Safety Is So Close You Can Almost Taste It

Back on April 6 2015, I posed the question 'Has a Winning Run Just Begun?' for Leicester City, and the Foxes answered with a resounding 'YES!'

Leicester's 2-1 home win against West Ham ushered in Leicester's valiant attempt at the Great Escape that now sees them two games away from reaching the impossible dream.

The Foxes ran rampant, winning five of the next six games to haul themselves two points clear of the relegation zone with two games to go. So how were City able to turn their season around in just over a month?

WEST BROM 2 - 3 LEICESTER CITY

Having been thumped 4-1 by relegation strugglers QPR at home the week before, West Brom returned to the Hawthorns with renewed vigour.

West Brom celebrated the life of Jeff Astle by wearing a commemorative kit

The Baggies celebrated the life of former player, Jeff Astle, by playing in only the second commemorative kit in Premier League history, and the passion felt by the fans inside the ground gave West Brom a supportive 12th men against the Foxes.

The home fans quickly had cause for cheer when Darren Fletcher lost his marker in the 8th minute and headed home the opener in a goal that has been conceded far too many times by City this season.

Leicester soon responded and David Nugent sweetly finished from a Leonardo Ulloa flick-on in the 20th minute. West Brom edged ahead six minutes later when Craig Gardner's shot took a deflection and they were fortunate not to be penalised for offside when Craig Dawson looked to be interfering with play as he rejoined the pitch just as Gardner let his shot fly.

Jamie Vardy celebrates the winner at the Hawthorns

The second half saw Leicester throwing men forward and a Robert Huth header brought the teams level in the 80th minute. The away fans now urged City to find a winner and Jamie Vardy's tenacity at the half way line saw him burst into West Brom's half and bury a left footed shot.

Vardy scored in front of Leicester's away fans who join him in the celebrations

City's stoppage time winner was well deserved, particularly how they absorbed West Brom's pressure in the first half and then countered in the second.

LEICESTER CITY 2 - 0 SWANSEA CITY

Leicester's King Power Stadium has been unable to stage music concerts in the 13 years its been open due to vibrations shaking it's foundations and the 'KP' was rocking when the Foxes made it three wins in a row for the first time this season.

Leonardo Ulloa celebrates his eighth goal of the season with his team mates

Ulloa got his first league goal since New Year's Day when he slammed home the ball after a Wes Morgan knock down. 

Thoughts of City throwing away a win were creeping around the ground until Andy King made the game safe when he scored his second goal in three games when he slotted home a rebound in the 89th minute after Swansea keeper, Lukasz Fabianski, parried an Esteban Cambiasso free-kick.

Andy King pounces on the rebound to make the game safe

The result lifted City off the bottom for the first time since November 2014 and an inferior goal difference was the only thing keeping City in the relegation zone.

BURNLEY 0 - 1 LEICESTER CITY

Leicester's trip to Turf Moor had the potential of ending the survival hopes of one of the teams playing and it proved to be City who dealt the killer blow.

Two teams fighting for survival played a scrappy game and Burnley tried to use their home advantage but were thwarted by Kasper Schmeichel saving a range of chances.

In a season where City have been hit by poor luck, it was Burnley who were dealt a cruel hand. 

Paul Konchesky fouled Burnley's Matty Taylor in the box and Taylor immediately picked up the ball to take the penalty ahead of usual spot kicker, Danny Ings. Taylor sent Schmeichel the wrong way but the ball flicked the outside of the post and went out for a goal kick. Schmeichel's hoof up the pitch was brought under control by Marc Albrighton who whipped in a troublesome cross into the box.

Jamie Vardy signals the score which all but condemned Burnley's relegation

Burnley defender, Michael Duff, turned the ball towards goal and his keeper, Tom Heaton, pulled off a save but Vardy was there to bundle the ball over the line. 

Schmeichel stayed alert to prevent a Huth own goal later on and Leicester held on to their fourth straight victory whilst Burnley's chances of surviving were all but over.

LEICESTER CITY 1 - 3 CHELSEA

When this fixture was moved from its original February date, the most optimistic fan would have written this fixture off as a clear Chelsea win but the momentum was with Leicester and, in the first half, the Foxes shocked a lackluster champions-elect.

Chelsea's incentive for the game was to secure three points to set up a Premier League crowning party at Stamford Bridge if they won again the following Sunday.

Marc Albrighton celebrates his first goal for Leicester since joining the team in the summer

Yet it was Leicester who began the game playing more like champions despite being hampered by the early losses of Andy King and Huth to injury. Chelsea were waiting for the half time whistle when Konchesky forced a save from Petr Cech low to his right. Leicester kept on coming and Vardy burst down the left and his cross was buried into the bottom corner with a shot across goal from Albrighton.

Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, must have been breathing down the necks of his players at half time and their second half was a stark contrast from the previous 45 minutes.

Didier Drogba equalised early in the second half which switched the game's momentum

Blues' Branislav Ivanovic took advantage of some poor defending from Konchesky and pulled a cross back from the left for Didier Drogba to equalise. Drogba should have doubled his tally moments later but scooped his shot high above the crossbar.

Leicester had no response for John Terry's goal which took Chelsea into the lead

Chelsea then took the lead in the 79th minute when John Terry pounced on a Schmeichel parry from a header direct from a Chelsea corner and any hopes of a Leicester fightback were ended when Ramires scored seven minutes from time.

Leicester's valiant effort, particularly in the first half, came to nothing but Nigel Pearson could be proud of his team's display against Chelsea who were crowned Premier League champions days after.

LEICESTER CITY 3 - 0 NEWCASTLE UTD

Leicester's record in April was Played 5 - Won 4 - Lost 1 and they looked to get back to winning ways against a Newcastle team that were in utter disarray.

The pre-match build up mainly consisted of reaction to Pearson's bizarre post-Chelsea press conference where he called a journalist "stupid", "daft" and an "ostrich." 

Newcastle were unprepared for a Leicester onslaught which began with the first whistle of the game. After kicking off, Newcastle were soon pressed into conceding a corner and Albrighton's cross was nodded in from Ulloa after 37 seconds.

Wes Morgan celebrates doubling Leicester's lead

City doubled their lead 17 minutes later when Morgan connected to an Albrighton free kicked that was missed by Ulloa.

Leonardo Ulloa makes it 3-0 after converting from the penalty spot

Newcastle couldn't handle the pace of Vardy, Albrighton and Jeff Schlupp in a game where the Magpies received six yellow cards. Emmamuel Riviere wasn't booked for his needless push on Marcin Wasilewski but he conceded a penalty that was duly converted by Ulloa.

The Argentinean was denied a hat-trick when Newcastle keeper, Krul, later tipped his header over the crossbar.

Vardy was lucky to escape without injury after being needlessly challenged by Williamson

Mike Williamson was already on a booking when he needless challenged Vardy as the ball went out for a throw in and he was duly sent off for a second bookable offence, although it could have warranted a straight red.

Newcastle were reduced to nine men when Janmaat was sent off for a second yellow

Newcastle were down to nine men at the end of the game as Daryl Janmaat also received a second booking after the defender cut down Vardy.

Magpies manager, John Carver was visibly frustrated by his players' actions and would later question Williamson's motives for being sent off.

Nigel Pearson proudly displays his Manager of the Month award

The Foxes, however, went marching on and Pearson's abilities were duly awarded a few days later when he was named Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for April.

LEICESTER CITY 2 - 0 SOUTHAMPTON

The next visitors to the 'KP' were a Southampton side who had already settled on a top half finish but to say the Saints were suffering from 'End of Season Syndrome' wouldn't do Leicester justice.

Having been without striker David Nugent due to injury, Pearson had been playing Riyad Mahrez behind the two strikers and the Algerian international staked his claim for a permanent start after an amazing first 20 minutes which blew Southampton away.

Riyad Mahrez's selection was justified with two well taken goals

An inspired piece of individual work from Mahrez allowed him a shot on goal just outside the box which was sweetly struck into the bottom right corner with 7 minutes gone. 

Matty James' season was cut short when he injured his knee off the ball 

The celebrations were cut short soon after when Matty James had to be stretched off after his studs caught in the turf and the ensuing injury to his knee has ended James' season.

The Foxes were undeterred though as a poor clearance by Saints keeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, was flicked back by Ulloa to Vardy. The City striker was able to suck three men around him before he squared the ball to an unchallenged Mahrez who scored from five yards out.

In a sign of how far Leicester have come this season, they were able to control the game, despite Southampton having 69 per cent of possession but the Saints were denied putting together anything challenging by a Leicester team who pressured them on the ball.

Leicester fans kept up to date on the day's other games which saw Burnley relegated

With news filtering through to the Leicester faithful that Burnley had been relegated, City could sense that the Great Escape is still within their grasp when the final whistle blew. 

A day later, QPR were dismantled to a 6-0 loss to Manchester City, leaving Leicester two points clear with two games to go.

ANOTHER TWIST IN THE FOXES TAIL?

I have to say, I wish I had placed a bet on New Year's Day for Leicester to survive the drop. City's inspired display against Liverpool at Anfield, where they came from behind twice from dubious penalty decisions, showed what character this team has. After looking at the fixture list, it was clear to see that City had the best run-in compared with those around them and I was convinced that we could survive.

Leicester fans show their support for Nigel Pearson towards the end of a rollercoaster season

My optimism was dealt a blow with that unsatisfactory 0-0 draw against Hull City but its the Leicester way to perform when all those around you have written you off.  

Pearson's aim had been to go into the final game of the season with City's fate in their own hands but its a testament to the team that they could seal it with a week to go.

QPR and Burnley are relegated, leaving a five-team battle to avoid finishing in the 18th and final position of the relegation zone. Aston Villa can guarantee their safety by winning this weekend whilst Leicester can do the same if results go our way.

Going into the penultimate weekend of the season the bottom of the table standings are:

Position	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
14	Aston Villa	36	10	8	18	30	50	-20	38
	Leicester	36	10	7	19	41	54	-13	37
	Sunderland	35	7	15	13	30	50	-20	36
	Newcastle	36	9	9	18	37	61	-24	36
	Hull	36	8	10	18	33	49	-16	34
	Burnley	36	6	11	19	27	53	-26	29
	QPR	36	7	6	23	39	67	-28	27

Safety is so close you could almost taste it!

'Massive Trust Issue' Too Big To Overcome

From underneath his brown helmet at the non-striker's end, Kevin Pietersen watched forlornly as his Surrey team-mate, Matt Dunn, fended off a bouncer and was caught at short leg, bringing to an end Surrey's quite extraordinary first innings at the Kia Oval.

Pietersen turned around and unstrapped his gloves having been left stranded on 355 not out, two runs short of Surrey's county record. It was a knock which perfectly encapsulated Pietersen's memorable and contentious time in English cricket.

Leicestershire, desperately searching for their first county championship win in two and a half years, had Surrey at 51-2 when Pietersen strode to the wicket to join Sri Lankan stalwart Kumar Sangakkara. The former Sri Lankan captain, currently ranked the world's top Test Match Batsmen by the ICC, scored 36 (second top scorer) and became the first of Pietersen's partners to fall in the innings.

Kevin O'Brien looks on as Pietersen cuts through the off side

Pietersen - known simply as 'KP' by supporters and detractors alike - cut, swept and bludgeoned his way to a remarkable unbeaten 355 off 396 balls. Fortune favoured the brave KP when he was dropped four times as he belligerently clattered Leicestershire for 291 runs on Day Two of Second Division clash at the Oval. KP's phenomenal swash buckling amassed a personal total that many teams would have envied.

Pietersen came out swinging but his highest ever total proved futile

Monday May 11 2015 will go down as KP day as the South African-born batsmen unleashed his frustrations and aspirations on the hapless Leicestershire bowlers.

KP thought his England career had ended when he was cut from the team following England's disastrous 2013/2014 Ashes tour but he was seemingly thrown a life line by incoming England Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman, Colin Graves.

Colin Graves' comments saw Pietersen work hard to earn a recall

Graves, when asked about the 'KP Situation' in March, said: "If he wants to play for England then he has to play for a county. That is his decision. If he does that and then comes out and scores a lot of runs they can’t ignore him."

KP was set a task and he quickly looked to accomplish it. He postponed his plans to appear for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the T20 Indian Premier League and searched for a county team. 

Ironically, Leicestershire put their hand up but KP returned to his previous Surrey side and looked to ply his trade. A knock of 170 in a pre-season game against Oxford MCCU was followed by more modest scores which saw him amass 112 runs in the next four innings.

However, the stage was soon set for Showman KP to stake his claim for an England call-up at the very ground where he got his first England century.

Paul Downton, the man who swung the axe on Pietersen, had recently been replaced by Andrew Strauss as Director of Cricket and Strauss signaled the change by sacking team coach, Peter Moores. Reports that Strauss would be making an announcement to the media on Tuesday provided the impetus for KP to amass the sixth biggest innings ever in County Championship history.

 

Peter Moores was given his marching orders on Saturday

"What more can I do? I'm ready to play for England" KP declared as he came off the field on Monday at 326 not out and he was duly summoned to meet Strauss for a late night meeting where KP would learn his fate.

'You might be ready to play for England, but we aren't' was the message Strauss gave KP. Pietersen returned to the crease at the Oval the next morning and was left stranded once again.

His innings showed inspired batting, powered by guile, flamboyancy, bravado and sheer self-belief. These aspects of his personality have forever divided those around him.

Strauss has suffered many headaches from managing Pietersen

KP's past indiscretions have, according to Strauss, created a "massive trust issue" which now prevents Pietersen from playing for his adopted country once more.

So how can KP, arguably the world's greatest batsmen of his generation, not get a place in the England side? The answer doesn't lie in a Division Two County Championship match but in the divisions Pietersen has created for himself time and again.

Pietersen enters the world stage during the Ashes 2005 series

KP already had a divisive reputation when he came into the England set-up. Having left his country of birth over selection issues, Pietersen joined Nottinghamshire and his flamboyant technique soon led to an England One Day International (ODI) call-up. He replied to his South African detractors in style by scoring his maiden ODI century in the cauldron of Bloemfontein.

A Test call up beckoned for KP and he stamped his authority on the seminal 2005 Ashes which culminated in his match-saving innings of 158 that ensured England had won back the coveted urn for the first time in 16 years.

Pietersen and Strauss enjoying much happier times together

KP soon became an integral part of an England side which became the Number One Test ranked team in the world. His batting could change the course of a game within a session and he raced to 6,000 Test runs within six years.

He was handed the England captaincy but his stubborness soon clashed with team coach, Peter Moores, later described by KP as a "woodpecker". Their acrimonious break-up led to Strauss being given a long-awaited permanent captaincy and he was joined at the helm by coach Andy Flower.

Pietersen's 2014 autobiography gave the Zimbabwe-born coach the unfortunate sobriquet "Flower the Dour" and KP would soon hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A team of a mixture of personalities needs to work together and support one another and it was clear to see that the England dressing room was clearly divided in 2012.

Pietersen's private messages with a South African player were soon revealed

Modern day technology highlighted these divisions very publicly as a spoof Twitter account criticising KP was followed by his England team-mates. KP then shared instant messages with a South African player during the Test series between the two sides which bantered about Strauss being an "idiot". 

Pietersen was subsequently dropped and 'reintegrated' back into the England team in India where KP scored 186. The double Ashes series of 2013 proved to be KP's last in an England shirt as his temperament was hampered by a long term knee injury. KP was one of many to fall (by choice or not) in that Ashes whitewash series of 2013/2014 and Pietersen was seemingly in the wilderness.

Pietersen (right) enjoyed himself in Australia's Big Bash

KP is a box office player and he brought the punters in to see him play in T20 domestic series of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash. Pietersen was enjoying himself, particularly in Australia and this contrasted with the England team's disastrous second term under Peter Moores. 

A mixed 2014 summer saw England lose to Sri Lanka and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against India. England then went into one day mode in preparation for their disastrous Cricket World Cup and didn't play a Test series for over six months.

Surrey coach, Alec Stewart, was in the running for Director of Cricket

The drawn series in the Caribbean brought the end of Moores and the start of a new era. The appointment of Strauss as Director of Cricket over Surrey coach, Alec Stewart signified that KP's wait for an England call up would continue.

Since retiring from the England captaincy, Strauss has worked as a TV commentator and was covering the Bicentennial  MCC vs. Rest of the World match when he thought he was off mic and let slip a disparaging comment about Pietersen.

Pietersen's appearance for the MCC brought comments from Strauss

Strauss subsequently apologised and tried unsuccesfully to contact KP. He left Pietersen an answerphone message after KP missed the call. KP says in his autobiography that he was "disappointed" to miss the call and he had "never heard from him [Strauss] again."

That was until Monday. Strauss' decision has divided many and the reaction has waivered more towards disagreement but at least Strauss has made the decision. 

Strauss described his new role as "non-tracksuit"

Strauss, when explaining the decision, said that recalling KP wouldn't be in the best short-term interests for England. I disagree by saying an England recall wouldn't have been in the best long-term interests of the England team.

A revitalised Pietersen might help England reclaim the Ashes this summer but Trott's recent reintroduction to the team shows that England shouldn't hark back to past glories.

It is 10 years since that titanic Ashes battle in the golden summer of 2005 and Ian Bell is the only veteran from that series still playing. His place is also under threat if he underwhelms this summer.

Next England captain? The future looks brighter for Joe Root

Strauss also announced today that Joe Root will rightly be groomed as a future England captain by being awarded the vice-captaincy. Eoin Morgan will continue as ODI captain and hopefully James Taylor will also be made vice captain of the ODI team. It was refreshing to hear Strauss say that the Test and ODI squads should be separate, a fact that was plain to see with Ballance's failure at the World Cup.

Strauss offered somewhat of an olive branch to KP as he gave Pietersen the opportunity to advise him on the future of English cricket but KP has never been one to shine behind the camera and he refused.

Although Strauss has denied KP has been banned from the team, it's hard to see the soon-to-be 35 year old Pietersen returning to the England line-up. England's new Director of Cricket has now sent a clear message that no player is bigger than the team that we be built on honesty and integrity.

Will Cook and Gillespie be meeting more frequently?

The next item on Strauss' agenda will be to appoint the team coach and Jason Gillespie will be at the top of the list. The gritty Australian seamer, another veteran from the 2005 Ashes series, has led Yorkshire to the County Champions hip and he recently gave the Daily Telegraph an insight into his method of coaching:

"Firstly, identify the type of cricket you want to play, then the personnel. All cricket is about is how you can wrestle the initiative and put pressure on the opposition."

England have, of late, become timid and scared of their own shadow and Strauss will relish calling upon Gillespie's no-nonsense style that is similar to Darren Lehman. Lehman has transformed the Australian national side after taking over in 2013 when the team was in disarray.

KP's England future doesn't look as rosy. He will now take the field against Leicestershire and contemplate whether he will play again on an English cricket ground. IPL knockout stages now beckon for KP and any England failures this summer will leave many calling for his return.

Pietersen walks off the Oval and possibly away from English cricket

Yet there can be no doubt that, what ever KP does next, the headlines will follow.

Missed Opportunities - England Spring 2015 Test Tour to West Indies

The West Indies five wicket victory over England to square the series 1-1 underlined the missed opportunities England had at their disposal in this spring time whistle-stop tour of the Caribbean.

After a disastrous early exit from the Cricket World Cup earlier this year, England began the first of 15 Test matches over the next 12 months against a West Indies team looking to regain past glories of the once formidable 'Windies' team of the 1980s and early 1990s.

England's first Test away tour since the 2013/2014 Ashes whitewash would soon be followed by home matches against New Zealand and Australia and then a winter tour to South Africa. Such vital games against the top two Test playing sides later in the year should have seen the England set-up looking to take risks in the three match series lasting just over three weeks towards the end of April.

The initial selection indicated that England may do just that with Test call-ups given to 2014 County Championship winning Yorkshire team-mates. Left hand opening batsmen, Adam Lyth and leg spinner Adil Rashid were joined by wicket keeping cover, Johnny Bairstow, and quick bowler, Liam Plunkett.

Additional bowling options were offered with Durham's Mark Wood and Warwickshire batsman, Jonathan Trott, made the squad for the first time since that forgettable Ashes series Down Under. Trott had withdrawn from that series due to a stress related illness and he was particularly vulnerable to the short ball bowled with such ferocity by Australia's Mitchell Johnson.

Jonathan Trott's selection wasn't justified as he got four ducks from six innings in the Caribbean

Trott's previous successes were found at him coming in at Number Three but this position had eagerly been taken by Gary Ballance during Trott's absence last summer. 

Sam Robson, England's opening batsman from last summer, was left out of the squad and it would have been an opportunity to have a look at Lyth. England, however, missed a trick and partnered Alastair Cook with a desperately out of form Trott who disappointed in the warm-up games.

Last summer's spin revelation, Moeen Ali, had become injured towards the end of the World Cup and James Tredwell was picked as the front line spinner for the First Test in a series where dry and dusty pitches would assist spin.

England's team for the First Test in Antigua were:

Cook (c), Trott, Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes, Buttler (wk), Jordan, Broad, Tredwell, Anderson.

James Anderson became England's leading wicket taker with 384 wickets

The headlines of the First Test were filled with James Anderson becoming England's leading wicket taker but Anderson couldn't prevent West Indies drawing the First Test on a docile pitch.

Trott's two innings amounted to 18 balls across 28 minutes for four runs which included a three ball duck in the first innings. England were tottering at 34-3 in the first innings until a 177 fourth wicket partnership between Joe Root (83) and Ian Bell (143) brought the team respectability and they were eventually bowled out for 399 following Ben Stokes 79 and a last wicket stand of 38 between Anderson (20) and Chris Jordan (21 not out).

England got a first innings lead of 104 after Jermaine Blackwood scored 112 not out and Tredwell got 4/47 from 26 overs, 12 of which were maidens. England's top order misfired once again, with Root coming to the wicket at 52-3 and his 114 run partnership with Ballance set up a total of 438 for West Indies to win. Ballance anchored the innings of 333-7 declared with the Yorkshireman scoring 122 whilst Root and Buttler (not out) both got 59.

West Indies second innings brought sporadic wickets but the English bowling attack couldn't bring the win as Jason Holder scored an unbeaten 103 to draw the game.

James Tredwell was unfortunate to only play one Test match in the series

England once again had the opportunity to strengthen their top order but the only change made was bizzarely replacing Tredwell with a fit-again Ali. 

Anderson made the headlines once again when his inspired performance on the morning of Day Five turned the game on it's head and brought England a nine wicket victory.

The Grenada wicket was spruced up by constant rains and Cook didn't hesitate in putting the West Indies in to bat after winning the toss. England's bowlers underwhelmed though and having the West Indies at 129-5, they allowed them to reach 299, at least 50 runs too many in helpful conditions.

Stuart Broad was the pick of the bowlers with 4/61 and Marlon Samuels fought against Stokes' sledging to make 103. The Samuels/Stokes confrontation would become an interesting and (sometimes humorous) subplot.

England batted on better conditions in their first innings and an improved top order brought an opening partnership of 125. The lack of urgency underlined how desperately out of form the two openers were with Cook taking 211 balls across 257 minutes to make his 76. Trott scratched around for 209 minutes using 147 balls to make his 59. 

Joe Root's 182 not out brought much needed impetuous into England's innings

Root brought some much needed impetuous to the innings with a knock that beautifully read the situation of the game and gave an insight into Root's future as a possible captain. His 182 not out was abley assisted by Ballance (77) but a spluttering tail left Root stranded 18 short of a double century and England all out for 464 with a lead of 165.

Root had been eyeing an English lead of over 200 when Anderson unassumingly jogged back to the crease without running his bat in and the tall Gabriel plucked a high ball thrown in from the boundary and whipped the bails off to leave Root frustrated.

Anderson was involved in taking 7 wickets in the West Indian second innings

Anderson soon made up for his dozy running between the wickets by being part of six of the eight wickets to fall in the final morning. Kevin Braithwaite (116) must have thought another draw was in the offing until he was caught off Anderson's bowling. His wicket was the first of eight to fall for 83 runs with Anderson taking 3 wickets, two catches and a stunning pick-up-and-throw run out. Anderson ended with 4/43 and Ali's 3/51 somewhat masked an undercooked bowling performance as he returned from injury.

West Indies were skittled out for 307 and set England 142 runs to win. Trott couldn't build on his first innings improvement and was out again for a three-ball duck. Cook (59 not out) was assisted by Ballance (81 not out) to bring a 9 wicket victory.

Cook celebrates England's first away Test victory since 2012

An unchanged England arrived at Barbados for the Third and final Test of the series where they were expecting to win the series but an improving West Indies team showed that they shouldn't be underestimated.  

England won the toss and batted. The innings began in ominous fashion with Trott out for his fourth a final duck of the series. The team were teetering at 91-4 after Root (33) fell for an uncharacteristically low score. Cook was undeterred and batted sensibly to earn his first century in almost two years. He quickly departed for 105 but had been assisted by Ali (58) before Cook ran him out and Stokes (22) contributed to England's 257 all out.

West Indies opening batsmen were left reeling when they were 37-4 following a great opening spell from Anderson. The Burnley quick ripped through the batting line-up to take 6-42 off 12.4 overs to leave West Indies 189 all out despite Jermaine Blackwood's 85.

With a lead off 68, England were looking to push on to make a substantial lead but they were restricted by the West Indian bowlers with Taylor, Holder and Permaul taking three wickets a piece. 

England started Day Three at 39-5 with a lead of 107 and were looking to set a target of at least 200/250 runs for West Indies to chase but Permaul struck early with the wickets of Ballance (23) and Stokes (32). Jordan was unfortunate to lose a review when Hawk Eye showed the ball was shaving the top of the bails and the on-field decision of out was upheld. 

Broad's horrendous batting since being hit in the face last summer continued as he stayed back to a short ball and saw his off stump rooted. Jordan has quickly replaced Broad as the team all-rounder and the Nottinghamshire bowler looks a viable candidate for Number 11. Jos Buttler went into one-day mode and took the lead up to 191 before he was left stranded on 35 not out.

It seemed that the target of 192 was a little short of a challenging total but England had hopes of victory when they reduced West Indies to 80-4. Darren Bravo (82) and Jermaine Blackwood (47 not out) took the West Indies to victory to clinch a well earned series draw with a five wicket victory. 

Jos Buttler is left to rue the missed stumping of Blackwood

England missed another opportunity when Buttler failed to stump a charging Blackwood that would have seen the West Indies struggling at 88-5. Blackwood and Bravo then knuckled down to reach their target after 62.4 overs towards the end of Day Three of the five-day Test match.

Captain Cook reflected on the tour by saying that "for the majority of the series we did a lot of good stuff but when the pressure came on we didn't play very well." How you respond to pressure moments is what defines teams - look at Hussain in the Sri Lankan gloom in 2000, Vaughan's men at Edgbaston in 2005 and Cook's team in India in 2012.

Certain players haven't stepped up to the mark in this tour and incoming ECB Chief Colin Graves will have to consider removing some veterans and taking some risks.

Root is wise for his years but it would be too early to give him the captaincy yet and Cook has shown some good captaincy this series, apart from bowling an expensive Ali, under bowling Stokes and fielding his best fielder (Jordan) in the covers when bowling the seamers. Cook's catching is also not what it used to be.

Trott should never have been selected for this tour and his dismal average of 11.3 from six innings highlighted his vulnerability to the short ball that will leave Johnson and co licking their lips if Trott takes guard in the First Ashes Test in July. Lyth should have been given a go during this tour, as should Rashid have. There could have been an argument to bowl both Rashid and Tredwell in the final Test with Ali bowling too many short balls and Root often out performed him.

It was encouraging to see Broad bowl fuller and he got rewarded with 10 wickets in the series at an average of 32 but there was no doubt who England's best bowler was with Anderson taking 17 wickets for an average of 18. His fielding on the final day of the Second Test probably just sneaked him past Root as England's Man of the Series.

England's Man of the Series, James Anderson, couldn't prevent a series draw

The series left more questions than answers. England coach, Peter Moores, said that "there's a ruthlessness we need to develop, commitment from the lads has been total but we've got to learn some tough lessons."

Ruthlessness will have to be shown in team selection. Despite his 143 in Antigua, Bell under performed in a tour where he batted one place too high. His experience will be needed during this summer's Ashes but he should be dropped if he doesn't perform.

James Taylor was England's player of the World Cup and he has been rewarded with the temporary One Day captaincy for Friday's match against Ireland due to regular skipper, Eoin Morgan, playing in the IPL. I am glad that Taylor will be given this opportunity and he would be an asset to England's Test middle order.

Lyth should be given a run in the team after earning a chance from last year's domestic season and, even though Moeen Ali is a canny One Day bowler, he isn't a front-line Test spinner and either Tredwell or Rashid should be given a chance. Jos Buttler is a batsman/keeper and, apart from in the last Test, has usually had a quiet time behind the stumps. Stokes was under bowled by Cook whilst Jordan impressed with his line and reflex catching.

Broad had an improved series but his place could be under threat if he has a lackluster summer. My recommendation for the team to play New Zealand would be:

Cook (c), Lyth, Ballance, Root, Bell, Buttler, Stokes, Jordan, Tredwell/Rashid, Anderson, Broad.

However it cannot be denied that, with the end of the Caribbean Tour, England's Year of Test Cricket hasn't got off to the best of starts.

Has a Winning Run Just Begun?

(Photo: Leicester Mercury)

Leicester City's hopes of Premier League survival were boosted with a late winner from Andy King to overcome West Ham United 2-1 on Saturday.

King scored his 50th goal for the club after coming on as a 79th minute substitute and the vital winner kept the Foxes in touch with the other teams trying to avoid the drop.

Leicester have been chasing games for most of the season after conceding first-on but their bright start was rewarded with a fine strike from Esteban Cambiasso in the 13th minute at the King Power Stadium. Leicester's player of the match linked up with the strikers but saw the ball return to him after bouncing off West Ham defender James Collins and Cambiasso sweetly struck a 20 yard half-volley into the bottom corner.

The lead could have been doubled shortly afterwards after Ulloa was brought down in the box by Carl Jenkinson and referee Mike Clattenburg awarded Leicester's first penalty in almost seven months. David Nugent placed the ball to keeper Adrián's left but was at a height that was saved by the outstretched Adrián. 

Adrián stretches to his left to deny Nugent's penalty (Getty)

Leicester's season has been full of missed chances that have been punished by their opponents and the penalty miss affected the players, allowing West Ham back into the game. 

West Ham enjoyed time on the ball, attacking Kasper Schmeichel's goal and Cheikhou Kouyate scored the equaliser in the 33rd minute. Alex Song took advantage of a narrow back line and was able to find Kouyate after Jeff Schlupp was caught out of position. Kouyate chested the ball down and struck it past the Danish international keeper who was unable to stay on his feet.

Schmeichel is unable to stop Kouyate from equalising (Getty)

Leicester winger, Riyad Mahrez, hasn't been as potent since returning from the African Cup of Nations and was substituted for Marc Albrighton at half-time. The second half substitutes of Albrighton, Andrej Kramaric and King had a positive impact on the game with Leicester surging forward and out-playing a West Ham team placed ninth in the league.

King scores Leicester's fifth goal in two games (Getty)

Kramaric had earlier seen the ball cleared off the line but linked up with Albrighton into the box where Jamie Vardy was unable to hit the target but fortunately King did. The King Power Stadium erupted but elation was mixed with nervousness in the final four minutes of the game as West Ham searched for a second equaliser. 

Vardy was unable to convert three chances at goal before King's strike and had a opportunity to put the game beyond West Ham in stoppage time but Adrián won the one-on-one.

Schmeichel celebrates his first home game back from injury with a win (Leicester Mercury)

Leicester held on for a much-needed fifth win of the season as relegation rivals QPR and Sunderland also won with Burnley getting a crucial point. Leicester manager, Nigel Pearson, told the Leicester Mercury that he was "delighted" with the win and that he "would rather lose a game trying to win it."

Pearson's shift to attacking play has seen Leicester score the same amount of goals in the last two games as they managed in the previous eight. Leicester will have to continue playing this attacking football, and the team that finished so well against West Ham should be rewarded with a start away at West Brom next weekend.

Leicester are now six points from safety and will need a substantial amount from the 24 points available from the remaining eight games. Leicester still have to play five of the seven teams directly above them and will be hoping that a winning run has just begun.