Reply to: It's all over bar the shouting.

[Moscow Mule]

England have been good since 2000, you have not been following it. They dipped 2006 to 2008 due to (a) hubris after winning the ashes and (b) appointing totally the wrong man as a new captain, Flintoff. They've learned from both those mistakes.

Off the top of my head here are what England have got now that they didn't have before 2000:

• Central contracts (no more serving two masters)
• Good coach
• Good captain
• Superior fielding, batting and bowling to everyone else
• Superior fitness to everyone else
• Good backroom staff
• Ruthless and disciplined attitude
• Good player development
• Elimination of players who do not toe the line

Some would say another factor is having two players brought up in South Africa, but we've always had saffers and other 'foreigners'.

The Indian Premier League has proved to be a disadvantage. Only one England player was in it this year and he has probably been our weakest batsman in these Test matches. Several Indians played in it and they have mostly been cr@p.

This success won't last forever but I'll enjoy it while it does.

You can boil a lot of that down to preparation, and lots of it.

Their drills before the start of the day in the field are an example of the professionalism they put into trying to win matches these days. It's only a matter of time before the other test nations catch up, but as you say - lets enjoy it while we can!

[Doggy Styles]

I find it very odd to hear that England cricken team beating everyone left right and center when just few years ago they were consistently "bowled out" (?)

What happened to make things so much better?

New money from Sky actually motivate players now?

English players got experience in Indian Premier League?

England have been good since 2000, you have not been following it. They dipped 2006 to 2008 due to (a) hubris after winning the ashes and (b) appointing totally the wrong man as a new captain, Flintoff. They've learned from both those mistakes.

Off the top of my head here are what England have got now that they didn't have before 2000:

• Central contracts (no more serving two masters)
• Good coach
• Good captain
• Superior fielding, batting and bowling to everyone else
• Superior fitness to everyone else
• Good backroom staff
• Ruthless and disciplined attitude
• Good player development
• Elimination of players who do not toe the line

Some would say another factor is having two players brought up in South Africa, but we've always had saffers and other 'foreigners'.

The Indian Premier League has proved to be a disadvantage. Only one England player was in it this year and he has probably been our weakest batsman in these Test matches. Several Indians played in it and they have mostly been cr@p.

This success won't last forever but I'll enjoy it while it does.

[AtW]

I find it very odd to hear that England cricken team beating everyone left right and center when just few years ago they were consistently "bowled out" (?)

What happened to make things so much better?

New money from Sky actually motivate players now?

English players got experience in Indian Premier League?

[Moscow Mule]

Home and away doesn't matter iirc.

ICC Test Championship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Doggy Styles]

I think ECB should quickly fix few tours of Zimbabwe, and Kenya to further consolidate the 1st rank.

That wouldn't affect the rankings at all, either way. Only results against nations with Test status count. That rules out Kenya and, at the moment, Zimbabwe as well.

The weakest Test side is Bangladesh but that's no good, because we only went there 20 months ago and we can't improve our points by going and thrashing them again.

We lost to Pakistan and Sri Lanka on our last tours to those places, so we could gain rating points this winter. I'm not sure how the home and away factors work though.

[DaveB]

I think ECB should quickly fix few tours of Zimbabwe, and Kenya to further consolidate the 1st rank.

Rating points are weighted by the relative standings of the teams involved. Thrashing Zimbabwe or Kenya would be worth bugger all, and if they do better than the relative ratings suggest it could actually harm Englands ranking even if they win.

[rd409]

Yes, 3 tests starting January I believe.

Then Sri Lanka and their Lion Beer.

I think ECB should quickly fix few tours of Zimbabwe, and Kenya to further consolidate the 1st rank.

[Doggy Styles]

We are supposed to be playing Pakistan in the UAE before then.

Yes, 3 tests starting January I believe.

Then Sri Lanka and their Lion Beer.

[Moscow Mule]

How long till the SA overtakes the English on the ranking table? England plays next test match in March next year, against Sri Lanka, .

We are supposed to be playing Pakistan in the UAE before then.

[rd409]

How long till the SA overtakes the English on the ranking table? England plays next test match in March next year, against Sri Lanka, and SA plays 2 test with Australia at home, 3 test in Sri Lanka, and 3 test in New Zealand and then against India at home in Summer....

[Doggy Styles]

Someone on TMS said the great Aussie and West Indies sides would not have hoped Tendulkar got his 100th 100 against them. This comment upset the so-called purists.

So to those who wrote in saying "Since when have we taken lessons on how to behave from the Australia or the West Indies," I say "Since we started winning".

[PRC1964]

WDSS. I would like him to get his 100 x 100, but I want us to win more.

[Doggy Styles]

I was there today. Most enjoyable.

Shame Sachin didn't get his ton.

Funny that. I'm glad he didn't do it against England in a test match. Save it for Australia.

[Moscow Mule]

I was there today. Most enjoyable.

Shame Sachin didn't get his ton.

[DimPrawn]

WSS.

Cricket. Fook me, should have died out 200 years ago.