England will head down under with their heads up after beating Australia 3-0 this summer. Below is a list of the key men to lead England to victory.
Alastair Cook
Alastair Cook
The 28-year-old is wise beyond his years. Since replacing Andrew Strauss as captain, he has come on leaps and bounds. A consistent batter, Cook often drags his team up out of the mud. He can be criticised for fielding a little defensively, but if it gets the job done nobody really cares.
Ian Bell
People ran out of superlatives for his performance in the Ashes. He often rescued England from the jaws of defeat and was the top scorer of the series with 562, 144 more than his nearest rival. Bell is blessed with sharp reflexes making him a brilliant fielder; his bravery is also noted, as he often fields at silly, putting his body perilously close to danger.
Jimmy Anderson
An ever-present figure in the England set-up, Anderson has really flourished in recent years and is ranked as one of the best pace bowlers in the world.
Anderson took 22 wickets in the Ashes series and was instrumental in helping England establish a 2-0 lead.The latest cricket betting markets suggest that England will need Anderson at his best for the winter tests; last time Anderson played down under he took an impressive 24 wickets.
It would be unfair to say England are a one-man bowling attack but the prospect of a bowling line-up without Anderson must frighten England fans gambling with Betfair.
Graeme Swann
The loveable spinner took the most wickets in the summer series with 26 and last time he played down under he claimed 15 scalps. As well as his bowling ability, Swann is the life and soul of the team.
While captain Cook is the brain, Swann is certainly the heart, always giving his all for his country. Swann is a master of sledging and he will be hoping to unnerve the Aussies this winter with a constant barrage of friendly abuse.
