English media line up to sing 'maverick' Pietersen's praises following Old Trafford ton

The English media has lined up to praise batting star Kevin Pietersen following his century during the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford, in a contrast to the other headlines attributed to Pietersen during his colourful and controversial career.

According to News.com.au, Pietersen's skittish but brisk century overnight stands as England's only notable achievement after three days of a Test they were expected to dominate, and the relief of a prodigal son's return to his pomp is obvious.

Calling Pietersen as 'England's most unignorably box-office middle-order princeling', the Guardian wrote that throughout this Ashes summer there has been an expectation that Pietersen must at some stage come to the fore and dust the series with his own peculiar sense of event glamour, which he has managed to fulfill.

The report further said that there is no doubt that Pietersen is one of the great post-war England middle order batsmen, perhaps even the greatest, despite his foibles.

Hailing the display as a typical Pietersen one on a day when England desperately needed out for some individual heroics, the Telegraph termed Pietersen as 'L'Etranger' and said that he is the 'archetypal individual stranded in a collective'

According to the paper, when it goes wrong, Pietersen can appear about as integrated in society as Holden Caulfield in The Catcher In The Rye, although when it works, Pietersen writes the day's lead story with his skill, physical authority and sense of occasion.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail said that even though England can do without 'maverick' Pietersen, they would rather not given that his hard-fought century at Old Trafford might yet end up near the top of the list in importance even though it may rank nowhere near that masterpiece in terms of the quality of strokeplay.