Ashton Agar strode out on debut at No. 11 with his team reeling and transformed the series in just over an hour of batting

The day began with a tribalistic welcome for Ian Bell and Stuart Broad and ended with a great wave of relief at Michael Clarke's dismissal

The selectors pulled one out of the hat with Ashton Agar's inclusion but they were wise to stick with the reliable Peter Siddle

The Ashes legacy rests on the players' ability to capture the imagination of the fans, whether they follow it via radio, TV, the papers or live

Australia's captain needs to buckle down into his relationship with the new coach, trade in some charm, and look to turn things around

The calendar can, and ought to, have room for championships in all three of cricket's international formats

They need to relearn the art of long-form batting if they are to ever dominate an attack like their great predecessors Turner and Crowe did

If England had indicated a greater arrogance born of their total control of the match, there would have been no need for today's weather-led nervousness

With a mix of David Gower, Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan, Joe Root can capture hearts and minds

None of the other three England bowlers with 300 Test wickets - or many other of the game's finest swing merchants - could have bowled better than James Anderson at Lord's

Tense and afraid failure will cost him his England place, Nick Compton must rediscover his inner-Denis

Their journey to retaining the Ashes begins against New Zealand at Lord's

Dynasties are frequently built from the depths of humiliation. A nip here, a tuck there, and Australia could pose a serious threat

Another county season gets underway. It won't be the same without Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Tony Greig

Once, spring meant county cricket, but there's no denying the centre of the cricket world has moved east since

Which of the latter two will find the resolve and inner strength that has allowed South Africa's captain to climb the summit and remain at the top?

Introducing the next theme in our series: the second-finest batsman ever (after you know who)

To let ruthless commerce direct the fate of cricket's future is to sign a death warrant for a way of life

There's magic in the air when the ball hoops around corners

There may be merit in exploring a format midway between the ODI and the T20