Australia surfed a tide of emotion in front of a packed fourth-and-final day crowd, sealing their first Ashes whitewash in 86 years with a ruthless demolition job at Sydney. They had a full two days available to do the necessary, but in the end they neede

James Anderson is a man of few words at the best of times. Given that these are the worst of times for England's cricketers, it is hardly surprising to learn that he was at a loss to explain his side's latest meltdown

Shane Warne's scriptwriters have stretched credulity to the limits in this series, but today one of their plotlines was deemed just that little bit too ludicrous for publication

On a day when England needed to be firing on all cylinders to prevent Australia taking control of the fifth and final Test, Andrew Flintoff's contribution with the ball was a cause of concern

It was a good day at the office for Steve Harmison. He bowled 16 overs for 34, and picked up two important wickets as well

Cricinfo runs through the A-Z of 2006

England's bowlers did their level best to atone for another underwhelming batting display, reducing Australia to 4 for 155 in reply to 291

Ian Bell made his fourth half-century in nine innings this series, but once again failed to go on to a hundred, as England were made to struggle for their runs on the first day of the fifth Test at Sydney. He fell for 71 to Glenn McGrath, as England reach

He's been largely anonymous for significant swathes of this Test series, but Glenn McGrath, like the cold-blooded crusher that he is, has struck the big blows at moments when others might have let their emotions run away with them

Middlesex's offspinning allrounder, Jamie Dalrymple, is in line for an Ashes debut at Sydney tomorrow, as England seek to avert their first Ashes whitewash for 86 years

Kevin Pietersen has hit back at suggestions from Australia's coach, John Buchanan, that he is not a team player, insisting that the war of words that has erupted since the end of the Melbourne Test is all part of the Aussies' psychological ploy

England's captain, Andrew Flintoff, is running out of ways to express his disappointment on this tour. Another day, another defeat, another round of hollow insistences that his team is still full of "character" and "pride"

Andrew Miller reviews England's year in 2006

England have long insisted "there's a lot of heart and pride in our dressing-room". Unfortunately, nothing of the sort transferred itself to the middle on the third day at Melbourne

England's cunning plan was imparted to all of Australia's listeners on ABC Radio, after a copy of their laminated, colour-co-ordinated bowling chart was lifted from the dressing-room and leaked to the Australian media

In the space of two sessions on the second day at Melbourne, the most closely fought contest of the summer was transformed into the stage for the biggest rout yet, as Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds flogged the final vestiges of resistance out of Englan

Kevin Pietersen is not the type of chap who likes to appear foolish, but increasingly in this series he is being made to look it. Not through any apparent fault of his own, I hasten to add, (the odd ill-advised sweep shot notwithstanding) but by proxy

Shane Warne grabbed his 700th Test wicket in front of his adoring Melbourne public to send England's innings into freefall on the opening day of the fourth Test at the MCG

When asked today about his career highs and lows, Glenn McGrath reeled off a very specific, and diverse, list of moments