Ashes 2009 England Player Ratings
Evaluations of Each Player’s Contribution England vs Australia
Sep 7, 2009
Andrew Strauss (9) - Strauss led from the front both in his demeanour as Captain, remaining calm both times and in his consistency with the bat. While he scored just one fifty, he rarely let England down and consistently gave his side a solid foundation on which to build.
Alastair Cook (3) – Cook did make an important contribution with the bat at Lords, but overall struggled and was exploited outside off-stump by the Australian seamers.
Ravi Bopara (2) – It couldn’t have gone much worse for Bopara against the Australians and he’ll need to go back to county cricket to re-prepare for international cricket.
Kevin Pietersen (6) – Pietersen only played two tests because of an Achilles injury and was not at his best, however he still finished near the top of the English batting averages!
Paul Collingwood (6) – Collingwood started brightly but struggled as the series wore on and once again faces serious questions marks over his place in test match cricket.
Ian Bell (6) – Bell has always probably received more criticism than he has deserved but in spite of a couple of useful fifties, he once again failed to answer the question marks over his ability to score centuries in the test arena.
Jonathan Trott (9) – Trott could’ve done little more than his superb performance in both innings of his debut test match where he played a key role in helping England regain the Ashes.
Andrew Flintoff (7) – Flintoff’s final series was once again filled with drama and the reflections on his career can now begin. However, his performance in this series with both bat and ball were vital if unspectacular.
Matthew Prior (7) – Prior did a lot to cement his place in the side over the course of the 2009 Ashes, not only with some useful knocks at #6 but also with his ever-improving glove work.
Stuart Broad (8) – Broad had a shaky start to the series and his place was even in doubt at once stage but consistent contributions with the bat and excellent bowling in the final two games turned the series into a resounding success.
Graeme Swann (8) – Swann was not quite as consistent a wicket-taker as he has been over the last year but was still effective nonetheless, he also offered useful contributions with the bat throughout.
James Anderson (7) – Anderson’s effectiveness varied throughout the series but his overall performance was solid and he rarely bowled poorly, he was especially key in the win at Lords.
Graham Onions (7) – Onions was unlucky to be dropped, other than the fourth test where all the bowlers struggled, he enjoyed a fine series and rose up through the bowlers ranks with a knack for taking wickets.
Steve Harmison (5) – Three wickets at The Oval showed that he might still have something to offer but overall only further proved that he bowls too short against international quality batsman.
Monty Panesar (2) – Had one chance at Cardiff to try and win his place but wasn’t ready, can still say that his heroic batting was crucial to the series.
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