Playing their part

Benedict Bermange looks at the players who have helped England's rise to No 1 from the 2005 Ashes.

Some of the parts in England's rise to the top...

More than a few good men have helped England's ascent to No 1 in the Test rankings. As Andrew Strauss' side seeks to wrap up a 4-0 series whitewash over India, Benedict Bermange takes a look at the players who have trodden some - or all - of the path to the top, from Michael Vaughan's victorious Ashes side of 2005 to the present day. To qualify for a 'Yes' in the year-by-year table below, a player must have represented England at Test level in the corresponding 12 months.

The path to No 1: Ashes 2005 to Summer 2011

Player	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Marcus Trescothick	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Andrew Strauss	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Michael Vaughan	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Kevin Pietersen	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ian Bell	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paul Collingwood	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes*
Andrew Flintoff	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-
Geraint Jones	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Ashley Giles	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Matthew Hoggard	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Steve Harmison	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-
Simon Jones	Yes	-	-	-	-	-	-
Alastair Cook	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Jonathan Trott	-	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Eoin Morgan	-	-	-	-	-	Yes	Yes
Ravi Bopara	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	-	Yes
Matt Prior	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tim Bresnan	-	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stuart Broad	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Graeme Swann	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chris Tremlett	-	-	Yes	-	-	Yes	Yes
James Anderson	Yes**	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Steven Finn	-	-	-	-	-	Yes	Yes
Monty Panesar	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-
Ryan Sidebottom	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
Tim Ambrose	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-
Liam Plunkett	Yes**	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-
Sajid Mahmood	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-
Graham Onions	-	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	-
Owais Shah	-	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	-	-
Chris Read	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-
Shaun Udal	Yes**	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Ian Blackwell	-	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Michael Carberry	-	-	-	-	-	Yes	-
Jon Lewis	-	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Darren Pattinson	-	-	-	Yes	-	-	-
Ajmal Shahzad	-	-	-	-	-	Yes	-
James Tredwell	-	-	-	-	-	Yes	-
Amjad Khan	-	-	-	-	Yes	-	-

* Retired from Test cricket in January **Did not play in Ashes