England on verge of the complete set

England regained the Ashes last year with convincing victories at Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. The series-clinching victory came in astonishing style as Stuart Broad's 8 for 15 demolished Australia for 60 inside the first session on his home ground in Nottingham. Australia secured two equally overwhelming wins in London, but as in 2009 and 2013 lost too many key moments over the five matches.

It remains uncertain whether England will face Bangladesh for the first time in six years later this year due to security concerns. Their last meeting was in England with the home side comfortable winners once they found their stride, but Tamim Iqbal lit up the two matches with back-to-back hundreds at Lord's and Old Trafford. Steven Finn was England's Player of the Series.

Like this current series, England went behind with a defeat at Lord's, beaten at their own game on a seaming wicket. It left Alastair Cook on the brink of quitting - his form had also deserted him - but at the Ageas Bowl there was a rally both individually, as Cook made 95, and collectively as Moeen Ali helped secure an impressive all-round win. After that, England trampled all over India's batting on two favourable pitches at Old Trafford and The Oval.

England haven't lost a series to New Zealand since 1999, but haven't always dominated. Their victory at Lord's was outstanding - overcoming an even bigger deficit than they did against Pakistan at Edgbaston - inspired by Ben Stokes' blistering hundred and a captain's innings from Cook before England bowled out New Zealand out on a gripping final day. Headingley, not for the first time, did not go well, however, as New Zealand - in the style of their captain, Brendon McCullum - threw caution to wind with the bat then spun to victory on the final day.

A significant overseas triumph, sealed, like the Ashes, by a Stuart Broad special. He tore through South Africa on the third afternoon in Johannesburg with 6 for 17 to set up a seven-wicket win. England had opened with an outstanding victory in Durban, followed by Stokes' record-breaking 258 in a high-scoring Cape Town draw. Kagiso Rabada's 11 wickets won the dead-rubber, saving face but not the series.

Earlier this season, England did an efficient job on a callow Sri Lanka team overawed by the conditions. James Anderson bagged ten at Headingley then Moeen Ali's career-best 155 rescued an iffy batting display in Chester-le-Street. After being on the verge of embarrassment in the second Test, Sri Lanka found their fight with Dinesh Chandimal's hundred but they were too far behind for it to make a difference.

An unconvincing way to keep hold of the Wisden Trophy. England could not bowl West Indies out in 130 overs in Antigua as Jason Holder made an unbeaten hundred, but Anderson did inspire an impressive final-day victory push on a flat pitch in Grenada to ensure England could not lose the series. However, in Barbados, they capitulated - much to the delight of West Indies who had been labelled 'mediocre' by the incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves - as they fell to a five-wicket defeat. It would prove to be Peter Moores' final Test as head coach.

Due to political reasons, Zimbabwe have not been the opposition since a two-match series 13 years ago. They were overwhelmed by an innings in both Tests. Anderson bagged five wickets on his debut at Lord's, before the more unlikely swing bowlers of Mark Butcher and Anthony McGrath shared seven in the second innings. At Chester-le-Street, Richard Johnson marked his debut with 6 for 33 - five of his wickets being lbw including two in his first over.