If 2010 has been an annus horribilis for English football, then Sunday, December 19 was a day to forget for English cricket.

Not only did Australia blast their way back into the Ashes with a resounding victory in the third Test at the Waca, but the England cricket team ended up empty-handed from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year too, after they won as many awards on the night as the cast of Hollyoaks did at the Oscars.

For the main prize, Graeme Swann was always going to be up against it alongside the likes of Graeme McDowell, Jessica Ennis and eventual winner Tony McCoy.

In the Coach of the Year category, Andy Flower was arguably more harshly overlooked after England became 20/20 World Champions and secured Test victories over Bangladesh and Pakistan under his stewardship in the last 12 months.

By comparison, winner Colin Montgomerie’s year saw him appear in an advert for Kit-Kats and squeeze into an XL jumper for the first time in 25 years.

Team of the Year was given to the successful Ryder Cup team ahead of double-winners Chelsea and the England cricket team, who must have been wondering if they were practising the wrong kind of spin as they were left with only some cans of Fosters to hold instead.

As long as they get their hands on the urn come January, and with the World Cup and the Champions Trophy coming up as well, 2011 could turn out to be English cricket’s annus mirabilis.

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