Sidebottom Keeps Yorkshire Top

Last week it was Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks. This time, it was largely Ryan Sidebottom who steered Yorkshire closer to a second successive County Championship.

Bairstow did score another excellent century in the win against Warwickshire but it was the 37 year-old left-am seamer who did the most damage, capturing 11 wickets. Even without Root, Balance, Lyth and Adil Rashid on England duty, Yorkshire look already look like champions-elect. Jason Gillespie deserves a knighthood! Warwickshire’s only compensation was the return to first-team duty of young batsman Sam Hain, who marked the occasion with a duck and 106.

Middlesex overtook Durham in second place after their draw with Nottinghamshire. Once Dawid Malan had struck a career-best 182 not out, the weather and Chris Read’s response ruled out any chance of a positive result.

At the other end of the table, it’s not looking promising for Hampshire. They succumbed to relegation rivals Worcestershire by an innings and now stand 26 points adrift with six games to go. Daryl Mitchell carried his bat for 205, beating the entire Hampshire side on his own, as Saeed Ajmal took 5-28. Jack Shantry’s five-for finished things off second time around.

Meanwhile at Taunton, it took two fine innings from Peter Trego to avoid defeat against Sussex. The visiting batsmen have struggled for runs this summer but, after four of them made hundreds last week, it was the turn of Matt Machan (192) and Chris Nash (142 not out) to pile on the misery for Somerset’s bowlers, sharing a 290 partnership. At 84-5 on the final morning, the home side were heading for defeat, but Trego and Luke Gregory saved the day.

Next week, Somerset visit Merchant Taylor’s in a bid to thwart Middlesex’s title ambitions while Durham can regain second place by beating Warwickshire.

In Division Two, leaders Lancashire were thwarted by a combination of Manchester rain (138 overs were lost) and Essex opener Nick Browne, whose 105 and 50 gave solidity to an otherwise brittle batting display. At Chesterfield, Glamorgan lost a day’s worth of play which could have cost them a likely triumph over Derbyshire and the chance to really close the gap on Surrey. They forced the follow-on but a Hamish Rutherford hundred kept Hogan and co at bay.

At the bottom, Gloucestershire achieved a vital victory over Northants at Cheltenham. Liam Norwell (6-41) and 20 year-old Craig Miles (5-28) were the pick of the seam attack, while Jack Taylor thumped an improbable 156 from 125 balls to establish a healthy first innings lead.

Finally, Kent consigned Leicestershire to the foot of the table by winning at Grace Road by eight wickets inside three days. Matt Coles maintained his recent fine form by claiming ten wickets.

Kent now face a tricky trip to Surrey, while Glamorgan travel to Chelmsford. Get Browne out and they should stand a chance! Cheltenham plays hosts to Leicestershire, so Gloucester must fancy their chances of a mid-table position this time next week!

It wasn’t a vintage weekend of T20 action but Warwickshire made amends for the heavy Championship defeat by topping the North group. A certain Brendon McCullum announced his arrival by clumping 158 off 64 balls in the Bears’ success against Derbyshire. They could do with him in the four-day format, too!

Team of the Week: Mitchell (Wor, *), McCullum (War), Machan (Sus), Nash (Sus), Malan (Mid), Bairstow (Yor, +), Trego (Som), Coles (Ken), Norwell (Glo), Sidebottom (Yor), Saeed Ajmal (Wor).

Fifteen degrees of separation

As nations gear up for next year's World Cup, some will be fretting over star players. For most, the concern is possible recovery from injury. However, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka could enter the competition without their leading spinners because they are banned.

Umpires 'calling' a bowler for a suspiciously bent elbow at the point of delivery is nothing new but the spate of big names currently undergoing 'remedial' work on their action is causing more widespread controversy than poor little KP. It used to be fast bowlers but now it's the slowies like Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine in the spotlight: the two most successful spinners around.

So are they being unfairly singled out? I don't think so. One of the positives I can pick out from the emergence of Twenty20 cricket is the rise of the wily slowie. Having the ability to mix up flight, pace and line and grip to bamboozle the batsman is imperative and spinners usually open the bowling to take advantage of the Powerplay. The quicker ball is the one which has caught the umpires' watchful eye, but any TV spectator can see that Ajmal in particular bowls with an obviously crooked arm.

Is he a cheat? That would be going too far? I remember trying to bowl off-breaks in a friendly and hearing opposition mutters of 'chucker' but I honestly didn't realise I was doing it. Soon reverted to my usual rubbish medium-pacers! However, whether the elbow bend is 5%, 10%, 15% or 45% if it's against the rules it's illegal. End of. Of course it's impossible with current technology to no-ball someone in a match situation. That's probably a good thing. Imagine how long matches would be to wait for the elbow angle to appear as well as speed, number of rotations (ludicrous!), etc, etc.

I don't know whether Ajmal, Narine and Senenayake come through and attain their previous success with a remodelled action for all deliveries but it is something they must do to avoid the unwanted tag of 'chucker'. Throwing is a form of cheating just as much as stepping over the no-ball line or changing the field when the batsman isn't looking (oh, hang on...). Therefore as a cricket fan I want reassurance that all bowlers are turning Gayle, Pietersen, Kohli and co to gibbering wrecks with legitimate deliveries every time.

County Team of the Year 2014 - The Bowlers

Last week I selected my top four batsmen and wicketkeeper of the English domestic season, and now it's the turn of the all-rounders and bowlers. Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, Jesse Ryder, Tom Smith and Peter Trego were definitely in the running, but the Notts player was let down by his first-class bowling record (22 wickets at 45), Stokes by hs self-inflicted injury and terrible run of scores and the Somerset favourite only by his limited-overs bowling. Trego averaged more than 30 in all three formats and missed reaching the 50-wicket target in the Championship by a whisker. Smith was one of the few bright spots in Lancashire's season, but almost exclusively in the four-dayers. The former Black Cap Ryder was, perversely, a far more effective performer tthe ball than the bat, and he and Graham Napier bowled superbly for Essex. Jesse's lack of runs took him out of the running, though. Instead, the ever-dependable Kent man Darren Stevens and Glamorgan's Jim Allenby grab my five and six berths.

Had he been found guilty last winter of failing to report a corrupt approach Stevens could easily have missed the whole season and, at the age of 38, may have seen his career destroyed. Instead he continued to score runs and take wickets at regular intervals, especially in the Championship and T20 Blast. Glamorgan experienced another disappointing season. They have some fine players but didn't seem to win the games their squad deserves. There are none finer than Jim Allenby. Now 32, the Aussie is a mainstay at Sophia Gardens. He contributed nearly 1,700 runs and was one of the highest scorers in the NatWest T20 tournament, whilest taking 54 wickets at barely 20 apiece. Irreplaceable!

My two main pace bowlers both come from Division Two. Derbyshire's Mark Footitt's Championship tally of 84 wickets was by far the highest in the competition. At 28, the left-arm seamer has endured a stuttering career but 2014 has been his best year by a mile. He did OK in the 50-over competition, too, and amassed 106 victims in total for his county. Special mentions must go to Steve Magoffin (Sussex), Chris Rushworth (Durham, the only man to take fifteen wickets in a DAY) and Jack Brooks (Yorkshire). However, for consistent success in all three formats, another honorary Welshman from Down Under edges my decision. Michael Hogan makes my county Team of the Year for the second consecutive year. Despite missing the early matches, Hogan racked up 98 victims in all, averaging under 20 in four- and one-day cricket. Like Allenby he is always hard to score off and his long-striding run-up and high action make him a formidable attack leader.

Two spinners complete my Eleven. It wasn't a vintage summer for the slow bowlers - outside the T20 - but three stood out. Adil Rashid enjoyed one of his better seasons for Yorkshire but his batting slipped a bit. Saeed Ajmal may be facing an uncertain future with his unusual action but he was extraordinarily effective for Worcestershire in the first half of the Championship. In only nine fixtures, the Pakistani took 63 wickets at 16.47, including two ten-wicket games and a career-best analysis of 7-19 against Essex back in May. The county weren't quite the same without him but limped over the finishing line in second place.

My final selection was also officially the Most Valuable Player of the county season: Jeetan Patel. The 34 year-old Kiwi has been a revelation for Warwickshire in recent years and in 2014 took more wickets across all formats (107) than anyone else. He was particularly prolific in The Blast, taking 25 at 12.56, with a miserly economy rate of 6.11. With a swift first-class century against Middlesex, too, Patel's late-order runs also came in extremely handy. A most valuable player indeed!

In summary, my County Team of 2014 is: Hales (Notts), Lyth (Yorks), Joyce (Sussex), Vince (Hants), Allenby (Glam), Stevens (Kent), Foster (Essex + *), Patel (Warwicks), Saeed Ajmal (Worcs), Footitt (Derbys), Hogan (Glam).

Sad to see only three young Englishmen amidst the veterans and foreign contingent, and it will be interesting to see whether Hales, Lyth and Vince are rewarded with more international caps, thus making them less likely to shine for their counties in 2015. Could Jonathan Trott feature? What about the bunch of youthful Sams, Jacks and Bens who caught the eye? I can't wait for winter to pass and a promising summer of cricket to grab my interest once again.

Yorkshire and Worcestershire sitting pretty

As the Championship takes a mid-season break in favour of the one-day stuff, the storms abated and hot sun shone across most of Britain, even here in Cardiff. All bar one of the week's fixtures took place at the much-loved cricketing outposts, taking their bows in the spotlight. In Division One, Yorkshire enjoyed the annual trip to the seaside and regained the top spot thanks to an easy win against Middlesex at Scarborough. At first, Rogers, Gubbins and Morgan batted as if they'd brought spades instead of a willow but wicketkeeper John Simpson allowed his team-mates extra time on the North Bay Beach by top-scoring in both innings. Nevertheless, the home county dominated, with centuries from Adam Lyth and Andrew Gale, assisted by a stirring 7-47 from a creaking Ryan Sidebottom and a decisive 4-27 from Adil Rashid on the final afternoon.

At Horsham, it was a closer affair until Warwickshire collapsed to defeat against Sussex, denting their Championship credentials as a result. The visitors did at least welcome Jonathan Trott's first hundred in four-day cricket this summer, producing a typical hundred in the first innings. However, he succumbed like most of his colleagues in the second as Chris Jordan blew away the top order and James Tredwell despatched the tail with three in four balls.

Sussex's fears of swapping places with Worcestershire were eased, while the latter showed that they aren't mourning the loss of Saeed Ajmal's wickets for the rest of the season. They now stand 43 points clear in Division Two after overcoming Gloucestershire by eight wickets on the college ground of Cheltenham. Daryl Mitchell carried his bat for 167 while the opposition crumbled twice in two days. It would have been over even quicker had tailenders Craig Miles and Liam Norwell not broken Gloucester's tenth wicket record with 137 defiant runs. The answer to the question of who could replace Ajmal is....all of them! New signing Mitchell McClenaghan, Jack Shantry, Morris, Leach and Chowdry each helped themselves to a wicket or several. Saeed who?

Surrey remain second despite losing by 89 runs at Guildford. It was even-stevens for three days but then Darren Stevens claimed 5-68 as Kent to thwart Dilshan and the other chasers to win by 89. There were plenty of runs in total but no centurions, while Stevens and Surrey's Stuart Meaker grabbed twenty wickets between them. Non-playing Hampshire, in third place, will be more pleased than most by this result.

Bowlers were on top in Derby where the home side defeated Glamorgan by six wickets. Derbyshire's victory lifted them above the Welsh opposition and Gloucestershire in the bottom half of Division Two. Wes Durston's 50 was the top score in the whole match and Mark Footitt's 6-48 the pick of the bowling performances. Only Saeed Ajmal has taken more Championship wickets so far in 2014 than the Derby seamer's 52.

This weekend the Twenty20 quarter-final line-up should be settled. Somerset look likely to miss out for the first time in living memory (OK, so I exaggerate, but it seems like forever) so my interest in the competition is waning fast - unless we defeat Middlesex tomorrow and the Glammies lose to Gloucester, in which case I might just start dreaming of that traditional Finals Day disappointment yet again...

Team of the Week: Bhuvi and Jesse Ryding high

For the week ending 18th July, there were some difficult choices, with the First Test at Trent Bridge, Championship and the two major T20 tourneys in full swing. Marcus Trescothick struck another first-class century but his T20 woes continued. Good on him for adding wicketkeeping duties to everything else given Kieswetter's nasty facial injury. Will Tavare of Gloucestershire's first innings 135 was balanced by a duck so my openers are Murali Vijay and Chris Gayle. The former showed Alastair Cook how to build an innings while Gayle was in fine form for Jamaica, including a 63-ball 111 against St Lucia.

Joe Root's ability to score heavily in Tests was demonstrated once more, keeping out teenagers Sam Hain (109* for Warwickshire) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (99 for Worcestershire). Essex team-mates Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder were also extremely consistent. The former England Test batsman top-scored in each Essex innnigs in the win againast Hampshire, then made useful T20 runs. Ryder also enjoyed a good all-round Championship match before combining a five-for and half-century in the two biff-bang fixtures.

Gloucestershire's Will Gidman aggregated 164 runs against Derbyshire and also bowled tidily to earn a spot as my number six, just ahead of Tom Smith, who added another six to his impressive wicket tally for Lancashire. Top 'keeper is Alex Wheater who produced a 107 in adversity for Hampshire.

Luke Gregory stepped up to the plate magnificently for Somerset. His 6-47 helped create a healthy first innings lead against Northants then, with te bottom side threatening to create an upset, who delivered another five-for. Bhuvneshwar Kumar simply has to hold down the number nine spot, scoring a pair of 50s and taking 5-82 for India. Jimmy Anderson may have won the Man of the Match award but for me his bowling wasn't good enough to make my team of the week. Instead I've finished off with two spinners. Jeetan Patel claimed 7-77 in total in Warwickshire's defeat of Durham, followed by 4-19 in the T20 versus Yorkshire.

To end with, Saeed Ajmal has signed off his fabulous spell with Worcestershire with seven more wickets and 73 runs. Where on earth is the county going to get the necessary wickets without him? At least his departure means a space for someone else in my celebratory Elevens!

My team: Vijay (Ind), Gayle (Jam), Root (Eng), Bopara (Ess), Ryder (Ess), Gidman (Glo), Wheater (+, Ham), Gregory (Som), Kumar (Ind), Patel (War), Ajmal (Wor)

Team of the Week 20th June 2014: The Vince & Binny Show

The summer is shaping up nicely. The sun is shining warm and bright here in Cardiff, there is a heady brew of first-class and slog and two Test series have enlivened the week. And I haven't even mentioned the FIFA World Cup. Blast, now I have! When Costa Rica start to advance the ICC ladder, we need to watch out!

Anyway, back to my cricket Team of the Week. Daryl Mitchell's excellent form and Alex Hales' rediscovered love of four-day cricket continued. Kraigg Braithwaite made a usefull hundredd in the Westt Indies victory over New Zealandd (not typos!) but my openers are Chris Rogers and Zafar Ansari. The Aussie's reputation for patient innings building was enhanced by an uncharacteristically quick 180 for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire, while Ansari, fifteen years Rogers' junior, realised his first senior century in Surrey' victory over Derbyshire. His spin bowling yielded five useful wickets, too.

Eoin Morgan's big score at Trent Bridge was an eye-opener, and congratulations to 18 year-old Sam Hain (Warwickshire) and Gary Ballance, but my middle-order consists of a modern legend and a couple of potential England superstars of the next decade. Kumar Sangakkara has seen it, done it and owns plenty of T-shirts. This week's 147 and 61 for Sri Lanka played a huge part in preventing defeat in the First Test at Lord's and also proved he CAN make runs in England. In the same match, Joe Root compiled a great unbeaten 200 but he now needs to do it on a different pitch for a change. Maybe his true home ground, Headingley, could be the place this week? James Vince has been knocking on the door of the senior side for a few seasons now. Presumably his achievements have been written off because Hampshire have been in the second tier of the Championship, but his latest run-a-ball 240 can't be ignored.

Jos Buttler's battling innings for Lancashire kept things interesting until the very end of their loss to Durham, but Jonny Bairstow's 161 not out and six catches for Yorkshire against Sussex wins him the wicket-keeper berth. With Ansari's all-rounder status, I can afford to select Riki Wessels, too. His Championship knocks of 70-odd were contrasting affairs; one lasted 165 balls, the second a mere 48! His 95 in 51 deliveries in the T20 victory over Durham was even more sensational. He would surely have reached three figures had his team-mate Steve Mullaney not hogged the strike and plundered boundaries of his own.

Chris Woakes and James Allenby maintained their consistency as county all-rounders but Stuart Binny's 6-4 in the second ODI against Bangladesh promotes him up the pecking order. Whatever the opposition or format, that is one heck of a bowling stat! Jerome Taylor and Jimmy Anderson produced some fine performances for the Windies and England but I return to the Championship for my final trio.

Kyle Abbott's first-class bowling average is a very handy 20.85, and this was improved by his match return of 8-67 in Hampshire's slaughter of Essex. OK, so he was plundered in the following Twenty20 but the South African brings a touch of class to his county's attack. Overseas we go again - and I'm not referring to the Severn crossing. Michael Hogan's belated return to Wales has made a big difference to Glamorgan's drive for a trophy, or at least promotion. He tookfive wickets in each innings of their victory over Kent.

Finally, Saeed Ajmal is claiming a season ticket for my Team of the Week. He's there again courtesy of a 6-19 for Worcestershire against tiddlers Leicestershire. Will his county look so strong without him?

In short:- Rogers (Mid), Ansari (Sur), Sangakkara (SL), Vince (Ham), Root (Eng), Bairstow (Yor, +), Wessels (Not), Binny (Ind), Abbott (Ham), Ajmal (Wor), Hogan (Gla)

Notts blast to the top

It's not often that you get 1,500 runs in a four-day contest and still end up with a winner and loser. When Middlesex racked up 505 in their first innings, they must have been pretty satisfied, especially when Tim Murtagh's six wickets earned them a lead over Nottinghamshire of 113. They even had the perceived comfort of declaring on the final day. However, Alex Hales has come alive in the Championship of late, and this rapid run chase of 385 in 80-odd overs is what he is made for. However, he followed his second-day 96 with a relatively sedate 94, leaving Jacques, Lumb and Rikki Wessels to take the attack to Murtagh, Finn and co and clinch not only victory but the top spot in Division One. Had the result gone the other way, it would have been Middlesex sitting pretty. That other limited overs specialist Eoin Morgan proved me wrong by thumping 191, but his scoring rate was surpassed by, of all people, Chris Rogers. The Aussie opener accumulated 228 runs in the match in only 262 balls, yet stil finished on the losing side.

Another week for Northants, another defeat, this time at the hands of Warwickshire. 18 year-old Sam Hain and number nine batsman Keith Barker struck centuries en route to an innings victory. Chris Woakes weighed in with eight wickets and 49 runs, too. At the time of writing, Yorkshire are still playing Sussex and, whilst on top, may struggle to squeeze a win on day four. Jonny Bairstow found some batting form, taking a useful bowling attack for 161 not out. 21 year-old Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Tredwell when one short of a maiden hundred. Cruel or what?!

Jos Buttler moved to Lancashire supposedly to work on his glovework and learn how to build an innings. That training came in handy this afternoon as he was required to steer his side towards a target of 30 set by fellow strugglers Durham. He managed to reach three figures before running out of partners just 28 runs short. Paul Coughlin had a memorable match for Durham. The 21 year-old bowler from nearby Sunderland claimed four wickets and scored a measured 85 in the first innings, sharing a 150 ninth wicket stand with Phil Mustard.

The top tier is proving to be a very open affair, but in Division Two, the front-runners pushed on and are making it a genuine two-horse race. Hampshire made a mockery of Essex's challenge for promotion by defeating James Foster's men by a massive 470 runs. Kyle Abbott took 8-67 in the match, but James Vince's sensational 240 was the real showstopper. It came at more than a run a ball but included no sixes. It wasn't just a massacre of 'declaration' bowling; Masters, Mills, Panesar, Topley and Ten Doeschate all got the treatment. The 23 year-old became the first to pass 1,000 runs in the Championship, too.

Another heavy scorer this summer, Daryl Mitchell, also made another century for Worcestershire as they despatched Leicestershire by 234 runs. Alexei Kervezee and young Tom Fell also passed 100 but, not for the first time, that Pakistani magician Saeed Ajmal had too many tricks for the home side on the final day. His 6-19 says it all, and he is easily the highest wicket taker in the competition.

While Essex floundered, Surrey took the opportunity to grab third place. Their trip to Derbyshire resulted in only their second win of the season. After getting out for 98 in the last match, Zafar Ansari at last racked up his debut hundred for Surrey, and contributed five wickets, too. It was a great week for Glamorgan, too. They claimed maximum points in a convincing victory at home to Kent. Their foreign-born contingent were the stars; Rudolph and Allenby scored hundreds, Chris Cooke made 96 while Michael Hogan took ten wickets.

Surrey and Glamorgan have excellent opportunities to close the gap behind Hampshire and Worcestershire next week. Meanwhile, back in Division One, Nottinghamshire and Somerset could have a right old ding-dong at Trent Bridge. Warwickshire entertain Yorkshire while Lancashire could hammer another nail into Northamptonshire's coffin and do their chances of survival a power of good at Old Trafford.

Team of the Week ending 13th June: Rory, Ravi and Roy rip it up!

No double-centuries in the County Championship this week, but 23 year-old opener Rory Burns came pretty close. He was one of three Surrey centurions in the drawn game against Gloucestershire but, one short of a first-ever 'double', Alex Gidman caught him off Liam Norwell's bowling. Michael Klinger also reached three figures in the home side's response but my other opener of the week is Michael Carberry. Dropped by England for the Sri Lanka Test series, the Hampshire man struck 125 in the top-of-the-table clash with Worcestershire, adding a 25-ball 38 in the T20 a few days later.

Ravi Bopara was also back on county duty, thumping runs for fun in both formats. His brilliant 162 for Essex preceded two brutal 20-over blasts - 81 against Kent and 66 off the Gloucestershire attack. Ed Joyce has been in fine form for Sussex all summer and he added another century in Sussex's defeat to Somerset. He also demonstrated that he is not a one-trick pony by knocking 45 in 32 balls in the biff-bash Surrey game.

I've already mentioned the Burns 199 but his team-mate Jason Roy also achieved a career best for Surrey. In the same innings, he destroyed the weak bowling with 121 in 71 balls, and took 3-9 for good measure. In the T20 clash with Sussex, his unbeaten 81 from 43 balls helped his side to a ten-wicket triumph. Jesse Ryder normally earns plaudits for his beefy batsmanship but his bowling stats were radically improved by a double five-wicket haul for Essex in the Championship. His T20 cameos may not have been in the Bopara class but nonetheless wins him a place in the week's XI.

Darren Stevens is never far from contention and the Kent all-rounder was his county's outstanding performer yet again. His 105 in the first-class draw with Essex was followed by 3-22 and a 39-ball blitz to smash Kent back in the game with Glamorgan and snatch a tie. Another top-notch piece of multi-tasking was delivered by Derbyshire's David Wainwright. Best known as a slow left-arm spinner, his batting has improved in recent years. Both skills were to the fore as his 109 and second-innings 5-54 were instrumental in beating Division Two wooden spoon rivals Leicestershire.

The latter's only bright spot was wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien's scores of 89 and 71. The Irishman's batting just edges out Tim Ambrose and Worcestershire's Ben Cox, despite the latter's long-awaited debut hundred. Cox's colleague Saeed Ajmal produced another spin masterclass - a 7-63 against Hampshire while the final seamer spot was a race between David Masters (for his economy in rare T20 outings), Steve Magoffin for his 6-60 at Taunton and Alfonso Thomas (5-40) in the same contest. However, not even the Sussex match could achieve the rare feat of capturing four wickets in four balls, as the Fons did in Somerset's victory.

In short:- Burns (Sur), Carberry (Ham), Bopara (Ess), Joyce (Sus), Roy (Sur), Ryder (Ess), Stevens (Kent), O'Brien (Lei, +), Thomas (Som), Wainwright (Der), Saeed Ajmal (Wor)

Team of the Week ending 26th May 2014

It's weird how things change from week to week. Sometimes you can't find a single opening batsman performance worth considering, while this week there were three consistent run-makers in the IPL alone. David Warner blitzed a 45-ball 90 and a rapid 59 for Hyderabad, Robin Uthappa maintained his incredible run of 40+ scores for KKR and Lendl Simmons just reached three figures for Mumbai. In England, Chris Rogers compiled another hundred but Marcus Trescothick's brilliant match-winning 133 for Somerset against Durham earns him one of my opener slots. Simmons narrowly pips his fellow T20 blasters to the other position.

James Vince failed to reach 100 but three more half-centuries for Hampshire across both domestic formats makes him my number three. Last time, Neil Dexter produced a six-for for Middlesex but last week his unbeaten 163 against Northamptonshire was the highest score in the Championship. Hamish Marshall aggregated almost 200 runs for the seven days, including a 118 in Gloucestershire's second innings which ensured a rare first-class win against Kent.

Super-fast 50s in the IPL are part and parcel of the tournament but when Yusuf Pathan thumps five fours and seven sixes in a mere 22 balls, even my antenna twitches. His record-breaking 72 catapulted the KKR man into my team of the week ahead of other serious contenders like Shakib and Hampshire's Matt Coles. MS Dhoni delivered two more finishing flourishes but my 'keeper of the week is Durban-born Gareth Roderick, whose contribution to Gloucester's triumph included 59, 85 and five catches before he had to hand the gloves to teenage sub Cameron Herring.

All-rounder of the week is Toby Roland-Jones. The Middlesex seamer followed an impressive 6-55 with an even better 6-50 to finish off Northants. Not only that but he contributed a career-best 60 in just 30 balls to set up the declaration which led to that result. He has burst from the shadow of Finn, Murtagh and Harris to become a really useful four-day bowler. If only he was born in South Africa or Barbados, he'd have more chance of breaking into the England squad!

Chris Jordan has already done that and he repaid the selectors by turning in a superb 13-ball 38 and 3-25 to clinch a ODI success against Sri Lanka. He is well behind TRJ in first-class stats but is the real thing in one-dayers. My last two bowlers pick themselves. Playing against each other at Chelmsford, Monty Panesar took 2-57 and 5-23 for Essex but his Pakistani opponent Saeed Ajmal was even more unplayable. The off-spinner's 6-75 and career-best 7-19 ensured Worcestershire remain favourites to return to Division One next season.

In summary:- Trescothick (Som *), Simmons (Mum), Vince (Hants), Dexter (Mid), Marshall (Glouc), Yusuf Pathan (KKR), Roderick (Glouc +), Roland-Jones (Mid), Jordan (Eng), Saeed Ajmal (Worc), Panesar (Ess)

Roland-Jones on a Roll for Middlesex

There were only two Division One fixtures this week, but Middlesex and Somerset took their opportunities to leapfrog the leaders. At Northampton, the former made short work of the struggling home side to open up a 19-point lead at the top, although they have played one more game than all the others. Captain Chris Rogers and Neil Dexter each reached three figures but Toby Roland-Jones produced a genuine match-winning all-round performance. He struck a personal best 60 in only 30 balls to hasten the Middlesex declaration and captured six wickets in each innings with his brisk medium-pacers. Extraordinarily his first-class career stats include 175 wickets at under 22 apiece, yet how often is that name mentioned in terms of England selection?

At Taunton, Somerset not only maintained their unbeaten record but held their nerve amongst the Thursday showers to beat Durham by seven wickets. Both Overton twins were bowling but Alfonso Thomas took 5-41 on the first day, only for Mark Wood to keep the visitors' lead down to double figures. At 180-1, Durham seemed to be on top on the third day but Craig Overton reeled them in leaving Somerset a target of 248. Having gone for a golden duck first time out, Marcus Trescothick rediscovered his mojo to crack 133 at more than a run a ball. With neither Onions nor Stokes, Durham's seam attack looked fairly innocuous and they remain winless in the Championship.

That's a situation which may not change after their next game at Trent Bridge. Somerset will do well to snatch a result at Edgbaston while Yorkshire look favourites in the Roses contest. Finally, Middlesex switch to Northwood for their home tie against Sussex and should avoid defeat with batsmen and bowlers taking turns to strike form.

In the second flight, it was a great week for Hampshire and Worcestershire. Already they are threatening to run away with the division. At Grace Road, Leicestershire matched Hampshire for three days before capitulating to Matt Coles' seam and Danny Briggs' spin and slumping to a 278-run defeat. Worcestershire are handily placed behind the South Coast side with a game in hand after Saaed Ajmal almost single-handedly beat Essex. The floodwaters may have long since receded at New Road but on a spin-friendly surface it was a battle of the slowies: Monty Panesar versus Ajmal. Monty took 7-80 in the match but the wily Pakistani trumped that, following 6-75 with a brilliant 7-19. In a fine career, that is his best return in a single innings, and took him to 500 first-class wickets. Meanwhile Daryl Mitchell again top scored for Worcestershire twice, showing that you can score runs at the County Ground after all.

Further down the Severn, Gloucestershire leapt to sixth by trouncing Kent by 290 runs. James Fuller and Will Gidman dominated Key, Nash et al before Hamish Marshall's 118 and 85 apiece from Alex Gidman and Gareth Roderick set up an unlikely target of 582. At least Ben Harmison showed some fight with a career-best 125 but it merely delayed the inevitable. Kent will probably lose again next week at the hands of Worcestershire while Surrey travel to Essex without their skipper Graeme Smith. His recent injury woes now extend to a broken knee but at least there is some compensation for the Oval faithful in the guise of Hashim Amla who will play during June. Based on previous Championship performances, Amla will probably turn out to be a veritable run machine and haul Surrey out of the mire. What happens next is another matter.

2013 One-day Players of the Year

With just a few days to go in 2013, here's the first of my reviews of the past calendar year. South Africa are firmly esconced as the leading Test nation in the ICC rankings, while India's dominance in the Champions Trophy helped them to top spot in the ODI table, albeit closely followed by Australia, England and the Proteas. The West Indies have looked sadly meek and Sri Lanka have a tired reliance on Sangakkara, Dilshan and Jayawardene, even if it were Chandimal and Malinga who helped them to a consolation victory over Pakistan today. But who would make my ODI Team of 2013?

This was the year which brought two very different opening batsmen to global attention. Shikhar Dhawan announced himself on the Test scene with a blistering 187 on debut, very different from the two-ball duck he suffered on his first ODI appearance three years earlier. In 2013, he built on that record-breaking innnigs against the Aussies by outscoring every other batsman in the 50-over format and all bar four in ODIs, notching five centuries in the process. I watched his silky hundred in that Champions Trophy opener at Cardiff with particular pleasure. Accompanying him at the crease should be South Africa's new kid on the block, Quinton de Kock. As well as relieving AB of some of the 'keeping pressure, he has produced some superb innings, highlighted by three successive three-figure scores in the recent series against India. He keeps out Dhawan's usual partner Rohit Sharma from the team, but only just.

Virat Kohli and Misbah-ul-Haq each represented their contries 34 times during 2013. The Pakistani captain may be, at 39, nearing the end of his career but nobody in world cricket was more consistent at scoring valuable half-centuries. Incredibly, he has never reached three figures in ODIs but this year alone he reached 50 fifteen times! Not a big hitter he has carefully kept the scoreboard ticking over while others have gone for their strokes. At 1,373 runs, nobody scored more in ODIs. Not even Kohli who, aged 25, may not yet be in his prime, an ominous thought for opposing bowlers. Scoring at almost a run a ball, and also a brilliant fielder, Kohli is an obvious choice for my middle-order.

So is AB De Villiers, who edges out Sangakkara from my team this year. Topping both Test and ODI rankings, he is simply the best batsman in world cricket right now, despite his wicketkeeping duties in most games. Mohammad Hafeez's late burst of runs for Pakistan and Shahid Afridi's occasional all-round fireworks have pushed for selection but I've gone for Australia's promoted captain George Bailey as another specialist batsman. In 22 matches, he produced more than a thousand runs at exactly a run a ball, including some impressive scores in India a few months ago. Somehow I can't find room for MS Dhoni. Maybe next year....

Hafeez and Sharma offer the option of fill-in spin bowling but India's Ravindra Jadeja was the outstanding ODI all-rounder of 2013. 52 wickets at 25 and almost 500 runs at a respectable lick bring him in to my side as left-armer. Topping the ICC ODI rankings as well as the wicket table for 2013 is Saeed Ajmal, once again the most successful off-spinner in world cricket.

Junaid Khan of Pakistan has developed in to a very useful one-day swing and seam merchant and his 52 victims and average of 21 propel him into my XI of the year, if not yet the ICC top ten. Aged 24, he has the young legs which Umar Gul no longer possesses, and hopefully he has a long future ahead of him. England's Finn and Anderson both sit in the official top ten but that relies on past glories. Two Mitchells, McClenaghan and Johnson each enjoyed great years but the sheer brilliance of Dale Steyn makes him a definite new-ball man. He played only 13 ODIs yet took 27 wickets at just 16 apiece, conceding fewer than four an over. End of argument. My final choice is another Pakistani late developer, Mohammad Irfan. Not just a giant fast bowler, he took cheap wickets all around the world throughout 2013.

Therefore, at risk of being a batsman short (make Rohit Sharma or Afridi the twelfth man), my ODI XI is as follows:-

Shikhar Dhawan (Ind), Quinton de Kock (SA), Virat Kohli (Ind), George Bailey (Aust), AB De Villiers (SA +), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak*), Ravi Jadeja (Ind), Dale Steyn (SA), Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammed Irfan (all Pak).

So what about Twenty20 in 2013? Best summarised thus: Brisbane Heat, Mumbai Indians, Northamptonshire and Chris Gayle. Special mentions to veterans Azhar Mahmood (top wicket-taker), Brad Hodge and Alfonso Thomas, Sunil Narine (whose 54 wickets came while conceding barely five an over) and Aaron Finch, who plundered that world record 156, including 14 sixes, for Australia against England last summer.

Can Pakistan still 'own' the UAE?

It's only two Tests but the imminent contest between Pakistan and South Africa is deservedly attracting some attention. The Proteas don't play many series so any opportunity to watch Steyn, Smith et al should be relished. At the same time, Pakistan have plenty of talent, from the young guns and world-class spinners to veteran batsmen. The familiar refrain is that you never know 'which Pakistan will turn up' but on their adopted 'home' territory they have a pretty impressive record.

Twelve matches: six wins, four draws and two defeats read the statistics since 2002. Early that year, Pakistan got off to a great start by thrashing Carl Hooper's Windies at Sharjah. If it was a spinner's paradise, the results didn't reflect it. Centuries from Yousuf Youhana and Rashid Latif set up a 170-run victory, further abetted by wickets from Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar rather than star slowies Danish Kaneria (before his fall from grace) and Saqlain Mushtaq. It was an even bigger winning margin a week later with Younis, Waqar and Shoaib again calling the shots, along with a rare Test century from a young opener called Shahid Afridi.

However, Pakistan's next Test in the Middle East resulted in humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia who bowled out Waqar Younis' side for less than 60 - twice! In under two days! To make matters worse, Matthew Hayden outscored twenty-two Pakistani innings on his own while Shane Warne returned match figures of 8-24. The following week, Steve Waugh's all-conquering Aussies wrapped up another innings victory, Glenn McGrath and Warne being far too good for a side which included Misbah-ul-Haq, then an inexperienced international aged only (!) 28.

It was several years before Test cricket returned to the UAE following the security issues which have now robbed Pakistan of home advantage for four years. Three years ago, South Africa came to Dubai and swept to 307-2 before Umar Gul and the spinners pulled them back into the match. The second half of the game was dominated by batsmen with unbeaten centuries from Amla and Kallis then that man Younis Khan again so a draw was the predictable outcome. It was the same result at Abu Dhabi although this time the runs were mostly scored early on. AB De Villiers made 278 not out, still a career best, although Younis failed.

In 2011, Pakistan edged a three-Test series against Sri Lanka, clinching the second by nine wickets thanks largely to eight wickets from Saeed Ajmal. The same bowler added seven more victims at Sharjah and shared the player of the series award with Sangakkara. Oh, and Younis Khan struck a first-innings 122. Then in 2012 came the series that England would prefer to forget. Yes, that was one of the most spin-dominated Test series for years. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman cleaned up, even if Swann and Panesar also put on a show in the concluding two fixtures. In the finale, Azhar Ali and - guess who? - Younis Khan shared a double-century stand which demonstrated that runs were actually possible.

Younis and Taufeeq Umar have each played in every Test played in the UAE and the former needs just 83 more runs to reach the 1000 mark. With the ball, Saeed Ajmal has 45 wickets to his name at only 23.73 apiece, so it will be interesting to see if Abdur Rehman (33 at 30) is preferred this time around. Will the pitches turn? If so, will Graeme Smith and his Saffer batsmen have the upper hand? It could be a fascinating showdown, but unless the pitches are prepared specifically for spin, South Africa could well inflict the first desert defeats for Pakistan for eleven years.

Aussie Women and SA Men rule the world

Congratulations to the Australian Women for re-gaining the World title they ceded to England four years ago. While their West Indian opponents had played some exciting cricket during the tournament, it was a very one-sided final in Mumbai. Jess Cameron top-scored with 75 then Ellyse Perry blew away the top three as the Windies reply stuttered and stumbled to 145 all out and a defeat by 114 runs. Fast bowler Perry returned only half-fit and was limping in between overs so it was testament to the Aussies' all-round strength that they could secure their sixth title withiut her for three games. As for England, they did wrap up third place with a second century of the competition from Charlotte Edwards.

Over in Hamilton, her male counterparts were second best to New Zealand in the first ODI but in Cape Town, the undisputed kings of Test Cricket, South Africa, completed an entertaining victory over Pakistan. A few years ago, they may have failed to convert strength on paper into dominance on the pitch but these days they can't stop winning. In the last two years, they have claimed series victories against all the major Test nations apart from the West Indies. Three at home, three overseas.

The Second Test at Newlands had been finely balanced at the close of play on day 3, but three wickets in three balls (one from Peterson, two from the prolific Philander) hastened the collapse of Pakistan's resistance. However, the Proteas' star batting line-up still had to face Saeed Ajmal, whose six wickets had helped his side to a slight first innnigs lead. Whilst Umar Gul had despatched Alviro Petersen for just on run, Smith, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers and Du Plessis all provided enjoyable cameos in the chase to 182. Ajmal did manage to complete a well-deserved 'ten-for' with defeat just a few runs away, but another Edgar slog-sweep brought up the inevitable win several balls later.

Pakistan did at least compete all the way to the end, and the enormous cricketing experience of their line-up showed a reassuring determination to attack even in the face of near-certain defeat. On the down side, that experience comes with age, and of their bowling attack, Umar Gul was the 'youngster' at a fairly mature 28. Mohammad Irfan made his debut at the grand old age of 30 and looked lively with his left armers across right-handed batsmen. At an incredible 7 feet 1 tall, Irfan certainly cuts an imposing figure but his running to retrieve balls in the outfield resembled a basketball player in wellington boots. Monty Panesar would have outsprinted him comfortably!

Until this week, Pakistan had enjoyed a solid couple of years, winning four out of five Test series, although two came against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and two were achieved in the UAE. A consolation win at Centurion would do wonders for their confidence ahead of a summer tour of the Caribbean and the return series against South Africa. Meanwhile, Graeme Smith's men have a busy year ahead, including host series against India and Australia. I can't see them being displaced from the top of the tree for quite a while.

One-Day Cricketers of 2012

Rangana Herath's prolific wicket-taking apart, Sri Lanka's apparent disdain for Test cricket was evident in the lack of their batsmen in the run-scoring league. However, they seemed to be playing ODIs non-stop, which explains why SL men dominate the end-of-year tables for the 50-over format.

Kumar Sangakkara may have topped the 10,000 Test run barrier recently but 2012 also saw him reach the same landmark for ODIs, and nobody scored more runs last year in this form of cricket, international or otherwise (1184 at 43.85). Team-mate Tillekeratne Dilshan was just behind him. Aussies played only half the number of one-dayers in the gold and green, but David Hussey, David Warner and George Bailey scored freely for club and country.

Virat Kohli smashed no fewer than five ODI hundreds in 2012, aggregating more than 1000 runs at an impressive average of 73 and close on a run a ball. He was third, too, on the T20I run leaderboard, making 444 runs at the equivalnet of eight an over. However, he wasn't such a successful globetrotting T20 franchise star in the mould of Chris Gayle, who compiled more than 1,500 runs around the world, comfortably ahead of the nearest challenger, Azhar Mahmood, the Pakistani all-rounder. The shift from 50 to 20 overs in the cricketing calendar was best illustrated by the T20 diary of Kieron Pollard. He notched up fifty matches, incorporating 1,041 runs at a strike rate of 163 plus a fair few wickets.

New Zealand pair Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum looked feeble in this week's Test defeat but nobody scored more T20 international runs in 2012, each notching more than 450 at SRs of 130+. Shane Watson was the outstanding T20 all-rounder, claiming 406 runs and 17 wickets at a commendable economy rate for a fast-medium pacer.

South Africa played relatively few international one-day matches yet Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers still dominated the year's stats as well as opposition bowlers. Amla appeared in only 10 ODIs but scored 678 runs, while the redoubtable AB thrashed 645 whilst achieving the amazing double of 100+ average and strike rate. Chandimal may have scored more runs but I'd have AB as my one-day wicket-keeper any day of the week!

Don't forget that two of the finest Test batsmen of 2012 were also successful ODI performers. Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke combined captaincy with 699+ runs with healthy strike rates of around 80.

Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard and Luke Wright are always useful members of a T20 side, but perhaps the most impressive ODI all-rounder was Thisara Perera. His 32 ODI wickets were augmented by 246 lower-order runs.

My decision not to consider T20 and List A cricket separately is supported by the fact that most bowlers who excelled at one format also did so at the other. Lasith Malinga took more wickets globally in both than anyone else. Curiously, while his his 10-over stints tend to be quite expensive, Malinga's T20 brilliance enshrines wicket-taking ability and economy, along with that enthusiasm which makes him such a valuable player, even with only four overs at his disposal. West Indian spinner Sunil Narine is another who starred in all one-day cricket. His economy rates of 3.63 (List A) and just 5.64 (T20) are phenomenal. Possibly the cricketer of 2011, Saeed Ajmal must also be a contender for the same unofficial accolade in 2012. He was amongst the top ten international wicket-takers in ALL three formats.

Englishmen worth noting include young spinner Danny Briggs and paceman Steve Finn who each harnessed strike and economy rates for county and country. Australia has plenty of bowlers but most seem to be on the treatmemt table. It was therefore amusing to see 40-something Brad Hogg play more than 50 T20 matches, in which he took 47 wickets, conceding barely a run a ball. Young fast bowler Mitch Starc looked a T20 man for the future, taking more than two wickets a game across the year, finishing with only four fewer wickets than Malinga in twelve fewer games. Clint McKay was particularly effective in the List A format.

So, for my combined List A/T20 team of the year, I'll go for:-

Gayle, Watson, Amla, Kohli, Sangakkara, De Villiers (+), Perera, Malinga, Finn, Narine, Saeed Ajmal (with Starc standing by in case Finn breaks down again!)

Cricketers of the Year

So the PCB are getting their knickers in a twist over the omission of Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist for ICC Cricketer of the Year? The world should not be surprised because, quite frankly, that is the sort of attitude that has held Pakistan back in the past decade. It may even have played a part, however indirect, in the flawed decision-making by Amir, Asif, Butt et al two years ago which left Pakistan shorn of their two best bowlers and captain-batsman.

Ironically it may have paved the way for spinner Saeed Ajmal to cement a permanent place in the side and go on to enjoy such a spectacular 2011 in all forms of international cricket. So should Ajmal be in the final four? If it was for the 2011 calendar year, absolutely no question; he would even be my favourite for the main prize. For the August-August period used by the ICC he still has a major claim to be considered at the final hurdle. But when you consider the four who DID make the respected selectors' shortlist, it becomes a harder job.

Hashim Amla has been in great form in ODIs especially but the record-breaking 'triple' against England a few months ago is indicative of the South African's ability in first-class cricket, too. Australia and Sri Lanka, like India, have played many more matches than South Africa. Michael Clarke and Kumar Sangakkara have been consistent performers in the Test and ODI arena, and the former has also borne the considerable burden of captaining a team desperate to rediscover former glories and the adoration of demanding fans. That's three batsmen, so surely Ajmal would be the first-choice bowler for his 70-odd wickets? Well, measure him up against Vernon Philander.

While no spring chicken, Philander broke on to the Test scene last November with 3-63 and 5-15 in that crazy Cape Town encounter against Australia. Actually Michael Clarke's 151 in the first innings showed why he is possibly a favourite for the ICC crown, despite falling LBW to Philander second time around. The seamer continued to grab wickets against the Aussies, then took 16 at only 13 against Sri Lanka and 21 at 15 in New Zealand. His best performance against England this summer came too late for consideration but 56 wickets at an average of only 16-odd in your first nine Tests is some achievement which probably just eclipses the stats of the Pakistani spinner.

I can't really argue against the chosen four as Test and overall cricketers of the year. It's just one of many yardsticks of success, along with player stats and the official rankings, which are based on performances over a longer period. In this particular 'vote', Ajmal may be unfortunate but he should still be recognised as the best spinner in the world. Perhaps Philander will come a cropper when he bowls on Asian pitches, maybe not. For now, he probably merits the chance to run for the main prize although I reckon Clarke or Amla are probably ahead of him and Sanga.

It will be interesting to see who wins the People's Choice, the shotrlist for which also includes Sanga and Philander. Indian supporters will surely vote for Sachin Tendulkar, whose year contained little of merit apart form that long-awaited 100th hundred. England fans may give the nod to James Anderson, who has made a case for the title of best swing bowler in the world, although Dale Steyn may contest that! Maybe the rest of the planet will prefer Jacques Kallis, the veteran all-rounder who remains the ultimate professional and supreme all-rounder in all cricketing formats. A fantastic player who would be this person's choice!

Pakistan totally dominant

Congratulations, Pakistan! While I expected a decent contest, the manner in which they completely destroyed the world number one Test nation took me completely by surprise, just as England's annihilation of India had done last summer.

Neither team produced a feast of runs, and indeed Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad each enjoyed a reasonable series. It's just that, in Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan had two spin bowlers who were almost unplayable on the UAE pitches, and the England batsmen simply had no answer. Andy Flower's men cling on to their Test table leadership by a single point while Pakistan remain fifth, but closing the gap on Australia to just one rating point. They are on a roll and, while they have a long wait for another Test series, they may be able to take that confidence into the forthcoming ODI series against England, then the Asia Cup.

Misbah ul-Haq has turned into a world-class captain and his average has crept above 45. It's a shame that he is approaching the age of 38, normally the time when people are clamouring for your retirement! Mohammad Hafeez is less prolific as an opening batsman but gives his captain all-round options, especially in one-dayers. We waited a long time for the first century in the series, then two came at once. Azhar Ali's solid 157 and Younis Khan's more classy 127 gave their side a match-winning second innings total of 365 in he Third Test. Amazingly, it's the first time in over 100 years since a side has triumphed after being dismissed in the first innings for under 100! Younis still boasts a world-class career average above 50 and Pakistan need to keep hold of him if hey are to compete at the highest level. Umar Gul demonstrated his value as a whole-hearted fast bowler, not merely a run-saver in ODIs, while Ajmal and Rehman were sensational. In just three games they claimed 43 wickets between them, at under 15 and 17 apiece, respectively.

So where does this whitewash leave England? As I wrote earlier, it wasn't a humiliation for the bowlers. But for the batsmen....? Oh, dear! Cook's 2nd Test 94 was the closest anyone got to three figures but on four out of six occasions he failed to register even double figures. Strauss knuckled down for a gritty 56 first time out in the final match, and Trott had the highest series aggregate, albeit with a mere 161 runs. For Pietersen, Bell and Morgan the trip to the Middle East was nothing sort of disastrous. I'm a fan of the Warwickshire man, and it was wonderful to see him rising to the top last year. However, Ajmal's doosra was his undoing in recent weeks and scored only 51 runs in his six innings. The other two middle-order men fared little better and this leaves a stain on their records. However, I'm sure they will all have more chances, and Bell could be back in the side on home soil, even if not in the one-day fixtures against Pakistan.

All in all, a wake-up call for England and their fans. Nobody likes to be whitewashed, especially in under four days on each occasion! Their Ashes triumph and the home victories have now been put into perspective, but the Aussies and South Africa don't have the spin bowlers who put Cook, Bell, KP et al to the sword. It will be interesting to see how Pakistan do on less spin-friendly pitches but their recovery from the depths of despair in 2010 should be cheered by all in the sport. Test cricket is becoming really interesting again.

England Humbled by Pakistan

An England Test against an Asian side. A ten-wicket margin of victory inside three days. A spinner taking ten wickets. The only surprise about the result was that it was England who lost!

Pakistan's emphatic beating of the World Number Ones in Dubai has given the sport a gentle little shake, and Andrew Strauss may be forgiven for casting a nervous glance over his shoulder at resurgent Australia and South Africa. However, the result doesn't mean that England are really 'India in disguise' or that Pakistan are suddenly world-beaters. It just demonstrates that cricket remains a fascinating contest of bat versus ball and no match is a foregone conclusion.

England has a wonderful 2011 yet in Perth last winter they were given a severe drubbing by the Aussies amidst a series of innings victories. Even in the controversial series against Pakistan tour in 2010, the home side were easily defeated by four wickets after Matt Prior top scored in a disappointing first innings and a Pakistani fast bowler took five in the second. Significantly, only two of England's current XI have changed since then (Bell and Tremlett for Collingwood and Finn) while for Pakistan only two have remained (Azhar Ali and Saeed Ajmal). For England, 2011 was a year of consolidation and consistency at the top. For their opposition this week it was a major regrouping and a steady rebuild with a new-look team, albeit one led by a 36 year-old near-novice at Test level.

Misbah-ul-Haq has his critics who say he is too boring, too cautious, but those very characteristics have probably helped steady a very rocky and leaky ship following the PCB's bust-up with its older stars and the jailing of three of its young ones. The skipper, now 37, has an enviable win:loss ratio and has improved his batting average to a very tasty 46. Even in ODIs his strike rate is a creditable 75, which is on a par with Younis Khan, Dravid, Sarwan and Sangakkara. I wrote the other day about the merits of Saeed Ajmal and his ten-wicket haul was thoroughly well-deserved. Today it was Umar Gul who ripped through England's brittle top order, amongst whom only Jonathan Trott showed any skill, patience and judgement. Strauss, Cook, Bell and Pietersen mustered a pathetic 39 runs between them in the whole match, while Prior's unbeaten 70 was the only half-century. Swann rode his luck as ever, topping 30 in both innings and used his no-ball reprieve to strike some blows and make Pakistan bat again.

I'm glad Strauss and Flower didn't go down the football route and blame everyone else but themselves (referee, heat, Ajmal's bowling action and sneaky foreign way of bowling a straight one when his wrist action says 'off break', etc, etc). It doesn't take a genius to realise that he and his team-mates got things badly wrong on the pitch. Cook, Bell, Trott et al are too good to give up the ghost. They will have had a closer look at Ajmal, gained experience in the desert conditions and gathered the determination to put things right, just as they did after Jamaica 2009, The Oval and Perth 2010. Not playing silly shots and giving Ajmal seven LBW decisions would be a good start.

I see no reason to make major changes to the England side apart perhaps to give Finn a go instead of wicket-less Tremlett. While Pakistan will be brimming with confidence, I'm sure they won't get such an easy ride next week and England will probably level the series. Allow Ajmal to bamboozle them again and he could acquire the mantle of nemesis a la Shane Warne, and that's not the position to be in - unless you are the Pakistani spinner himself, that is.

Saeed Ajmal - a genuine Pakistan spin star?

2011 was a great year for Saeed Ajmal, being the top wicket taker in Test cricket, albeit against some of the weaker nations. His seven scalps in the England first innings this week seem to prove he isn't just a flash in the pan. After all, Pakistan's ban from home series means his success can't be attributed to a knowledge of home pitches!

It's tempting to wonder why he took such a long time to shine. After all, like Graeme Swann, he made his debut very late on (aged 30 against Swann's 29) and seems to have found his niche. OK, so he's played only 18 Tests so it's too soon to rank him up there with the greats of Pakistan spinners but then who are his rivals?

The Test wicket league is topped by three legends of fast bowling, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan, but then come four spinners. It's a shame that Danish Kaneria, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed were all in their prime at more or less the same time, and when Pakistan often persevered with some fine seam attacks. Consequently none managed the longevity at the top that was enjoyed by contemporaries such as Shane Warne, Murali or Anil Kumble. Danish recently took his 1000th first-class cricket, but for Habib Bank, not his country. His 261 Test wickets make him Pakistan's most prolific slow bowler in their Test history, yet his last match was at the age of 29 and he looks unlikely to win another cap. He played only 61 games so the wicket-per-match ratio was mighty impressive, better than even Imran and Akram. Maybe his high average of nearly 35 counts against him and he wasn't on the Board's list of favourites. Mind you, who is?!

He did play in more Tests (61) than either Saqlain Mushtaq (49) or leg-spinner 'Mushie' (51). The former was once the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets but injury, a propensity to bowl no-balls and the arrival of Shoaib Malik and Danish nudged him out of favour and his Test career was over ridiculously early in 2004 at the age of only 27. Mushtaq Ahmed claimed only 185 Test wickets but, like Saqlain he enjoyed many successful years in county cricket and retired four years ago with more than 1,400 first-class wickets to his name, more than either Murali or Warne.

With 236 Test wickets, Abdul Qadir ranks fifth on Pakistan's all-time list. He was a novelty in the 1970s and '80s when leg breaks and googlies were rarely seen in top class cricket. He looked unconventional, too, although I believe his skipper Imran once asked him to grow a beard to add to his strange aura of mystique against England. He was also inconsistent at times, but on his day was unplayable, with five ten-wicket matches to his name. His 9-56 against Mike Gatting's men in the first innings at Lahore in 1987 remains a record.

So where does Ajmal stand at the moment. Amazingly his 90 Test wickets to date place him in his country's top 20 in history. Another 35 would place him level with Intikhab Alam, a respected off-spinner in the '60s and '70s who I recall watching on TV in his late Surrey days. Of course, cricket has changed. It used to be the fast bowlers who were expected to be loud and exuberant, while the slow bowlers were expected to exude calm and thoughtful control. These days, with the likes of Murali, Harbhajan Singh, Swann and Ajmal, the situation has apparently reversed.

Let's put aside rankings and historical comparisons. Saeed Ajmal is probably too old to become a statistical world-beater but Pakistan should relish his current form, and England for starters will have their work cut out trying to read his range of deliveries in the heat of Dubai.

Player of the Week: Malcolm Waller

Two completed Tests, five ODIs and the concluding match of the mini-tour of India by England his week, long with some competitive first-class games in South Africa and Australia in particular.

In the Super Sport series, wicketkeeper Dane Vilas struck an unbeaten 161 at almost a run a ball as well as taking six catches as the Cape Cobras thumped the Titans. In the Sheffield Shield, Ryan Harris demonstrated again why he is the man for the Australian national side, claiming match figures of 9-83 for Queensland against a Ponting-less Tasmania. At 32, he may be a late bloomer but he has a career first-class bowling average of only 28 and he has made an excellent start to Test cricket in the past year or so.

On the international stage, Harris' ODI rivals wrapped up a 2-1 series win over South Africa but it was the home side's players who took the individual plaudits this week, especially Jacques Kallis and Morne Morkel. In India the two spinning Ravis, Ashwin and Jadeja looked accomplished one-day and T20 bowlers, while Kohli, Raina and Dhoni excelled with the bat as the home nation completed a whitewash of England in the 50-over series. In today's T20, Kevin Pietersen escaped an early reprieve from a dropped catch to strike a match-winning 53.

In Dubai, Saeed Ajmal looked the pick of the bowlers as Pakistan got the better of Sri Lanka. He took 8-113 in the Second Test, conceding only two runs an over as SRi Lanka battled to stay in the game, a fight they eventually lost despite dogged defending by Paranavitana, Sangakkara and Mathews. Rain prevented a result in the First Test between Bangladesh and the West Indies and it's looking close in the Second.

However, my Player of the Week performed in Zimbabwe's exciting win in a high-scoring one-day international in Bulawayo against New Zealand. Ross Taylor and Kyle Williamson each slammed centuries and shared a 195-run partnership on the way to a formidable total of 328-5. However, Zimbabwe kept up with the run rate and it was left to their number six, Malcolm Waller to steer them home brilliantly. As the tail collapsed around him, he managed to hold on and strike the winning run off the penultimate ball with just one wicket remaining. He failed by just one run to register his first ODI hundred but as compensation he wins my award. In first-class cricket, the 27 year-old has made three figures five times, led by the 174 he scored for the Rhinos just three weeks ago. His average stands above 40 but his occasional off-spin has proved more successful in the one-day game. Nevertheless he could be pressing for a Test place at some point soon.