England can rule the world

England's subdued celebrations after their Ashes success, their focus on the job ahead and the willingness to learn from their mistakes in the aftermath of the Ashes victory in 2005 bodes well for their preparation to take on the current No.1 Test side, South Africa, later in the year, writes Stephen Brenkley in the Independent on Sunday.

England have the makings of something here, having won from despair. The post-Flintoff era will bring challenges of balance and tone, it may also be the opportunity for restructuring elsewhere (Paul Collingwood and, despite his three late joyful wickets, Stephen Harmison). It is rapt with possibilities. Smashing.

In the Sunday Times, Martin Johnson says England were right in not going over the top in their post-Ashes celebrations because this victory was quite unlike the triumph of 2005.

So not only is it appropriate to celebrate the return of the Ashes in the context of one average team beating another average team, it is also incumbent on the powers that be to make sure that this time England’s defence of the urn is treated more like a serious sporting mission than a family outing to Mablethorpe.

Andrew Strauss led by example, and his leadership, calmness, reliability at the top of the order and the equation he shared with Andy Flower proved critical in the outcome of the Ashes, writes Michael Atherton in the Times.

He [Strauss] is essentially a cautious captain, prone to thinking primarily about saving runs, not taking wickets, and about getting into a position from which defeat is impossible before thinking of victory. Those quibbles aside, it is clear that he is enormously respected by his team, as leader, player and human being — even if they think him a trifle posh. His greatest attribute was his calmness, his ability not to get sidetracked by every crisis that came his way. His was a reassuring presence at the top of the order and at the head of the unit.

Vic Marks is already looking ahead to the next Ashes series Down Under. In the Observer, he writes that Australia have more problems to sort out. They need to deal with their aging guard, he says, and also draft in some extra batsmen along with a specialist spinner. England, he feels, could well be without Paul Collingwood.

England played their best against Australia but they need to get better (and luckier) as they face a tough international schedule with series lined up against stiff opposition, writes Simon Wilde, also in the Sunday Times.

Kevin Pietersen must bat at No 3; Jonathan Trott at 5; Adil Rashid must be given a chance as a bowler and No 8 batsman. The former England captain, Michael Vaughan, tells Scyld Berry how England can build on Ashes success in the Telegraph.

Piers Morgan can't tolerate what according to him is a "weird campaign" to deny Andrew Flintoff the mantle of 'greatness'. He sets the record straight in the Daily Mail.

Greatness is a strange thing to quantify. Churchill was not a particularly good Prime Minister if you study the 'stats'. The normal humdrum business of government didn't really get his juices flowing. But for courage, fortitude and an ability to inspire the nation when it really mattered, he was our greatest.

Matt Prior takes Simon Wilde through each Test of the Ashes leading to the inevitable "biggest day" when the urn returned to England. Read it out in the Sunday Times.