Goodbye noughties

Mike Atherton reviews the decade in the Times, picking out some of its most significant moments. He begins with the infamous Centurion Test of 2000 and its impact on the match-fixing scandal, and takes readers through the IPL, the first World Twenty20, the 2005 Ashes and much more.

9 The 2005 Ashes series.

This was the Test series of the decade, illustrating perfectly that nothing can better a five-match series of two-innings games between two high-quality teams. Drama, tension, general excellence, sportsmanship and individual brilliance, this was the Test series that had it all. It reignited interest in the Ashes series after the previous one-sided decade.

Patrick Kidd, in his blog Line and Length in the same newspaper, reviews the year for England and the world.

Lawrence Booth, in his blog Top Spin in the Daily Mail, picks out his best and the worst from 2009. Some notable mentions are Pakistan's victory in the World Twenty20, England's defeat in the opening game of the tournament and Jonathan Trott's debut in the Oval Test in the Ashes.

Hollowest Myth

England couldn't win without Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff. Oh yes they could! Pietersen hobbled out of the Ashes after two Tests in which he ended up more hindrance than help, while Flintoff's - after his bullocking but over-rated five-for at Lord's - was a virtual spectator at The Brit Oval.

Don't get sucked in by the Ricky Ponting run-out: no team has ever come close to chasing 550 to win a Test and neither would Australia have done. Learning to win without their two big beasts was England's most valuable lesson of the year.