Cricket World® Player Of The Week - Andrew Strauss

Cricket World® Player Of The Week - Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss hits out during his century at Headingley

©REUTERS/Philip Brown (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

England captain Andrew Strauss has been named as the Cricket World Player Of The Week after he helped his side into a 2-0 One-Day International series lead over Pakistan.

Opening the batting, Strauss scored 41 at Chester-le-Street and then 126 at Headingley as his side won by 24 runs and then four wickets in the first two matches of a five-match series.

His 41 in the opening game came from 45 balls and he put on 78 with Steven Davies, who made 87, as England scored 274 for six in 41 overs.

Strauss then oversaw victory when Pakistan closed on 250 for nine.

In the second game, after Pakistan scored 294 for eight, England needed big runs from their main batsmen and Strauss delivered with his fifth ODI century.

His 126 runs came from 134 balls and included ten fours and one six as he steered England towards a winning position. Although he was dismissed in the 45th over, his efforts meant his side was able to get over the line with three balls to spare.

Other contenders for the weekly award included Strauss's team-mates Davies, Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad, Pakistan's Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal and Asad Shafiq, Ireland's Paul Stirling and Canada's Ruvindu Gunasekera.

© Cricket World 2010