Mark Nicholas

Kumar Sangakkara has been a flag-bearer for his country's cricket, dominating attacks, winning hearts and maintaining the highest standards for 15 years

Michael Clarke will soon be a forgotten man but Alastair Cook has proved a tough so-and-so and has completed the transformation from lost soul to triumphant leader

Stuart Broad was at his best on an extraordinary first morning at Trent Bridge, where swing and seam destroyed Australia and all but sealed the fate of the urn

Three matches down, two to go. The way this series has developed it is impossible know what will follow. Every moment should be savoured

The fast bowler who was labelled as "unselectable" on the last Ashes tour is a frontline force once again after a journey to purgatory and back

Day four at Lord's will have been traumatic for the England dressing room, but in Australia's celebrations would rightly have been long and loud. How quickly things change

Australia's second-wicket stand at Lord's had stood since 1930 - and the partnership involved a chap named Bradman - but now it belongs to Australia's latest batting sensation and an older star aiming to bow out on a high

Crucial runs and vital wickets in the first Test reinforced the allrounder's value to England as he overcame everything Australia tried to throw at him

This is a new England all right. Come what may in this remarkable Test match, a seed has been sowed and the future is bright

Lillee and Thommo, Illy, Boycs and Snow: the '70s was a fine time for a youngster captivated by England-Australia Test matches

Decades of being taught to play the conservative and "correct" way have done the team no favours in the modern era. Finally it has opted for a more carefree, fearless avatar

The review system has changed the game, especially for spinners, as the final day at Headingley showed

Get McCullum, get the game, thought England. So the New Zealand captain blocked a half-century to deliver the message that his side would not yield

This was something close to the perfect Test, a game that swayed in the breeze of sport's unpredictability and lifted a burden from Alastair Cook's shoulders

The problems with Broad's batting after being hit by a bouncer have inhibited the rest of his game. England need him to find a solution

He can start by buying into the English game by committing himself to Surrey for the rest of the season

The boy from Burnley with magic in his wrist has surpassed all before him - with luck we will be able to enjoy his skill and application for a few more years yet

The last few weeks and days have been about being loved at last for Australia's World Cup-winning captain

The final knockouts of the World Cup have the potential to be cricket classics

Yes, the players are to blame, but more so the system that has sidelined the 50-overs format and turned it into a confused obligation