Solid England reclaim Wisden Trophy

It is difficult to temper emotions in an Ashes year, but England's latest destruction of the beleaguered West Indies side was solid rather than spectacular. It showed a more grimly determined side, focused on winning by graft and craft than impatience and inconsistency that has been on display throughout the winter and indeed for a couple of years.
The two clearest exponents of these traits were Alistair Cook who accumulated a beautiful century and James Anderson who is starting to look like a finished version of the starlet who took the World Cup by storm in South Africa.

For Cook in particular this was a welcome return to the hundred club after over a year in the wilderness. At the start of his innings he yet again looked scratchy and his footwork was lax, but from tea onwards he started to show glimpses of the touch play that is his hallmark when playing at his best. His return of a career best 160 will do wonders for his confidence in the last Test Match before the first Test against the Australians but he may be disappointed to have failed to record a first double hundred against a West Indian attack that was there for the taking.

In contrast to Cook, Anderson has hardly been short of form. In the absence of Andrew Flintoff he has become the spearhead of the England attack and has shouldered the added responsibility manfully. It was tough to not be impressed with how he stuck to the simple principles of line and length bowling in batsman-friendly conditions in the Caribbean and is now deservedly in amongst the wickets under kinder skies. The ability to create dramatic late swing in both directions will make him a challenge for the Australians and if he is firing with the new ball the talented players in the Baggy Green top three can expect a tough going over.

It will have been a relief to Tim Bresnan to get amongst the wickets but to me it looks like he may struggle to make the step up, particularly if Flintoff can get fit. He is a wonderfully honest bowler, a real workhorse and he will never go for too many runs given his consistency. While Onions is more unpredictable he is the sort of bowler who could pick up a few wickets and change momentum as he did to remove Sarwan and Gayle at the end of a long 4th day. I am unconvinced that Bresnan has that magic ball, and if you need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match then he may struggle to be an automatic selection. He is still young and may impress in the ODI's where his restriction of batsman may be more suited to the shorter format, but at the moment he is the clear choice to make way for the talismanic Flintoff. It is a harsh critique of a man who naturally exhibits the dependable qualities that England have returned to against the Windies, but sterner tests are around the corner, and with so much time before the start of the next Test match he (and any others looking to stake a claim for the Ashes) will need to maintain some phenomenal form in the county setup if he wants to be in the starting eleven in Cardiff.