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Thursday, December 30, 2010
Graeme Swann Is An Ashes Glory Boys and His Great Contribution For Team-
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| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graeme Peter Swann | |||
| Born | 24 March 1979 Northampton, Northamptonshire, England | |||
| Nickname | Chin, Swanny, Swannatron | |||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||
| Batting style | Right-hand batsman | |||
| Bowling style | Right-arm off break | |||
| Role | Spin bowler | |||
| Relations | Raymond Swann (father), Alec Swann (brother) | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | England | |||
| Test debut (cap 641) | 11 December 2008 v India | |||
| Last Test | 19 December 2010 v Australia | |||
| ODI debut (cap 157) | 23 January 2000 v South Africa | |||
| Last ODI | 22 September 2010 v Pakistan | |||
| ODI shirt no. | 66 (previously 24) | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 2005–present | Nottinghamshire (squad no. 6) | |||
| 1998–2004 | Northamptonshire | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | ODI | FC | LA |
| Matches | 27 | 43 | 205 | 230 |
| Runs scored | 683 | 295 | 6,832 | 2,945 |
| Batting average | 23.55 | 12.82 | 26.48 | 19.00 |
| 100s/50s | –/4 | –/– | 4/35 | –/14 |
| Top score | 85 | 34 | 183 | 83 |
| Balls bowled | 6,993 | 1,902 | 36,639 | 9,132 |
| Wickets | 124 | 59 | 573 | 259 |
| Bowling average | 27.62 | 24.33 | 31.87 | 25.94 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 10 | 1 | 25 | 3 |
| 10 wickets in match | 1 | – | 4 | – |
| Best bowling | 6/65 | 5/28 | 7/33 | 5/17 |
| Catches/stumpings | 24/– | 19/– | 154/– | 78/– |
| Source: Cricinfo, 28 December 2010 | ||||
Graeme Peter Swann (born 24 March 1979 in Northampton) is an English international cricketer. He is primarily a right-arm offspinner, but also bats right-handed. After initially playing for his home county Northamptonshire, for whom he made his debut in 1997, he moved to Nottinghamshire in 2005. He often fields at slip. He attended Sponne School in Towcester, Northamptonshire.
Swann played a single One Day International against South Africa in 2000, before losing his place in the squad. In 2007, Swann was chosen to accompany England on its tour of Sri Lanka as the team's second spin bowler, alongside Monty Panesar, and subsequently cemented a regular place in England's Test team, playing throughout England's 2–1 victory in the 2009 Ashes. In December 2009, he became the first English spinner to take 50 wickets in a calendar year, culminating in back-to-back man of the match awards in the first two Tests of the South Africa tour and third place in the world rankings for bowlers.
In March 2010, Swann became the first English off-spinner since Jim Laker to take 10 wickets in a match, when he achieved the feat in England's victory in the first test in Bangladesh. In May, he was named ECB Cricketer of the Year.
Test debut-
Following a loss of form to Monty Panesar, alongside whom Swann had played for Northamptonshire, Swann made his Test debut against India in December 2008, and made an immediate impact, dismissing Gautam Gambhir with his third delivery and Rahul Dravid with his sixth, both lbw, thus becoming only the second player in Test history after Richard Johnson (also for England) to take two wickets in his first Test over.
In the Third Test in the West Indies in 2009, he was brought back into the Test fold following the poor form of Panesar, and in this match collected his first five-wicket haul in a Test, 5 for 57 in the West Indies' first innings, including two wickets in two balls. This was the second-best performance ever by any spinner in Antigua. Swann also collected five wickets in the first of the West Indian innings in the Fourth Test.
In addition to a score of 63 not out batting at 9, he took six more wickets in the first home Test of 2009, again against the West Indies, at Lord's. This included three for sixteen in five overs in the first innings, removing Devon Smith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendon Nash.
At the end of the one-day series against the same opposition, the England players were permitted to rejoin their counties in the build-up to the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament. The transition, Swann wrote, was a comfortable one: with less media scrutiny and a relatively uncongested agenda, as well as the lower intensity of the cricket, he had himself some "great fun".
Swann gave a good account of himself in the World Twenty20, bowling tidily for his five wickets "while showing the passion for playing for his country that," according to journalist Nick Hoult, "endears him to England supporters."
The Ashes (2009)-
Swann had done enough in the year preceding the 2009 Ashes to be considered England's premier spinner, overtaking Panesar. The pertinent question was not whether Swann would play, but which of Panesar and Adil Rashid, the other two spinners in the England squad, would play with him. He went on to play in all five matches of the series. Panesar was selected for the first Test, but his bowling did not impress and he was dropped for the remainder of the series, leaving Swann as England's only slow bowler.
In the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Swann hit a first-innings 47 not out from 40 balls. His bowling was anodyne, failing to pick up a wicket in 38 overs in Australia's only innings, in which they amassed 674 for 6 declared with four centurions, but his second-innings 31 helped England salvage a draw, as Australia were unable to take the final English wicket with Panesar and James Anderson at the crease.
At Lord's, Swann was part of England's first-innings slide from 302 for 3 (Andrew Strauss 161) to 425 all out, and was only required to bowl one over in Australia's first innings, as England's seamers combined to bowl Australia out for 215. However, in Australia's second innings, after Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin had briefly made a mammoth 522-run target seem attainable, Swann combined with Andrew Flintoff (5 for 92) to bowl Australia out, taking the key wicket of Michael Clarke bowled for 136. Swann took the final wicket of Mitchell Johnson, bowled for 63, to finish with second-innings figures of 4 for 87 and complete England's first victory against Australia at Lord's since 1934.
At Edgbaston, Swann was only required to bowl two first-innings overs, but nonethess made England's first breakthrough, trapping Simon Katich lbw to end an 85-run opening partnership. With the bat he contributed 24 from 20 balls as England's lower-middle order powered the side to a 113-run first-innings lead, and with England pursuing victory he clean bowled Ricky Ponting with a sharply turning offbreak, but on the final day his bowling was anodyne, failing to take another wicket as Australia drew the match with ease, losing only three wickets on the final day.
At Headingley Swann made a duck in England's first-innings collapse to 102 all out, and failed to take a wicket in Australia's total of 445. In the second innings he hit a defiant 62 but could not stave off an innings defeat.
England therefore progressed to the Oval with the series level at 1–1 and with a victory required to regain the Ashes. Swann took 4 for 38, combining with Stuart Broad (5 for 37) to bowl Australia out for 160. He hit a 55-ball 63 in England's second innings, sharing a 13-over partnership of 90 with debutant Jonathan Trott (119).
On the final day of the series Swann made England's first breakthrough in the fourth over of the day, trapping Simon Katich lbw. He claimed figures of 4 for 120, taking his tally of wickets to eight in the match, including the final wicket, Mike Hussey caught at short leg by Alastair Cook for 121, to clinch the Ashes series. He finished the series with an aggregate of 249 runs (fourth in England's list) at an average of 35.57, and 14 wickets (second among England's bowlers only to Stuart Broad).
In the 7th ODI in England's one-day series against Australia Swann took 5 for 28, helping dismiss Australia for 176. This was Swann's first five wicket haul in ODIs. England won the match by 4 wickets, with Swann named man of the match.
Career-
Early years-
Swann bowling for Nottinghamshire against Leicestershire in 2007
Swann began his domestic career for Northamptonshire. Against Leicestershire in 1998 he scored 92 and 111, his maiden first-class half-century and century. Touring South Africa and Zimbabwe with the England A-team that winter, Swann took 21 wickets at 25.61 and averaged 22 with the bat. Wisden commented,
Swann did spin the ball appreciably and emerged as a definite candidate for elevation. He had the potential to become a genuine allrounder, with a wide range of attractive strokes, though he needs to use them more selectively.
In 1999, Swann was brought into the England squad for the final Test against New Zealand. He did not play, but featured in an ODI against South Africa following an injury to Ashley Giles. This tour also saw him miss the team bus once due to oversleeping.
In domestic cricket, Swann scored his highest first-class score of 183 in 2002, sharing a partnership of 318 with Northants captain Mike Hussey (310 not out).
He moved to Nottinghamshire in 2005, and finished the season of 2007 with 516 runs and 45 wickets, leading to his recall to the England side against Sri Lanka. While England fell heavily in defeat during the first match, Swann hit 34 to help seal victory in the second, and took four for 34 and hit 25 in the third as England took a two-one lead in the series.
An unsuccessful tour of New Zealand followed, and Swann was unable consistently to occupy a place in the England ODI side. He remained in the squad but faced tough competition from Samit Patel, who had already taken his first ODI five-wicket haul, against South Africa in his third match.
Personal life-
Swann married his wife Sarah on 29 January 2010. They live in Nottingham with their two cats, Max and Paddy. He also has an interest in football and revealed on the BBC's Football Focus that he supports Newcastle United and Blyth Spartans. Their first child, a boy, is due in February 2011.
He is the lead singer of the rock band Dr Comfort and the Lurid Revelations which plays cover songs in gigs around Nottinghamshire.
On 2 April 2010 he was stopped by police in West Bridgford, Nottingham following a party and was arrested after providing a positive breath test. He was charged in June, to appear in court in August, and initially told court that he was on his way to purchase screwdrivers in order to rescue his cat from under the floorboards.
Statistics-
Test 5-Wicket Hauls-
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of his career.
| Graeme Swann's Test 5-Wicket Hauls | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Year | Result |
| [1] | 5/57 | 3 |  West Indies | St John's, Antigua | Antigua Recreation Ground | 2009 | Drawn |
| [2] | 5/165 | 4 | West Indies | Bridgetown, Barbados | Kensington Oval | 2009 | Drawn |
| [3] | 5/110 | 13 |  South Africa | Centurion, South Africa | SuperSport Park | 2009 | Drawn |
| [4] | 5/54 | 14 | South Africa | Durban, South Africa | Kingsmead | 2009 | Won |
| [5] | 5/90 | 17 |  Bangladesh | Chittagong, Bangladesh | Chittagong Divisional Stadium | 2010 | Won |
| [6] | 5/127 | 17 | Bangladesh | Chittagong, Bangladesh | Chittagong Divisional Stadium | 2010 | Won |
| [7] | 5/76 | 20 | Bangladesh | Manchester, England | Old Trafford Cricket Ground | 2010 | Won |
| [8] | 6/65 | 22 |  Pakistan | Birmingham, England | Edgbaston Cricket Ground | 2010 | Won |
| [9] | 5/62 | 24 | Pakistan | London, England | Lords Cricket Ground | 2010 | Won |
| [10] | 5/91 | 26 |  Australia | Adelaide, Australia | Adelaide Oval | 2010 | Won |
Test 10-Wicket Match Hauls-
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of his career.
| Graeme Swann's Test 10-Wicket Match Hauls | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Year | Result |
| [1] | 10/217 | 17 | Bangladesh | Chittagong, Bangladesh | Chittagong Divisional Stadium | 2010 | Won |
One Day International 5-Wicket Hauls-
| Graeme Swann's One Day International 5-Wicket Hauls | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Year | Result |
| [1] | 5/28 | 23 | Australia | Chester-le-Street, England | Riverside Ground | 2009 | Won |
South Africa (2009/10):
At Centurion Swann was named man of the match following his impressive 5/110 and 85 runs in the first innings as England drew the first test.
At Durban Swann was again named man of the match after he finished with match figures of 9/164 as well as hitting a quick-fire 22 in England's first innings as they wrapped up a victory by an innings and 98 runs. This performance meant that Swann finished his first full year of Test cricket ranked third in the world bowling rankings, behind Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson.
Swann received a tied man of the series award along with Mark Boucher.
Bangladesh (2010):
Graeme Swann was named in the squad for the England tour of Bangladesh. He started of the tour by being named in three of the One Day Internationals in which he took figures of 3/32, 2/52 and 2/38. Then he was named in the squad for the first Test match in which he took match figures of 10/217 in both innings.
2010 ICC World Twenty20-
What has struck me most is that as an offspinner there are only certain ways you can get people out. But he [Swann] has more than that, he really changes his pace well. Normally when spinners bowl faster they lose their spin. But he can bowl quicker deliveries and still turn it. It is a very good gift and he can adapt it to all forms of the game. He is always trying to work out in his mind how to get wickets. That is what I like about him - he attacks.
– Shane Warne describing Swann as the "most improved cricketer in the world".
Swann was selected in England's 15 man squad for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. During the tournament, Swann played in all of England's fixtures, including the final against Australia, where he dismissed Australia captain Michael Clarke for 27 on his way to figures of 1/17 from his 4 overs. In the field he alertly caught Shane Watson in the slips after wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter parried the ball toward Swann. Swann's performances won widespread applause for his ability to adapt to the different forms of the game and to retain control over his bowling. In May, he was named ECB Cricketer of the Year. The ECB declared his international career to be a "remarkable 12 months in which his attacking offspin and hard-hitting lower-order batting have proved instrumental in one of the most successful years that the England cricket team has ever known." Swann finished the tournament with 10 wickets at an average of 14.40, with best figures of 3/24 against South Africa in the super eights.
Pakistan (2010):
Pakistan toured England in August and September. Swann was ever-present in the four match Test series which England won 3-1, although he was only needed to bowl two overs in the first Test as the seamers bowled Pakistan out for 182 and 80. Swann also was not required in the first innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, before taking Test-best figures of 6-65 in the second innings as England took a 2-0 series lead.
At The Oval, Pakistan won by 4 wickets, though Swann did take match figures of 7-118. In a remarkable Test at Lord's, England won by an innings and 225 runs victory, despite being 102-7 in their innings, with Swann taking 4-12 and 5-62. The latter achievement saw his name go on the Lord's honours board for the first time, however the match was overshadowed by newspaper allegations of Pakistan players being involved in spot-fixing.
Bowling style-
Swann is noted for being an attacking spinner, generally delivering the ball with plenty of flight and bounce. He is also capable of subtle changes of pace. Unlike many contemporary off-spinners he does not frequently bowl the doosra. Instead, his variations include a well-developed arm ball, and also a flatspinner delivery that he has nicknamed his "flying saucer ball" that rotates around its horizontal axis and generally bounces straight on.
He was England's leading wicket taker in their successful World Twenty20 campaign and also weighed in with plenty of valuable runs with the bat.
Named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year, Swann was singled out for further praise when he was named the ECB Cricketer of the Year in May.
Now attempting to help his country to victory over Australia in the Ashes series, Swann's importance to England has never been greater.
Were Swann to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, he would become the first cricketer to do so since Andrew Flintoff lifted the trophy in 2005.
Bowler Graeme Swann, 31, who led the team's sprinkler dance, owned up to a "headache and ropey guts".
But all the players said it was back to business as they travel to Sydney determined to win the fifth and final Test.
Bowler Tim Bresnan, 25, tweeted: "Celebrating done. Sore head this morning. On to Sydney to wrap up the series.
"The Barmy Army have reinforcements heading up. Should be noisy!"
The team celebrations were lively but nowhere near as riotous as the party which followed the 2005 Ashes victory, when a famously blurry-eyed Andrew Flintoff and other players stayed up most of the night.
England coach Andy Flower said: "I am very proud of the way the guys have played, but there's a lot of cricket ahead on this tour."
Graeme Swann has been belatedly added to the International Cricket Council's contenders for player of the year.
The original list of 16 featured no England players, but ICC chairman Clive Lloyd told BBC Sport Swann's omission on Wednesday had been an "oversight".
The off-spinner's absence had caused an outcry, after he took 49 Test wickets at 27.55 and 28 one-day wickets at 23.28 during the qualification period.
Other names on the list include Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.
There are five South Africans - Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel, plus Indians Mahendra Dhoni and Virender Sehwag.
From Wikipedia-
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