge flew towards the slips cordon. Though it was well within reach of Bairstow, England's gloveman did not move, and Broad cursed his misfortune as the ball scuttled away to the boundary. Rogers only enhanced his feeling of injustice by upper cutting the next ball for four over the cordon.

Stokes replaced Broad after only two overs, and duly created his own chance when Warner drove at a delivery not quite there for the stroke. This time the ball travelled straight to Cook at an ideal height. When that chance went down, no-one quite knew where to look. A few overs later Warner did fall, a square slash attempt settling into Bairstow's gloves, but the muted nature of England's celebration indicated a team aware their moment may have passed.

Rogers meanwhile carried on in a manner so infuriating to bowlers, one inside edge past the stumps further cruel and unusual punishment for Stokes. There were other more fluent shots from there, however, as Rogers moved to his second half century of a low-scoring match. Watson joined in with a few sweet blows, and their partnership was soon motoring along.

As if transfixed by his own error, Cook seemed even slower to react than usual, and furrowed many brows at the ground by opting for Joe Root before Monty Panesar. Neither spinner could gain the required traction, and by the interval Australia were well and truly on course for a win in which England have shown rare generosity to their opponents.

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