A direct hit spoilt his celebrations against Sussex in the second game of the season and in the penultimate game against Kent he came up short attempting a fourth run. Maybe Australian-born Gallian takes running tips from Ricky Ponting.CATCH OF THE SUMMER: ANDREW STRAUSSDamien Martyn’s effort to dismiss Kevin Pietersen at Lord’s wasn’t bad. Neither was Paul Collingwood’s to dismiss Matt Hayden in a NatWest Series game at Bristol. But the brilliant diving, one-handed catch Strauss took to dismiss Adam Gilchrist at Trent Bridge takes some beating. Strauss was horizontal when he extended his left arm and hung on to the outside edge. He did well not to let it bounce out when he hit the ground, too.USELESS TOSSER AWARD: RICKY PONTINGPonting had just lost the services of Glenn McGrath, after his bowler had twisted his ankle during his warm-up for the second Test This made Shane Warne Australia’s likeliest match- winner. Yet on winning the toss Ponting chose to bowl, thus depriving Warne of the best conditions.

England scored 400 in the day and went on to win the game.SHOT OF THE SUMMER (I) KEVIN PIETERSENK P played many glorious strokes over the summer, but the six he hit off Jason Gillespie during a NatWest Challenge match at The Oval was something else. Pietersen charged down the wicket at the fast bowler, who saw him advance and dropped the ball in short. But rather than admit he had been outfoxed Pietersen swatted the ball, in the style of a tennis player serving, over the long-on boundary.SHOT OF THE SUMMER (2) SIMON JONESIn a NatWest Series match at Edgbaston Hayden pushed a Simon Jones delivery back towards the bowler. But rather than pick the ball up and walk back to his mark Jones hurled the ball in the direction of the opening bat, hitting him on the shoulder and causing a stand-off between Hayden and three of England’s players. Jones v Hayden would have been an interesting fight, but Hayden v Strauss or Collingwood would have been a mismatch, even if they had gone for him at the same time.BALL OF THE SUMMER: BRETT LEEThe leg-break from Shane Warne which bowled Strauss behind his legs was an amazing delivery, as was the slower ball from Stephen Harmison that castled Michael Clarke. Yet the best must be the slower ball from Brett Lee which knocked Strauss’s off-stump out at Old Trafford. Lee had softened him up with a bouncer that hit him on the head and delivered the sucker punch in the next over.

Strauss was left groping like a teenager on a Saturday night.DROP OF THE SUMMER: SHANE WARNEThe Australian dropped a sitter at first slip off Pietersen when he had barely troubled the scorers and the Ashes were in the balance. Pietersen hit 158 and England won the Ashes.WORST FIELDER OF THE SUMMER: KEVIN PIETERSENSeven drops, zero catches.CRICKET MAY BE SEXY BUT THIS WAS A DAMP SQUIB: GIRLS ALOUDAt the Twenty20 final at The Oval the all-girl group “performed” a couple of their “hits”. It was lashing down with the rain, there were about six spectators in front of the stage, and the girls, who had refused to be interviewed as they admitted knowing nothing about cricket, looked like they would rather have been anywhere else. Shame they weren’t.THINGS THEY WISH THEY HADN’T SAID (2) JEFF THOMSON”Matthew Hoggard is like a net bowler when you compare him to Glenn McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz,” the former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson, said in an April interview in which he also predicted a 3-0 series win for his compatriots, “worse if it doesn’t rain.” Hoggard took 16 Ashes Test wickets, Kasprowicz four.MOST PERTINENT COMMENT OF THE SEASON: WAQAR YOUNIS”It is strange the manner in which the English media is praising Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff sky high,” the former Pakistan captain and fast bowler remarked about the changing perception of reverse swing. Colin Montgomerie and Graeme McDowell lost to Thomas Bjorn and Henrik Stenson, 3 and 2. Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge lost to Maarten Lafeber and Emanuele Canonica by two holes.