Mark Nicholas

The Old Trafford bars emptied to witness some Kevin Pietersen magic - let us hope there is still more to come

Cast aside once again, Phillip Hughes sat in the pavilion and watched Michael Clarke play an elegant innings of the purest timing

The tourists' weaknesses overshadowed Joe Root's memorable century, weaknesses that stem from home

There is a lot to contend with on the opening day of a Lord's Test - emotion, pressure, famous faces - but the most important is adjusting to the famous slope

Ashton Agar strode out on debut at No. 11 with his team reeling and transformed the series in just over an hour of batting

The day began with a tribalistic welcome for Ian Bell and Stuart Broad and ended with a great wave of relief at Michael Clarke's dismissal

The selectors pulled one out of the hat with Ashton Agar's inclusion but they were wise to stick with the reliable Peter Siddle

The Ashes legacy rests on the players' ability to capture the imagination of the fans, whether they follow it via radio, TV, the papers or live

Australia's captain needs to buckle down into his relationship with the new coach, trade in some charm, and look to turn things around

The calendar can, and ought to, have room for championships in all three of cricket's international formats

They need to relearn the art of long-form batting if they are to ever dominate an attack like their great predecessors Turner and Crowe did

If England had indicated a greater arrogance born of their total control of the match, there would have been no need for today's weather-led nervousness

With a mix of David Gower, Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan, Joe Root can capture hearts and minds

None of the other three England bowlers with 300 Test wickets - or many other of the game's finest swing merchants - could have bowled better than James Anderson at Lord's

Tense and afraid failure will cost him his England place, Nick Compton must rediscover his inner-Denis

Their journey to retaining the Ashes begins against New Zealand at Lord's

Dynasties are frequently built from the depths of humiliation. A nip here, a tuck there, and Australia could pose a serious threat

Another county season gets underway. It won't be the same without Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Tony Greig

Once, spring meant county cricket, but there's no denying the centre of the cricket world has moved east since

Which of the latter two will find the resolve and inner strength that has allowed South Africa's captain to climb the summit and remain at the top?