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McCullum was in the foothills of a Twenty20 coaching career but had been the name buzzing around Key’s mind since the start, impressed by his captaincy of New Zealand. That joyful team had already been the muse for England’s white-ball resurgence under Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss, with the former asked for a reference on an admittedly close friend but having also seen first-hand his nascent second career at Kolkata Knight Riders. It could also be the perfect farewell for James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the capping off of two great careers. At that point, Stokes made his breathtaking intervention, a declaration after 78 overs the earliest in a first innings in Ashes history and third-earliest ever by England.
For a hat that has become more synonymous with high fashion, it will not be surprising to learn that baseball caps started life on the sports field. “It was originally known as the Brooklyn cap in the late 1800s/early 1900s, with its origins traced to the local baseball team,” says Dalrymple. But they have become just as apt for the front row of fashion shows or the boardroom as for the pitcher’s mound.
One will say the atmosphere turns into white noise, the other will tell you they hear every word as their heart beats in their throat. Player of the series Khawaja has been the most consistent batter but this has not been a Khawaja series. It has not been unshowy. It has not been a bit slow. Its skillset was not to be a consistent series. It was to be exhilarating at times, disappointing at others, but always entirely of itself. It has, in other words, been a Crawley series. One day in and the most hyped Ashes series in a generation has started by more than living up to expectations. Where on earth do we go from here? England piling up 393-8 at more than five runs an over was made all the more compelling by Australia's attempts to contain them, but that was nothing compared to Ben Stokes' jaw-dropping declaration half an hour before the close.
What can we expect in 2025? It’s helpful to think of the Ashes as two separate contests: one a closely matched battle of equals, the other a kind of organised bloodsport. Unless England can unearth at least three genuine pace bowlers – or somehow get the 30-year-old Jofra Archer fit again – Australia are going to win so hard. Andy Bull David Warner v Stuart Broad. Steve Smith's path to becoming the most prolific Ashes run-getter since Don Bradman. Broad and James Anderson's final stab at the Aussies. Moeen Ali's return. Travis Head's moustache. Zak Crawley's outside edge. So to the first ball, an occasion owned by Australia: Steve Harmison's wide, Michael Slater's four and Rory Burns being castled by Mitchell Starc. Rob Key gave the diagnosis when he swapped the role of commentator for England team director at the start of last season. He made a bet with himself that, despite the flatlining results that prompted regime change, the team were blessed with good players who were trying too hard, wanted it too much and in a jaded struggle through the pandemic’s fug of fixture fulfilment, were “suffocating”. Zak is a very witty guy, and he plays more attractive shots than me. We haven’t properly fired yet this series but I said over a couple of beers: ‘Me and you, let’s do a session or longer, because if we do, we will put the team in such a good position.’”
What does it mean? Were Australia frightened? The debate will continue throughout the day and again when Australia wakes. Eighteen months ago, in a series that ended with Ollie Robinson bowled from closer to square leg than his own stumps, the distance between the two teams seemed every inch the 10,000-plus miles between London and Sydney. Less remembered are England being rolled by Glenn McGrath on the first day at Lord's in 2005 and Andrew Strauss' third-ball dismissal in 2010-11, both series England won.
Ben Stokes plays a shot during England’s Test series against Pakistan in December 2022. The 3-0 series win is a high point in his reign as captain. Photograph: Fareed Khan/AP Their buccaneering batting is made all the more thrilling by the risk of it going spectacularly wrong, like watching a tightrope walker tiptoe between skyscrapers. England are likely to fall in a heap at some point this summer, but when? The longer they delay the collapse, the more chance of lifting the urn. Usman Khawaja had an eventful series despite his uneventful batting. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesWhat can we expect in 2025? Something completely different. England’s bowling group will be transformed by then and Australia could have lost half their first-choice side. There are big transitions coming and the next Ashes will test who has handled theirs the best. Emma John Up rises the Hollies stand - Popes, Cardinals, Flintstones and all - with a roar that would not be out of place had it greeted a World Cup-winning goal. What can we expect in 2025? “From the Vulture Street End … Jimmy Anderson.” However, it is the turnover of players between now and then that will make it so fascinating; a whole new cast who have a lot to live up to given the decade of Ashes champions on both sides we’ve just witnessed. Bravo. Barney Ronay There's also an array of training gear available from long sleeved zip tops to hoodies and joggers. Men's boxer shorts, baseball caps and t-shirts branded 'The Ashes 2023' are also on sale now. Anticipation is building ahead of the first test and the Castore range could be the ideal way to show your support for England this summer. Speak to those who have faced the first Ashes salvo and they fall into two camps. Those who say "it's just another ball" and the others that call them bluffers.
The new collection features a number of items to get fans in the mood or to show their support ahead of the first test. Castore have not only unveiled items for supporters such as t-shirts, hats and hoodies but also replicas of the men and women's shirts the players will wear throughout The Ashes. What we know is it is 22 years since Australia have won in this country. In that time, England have never failed to win at least two Tests in a home Ashes. For any team to win an Ashes series away is incredibly difficult, even if that team does happen to be the world champions. If it does not work here, he will rightly or wrongly shrug his shoulders and commit to doing the same thing all over again. Bazball verdict Like Louis Armstrong said when they asked him to define jazz, “if you have to ask, then you’ll never know”. Sir Alastair Cook, who has swapped playing on these mornings for talking about them, carries out the famous urn flanked by flames.Key also knew Stokes was set to hit the task hard as the clouds of bubble life and his mental health problems the previous summer lifted. Had he sought to offset the captain’s returning flame with an intense “drill sergeant” head coach or one who was overly technical and fastidious, the result of this fire and ice, to quote the Spinal Tap bassist, Derek Smalls, would have been lukewarm water. Stokes always says that results come at the bottom of his list of his priorities and, perhaps, at this very moment in the history of the game, the result of this particular Ashes series is not as important as the style with which it is achieved. Player of the series There were a couple of superb innings from him, but Stokes’s leadership has been more impressive still. He marshals his players expertly on the field, brings passion and empathy to the role, his side have a real collective mindset and everyone has completely bought in to his vision. Go deep beneath the waves: Hidden cameras give incredible perspectives on ingenious ocean creatures Moment of the series Lyon limps out to bat at Lord’s. There was the comedy of him having to leave the dressing room alongside the previous batter to have a chance of not being timed out, the shame of a brilliant player being ruled out of the series through injury, the sheer grit involved in forcing himself through the pain barrier and the knowledge with hindsight that Lyon’s departure contributed to Australia surrendering a 2-0 lead.
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