Calmer captain will take side to Ashes glory

Stephen Brenkley writes in the Independent that the Ashes will probably be won by the captain who stands tallest in the face of the coming ordeal.

In England, Ricky Ponting received a round of applause only when his team had lost. In Australia, Andrew Strauss is being vilified for claiming a catch that never was ... In the days and weeks ahead, their teams will come increasingly to rely on them, on the calls they make, on the leadership they offer and on the comfort they give. For the men at the centre of the storm, it is the most severe test of their sporting careers

With Kevin Pietersen's availability for the third Test still uncertain, Mike Selvey says in the Guardian that England will struggle to retain the Ashes lead if their premier batsman isn't fit.

Simon Hughes has seen plenty of stirring performances at his home ground Lord's, but none as good as Andrew Flintoff's spell that sank Australia. Read about it in the Daily Telegraph.

And in the Times Matthew Syed says the oldest rivalry in cricket, the Ashes, has shown once again why it retains it vitality and relevance.