Jaded England return home

At least the sun was shining, because there wasn’t much else to be cheerful about as England’s cricketers arrived back at Heathrow Airport, more than 100 days after their departure for Australia back in late October. In between their journeys through customs, the team found a perfect pitch around the 60-day mark of their tour, as the Ashes were sealed with a pair of thumping victories at Melbourne and Sydney, but thereafter it descended into tedium and acrimony, with Eoin Morgan‘s World Cup fate providing the perfect bum note on which to end a peculiar odyssey.

When Allan Border‘s men regained the Ashes after a four-year hiatus in 1989, they were treated to a tickertape parade through the streets of Sydney, and as for England’s own exploits, the events of 2005 remain engrained on the retinas of fans of a certain age, with open-top buses and packed receptions in Trafalgar Square marking the end of a remarkable summer’s contest.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Tremlett awarded incremental contract

Image via Wikipedia

Chris Tremlett has been rewarded for his role in England’s victorious Ashes campaign, with the ECB offering him an incremental contract for the remainder of the 2011 season.

Though Tremlett missed out on selection for the forthcoming World Cup, he has played in each of England’s first three ODIs in Australia, having starred with the ball in the final three Tests of the Ashes at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

He claimed 17 wickets at 23.35 in those matches having come into the team as a replacement for Stuart Broad, and after announcing himself with 5 for 87 in the first innings at Perth, it was he who claimed the honour of the series-sealing wicket, when he bowled Michael Beer off the inside-edge at Sydney.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Ian Bell’s century steers England to tour win

An unbeaten century from opener Ian Bell led England to a seven-wicket win in a rain-affected tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.

Bell continued his superb Ashes form with 124 off 102 balls as England eased to a revised total of 223, after the home side had posted 254-9.

Jonathan Trott, batting at number three, added a useful 48.

Earlier, Michael Yardy and Ajmal Shazhad were the pick of the England bowlers, taking three wickets each.

Full story: BBC Sport

Paul Collingwood to quit Test cricket

Image via Wikipedia

England‘s Paul Collingwood has announced his retirement from Test cricket at the age of 34.

The Durham batsman, who has scored 4,259 runs in 68 Tests at an average of 40.25, will step down after the final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney.

Collingwood is England’s Twenty20 captain and will continue to play limited-overs cricket for his country.

“Now is the time to ensure some of the younger players get an opportunity at Test level,” said Collingwood.

Full story: BBC Sport

 

Related Articles

• Collingwood to retire from Test cricket (guardian.co.uk)
• The Ashes: England’s Paul Collingwood makes way for youth after announcing Test retirement (telegraph.co.uk)
• England’s Paul Collingwood retires from test cricket (3news.co.nz)

England on the brink of series glory

England were three wickets away from an emphatic 3-1 series victory after more superlative all-round cricket left Australia in tatters on 7 for 213, still 151 runs short of making the visitors bat again. James Anderson produced an outstanding display of reverse swing, and Chris Tremlett battered the batsmen with hostile pace, to follow up Matt Prior‘s first Ashes hundred which led England to their highest total down under.

England claimed the extra half an hour to try and complete victory after Tremlett removed Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in consecutive balls amid a heady atmosphere as the travelling fans, who outnumbered the locals, savoured every moment. However, Steve Smith and Peter Siddle managed to see out the eight further overs to keep England waiting overnight to celebrate.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo