Player Assessment - England v Australia (7 January 1999)

7 January 1999

Player Assessment - England v Australia

By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

BATSMEN

ALEC STEWART

It was never likely that the Gaffer would succeed equally in all three of his roles. Wicket-keepers who have captained seven countries in a total of 103 Tests have now lost 45 matches and won only 23. Stewart was respected by his team and his opponents and handled the wider aspects of a touring captain with patience and humour.

His tour improved personally when he made his last-minute decision to open the batting at Melbourne, where he added a Test century to the one he made against Victoria. He kept wicket brilliantly but prospers as an opener and struggles when coming in against good spin bowling, so the future lies in finding a wicketkeeper who can bat effectively at seven or eight. Paul Nixon is a possibility but Chris Read's A-team performance will be closely monitored.

NASSER HUSSAIN

One of England's two most reliable batsmen in all matches, he is probably the next captain: intelligent, thoughtful, and not so selfish as he is believed to be. He can be inspirational in the field, especially away from the slips, and his batting throughout the tour confirmed a mature appreciation of the need for all but geniuses to play an organised, percentage game, restricting themselves to their most reliable strokes. Four Test fifties but no hundred leaves room for improvement.

MIKE ATHERTON

A total of 110 runs in eight Test innings made his a desperately disappointing Test series, due to an increasingly unreliable back, uncertain foot movement and a return to the square-on technique which has let him down on the last three England tours. The three problems are linked. Like Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath got to him mentally, though he would never admit it. But he still wants to play, his double hundred at Hobart proved he still can and the odds are that he will be back.

MARK RAMPRAKASH

Like Hussain, he was consistent, organised, cool, determined and excellent in the field, one or two bad lapses apart. A Test average of 47 made this his happiest series, but he gave his hand away disappointingly in the last two Tests, during which he three times fell for 14 after laying a sound base. Four fifties and no centuries added up to a flawed performance, but he now believes in his ability to be a successful Test batsman and the dominating centuries must come as he climbs the batting order.

GRAHAM THORPE

Badly missed and badly needed back. His back injury returned when he was averaging 87 from his eight first-class innings.

GRAEME HICK

A curate's egg again, but he batted with sufficient authority at times to suggest that he should remain in the Test side on a regular basis and be encouraged to believe that he is trusted and needed as a world-class player who can frighten bowlers.

MARK BUTCHER

Talented, improving; inconsistent. A character and a good team man who has got what it takes against top-class bowling, but not yet against spin. Victim of the most unlucky dismissal in the series, but at least his only fifty was translated into a hundred.

JOHN CRAWLEY

Seeming to take a long time to recover from the shock of being mugged in a rogue attack on a Cairns street just before the Brisbane Test, this sensitive man has more depth of character than people imagine but he returns disillusioned for the second winter running. Having forced his way back by weight of runs last year he managed only 86 runs in six Test innings and has to conquer his weakness outside off stump if he is to fulfil a rare talent. He fielded excellently.

ALL-ROUNDERS

BEN HOLLIOAKE

The raw talent remains, but so does the sloppy use of it. He was unlucky to be injured in the first match and never settled; but his bowling was innocuous and he gets out in the same way far too often. He simply did not justify his selection for the first-class leg of the tour, but he still has time on his side.

WARREN HEGG

An excellent tourist who did not let himself down in his two Tests but at his age he had to make a bigger impact quickly. He does not look likely to measure up at the highest level either as a batsman or wicketkeeper.

BOWLERS

DARREN GOUGH

Outstanding and wholehearted fast bowling. It all came right for him in the end, if not for the team for whom he gave so much but who missed too many edges. He deserved at least 25 Test wickets - seven catches went down off his bowling - and he got through a five-Test series for the first time, despite bowling more overs than anyone on either side. His batting has gone backwards.

DEAN HEADLEY

In the last two Tests he suddenly moved up a level in rhythm, pace and hostility and looked a fast bowler of world class. His six for 60 won England the Melbourne Test. His fielding, too, was athletic and wholehearted. A loyal team man with a contagious smile, but not for opposing batsmen.

ALAN MULLALLY

Thoroughly justified his selection with some excellent and economical spells in the first four Tests, though he can lose heart. His batting became a joke, which it should not have done, and his fielding can be distracted. A laconic and likeable man.

ALEX TUDOR

He made strides more quickly than anyone dared hope and started his Test career with four for 89 in his first innings against Australia. He can bat too. A level-headed character, he will heed the advice to keep his feet on the ground. If he does so and avoids injury he should become a very successful Test cricketer.

ANGUS FRASER

Not a happy end to a great year and possibly the end of an admirably resilient Test career, though he will hope to force his way back in English conditions at least. An MBE is a permanent recognition of all the sweat he has expended on the way to 177 Test wickets at 27. It is a record which warns against writing him off.

DOMINIC CORK

Disappointing. He is in danger of frittering away that glittering start. Too fragile of body and temperament, the talent is still there.

PETER SUCH

Picked as a reliable professional off-spinner, he performed like one in the two Tests he played, performing heroically after scant preparation at Adelaide and reaping the reward at Sydney.

ROBERT CROFT

Very disappointed to be discarded after one Test and unlucky, perhaps, not to play in the last one. His figures should not directly be compared with those of Peter Such, who had more helpful surfaces than Croft had at Brisbane. But he will have to keep scoring runs and start taking more wickets at Cardiff to get back into the team.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)