Sunday 24 December 2017 08:35, UK
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Now, I don't know for certain but I'm willing to stick my neck out and say that 19th-century French journalist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was not thinking about cricket when he penned his most famous line.
Yet, there seems no more apt summation of the England cricket team's last 12 months.
They began the year facing up to a heavy Test series defeat in which the opposition captain scored runs by the truckload as the pressure built on an England skipper desperately trying to find a way of taking 20 wickets with an attack exposed as being painfully ill-equipped for the conditions in which they were bowling.
Since then - and fear not, we will go into a little more details on these things - England have played 10 Test matches, 20 ODIs, seven IT20s, appointed a new Test captain, beaten South Africa and the Windies and won a one-dayer in Bristol that had more of an impact on an Ashes series than anyone could have imagined.
Long before 'incident outside a Bristol nightclub' became a stock phrase in the cricket articles around the world, there was a sense of optimism as England kicked off 2017 with a one-day series against India.
Partly, no doubt, that was down to relief that the largely one-sided Test series was over and the belief that England's white-ball side were much more of a match for India.
Sixty-two overs into the first ODI, that much was evident but having racked up 350-7 and then reduced India to 63-4, England were unable to deliver the killer blow and centuries from Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav got the hosts over the line.
It was a similar story in Cuttack, 25-3 became 381-6, India this time indebted to old-stagers MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. Eoin Morgan's magnificent century gave England hope but when he was run out in the penultimate over, the match and the series was lost.
The losing run was ended in Kolkata, Ben Stokes inspiring a five-run win and after a comfortable success in the first IT20, England had something resembling positive momentum for the first time in the tour.
Jasprit Bumrah soon saw to that though, conceding just two runs and taking the wickets of Joe Root and Jos Buttler to bowl India to a five-run win in Nagpur. Having been pegged back, England ended a dismal tour rather fittingly, a spectacular batting collapse seeing them lose their final eight wickets for just eight runs in the space of 19 balls to lose heavily in Bengaluru.
February saw Alastair Cook make official his decision to resign the Test captaincy, a sense of sadness and relief pervading from him as he explained his reasons for bringing his 59-match spell at the helm in an oddly low-key media gathering at Lord's.
Joe Root was the man tasked with ushering in a new era of English success in the longest format - and the main reason for such hopefulness despite a 4-0 defeat in England's most recent Test series - but he would have to wait another few months before he could put his plans into action.
In the meantime, the focus was on 50-over cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy, leaving England's players with the arduous task of spending a week in the Caribbean. In that time, three routine ODI wins over the Windies were recorded - Root responding to extra scrutiny with knocks of 90 not out and 101 in the last two matches.
Ben Stokes took the IPL by storm in April, sending his ever-burgeoning reputation as one of the world's finest all-rounders into another stratosphere, and he was one of three England stars allowed to remain in the subcontinent as the English international summer began with two one-day internationals against Ireland.
As expected, England prevailed and Jonny Bairstow strengthened his case for a regular spot in the side with an unbeaten half-century at Lord's.
It wasn't enough for him to keep his place as Stokes, Buttler and Chris Woakes returned from India in time for the first ODI against South Africa. Morgan's third century of the year and a blistering 77 not out from Moeen Ali took England beyond 300 at Headingley and once Mark Wood broke a 112-run stand between Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, the Proteas never threatened to chase it down.
Wood went wicketless in the game that followed at the Ageas Bowl but his nerveless final went for just four as England won the series with a thrilling two-run win, set up by Stokes' second ODI hundred.
South Africa hit back to win the final ODI at Lord's but it did little to dampen English spirits as they began the Champions Trophy, on home soil, as favourites.
A convincing win over Bangladesh at The Oval was followed up by an equally-emphatic defeating of New Zealand in Cardiff and once another Stokes ton eliminated Australia at Edgbaston, cricket fans across the country were positively giddy about the prospect of a first England win in a 50-over ICC tournament.
Bairstow replaced the out-of-form Jason Roy for the semi-final in Cardiff but his 43 at the top of the order was just about the only highlight as Pakistan's bowlers stifled England before the batsmen blasted their way to an eight-wicket win inside 38 overs. The highs of Edgbaston fast forgotten as England crashed out.
If there was any lingering disappointment over that defeat, it didn't show as England responded by taking the three-match IT20 series against South Africa 2-1, the lasting image that of Mason Crane wheeling away after making AB de Villiers his first international wicket.
By July it was finally time for England's 80th Test captain to take charge of his first match. He won the toss, elected to bat but after seeing Vernon Philander swiftly remove both openers, Root arrived at the crease with the scoreboard reading 17-2.
By the time Root departed on the second morning though, England had passed 350 and the new skipper left the field to a standing ovation having hit a superb 190, laying the foundations for a resounding 211-run win.
After a dream start at Lord's, Root awoke to the harsh realities of captaincy as Philander, Morne Morkel and Keshav Maharaj exploited England's batting frailties at Trent Bridge. South Africa's 34-run win leading England coach Trevor Bayliss to admit: "we've had a shocker."
Changes were made and lessons learnt by the third Test. Stokes' hundred taking England to a competitive first innings total before Toby Roland-Jones' debut five-for ensured South Africa got nowhere near it.
There was more fight from the Proteas second time around, Dean Elgar hitting a typically belligerent hundred but it came in vain as Ali ensured The Oval's 100th Test had a fitting finale, his hat-trick sealing England's win.
James Anderson had quietly been enjoying a fine series and was thrust into the limelight ahead of the final Test as Lancashire announced that the old pavilion end at Old Trafford was to be renamed 'The James Anderson End.'
After Jonny Bairstow (99) fell agonisingly short of his century to end the England innings, it took Anderson just three deliveries to strike from his own end but a first Test five-for on his home ground just eluded him.
The Lancastrian took another three wickets in South Africa's second innings but, after a quick-fire 75 not out in England's second knock, Ali - apparently England's "second spinner" at the beginning of the summer - was the star, and rounded off a man-of-the-series performance with a five-wicket haul, including two in two to finish the job.
With a first home series win over South Africa since 1998 emphatically secured, Root's first test as captain passed with flying colours.
As South Africa departed, the recently rebranded Windies arrived for the first day-night Test in England.
The ECB may have learnt plenty about the logistics of pink ball cricket but it revealed little about the team as they blew the Windies away in little more than two and a half days. Cook had the time to ease his way to 243 and Root helped himself to another hundred before England took 19 wickets in a day to claim victory by an innings and 209 runs.
Stuart Broad took three in the second innings to move past Sir Ian Botham and into second on England's all-time list of Test wicket-takers and heading to Leeds for the second Test, he will not have been the only England bowler seeing it as a prime opportunity to bolster their tally.
Amid talk of whether this was the worst Windies side to play on these shores, it took a century from Stokes to spare England blushes, for a time at least, in the first innings.
Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope earned the tourists a healthy lead but when England fought back to the point of being able to make a second innings declaration, the final day began with most observers anticipating another home win.
However, another century partnership between Brathwaite and Hope set the Windies on their way to a famous win, the latter becoming the first player to hit a century in each innings of a first-class game at Headingley.
For the second time in the summer though, Root's England responded strongly to a setback, needing just three days to complete a series-clinching nine-wicket win.
Two first innings wickets left Anderson just one shy of 500 in Tests but he was made to wait to reach the milestone as Stokes took 6-22 to rattle through the Windies.
Anderson's moment came on the evening of day two, a packed Lord's crowd buzzing with anticipation before erupting as England's swing king nipped one back and pegged back Brathwaite's middle stump.
He was up to 506 by the end of the innings, finishing with 7-42 to complete his most fruitful Test summer.
The weather was positively autumnal as the white-ball leg of the Windies tour began, the visitors triumphant as the Sky Sports commentators huddled under blankets to ward off the cold during the IT20 in Durham.
Then came the fateful ODI series. On paper a straightforward affair, England comfortable 4-0 winners in the five-match series with notable performances from Bairstow at Old Trafford and Southampton, Windies opener Evin Lewis at The Oval and Ali at… Bristol.
Yes, all seemed well as Ali lofted the ball over the short boundaries into the stands time and again to set England on their way to victory and the players headed out to celebrate.
Two days later as stories emerged of Stokes' arrest following an alleged brawl outside Bristol's Mbargo nightclub, the mood was very different. The story began to gather pace, Stokes and Alex Hales were ruled out of the series' two remaining games but Stokes was named in England's squad for the Ashes.
With the final match of the international summer complete, all focus was on Stokes. He was awarded a central contract but as the police appealed for more information and rumours abounded, the ECB announced that the 26-year-old would not travel to Australia with the rest of the squad and would remain unavailable until further notice.
On arrival in Australia, England faced questions about the vulnerabilities of their top order and the lack of pace in their bowling attack. Mostly though, they faced questions about Stokes.
Every England and Australia player, past or present, the media could get hold was expect to field questions on England's absent vice-captain, leading to a flurry of 'England can win without Stokes' or 'England can't win without Stokes' articles, depending on the response.
It was a relief then when, after just under a month of Stokes-heavy build-up, the first Test arrived. England even made a reasonably strong start. It wouldn't last.
Although Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan - three of England's under pressure top-order - made fifties, the tail was blown away. They then reduced the Aussies to 76-4 and 209-7.
Unfortunately for Root and his side, Steve Smith remained and the Aussie tail showed rather more staying power than England's. Smith ended on 141 not out, England crumbled in their second innings and after helping his side cruise to a 10-wicket win, Australia opener Cameron Bancroft had his skipper in stitches as he regaled the story of Bairstow's 'headbutt' greeting in a Perth bar, that had hit the press the previous evening.
England were rather less amused and arrived in Adelaide determined to put things right, only for things to go wrong almost immediately.
Root won the toss and went against tradition by opting to field first, a decision that backfired as his bowlers failed to hit their lengths and the hosts declared on 442-8.
England were duly shot out for 227 but when Smith chose not to enforce the follow-on, the tourists sensed a chance and having skittled Australia for 138, were almost halfway to their record target of 354 and just three down stumps approached on day four.
Even after the late wicket of Malan, there was hope of a glorious final day victory. That was snuffed out within three overs of the morning session and Australia romped to a 120-run win.
On to Perth and a must-not-lose game for England, the Aussie waiting eagerly to pouch the urn as it slipped from England's grasp.
Centuries for Malan and Bairstow gave them hope but another lower-order flop restricted England's first innings total.
On day three though, Smith and Mitchell Marsh could not be restricted, their 311-run partnership taking the game away from England and, when Mitchell Starc produced one of the balls of the year to end Vince's resistance, Australia were on the brink.
A combination of rain and faulty covers briefly looked like handing England a reprieve on day five but once play began, the excellent Josh Hazlewood ensured there would be no second chances for England before leaving Pat Cummins to strike the final blow.
So here we are, 2017 is drawing to a close and England are facing up to a heavy Test series defeat in which the opposition captain has scored runs by the truckload as pressure builds on an England skipper desperately trying to find a way of taking 20 wickets with an attack exposed as being painfully ill-equipped for the conditions in which they are bowling.
With one game still to play, England can still end the year on a relative high. Of course, it remains to be seen what the New Year will bring - Alphonse Karr would no doubt point out that wholesale changes wouldn't make much difference - but if there is one change England will be hoping for, it is that it is performances on the field, rather than indiscretions off it, making the headlines in 2018.
