England Cricket

England and Australia are preparing to resume hostilities in the Ashes, with the first Test kicking off in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The tourists currently hold the urn but have not triumphed on English soil since 2001.

The home team, meanwhile, will be eager to wipe away the memory of the 5-0 defeat they suffered the last time the two old rivals met in the series.

Ahead of the opening match, we have picked out a player from each squad who could play a crucial role for their nation over the coming months.

Adam Lyth

England will be hoping Adam Lyth can finally solve the problematic position at the top of their batting order.

The Yorkshire left-hander will start the Ashes as Alastair Cook’s opening partner, a role that has been filled by several different players since Andrew Strauss’ retirement in 2012.

Nick Compton had some success but didn’t make the cut for the 2013 Ashes. Joe Root was then promoted for a summer before Michael Carberry took over for the disastrous tour to Australia that followed.

A 5-0 series whitewash led to another change, with Sam Robson—an Australian plying his trade in county cricket with Middlesex—being the next man up.

He lasted one summer and was jettisoned for the tour of the West Indies, as England instead tried out Jonathan Trott—who had previously batted at three in his Test career—in a new role.

Overlooked in the Caribbean, Lyth finally got his chance when New Zealand arrived earlier this year. A pair of low scores at Lord’s on hsi debut was not the start he would have hoped for, but a return north to Headingley provided him with some home comforts. 

The 27-year-old’s third Test innings saw him make 107. The Yorkshireman prospered in his own back yard and in doing so cemented himself a spot for the Ashes.

He now has the chance to show he’s more than just a short-term fix. Runs against New Zealand are good, but scores against Australia are special.

A superb domestic season in 2014 saw Lyth move himself toward the front of the queue to open. 

He scored 1,489 runs in the LV= County Championship, helping Yorkshire to the Division One title while also winning the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year award.

The Whitby-born batsman told Anthony Clavane of the Mirror that he and Cook already combine well together: “We seem to click. He’s a fantastic captain and a fantastic batsman. He’s the leading ­run-scorer for England with almost 9,000 runs, including 27 hundreds.”

Lyth will be hoping their partnership lasts for longer than just a summer.

Josh Hazlewood

The Mitchells—Johnson and Starc—will be the focus of attention during the Ashes.

While Johnson has a long history with England, fellow left-armer Starc saw his reputation rise during a successful Cricket World Cup campaign that saw him finish the tournament as the joint-leading wicket-taker.

Yet Josh Hazlewood—the other seamer, who was named man of the series in the 2-0 sweep over the West Indies recently—is flying slightly under the radar.

The 24-year-old has only played five Tests, but his figures in the arena are impressive. He has taken 24 wickets at an average of 19.08 with a strike rate of 45.5.

Hazlewood’s potential was spotted at an early age. He made his one-day debut for Australia as a teenager when he was selected to play against England in the summer of 2010.

He had to wait a further four years to win a Test cap as a result of injuries, though the New South Welshman has been quick to make up for lost time.

A tall bowler capable of bowling at a good pace, he relies more on accuracy to take his wickets.

Considering he is from the same state, Hazlewood has been likened to Glenn McGrath. It is a comparison he is comfortable with, per Ali Martin of the Guardian: “It’s not a burden at all. Glenn’s the best quick Australia has ever had so to be compared to him is pretty exciting.”

Ahead of his first taste of Ashes cricket, Hazlewood picked up a four-wicket haul in the final innings of the warm-up match against Essex.

England will be hoping that isn’t a sign of things to come, particularly if he lives up to the comparisons to McGrath, a man who tormented English batsmen during his stellar career.

The first Ashes Test match at Cardiff gets underway on July 8. The 13-man England squad has been named, and after a positive ODI series win against New Zealand, the team looks confident and settled.

The majority of the England side could be named now. But there is one question that has stirred debate: Should England pick Adil Rashid?

Rashid is a rare asset for England. He is an attacking leg-spinner capable of spinning the ball both ways. At his best, he bewilders batsmen with his variation and flight; he sustains pressure and takes wickets. Rashid is yet to win a Test cap but has played 11 ODIs for England.

His form, both for Yorkshire and in the recent ODI series against New Zealand, has forced the selectors to take notice. He has maintained confidence and focus to banish worries about his temperament and consistency.

Rashid does bowl too many boundary balls—he has a tendency to drop short or over-pitch with regularity—but the positives still outweigh the negatives.

The Yorkshireman is benefiting from a swell of support, both from the public and influential ex-players.

Both Michael Vaughan and Geoffrey Boycott have called on England to pick Rashid, with Vaughan telling the Telegraph that “Rashid might be the difference when it comes to getting rid of the tail."

Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie told the Guardian that with Joe Root and Adam Lyth providing off-spin options, England should be bold and pick Rashid.

Similarly, on Sky Sports News HQ, ex-England spinner Ashley Giles praised the England management’s intent in picking Rashid in the squad (h/t Sky Sports).

The question of Rashid’s selection centres on the form of Moeen Ali. The Worcestershire all-rounder has been England’s first-choice spinner for a year and has taken 33 wickets in 11 Tests so far.

However, Moeen has struggled for consistency with his bowling recently, and with Root and Lyth also in the side, his worth may be questioned.  

It seems most likely that Moeen will keep his place and that the conditions in Cardiff will determine whether Rashid plays.

"Adil Rashid's inclusion provides Alastair [Cook] and Trevor [Bayliss] with plenty of bowling options and the surface at Cardiff will dictate who makes the final XI," England's national selector, James Whitaker, told ESPNCricinfo.

Ben Stokes’ inclusion as an all-rounder means that if the wicket at the SWALEC Stadium is judged to be worthy of two spinners, England will still have three seamers. James Anderson and Stuart Broad will play, leaving a straight choice between Rashid, Mark Wood and Steven Finn.

This wealth of riches should be seen as a luxury rather than a selection dilemma.

If dry weather continues and the wicket looks likely to deteriorate, Rashid could be a match-winner in the final few days on a spinning wicket. If not, then he can be kept back for later games.

In his first media interview, new England coach Trevor Bayliss spoke about the need for an attacking mentality. If called upon, Rashid could certainly play his part.

Rashid clearly offers England a commodity that historically, and certainly recently, they have not had. As EPSNCricinfo’s George Dobell points out, England have not won a Test match playing two spinners since 1985.

As that detail shows, England have never been renowned for their spin bowling. Ashley Giles, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann have all been successful as a lone spinner over the years. The fact England have a choice before this Ashes series is an indication of depth.

There is a palpable clamour for Rashid to play; he represents the variation, excitement and boldness fans crave from this new England era.

But regardless of whether Rashid plays, his selection is a positive sign.

The first Ashes Test is a little over a week away, and England star James Anderson limbered up by taking aim at Bleacher Report.

It took Anderson a mere five balls to work his way through B/R’s defences, but things will be far tougher when the 32-year-old spearheads England’s attack against Australia.

Anderson, who is currently sharpening his skills at a training camp in Spain, has had a break from the game since England’s thrilling Test series with New Zealand.

In an ideal world, Anderson would have got some County action under his belt with Lancashire, had the schedule allowed, but he is confident of being at full tilt for the series opener in Cardiff on July 8.

“Ideally I would have played a game for Lancs, but the way the fixtures have fallen, Lancs have had a week off championship cricket, and we then go to Spain for the training camp,” Anderson told Bleacher Report as he faced the media at an exclusive Slazenger Cricket nets session at the Oval. “It’s just the way it has worked out, and you have to deal with those things.

”Fortunately at 32, I am confident I know my game and can work on my fitness and build up the intensity.”

Watching Anderson pepper a series of journalists, which was reminiscent of a coconut shy, he did not look far short of his peak.

During his short break, Anderson has had his eyes firmly fixed on England’s progress in the shorter form of the game.

After an abject World Cup, England turned things around to beat New Zealand in a thrilling ODI series.

It was high-octane, high-scoring, entertaining cricket, and Anderson feels the momentum gained can only benefit the Test side.

“I thought it was fantastic,” Anderson said. “From a spectators’ point of view, it was brilliant; I watched all the games.

”I think we started to turn the corner in the Test series with New Zealand, the likes of Ben Stokes and Joe Root playing very aggressively in the two Tests, and that was carried on into the one-dayers, and I think it is great to see a group of young guys going out there and expressing themselves.

“We have some very talented cricketers in this country, and it is great to see them go out and express themselves, and hopefully that aggressive mentality can continue into the Test matches against Australia.”

There’s a strong likelihood that the Ashes may be won by the strongest bowling attack. England were blown away by Australia’s battery of pace bowlers 18 months ago, and the likes of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood and Ryan Harris will carry a huge threat once again.

Anderson concedes that England have not had the same success with the ball as Australia in the past 18 months and do not have the same level of experience, but the man with 403 Test wickets to his name does not feel there is a huge gap to bridge.

“I would say the attacks are not too dissimilar,” Anderson said. “Australia have a bit more experience in their attack. If you look at our last Test attack, I don’t know what the team for the first Test against Australia will be, but in our four-man seam attack, we had Ben Stokes and Mark Wood. They are quite new into Test cricket so there is a bit of inexperience there, so I guess the Australians have more experience and have had more success than us in the past 18 months.

"I think it is a good opportunity for us as a bowling group to show we have a lot of skill. We have a point to prove, as if we are to win the Ashes, we have to outdo their bowling attack.

"They are in a fortunate position in that they can leave a top-class bowler out,” Anderson said in response to a question about the possibility of Australia leaving out Harris or Johnson. “We are in a not-too-dissimilar position with Steve Finn and Mark Footitt, really exciting bowlers, and we have to leave someone out.

"The form that Australia have shown makes them favourites, but it is up to us to show that we can match them.”

Recent Ashes clashes have had plenty of niggle. Australia captain Michael Clarke was caught on camera telling Anderson to “get ready for a broken f*****g arm” during a heated exchange at the Gabba in 2013.

That sort of incident was in stark contrast to the recent series between England and New Zealand, which was played in excellent spirit with plenty of smiles on faces.

Anderson is unsure how the Ashes series will play out, but claims England are ready to adapt to any challenge.

“The way teams play, you react to how the other team is,” Anderson said. “The New Zealanders play that way, with a free spirit and a smile on their faces. They are competitive in the field but play it in the right spirit, and I guess that rubbed off on us.

“Going into an Ashes there is a bit more on it with the history there, it is a big series for both teams, but we have to look at what is best for us.

"What has worked for us in the Tests and ODIs against New Zealand was guys going out with smiles on their faces, and we’ll see if that continues.

“I think the way the game is going that sort of thing (sledging) is gradually disappearing. In the past I have been guilty of sledging and have been on the receiving end. That has been part of the game, but maybe it is slowly filtering out.

“Looking at the New Zealand series, the scoring was high, and the cricket was attractive for the spectators, so that probably helped guys play with smiles on faces. Hopefully that can continue.”

While plenty of focus will be on the seam attacks, spin is sure to play a part. Australia have an established twirler in Nathan Lyon, while England may well have to rely on the relatively untested Moeen Ali.

England still have to fill the void left by Graeme Swann’s retirement, and while Anderson says comparisons between the two are unfair, he feels Moeen can play a big role this summer.

“It is a bit unfair to try and compare Moeen with Swanny, as Moeen is a batsman who bowls,” Anderson said. “Mo has done a fantastic job for us in the past year or so, he bowled brilliantly last summer, but he is still learning and developing. We have got to accept that he is still growing as a bowler.

”It does put more responsibility on the seam bowlers, but we are confident that on a third-, fourth-, fifth-day wicket Moeen can do a job.”

The bookmakers have Australia as favourites to retain the Ashes, and Anderson can understand why that is the case, but confidence is beginning to course through the camp.

Bleacher Report did its bit for English cricket by building Anderson’s confidence with the ball. In roughly seven days, we’ll see if it paid off.

James Anderson was speaking on behalf of Slazenger Cricket while facing off against the media at an exclusive nets session. Anderson will be using the Slazenger V1200 bat during this summer's Ashes.

Ben Stokes stole the headlines during the recent Test series against New Zealand, but it's his Durham colleague Mark Wood who can be England's X-factor during the Ashes.

In many ways, Wood is a very un-English selection. His action is decidedly funky compared to the MCC Coaching Manual and orthodoxy is traditionally favoured by the England hierarchy.

Wood hasn't got many miles in his legs either. Since making his debut in 2011, the 25-year-old has just 26 first-class appearances and 89 wickets to his name. Oh, and he likes riding an imaginary horse in the outfield. Alec Bedser he ain't.

What Wood does have is pace and plenty of it. After a promising debut in a rain-shortened ODI against Ireland in Dublin, Wood provoked plenty of oohs from the Lord's crowd on his Test bow after topping 92 mph on the speed gun.

There was control with the ferocious pace too. As first Test wickets go, they don't come much better than Brendon McCullum.

WATCH: Mark Wood claimed his first Test wicket removing New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum: http://t.co/V8e2Wc81xB pic.twitter.com/Qei5Q2To3y

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 23, 2015

Perhaps most encouraging was the delivery that did for BJ Watling in the second innings. Pitched just short of a length, Wood found some extra bounce as the Kiwi wicketkeeper gloved it to Jos Buttler behind the wicket.

Pace and swing are the Durham novice's primary weapons. England have been crying out for a bowler who can do something on flat pitches with the old ball. It's early days, of course, but England may have found their man.

The closest comparison to a former England seamer is Simon Jones whose star flashed brightly across the cricketing skyline before flaming out prematurely through injury.

Jones has been impressed with what he's seen from Wood. In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, the former Glamorgan man said, “I really like his approach, it works for him and I hope people don't change him. He's got good skills for a fairly young lad.”

What's been so refreshing about Wood is his seemingly carefree attitude. Some England players of recent vintage have given the impression that representing their country was an ordeal to be endured rather than being something to savour. How many players would be showing their best dance moves while fielding? Or maybe he's putting down a very early marker for Strictly Come Dancing?

Wood hasn't just survived the opening stages of his international career, he's looked like he's thoroughly enjoyed playing on the biggest stage. Of course it's one thing to do that against the gentlemanly New Zealanders, quite another against the ugly Australians.

Plugging away on a flat pitch against the likes of David Warner, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith could test the spirits of any fast bowler. Wood appears to have the character to thrive at the top, though.

Don't mistake playing with a smile on his face with being uncompetitive, though. Wood has already fired an opening verbal salvo in Shane Watson's direction.

Speaking to fellow Ashington native Steve Harmison on BBC Radio Five Live (per the Daily Mail) Wood said, “I’ll certainly stand up for myself if the Australians have a go. I won’t be taking a backward step, but I’ ll still be trying to have some fun.”

The biggest cause for concern for Wood this summer will likely be fitness. After bursting on to the international scene at Lord's, Wood's pace was down in the second Test at Headingley which followed just days later. Given the packed Ashes schedule, his workload will need careful handling.

Just a couple of months ago, the name of Mark Wood was unknown to all but the most ardent students of the county game. England followers will be hoping the Australians will become familiar with Wood and his imaginary horse over the weeks and months to come.

There has been little to complain about during the one-day series between England and New Zealand.

The two sides produced plenty of runs and the odd close finish, all the while playing the game in the right spirit. It was good, tough cricket, yet there was a great deal of respect shown between the sets of players.

The crowds, and the media, lapped it up. It helps when England are doing well, of course, but the Kiwis won new fans with the way they handled themselves, both on and off the field.

However, there was one small gripe over the course of the five matches.

The one certainty in England is that rain will get involved at some point. In Test cricket, there is the chance to make up lost time over the course of the match, but that possibility is not there in 50 or 20-over cricket.

The Duckworth-Lewis system is meant to be there to give the match officials a helping hand when the weather intervenes (or any other delays, for that matter).

Named after the pair of statisticians who came up with it—Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis—the system is a  formula designed to calculate corrected totals after an interruption.

BBC Sport has an excellent guide to explain when, and how, it is used.

To summarise, if it rains and the match has to be cut short, there’s a way to work out how many the team batting second should then be chasing in their shortened innings.

Steve Stern modified the initial calculations to take into account modern scoring rates, resulting in it now being named the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

To mathematicians it might make sense. To cricket fans, however, it is just confusing. The basic premise is easy to understand, but the final sums don't always seem to add up.

Even professional cricketers don’t seem to be able to fully grasp it.

During the recent series, England—seven wickets down—needed a further 54 runs from 37 deliveries to win the second ODI when the heavens opened and the action was suspended at the Oval.

When play resumed, the hosts found themselves suddenly requiring 34 from 13. They fell short in the final reckoning, much to the frustration of their captain, Eoin Morgan, per Nick Hoult of the Telegraph: 

To have 34 to chase in 13 balls, given we were set up and the guys were in and momentum was with us, made it disappointing it rained.

I don’t understand Duckworth-Lewis. I don’t think anybody does. It is part of the game you can’t change.

As the game evolves in 50 overs cricket the Duckworth-Lewis could certainly be looked at.

The D-L-S system was needed again in the final, deciding match of the series.

After New Zealand made 283 for nine, England’s target was revised to 192 from 26 overs following a lengthy delay in between innings. 

In the end, the home side managed to achieve their goal, winning the match with three wickets and six balls to spare. 

Many on Twitter, however, cannot get their heads around the D-L-S way of working:

If it rains at some point England will need 674 runs, two boxes of quiche and a nine darter to win the ODI under Duckworth-Lewis

— Matthew Lond (@ml__1985) June 17, 2015

Ian Preston, a Professor in the Department of Economics at UCL (University College London), believes the major issue with the current system is that it does not factor in the likelihood of a team winning.

In the case of the second ODI, England would argue that, while they still had plenty of work to do, momentum was swinging their way. Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett were striking the ball nicely, plus the Black Caps were running out of front-line bowling options in the closing overs.

Sadly, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern formula does not take such things into account.

The new equation meant New Zealand only had to get away with one over from part-time seamer Grant Elliott, while Rashid and Plunkett both perished quickly knowing they had no choice but to go for broke.

Preston suggested, per his article in The Conversation, that a ruling he devised with Jonathan Thomas would “necessarily adjust targets differently depending on how many runs have already been scored.”

Describing his system, he went on to explain: "It acknowledges that loss of run-scoring resources needs to be compensated, but resources are valued in terms of what matters to teams, which is the probability of winning, rather than—as under Duckworth-Lewis—the expected run total in one of the innings."

Cricket fans do not really need to understand how it is all calculated.

They just want a method where it doesn't seem as if one side is being punished for something (in this case rain) that is out of their control.

The threat of rain should not factor into a captain's decision at the toss, either. While looking up, rather than down at the pitch, may be a necessity in Tests, one-day fixtures should be played in conditions that are the same for both sides.

It is a fine balance to try and do right by both the batting and bowling teams, but something needs to be done. 

Twenty20 cricket has changed the way we think about scoring runs. Having to go at a required rate of 10-an-over seemed nigh-on impossible not so long ago. Now, most teams will happily accept such an equation.

Anything is possible now, particularly with only four fielders allowed outside the inner circle. The rules need to catch up and factor in how limited-overs cricket has moved forward. 

In truth, the best thing would be for it not to rain at all. That, though, is definitely too much to ask for during an English summer.

New Zealand wrap up their tour of England with a one-off Twenty20 match at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The two nations have served up a feast of cricket so far at the start of the English summer. The Test leg finished level at 1-1, and the hosts triumphed 3-2 in the subsequent one-day series.

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Time: 6:30 p.m. BST

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Live stream and TV info: Sky Sports (UK), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India) and NowTV (UK streaming service).

Weather: The forecast is clear for Tuesday evening, per BBC Weather, with no threat of rain to dampen proceedings.

Overview

England's limited-overs players will be eager to make the most of one last chance to impress before the start of the Ashes against Australia in Cardiff on July 8.

Eoin Morgan's squad succeeded in winning an ODI series on home soil for the first time since 2012, defeating a team who reached the final of the Cricket World Cup earlier this year in the process.

Interim head coach Paul Farbrace has dangled the carrot by suggesting performances in 50- and 20-over cricket can lead to Test recognition, per Ali Martin of the Guardian:

The reason we’ve played Ben Stokes in this one-day side is because the more he plays international cricket, the better for him—and that applies to everybody.

They should all want to play Test cricket, and if they keep putting in performances they’ll be getting very close to it.

There’s absolutely no reason why Morgan can’t play Test cricket. He’s a fantastic player and played brilliantly through this series.

The selectors named a T20 squad that includes five uncapped players, though three of them—Sam Billings, David Willey and Mark Wood—were all involved in the recent one-day matches.

The two fresh faces are Essex left-arm seamer Reece Topley and Hampshire batsman James Vince.

Since the squad was initially announced, Jonny Bairstow has also been added, reported by Cricbuzz, following his match-winning knock of 83 not out in the deciding ODI at Durham on Saturday.

Yorkshireman Bairstow was drafted in at late notice to take over behind the stumps as first-choice wicketkeeper Jos Buttler was ruled out with a hand injury.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will be eager to finish with a flourish before heading home, even though they are without injured duo Corey Anderson and Trent Boult.

Andrew Mathieson was summoned from club cricket in England to strengthen the squad's bowling options—he made his international debut in the fifth one-dayer.

The Kiwis have won three of the last four completed matches against England in the shortest format, with their most recent victory coming at the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh last year.

Key players

England

Opener Jason Roy failed to fire at the top of the batting order in the recent 50-over games, managing 98 runs in five innings. His best score for England so far is 39.

However, the Surrey player has a strike rate of 140.26 in T20 cricket at domestic level. The management team will be patient with the young players selected, but Roy will still be eager to make a mark.

New Zealand

Kane Williamson was outstanding in the one-day series—no player on either side scored more than his final tally of 396 runs.

He has a classical technique and may not be best known for his feats in the T20 game, but the right-handed batsman is in excellent form right now.

Squads

England

Eoin Morgan (captain), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey and Mark Wood.

New Zealand

Brendon McCullum (captain), Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Andrew Mathieson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Luke Ronchi (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

England and New Zealand squads as reported by ESPN Cricinfo.

England have beaten New Zealand 3-2 in an ODI series. The World Cup suddenly seems like a lifetime ago.

Over a thrilling five-match series, England have broken free from the shackles that their previous conservative and dated style of ODI cricket had created.

They have won back their fanbase with a new positive style characterised by freedom, attacking intent and playing with smiles on their faces.

After each game—regardless of the result—there has been widespread optimism and excitement. Playing against a side similarly unburdened by restraints, captain Eoin Morgan has been resolute in his stance of positivity, continually reasserting his excitement at the possibilities of his young side.

It was not long ago that England’s ODI batting used to resemble a painstaking chore conducted in an overthought, carefully constructed manner.

The batsmen were seemingly told how to play, filled with nervousness and defined by restrictions. In the middle overs, no matter what the situation, England would regress into a default consolidation mode that consisted of finding the gaps and reining in expansive shots.  

Coach Peter Moores was lambasted for a perceived predilection with data. His second spell in charge of the side was noteworthy for its conservative nature. The game was played by the book: 300 was a good score and, in theory, it would win most games.

This series has changed everything.                               

In sport, words like “outlook,” “mentality” and “mindset” are undoubtedly overused. They are generally used as simplistic ways of explaining more complicated, deep-rooted issues. However, in this case, it is fair to say that a change in their mentality has brought about immediate improvement.

The talent has always been there. The ambition has never been questioned. Now the World Cup-tarnished slate has been wiped clean, this new group are seizing the opportunity to move forward.

Excitement is the overwhelming feeling among supporters: here is a team that is easy to support.  

Nowhere is this excitement more obvious than with the batting. Where caution once held sway, a glut of free swinging now prospers. Convention in tactics and shot selection has been replaced by invention and ambition.

It has not always come off—New Zealand’s sharpness in the field often saw to that—but it is a long way from the disastrous tournament not so long ago.

The entertainment has been non-stop. Fans have certainly got value for money over the past few weeks.

England have showed off the talent we all knew was there, but that rarely materialised under the old-fashioned, conservative approach of the previous regime.

Joe Root and Jos Buttler have proved themselves to be two of the most exciting, intelligent young cricketers in the world.

In scoring two centuries, Root has displayed the conventional run machine—full of perfectly timed drives and placement. Meanwhile, Buttler proved his destructive ability—full of inventive shots and powerful striking.

Add in Morgan back to his best with four consecutive scores of fifty or more before Chester-le-Street, as well as flashes from Alex Hales and Sam Billings, and you have a batting order fit to prosper for many years.

Jonny Bairstow’s heroic performance to win the series after a late inclusion simply underlined the depth of talent England have at their disposal.

It has not been perfect by any means—there were continued dropped catches throughout the series and occasional lapses in concentration—but the excitement is palpable.

England have finally come to the ODI batting party. Their youth, relentless optimism and fearlessness has brought them up to speed with the world’s best, and finally the fans have something to shout about.