England series ratings

Dave Tickner casts an eye over the England squad and rates Andrew Strauss' triumphant troops...

Reporter Dave Tickner gives his verdict on Strauss' men

With the series over, Dave Tickner casts an eye over the England squad and rates Andrew Strauss' triumphant men out of ten for their performances against Australia this summer...

Andrew Strauss

The man of the series. Not quite Strauss' Ashes, but he proved the summer's pivotal figure. His achievement, alongside Andy Flower, in turning the rabble of a shambolic winter into Ashes winners cannot be overstated. His captaincy is quietly effective, and he got plenty of big calls right at the big moments. But above all, his batting was magnificent. The one reliable, consistent performer in the England batting order, the myriad pressures on him never seemed to wear him down. Loves to lead, and led from the front with a century and two 50s in England's victories at Lord's and The Oval. 9/10

Alastair Cook

His poor form slipped under the radar due to the greater travails of others, but looks like a player who needs a break from international cricket to go away and work on the technical flaws that blight his batting at the moment. It seems to have worked for his opening partner. Apart from 95 at Lord's when Australia bowled quite breathtakingly badly at him, Cook rarely suggested an air of permanence at the crease. A nick to slip rarely seemed more than an over or two away. 5/10

Ravi Bopara

A horrible series for the Essex man. He came into the Ashes full of confidence on the back of three straight centuries, but barely managed another 100 runs in his seven innings. So meagre and easily forgotten was his contribution that his absence from England's Oval celebrations provoked no comment as even the normally meticulous Andy Flower referred to the 14 players who had won the Ashes for England. It was probably a slip from Flower at an emotional moment, but he was, alas, quite correct in his assessment. 3/10

Kevin Pietersen

Was going well in the first innings at Cardiff before playing one of the most astonishingly misjudged shots ever seen on a Test cricket field. Was clearly struggling with his Achilles injury by the second Test at Lord's, where he was a peripheral figure in England's victory, and it was no real surprise when he was ruled out of the last three matches and went off for surgery. 6/10

Paul Collingwood

His two half-centuries at Cardiff have proved increasingly valuable as the series has played out, which is just as well for Colly as he has contributed little since. His technique has never been by the coaching manual, but it appeared to be collapsing by the ball in Leeds and London as the series came to its dramatic end. England will be reluctant to jettison an all-round good egg like Colly, but an Ashes victory seems a good note to bow out on as a Test cricketer. 6/10

Matt Prior

His batting was predictably useful at points as he scored quick runs, nearly all of them between third-man and point, at crucial times. What was less expected but even more welcome was the almost unstinting excellence of his wicketkeeping. He's completely remodelled his technique which now allows him to move his feet - an advantage for a wicketkeeper. His dramatic improvement with the gauntlets was highlighted at The Oval with a superb catch to dismiss Mitchell Johnson and the brilliant stumping of Marcus North. 7/10

Andrew Flintoff

Not a bad way to bow out of Test cricket. His great moment came at Lord's where he bowled England to victory on the final morning with one of those inspirational spells of his when he looks so utterly unplayable you look on and wonder how he hasn't got 500 Test wickets. The remaining Tests showed why as he struggled with the ball. But he still bludgeoned a typically entertaining 74 in Birmingham and got involved in the decisive moment on the final day of the series with the quite brilliant run out of Ricky Ponting. 7/10

Stuart Broad

A slow start to the series, but Broad still picked up useful wickets in his occasional good spells. Since he came into the side he's shown his bowling class in occasional spells, and he did so again as the series reached a conclusion. Six wickets at Leeds flattered him, but that was undoubtedly not the case at The Oval. His five-wicket burst on the second afternoon in south London proved the crucial spell of the match and series as the England all-rounder burden was passed from blond to blond. His classy batting continues to improve as well. 7/10

Graeme Swann

Bowled no better than acceptably for long periods of the series, but stepped up when he was needed most. Took four wickets in the second innings at Lord's and four more in each innings at The Oval. He took only two more wickets in the rest of the series. No-one better shows how England won this series despite being thrashed on the stats. Slapped a couple of hugely entertaining half-centuries and must be just about the best batsman England have ever had coming in at number nine. 7/10

James Anderson

Produced two spells of the very highest-class swing bowling at Lord's and Edgbaston, but faded as the series ended on two pitches that, while very different, offered little to the swingmeister. In fairness, he bowled pretty well at The Oval without reward after a rotten showing in Leeds, but Anderson's best work came early in the series. Was dismissed for a duck at The Oval to end his run of 54 innings at the highest level without a quacker. But his batting heroics at Cardiff must not be forgotten. 6/10

Monty Panesar

Has, in all probability, played his last Test. Named in the squad at The Oval but not in the XI despite the driest pitch ever seen in a wet English summer, it's hard to see how much longer lovable Monty can stay ahead of the increasingly impressive Adil Rashid in the England side. If Monty has played his last Test cricket, though, he ended on a glorious and deeply improbable high after defying the Aussies for 11 overs alongside Anderson. The Ashes would not have been regained without him. 6/10

Steve Harmison

Got yet another final chance in Test cricket at Leeds and, two brief yet menacing new-ball spells aside, did little to merit another. But The Oval is a happy hunting ground for Big Steve and he produced a hostile spell on the fourth evening to hasten the series' conclusion and came within an ace of winning the series with a hat-trick. 6/10

Ian Bell

Ah, Ian Bell. Belly, Belly, Belly. Two half-centuries, one lucky, one hard-earned, and three limp failures. We know nothing of Bell that we didn't already, but his 70-odd at The Oval was probably just enough to secure his place on the plane to South Africa. Series-preservation is his one true talent. 5/10

Graham Onions

Bowled with whole-hearted effort and no little skill, and can probably count himself unlucky to have played only three of the five Tests. His attack-the-stumps line will always keep him in the wicket hunt, and his bowling at Lord's and Edgbaston was at times sensationally good. Will only ever grab the headlines due to his surname, but could prove a very useful Test bowler for England over the coming years. 7/10

Jonathan Trott

Not even in the development squad at the start of the summer, but a selection that showed "continuity" in the eyes of Geoff Miller by the fifth Test. The selectors are easily mocked, but however they ended up at Trott is irrelevant now. In the space of one Test he has jumped above everyone bar Strauss and Pietersen in the England batting pecking order. It was not so much the runs he scored - although those were splendid - as the manner in which he did it and the pressure he was under at the time. Hard to imagine anyone has ever had a better Test debut, certainly for England. A century in an Ashes-winning victory? I'll take it. 8/10 What do you think of Dave's ratings? Let us know using the form below.