While Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson were both honoured by the Queen, an understated cricketer unlikely to attract royal attention played the considered innings that might well bring New Zealand victory

It would have been hard to design a more intoxicating and unfathomable Test than that witnessed at Headingley and the upshot after an innings each was 350 runs each and an entirely unpredictable outcome

Yorkshire loves to celebrate its own and there was the perfect opportunity to cheer England's latest opener to his first Test century as Adam Lyth asserted his right to partner Alastair Cook in the Ashes

If there was any doubt that New Zealand would keep attacking, their captain's first ball made the answer clear and the spirit of adventure was addictive

England turned to Mark Ramprakash after the Ashes whitewash but Alastair Cook kept his long-term mentor Graham Gooch close. Now surpassing Gooch would be the perfect way, individually, to prepare to win back those Ashes

Giles Clarke asserted that rebel leagues must be thwarted at all costs to protect the community of cricket in a speech to mark his stepping down as chairman of the ECB

Joe Root's love for the game, not for what it brings, is quite a gift after a year of much turmoil within English cricket. Somehow, in this swirl of ill will, he has triumphed

Stuart Broad has lost the England T20 captaincy to Eoin Morgan, but his limited-over ambitions remain and he retains the desire to be play in the 2019 World Cup in England

Are you watching Mumbai Indians? Alex Hales is heading your way for the final stages of IPL, his confidence soaring after six successive sixes on the opening night of the NatWest Blast

Kevin Pietersen's return to the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad has been scuppered by a calf injury suffered while making the triple century for Surrey that helped build a tidal wave of protest at his continued England freeze-out

Andrew Strauss now faces a challenging task as an administrator: of shaping the same sort of success he achieved as a player

It is time to empower the England coach to take full responsibility for the team: either back Peter Moores or sack him

The Earl of Scarbrough is a prominent opponent of Durham's plans to install floodlights at the Emirates Stadium so threatening international cricket in the north-east and putting the county's cricketing future in jeopardy

A beautiful spring day in Cardiff might well have been the occasion when Steve Davies the disillusioned wicketkeeper incontestably became Steve Davies the batsman

Kumar Sangakkara has called for England and Kevin Pietersen to "iron out their differences" and find a way for him to return to international cricket

Runs were plundered in Cardiff, but not by Kevin Pietersen in his first meaningful innings of the season. Still, this was just the start of his quest for an extraordinary return to the England team

As James Anderson surpasses Ian Botham to become England's leading Test wicket-taker, ESPNcricinfo picks out six of his best performances

Chris Read's rapid unbeaten century at Lord's confirmed Nottinghamshire's superiority in a match where they have gradually worn down Middlesex

It will take more than a few glorious Caribbean beaches to cheer up this series between two sides with a desperate need for signs of better times ahead

Even by county cricket's standards, the start to the 2015 season is overshadowed - but change is in the air