Ajmal plants the Saeed of doubt into England

England sure do have a task on their hands. After the first day of the first test between Pakistan and the English in Dubai, it is Pakistan who have gained an early and mouth-watering initiative in the early stages of this series.
Andrew Strauss seeming rather reluctant to pick Monty Panesar, in conditions where England's seamers have struggled in the past. On the sub-continent. An area of the planet where no English bowlers have really set the level of fierce, penetrating fast bowling.
Tremlett, Broad and Bell started after injury scares. As did Kevin Pietersen. Strauss wins the toss, and elects to bat. Mistake Number One. An out of form Jonathan Trott would surely be looking for some big runs to end his worst run of form in an England shirt? Would Eoin Morgan really cement his claim for a place in the Test side? And would the opening duo of Alistair Cook and captain Strauss provide England with the backbone to a steady innings. The Answer? No.

England were bowled out for a miserable 192. An innings that was saved by the resourcefulness and stubbornness of wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Prior, and part-time batsman Graeme Swann. England found themselves 94-7, with Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal picking five of the seven. Ian Bell's injury worries were certainly proof in the pudding as he went first ball. Cook managed only three, and the erratic Pietersen once again gave the critics something to cheer about after only scoring a painful two runs off 29 balls. Trott looked a mere shadow of his normal self, whilst Strauss' naivity sent his bails toppling to the floor.
Morgan provided a brief test for the Pakistan attack, for which Ajmal happily obliged by dismissing the left-hander LBW for 24. Prior's resurgence though, and Swann's aggravating batting has taken England up to a more respectable total. Prior's battling 70 not out, and 35 from Swann left England 192 all out. A total most England fans would be stunned to se, but one Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower have to deal with, and quickly.
England need some early wickets on day two, with Pakistan reaching 42-0 at the close.

The day belonged to Saeed Ajmal though, and on a grander scale Pakistan. The start to this test match has buried any sorrow memories for a country in the spotlight of international cricket. The spot-fixing scandal of Butt, Amir and Asif seems long gone. Pakistan is under a new stewardship, and a new era. Ajmal's match figures of 7-55 off 24.3 overs shows a sheer passion and drive to overcome their problems. This team will centre around the more experienced players, but the chance for the younger generation will soon be approaching. Ajmal has set an example for Pakistan to learn from past human errors, and time to give the cricketing world something to think about.

England certainly have an early problem on their mind, and the decision to leave spinner Monty Panesar out of the team for this test will certainly be banging around in his head for a while, with 9 of the England wickets being dismissed by spin bowlers. England's first day in Dubai has been a horror, and something which must be amended quickly. Maybe Swann will be able to succeed in the same way Ajmal did, or is it time for a seamer to make a name for themselves in the sub-continent? Stuart Broad has a lot of critics to answer to. Chris Tremlett has competition from the likes of Steven Finn and Graham Onions. James Anderson will be looking to continue the form which has made him England's leading bowler, and one of the best bowlers in the world.

So, I leave this message to the England coaching staff and players before tomorrow's crucial play begins. You are the best in the world, you are number one in the world, but my oh my, you have a fight on your hands.

Gareth Messenger's Top 11 Ashes 2010-11 Players

What a fantastic achievement for the England national side to come away from Australia with a 3-1 series win, retaining, and more importantly winning the Ashes for the first time in 24 years on Australian series.
In this blog I will go through my top 11 players from the last seven weeks and looking at how their impact on the sides influenced the performance of others and their side's results.

1. Alastair Cook
This man was absolutely inspirational this series. Man of the match in the last test at Sydney for his brilliant 189 and awarded man of the series, and the second youngest player to reach 5000 test match runs, trailing only the great Sachin Tendulkar. Averaging 127 for the entire series and scoring a total of 766 runs throughout the five test matches, Cook's sudden resurgence in form in the past year has made him one of England's most important assets. There were times before the series where some thought Cook would not even be on the plane, but the first test match where the 26-year-old scored a sparkling 235* in the second innings to play for a draw. As previously mentioned, at only 26, Cook has a huge future in test cricket and perhaps more importantly the perfect replacement for current captain Andrew Strauss. Well played Alastair and well deserved number 1 spot!

2. James Anderson
Who said this man couldn't bowl well in Australia? Do not underestimate the talents of James Anderson who came away from Australia this year as the series leading wicket taker with 24 wickets. Ironically, conditions suited the swing bowling of Anderson and the Australians struggled to face England leader of the bowling attack. His best bowling displays would have to be his 4-wicket haul in the demolition of Australia in the first innings of the fourth test, bowling the hosts out for just 98, and in the final test at Sydney for match figures of 7-127. Anderson also continued his good form to reach 200 Test wickets in the third test when he dismissed Peter Siddle. Most of the attention was on Swann pre-Ashes, but it will be Anderson taking the majority of the plaudits for his display in Oz, making him one of the most feared seamers in the world.

3. Mike Hussey
Mr Cricket himself. Third spot was a difficult one to choose with so many great performances, but Hussey proved to the world that he is still capable of performing brilliantly at such a high level, and in a batting line up of vast experience and wealth for the first few tests, he proved to be the only one who took responsibility throughout the entire series, scoring a total of 570 runs including a fantastic 195 in the first test at The Gabba followed by scores of 93 and 116 in the second and third test respectively.

4. Jonathan Trott
Fanatstic performances from Trott. This series effectively strengthened his claim as the best number three in the world, and it has really all come his introduction to test cricket in the final test match of the 2009 Ashes series in England. Trott continued his godod form into this run of matches scoring just under 450 runs including innings scores of 135* in the second innings of the first test in that wonderful partnership with Alastair Cook, as well as a man of the match performance in the fourth test with a stunning 168* to help England to an innings and 157 run victory at Melbourne. Only disappointment would be his first Test duck in the last match, but that won't take too much of the gloss of what has been an incredible series yet again for England's established number three.

5. Andrew Strauss
The captain has now led England to two Ashes successes and was involved in another. His performances both on the field and off the field have proven to be strokes of genius at times and his relationship with coach Andy Flower has given the England side stability and confidence in their performances. A disastrous start to the Ashes for both him and England when he was dismissed on only the third ball of the entire series in an exact replica of the first wicket of the 2009 series (Bowled Hilfenhaus, Caught Hussey at Gully) but that will not bother Strauss too much. His early series form was mixed, dismissed for a duck and 1 in the first innings of the first two tests but scoring a fantastic 110 in the second innings at Brisbane in England's total of 513/1 declared. Outplayed Aussie captain Ricky Ponting on the field both as a performer and a leader. Another success for Strauss in what has been a sparkling test career to date.

6. Shane Watson
Watson this year made a lot of runs for the Australians and at times were key to their progression at the start of the innings. Looks suited to that opening spot at the top of the order but his failure to go on and make big big scores will concern him. You can always rely on Watson to contribute and make good scores but his lack of hundreds this series will undoubtedly go toward Australia's lack of joy this year. Despite this, he scored 435 runs in the series and contributed with the ball and played a huge part in the Tests. One could say he was only one of the few players who gave their all this winter for Australia and I like the way he plays so Watson gets my number six spot.

7. Chris Tremlett
The Surrey man came in for the injured Stuart Broad for the third test at the WACA in Perth. At first I was a little sceptical at the decision simply because, without sounded biased, I am a fan of Tim Bresnan and felt he would be the suitable replacement for Broad. But credit is where credit's due because Tremlett was sensational. It was the best decision made and full respect to Strauss and Flower for choosing the giant. He starred in the Perth test with figures of 5/87 in the second innings and then bowled perfectly in partnership with Anderson the rest of the series getting 4/26 in the demolition of Australia at the MCG. Tremlett finished with 17 wickets and therefore comes 7th in my top 11 Ashes players for the 2010-11 series.

8. Ian Bell
I always have been and always will be a fan of this man. He is probably one of the world's most underrated batsmen and reached 4000 test runs when he hit 68 not out in the first innings of the second test. The first test he top scored with a nicely played 76 in our total of 260 after captain Strauss had been dismissed with the third ball of the series. Bell's hard work came to reward in the final test when a hardly grafted 115 gave him his first Ashes century in his long lasting career. At number 6 he looks comfortable and settled, but with Paul Collingwood now retired from Test cricket, Bell may see himself pushing up to number five in our next test series against Sri Lanka.

9. Peter Siddle
People may question this and ask why Mitchell Johnson isn't here but Peter Siddle grabbed himself 14 wickets and bowled well. The England batsmen feared Siddle's bowling and this was immediately proved from the first test when the Victorian fast bowler saw himself get 6/54 including a hat-trick on his 26th birthday - the first Ashes hat-trick since Darren Gough in 1999. I've been highly impressed with Siddle's effort and persistancy with the ball and he has even been able to contribute a few times with the bat with scores of 40 and 43 in the fourth and fifth test respectively, but without him, Australia's attack would have struggled even more than what it already did.

10. Matthew Prior
Brilliant with the gloves. Solid with the bat. Matthew Prior again staked his claim why he should be regarded as one of, if not, then the best wicketkeeper in the world. His 85 in the fourth test at Melbourne proved his worth in England's lengthy batting line up and this was only enhanced with a magical 118 off just 130 balls in the final test match in which England hit their highest test score ever against Australia.

11. Graeme Swann
Finally what list isn't complete without this man. Mr Sprinkler himself and the greatest spinner in the world at the minute. I wouldn't say I was disappointed with his performances because he is a great bowler but he perhaps didn't make the impact many were expecting in the series. Only picking up 14 wickets, Swann found it difficult at times to find some dangerous turn on what seemed like seam-friendly pitches down-under. But regardless, Swann's contributions were vital as always, making it hard for the Australians to play and threatening with every ball.

Anderson rattles Australia in Melbourne

What a start to the fourth Ashes test!

Years gone by and the MCG has always been a ground where England falter, but last night was a completely different story and really gave England fans the performance they so desperately wanted on Christmas Day.

Winning the toss was an important start to the day. The pitch and the coniditons suited the bowlers, so it was important for England to win the toss and Strauss did just that, putting Australia into bat and giving the ball to James Anderson and Chris Tremlett. An advantage for the English conditions was the inclusion of Tim Bresnan who has replaced Steven Finn for this fourth test. Despite Finn being the leading wicket taker in the series heading into this test at Melbourne, concerns over his fitness and his expensive economy rate in the last test gave the England coaching staff some cause for concern and hence the decision was taken to replace the 21-year-old with the more controlled swing bowling of Yorkshire seamer Bresnan.

Australia were unchanged and it was a move which surprised many, with Ponting originally expected to put a spinner in, either youngster Michael Beer or the more experienced choice of Nathan Hauritz who surprisingly still has not featured in this year's Ashes series.

England needed to strike early and they did. Chris Tremlett bowling an unplayable length which Watson struggled to deal with and he found the top edge falling straight to Kevin Pietersen in the gully, and it was a wicket coming sooner rather than later, evidence perhaps that the opener was dropped twice before eventually falling to the pace and bounce of Tremlett.

The day's highlight was a combination of wonderful swing bowling from the England bowlers, and some poor shot selections from the Aussie batsmen, including opener Phillip Hughes, Steven Smith along with many others. James Anderson and Chris Tremlett in particular were superb, getting the ball to swing beautifully and bowling a line which the Australians just found difficult to deal with. Both Anderson and Tremlett finished with four wickets apiece, with Bresnan getting the other two. The quality of the bowling was evident in the way the wickets fell. All wickets were catches behind or toward the slips corden, and six of these came courtesy of the gloves of wicketkeeper Matthew Prior, so England's bowling was evidently one of persistency and consistency.

The collapse of Ricky Ponting for just 10 was again a sign the form of the Australian captain is still a worry for the home side, and the early departure of on fire Mike Hussey was a key blow to the structure of the innings. Hussey has been Australia's most important bastman in the first three test matches with a minimum score of 51 and averaging just over 104 for the series. But, the pace and swing of Anderson proved too much this time for the Aussie number 5, and Hussey edged to Prior, falling for just 8. The English celebrations were a sign of how important getting Hussey so early was to the rest of the innings.

Michael Clarke offered some resistent with a valiant 20, but even the shot for his wicket was loose, along with Brad Haddin, who was caught behind off the bowling of Bresnan. Johnson fell for a duck and even though there were some run-scoring swings of the bat from Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris, Australia could only manage a total of 98, the lowest first innings ever at Melbourne. England immediately had control of the test match, just two sessions into a five day test.

The reply was just as important as the previously achieved bowling performance. It would seem a waste had England themselves had collapsed and given themselves no hope of winning the test match and in turn, The Ashes. However, the batting frustrated Australia and our boys ended up on 157-0 at the close of play, Cook passing 80 and Strauss not out in the 60s.

A ground which can hold up to 91,000 people was brimming with excitement before the day's play. Yet at the end of play, all that remained were a few Australians along with the hoard of English people as units of the Barmy Army singing their hearts out.
This first day at the MCG has signaled England's intent to regain that beloved Ashes urn, but never write off Ponting's side, as time after time after time again, the Australians prove to be a bigger force in the cricketing world than any other known, but with Strauss' men focused, and the Aussies somewhat lacking authority, the urn could be making the plane journey back to England sooner rather than later.