England vs. Australia in the Ashes 2013: Highlighting Most Consistent Performers

It’s one thing for a player to make their way into a squad worthy of featuring in an Ashes series, but it's another thing entirely for a player to keep churning out performances with consistency in one of cricket’s most prestigious competitions.

A few in 2013 have risen to the fore, however, over the course of the series in England.

While standout performances are important, they don't count for everything on this list, in which strong performances on a frequent basis are the key, regardless of how the rest of one’s team might have performed.

In a multifaceted event such as this, you can look at the Ashes as a marathon and not a sprint, with dependability being far superior to flash-in-the-pan brilliance.

Ian Bell

Early on in this series, Ian Bell joined elite company by hitting a century in three consecutive Ashes Tests, knocking scores of 109 in both the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord’s.

The Warwickshire star’s record took a hit in the Old Trafford Test, but Bell would then recover to hit 113 runs in the fourth Test, showing that his skill-set is strong enough to recover from such a blip.

A very reliable presence to have in the middle order, England’s No. 5 did not come into the series in great form, but it goes without saying that this summer’s triumph may not have been possible without him.

Out of seven full innings the 31-year-old has played, Bell has failed to hit more than 60 runs in just two, maintaining a very high average that a relieved Alastair Cook can rely upon to provide some structure in his batting order.

Peter Siddle

Although things have taken a slight dip in the fourth Test, Peter Siddle remains one of, if not Australia’s standout bowler across the course of this Ashes series.

Up until the meeting at the Riverside Ground, in only one 2013 Ashes inning had the Victoria fast bowler failed to take at least one English wicket.

In the first innings of Test One at Trent Bridge, Siddle managed to take five wickets from just 14 overs, a brilliant individual effort, and one he has managed to back up.

The 28-year-old has managed to maintain a similar standard of bowling across the next Tests, taking another 12 wickets from 144.2 more overs.

Ryan Harris would be the other candidate for being named Australia’s most effective bowler, especially after a sumptuous seven-wicket haul in the second innings.

Graeme Swann

Showing precisely the kind of form that warrants a spot on this list, Graeme Swann has managed to take at least one wicket in every full innings of this summer’s Ashes.

In total, Swann has already got 21 wickets from just over 190 overs, averaging a little more than a wicket every 10 overs.

Following his Test appearance at Lord’s, the bowler even left this tweet to show his appreciation for the sport:

However, to point out Swann’s consistency isn't to say he hasn't had devastating spells as well.

The 34-year-old took nine wickets at Lord’s altogether before then taking another five during the first innings at Old Trafford.

With all the experience under his belt, a star of Swann’s calibre is capable of shining in key moments of big games, and he has come up with the goods.