Joe Root found himself back in the Ashes spotlight as England and Australia scrapped for control on day one of the first LV= Insurance Test at Edgbaston.

England were 240 for five at tea after batting first in friendly conditions, with Root’s unbeaten 66 coming at a crucial time for a side who were at risk of frittering away a vibrant start to this much-hyped contest.

Zak Crawley got the hosts up and running in emphatic fashion, drilling Australia captain Pat Cummins for four off the first ball of the series, and his dashing half-century looked to be dragging the contest away from the tourists.

But he was dismissed for 61 off the last ball of the morning session and, by the time captain Ben Stokes was caught behind for a single, Australia had the upper hand at 176 for five.

It fell to Root to rebalance the scales and he played an understated gem of an innings, pairing with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow (33no) to put on 64 for the sixth wicket.

Their efforts left everything to play for in the evening, with Australia eager to roll their opponents over before stumps and England hoping their experienced middle-order duo would continue building a big foundation.

Zak Crawley got England’s Ashes summer off to a vibrant start at Edgbaston, smashing the first ball of the series for four and posting a dashing half-century before falling to the final delivery of the opening morning.

The hosts won the toss and chose to bat, making good on their promises to play proactive cricket as they raced along to 124 for three at lunch in the first LV= Insurance Test.

Crawley, whose inconsistent form has drawn intense scrutiny over his place, repaid the selectors’ faith with an agenda-setting 61 of 73 balls, but when Scott Boland had him caught off the glove with the final act of the session it was a huge moment for the tourists.

Ben Duckett (12) and Ollie Pope (31) also fell, leaving Joe Root in charge of carrying the fight in the afternoon.

The first ball of the Ashes has acquired a mythology of its own over the years, with most of the memorable moments falling in Australia’s favour.

From Michael Slater slashing Phil DeFreitas for four in 1994, Steve Harmison serving up a massive wide in 2006 and Mitchell Starc smashing Rory Burns’ leg stump 18 months ago, they are etched into the story of the series.

But this time it was England who stamped their authority on proceedings from the off, Crawley crashing Australia captain Pat Cummins to the cover boundary in personification of England’s ‘Bazball’ philosophy.

A capacity crowd of 25,000 roared their approval and one of the most anticipated series in recent years was off and running in style.

Crawley welcomed Josh Hazlewood, recalled in place of Mitchell Starc, in similar fashion as he flicked four more through square-leg.

The jovial start was punctured in the fourth over when Duckett made an early exit, chopping Hazlewood past his own stumps then chasing the next delivery. Slanted away towards the cordon, it clipped the outside edge and settled in Alex Carey’s gloves.

To their credit, England refused to be rattled. Crawley and Pope ran eagerly, snapping up singles as Australia reverted quickly to defensive, deep fields.

Crawley was in his element, welcoming Nathan Lyon’s arrival after just 10 overs with a reverse sweep and a sweet drive down the ground.

When the metronomic Boland joined the attack there was more of the same, Crawley driving him on the up then cutting deftly behind square as the run-rate raced along.

Australia appeared to miss a trick when Crawley had 40, failing to appeal for an apparent caught behind that showed up on UltraEdge while going unnoticed on the field.

The second-wicket partnership eased to 70 as Australia remained oddly passive, but Lyon was on hand to make an important breakthrough.

Pope had breezed his way to 31 when he was hit in front of leg stump by a flatter delivery from the spinner, whose initial appeal was waved away then upheld by DRS.

Crawley’s 50 and the team hundred left England in a strong position as the interval loomed, only for Boland to muster some extra bounce and flick the batter’s glove in the closing over.

Zak Crawley punched the first ball of the much-awaited Ashes through the covers for four but England’s progress was stymied within the first half hour by Ben Duckett’s dismissal at Edgbaston.

The opening exchange of this series has frequently gone Australia’s way, from Steve Harmison’s alarming wide in 2006 to Rory Burns being bowled round his legs by Mitchell Starc 18 months ago.

Australia’s decision to omit Starc – with Josh Hazlewood returning to the line-up – led to captain Pat Cummins taking the new ball and he served up a full and wide delivery that was clattered by Crawley.

An expectant crowd roared their approval as the ball raced away to the boundary, with Crawley and Duckett settling quickly to vindicate Ben Stokes’ decision to bat first under gloriously sunny skies.

The first hint of trouble came when Duckett (12) inside edged Hazlewood for his second four but his luck immediately ran out. Hazlewood continued to dangle the carrot, sticking to a fuller and wider line which this time drew a thin outside edge that was gratefully accepted by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Crawley, despite speculation about his place in the side after a lean run of form, and Ollie Pope continued to keep England ticking at more than four an over, prompting Cummins to turn to Nathan Lyon’s off-spin in the 10th over.

After Lyon’s opening foray, England were on 47 for one after Crawley (22 not out) clattered the off-spinner authoritatively just wide of mid-off for his third four.

The most eagerly anticipated Ashes summer since 2005 is a matter of hours away, pitting Ben Stokes’ fearless England side against an Australia team that was last week crowned Test world champions.

Stokes has urged his side to stay true to the attacking principles that have roused a team that was in the doldrums after a 4-0 thrashing Down Under 18 months ago.

The England skipper knows he cannot promise victory at Edgbaston – or over the course of the next six weeks – but he has guaranteed entertainment.

Australia, meanwhile, are searching for the second major prize on a tour that captain Pat Cummins admits could be “legacy defining”.

Having knocked off India to claim the ICC’s World Test Championship mace, they now want to win behind enemy lines for the first time since 2001.

Number’s gameClash of the titans

Under head coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes, England’s potential has been truly unleashed, racking up 11 wins in 13 Tests. Arguably more impressive has been their expansive style, going at breakneck pace when batting – among the new benchmarks they set in 2022 was the highest run-rate (4.13) and most sixes (89) in a calendar year.

What might slip under the radar is that they have taken 20 wickets a dozen times. The naysayers – fewer and farther between these days – point out Australia are the acid test of what has been termed ‘Bazball’.

In quicks Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland and spinner Nathan Lyon the tourists have an embarrassment of riches to select from. Australia’s three, four and five – Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head – are numbers one, two and three in the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings. And their tail is up after winning last week’s World Test Championship final. An absorbing five matches await.

What they said

Questions have abounded about Stokes’ left knee for several months, leading to speculation about whether he would be able to perform as an all-rounder. He has steadily built up his workload in the past 72 hours and seems poised to give England’s bowling attack an extra arrow in their quiver.

Will pride come before a fall for Australia?

The last Australia coach to win England, John Buchanan, was also the man in charge in 2005 when Michael Vaughan’s settled side scored an unforgettable win. Buchanan knows a thing or two about the ins and outs of the rivalry, ending his Ashes association with a whitewash in 2006/07.

He told the PA news agency that the key factor in this year’s edition would be whether Australia could shelve any temptation to get involved in an attacking shootout and instead focus on their own fundamentals.

“Players’ ego, team ego, that will be the whole game,” he said. “They need to not allow their ego to get in the road of their batting. I would expect the coach Andrew McDonald to be hammering that home, saying: ‘Bat long, bat lots’.”

One last round for old sparring partners

Many expected the Hobart Test in January 2022 to be the final time long-time rivals Stuart Broad and David Warner ever crossed paths.

Despite pressure over their places, both men are back on parade in Birmingham and theirs is perhaps the most intriguing battle within the battle.

Broad dismissed Warner seven times in 10 innings in the 2019 series in England, a nadir for the punchy left-hander who will be eager to put those bad memories to bed. Expect the theatrics to start the first time Broad gets the new ball in his hand.

Mo, Mo, Mo

A cruel back injury to ‘Bazball’ ever-present Jack Leach and a dearth of domestic spinners led to Stokes sending out an SOS to one of England’s most mercurial Test cricketers.

Despite his last red-ball match being in September 2021, Moeen Ali cheerily returns, admitting only the siren call of Stokes and the lure of the Ashes were the twin forces that saw him, at least temporarily, reverse his Test retirement.

As well as a second Ashes series victory, Moeen, who currently has 2,914 runs and 195 wickets after 64 Tests, has the chance to rack up another couple of personal milestones.

Rovman Powell smashed a 55-ball 105 as the West Indies secured a 114-run over the UAE in their second warm-up match ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

The Windies posted a mammoth 374-9 off their 50 overs after winning the toss and batting first at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare.

Vice-captain Powell hit eight fours and eight sixes in his knock while Nicholas Pooran and Keemo Paul got brisk half-centuries in support.

Pooran hit five fours and five sixes on his way to a 67-ball 74 while Paul hit four fours and four sixes to make 54 off 50 balls.

Kyle Mayer (33) and Johnson Charles (30) also got meaningful contributions against Muhammad Jawadullah’s 3-50 from eight overs and Karthik Meiyappan’s 2-51 off six overs.

Yannic Cariah and Jason Holder then led the way with the ball as the UAE finished their 50 overs 260-9.

Basil Hameed tried his best with an unbeaten 122 while Vriitya Aravind made 54 but it wasn’t enough as Cariah claimed his second straight four-wicket haul of the warm-ups with 4-55 from his 10 overs.

Holder provided good support with 2-26 from seven overs.

The West Indies will open their account in the World Cup Qualifiers against the USA on Sunday.

England and Australia will wear black armbands on day one of the LV= Insurance Ashes, following the deaths of three people in van and knife attacks in Nottingham.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that the mark of respect would be made following Tuesday’s shocking incident, which left students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates dead.

A moment’s silence will also be observed at Edgbaston before the scheduled start of play at 11am.

England captain Ben Stokes said: “The deeply distressing scenes witnessed in Nottingham this week have brought immense sorrow to everyone, particularly the cherished friends and families of the victims.

“It is impossible to express how much their lives and futures have been tragically disrupted.

“These events sadden the England cricket teams, and we are thinking about those affected at this harrowing time. As a gesture of respect, we will honour them by wearing black armbands.”

Stokes’ fellow England captain Heather Knight, who will kick off the women’s Ashes at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on July 22, added her condolences.

“It was incredibly saddening to learn about the events that took place in Nottingham, and it felt a bit closer to home to learn that two of the victims had been cricket players,” she said.

“All of our thoughts are with the families and friends of everyone affected by the tragedy, and with the city of Nottingham.”

Ben Stokes has told his team a big Ashes summer will “never be forgotten” as he prepares to lead England’s battle to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015.

Stokes already owns a significant slice of Ashes history, with his match-winning century at Headingley four years ago inked into the folklore of cricket’s most storied series.

He and his 10 team-mates will step out at a reliably raucous Edgbaston on Friday morning with the chance to add another memorable moment in a rivalry that echoes through the ages.

Speaking on the eve of the first Test, he said: “Any individual who finds themselves either having a great series or a great individual performance, that will never be forgotten.

“When the Ashes comes around it’s the big one on the calendar. Legacies are defined by the people who talk about the individual, and we all know if you do well in the Ashes you’re going to be spoken about throughout many a year.”

Stokes also called on the Birmingham crowd, who have made a name for themselves as the liveliest on the English circuit, to seize their chance to play a role in lifting the hosts.

“The crowd here is so, so good and loud. It’s amazing. We know what it’s like in Australia..when we’re at the MCG, all these places when the home crowd is on top of you, you do know you’re the away team.

“What I would say to the people who come here and watch is regardless of how things are going out there, just be with us. What we’re trying to do, over and over again, is make it worth their time coming to watch us play cricket.”

Stokes has certainly delivered on that promise since taking over as skipper. In insisting his teams stay permanently on the front foot and take the attacking option whenever they can, he has not only overhauled their results – with 11 wins from 13 matches – he has revamped their identity.

Urged on by a like-minded head coach in Brendon McCullum, he has never wavered in his commitment to the philosophy and laughed off the idea that the arrival of Australia would change things now.

“I don’t think there’s any question around how we are going to go out and play our cricket, even though it’s against Australia,” he said.

“All I want is for the team to go out there and keep pushing the boundaries of what we’ve achieved so far. As long as we can stay true to that then I will be a happy and proud captain regardless of the result at the end of the series.

“If we play the way we know we’re capable of then I know we are able to beat any team. I know that’s a big statement in itself but I think what we’ve done over the last year means we’re able to say that.”

Stokes’ confidence extended to naming his XI two days out, while counterpart Pat Cummins opted to his keep his counsel until the toss. Having already tempted Moeen Ali out of retirement to step in for injured spinner Jack Leach, there was only one real decision to make over the final seamer.

In the end he opted for Stuart Broad’s vast experience over the explosive pace of Mark Wood. The decision was made primarily on instinct but is backed up by the numbers, with the 36-year-old boasting 131 wickets in 35 Ashes Tests, with 84 of those in home conditions.

“Generally, I’ve stuck with my heart and my gut throughout my captaincy so far. Broady’s record against Australia is incredible and it’s very hard to look past someone like that, in the opening game of the series,” he said.

Stokes’ own fitness remains a huge source of intrigue, as he strives to return to his role as England’s all-action all-rounder. His ability to chip in as a bowler has been compromised in recent times by chronic left-knee problems, but he has gradually ramped up his bowling since arriving in Birmingham and appears increasingly ready to throw himself into the fray.

“The last three days have been really good for my confidence, I’ve been able to run in with more intensity day by day so I have got myself in a really good position to be able to bowl,” he said.

“I’m not speaking too soon, who knows where I could be in two weeks’ time? But hopefully I don’t have to worry about that.”

Asked if he was able to operate at 100%, he offered a wry smile and replied: “I’ll give 100 per cent of what I’ve got at the time. I think that’s a good way to say it.”

England and Australia are ready to face off once again in the latest chapter of cricket’s oldest rivalry.

Australia ran out 4-0 winners Down Under in 2021-22 in a one-sided contest but find themselves up against opponents revitalised by the inspired leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Here the PA news agency looks at some of the key issues ahead of the first Test.

Ben Stokes’ left knee

The build-up to the most anticipated Ashes series since 2005 has been dominated by Ben Stokes’ left knee. Barring a solitary over in his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the recent Indian Premier League season, the England captain has not bowled since a flare-up in New Zealand in February. Stokes did not bat or bowl in England’s Test against Ireland at the start of the month and there are understandable doubts over his ability to function as a fourth seamer for England. If he cannot take his share of the load it could imbalance an attack that leans heavily on the 40-year-old James Anderson and 36-year-old Stuart Broad.

How will Australia cope with ‘Bazball’?

Bazball, the shorthand nickname for England’s ultra-attacking approach under coach Brendon McCullum, has seen them operate at a staggering run-rate of 4.85. The gung-ho approach has blown away South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan over the past year and seen England win 11 of their last 13 Tests. But Australia’s bowling group presents a sterner challenge. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc are an elite pack of seamers, backed up by a spinner in Nathan Lyon who has 487 Test scalps. The noise from the England camp suggests there will be no backward step, but their opponents have the speed, experience and consistency to make things backfire.

The Moeen factor

Jack Leach’s lower-back stress fracture saw an emergency call go out to Moeen Ali. The off-spinning all-rounder, whose last Test came in September 2021, was coaxed out of retirement to join England’s Ashes squad. While Moeen’s white-ball exploits will serve him well in this iteration of the England Test side, filling Leach’s shoes may not be a straightforward task. Leach has been an ever-present first-choice under Stokes, working through over 500 overs and showing an ability to control one end for long periods. Moeen is a more mercurial bowler and his selection automatically changes the profile of the attack. How he copes with long spells in the field after almost two years as a limited-overs specialist remains to be seen but his batting is a clear upgrade on Leach.

All eyes on Crawley

Few players typify the duality of ‘Bazball’ in the way Zak Crawley does. He had an 87.5 strike-rate in 2022 yet his Test average sits stubbornly below 30 as his occasional highs are eroded by low scores. He remains the most controversial pick in the team, but coach McCullum has justified the long rope Crawley has been afforded by saying that his “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer”. When he gets going, McCullum believes Crawley can win matches for England. A knock of 122 off 111 balls against Pakistan in Rawalpindi was a case in point, but he needs to be at his best to make a defining contribution this summer.

England’s pace attack…lacking pace

In the past year, Stokes has spoken about wanting a 90mph bowler in his side on numerous occasions. And yet, when decision time came, he opted for Stuart Broad ahead of Mark Wood for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. While the 36-year-old’s nous and experience on this stage cannot be scoffed at, Wood’s exclusion leaves the England bowling line-up lacking in express pace. Broad’s selection could spell trouble for David Warner, who lost that particular head-to-head seven times in 10 innings during the 2019 Ashes.

Pat Cummins is certain David Warner will turn up the aggression when batting during the Ashes but the Australia captain suggested any verbals from the tourists will be kept to a minimum.

Warner averaged a meagre 9.5 during Australia’s last Test trip to the UK in 2019 as he was bewildered by Stuart Broad, who dismissed the left-handed opener seven times in 10 innings in a lopsided battle.

The rivalry will resume in the next few days as Broad will join spearheads James Anderson and Ollie Robinson as England’s three-pronged frontline pace line-up for this summer’s curtain-raiser at Edgbaston.

Even though Warner has registered just one fifty in his last 17 Test innings – albeit an unbeaten 200 against South Africa last December – the 36-year-old has been backed to take the attack to England.

“I don’t think (Warner) is overly surprised,” Cummins said of England’s decision to select Broad ahead of Mark Wood.

“I’m sure he’s thought about it a lot over the last four years, hoping to get another another crack at it.

“There’s no huge surprises, you kind of plan for everyone anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

“Davey, I know will have all his plans in place. I’m sure you’ll see a bit more of an aggressive Davey than perhaps in 2019 and he’s itching to get out there and have another chance at it.”

Warner, who has announced his intention to retire from international cricket in January, is set to open alongside Usman Khawaja but Cummins did not follow England’s lead in naming his team ahead of time.

Josh Hazlewood, available after injury precluded his involvement in Australia’s World Test Championship final win over India last week, is vying with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland for two bowling spots in what seems the only selection dilemma for the tourists.

While admitting Australia have chosen their side, Cummins was tight-lipped about who they have settled on and was far more forthcoming about pointing out his team are less voluble than their predecessors.

“Over the last couple of years our team has been pretty chilled out there,” Cummins said. “We’re quite a confident bunch but we’re not overly loud or in your face.

“I’m sure there’s going to be emotion at times but I’d be surprised if that bubbled over like maybe it has in the past. We’ve got so many English mates, us Aussies, and all the English have Aussie mates.”

Nevertheless, this has been one of the most eagerly awaited series in years, with England’s attacking approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum that has brought 11 wins in their last 13 Tests set to be confronted by their fiercest rivals – the recently crowned world Test champions.

While Cummins recognises anticipation for these five Tests is approaching fever pitch, he claimed he is not distracted by England’s philosophy having led Australia to four wins in their last six series.

“We’re pumped that it’s here,” Cummins said. “This one in particular seems like it’s just got a little bit more on it, the whole cricketing world stops for a month to put their attention on this series.

“We’ve been amazing over the last 20 Test matches. And I think you’ve seen a pretty similar style in the way we’ve played, so we don’t want to lose sight of that.”

Excitement was high for the last Ashes contest a little over 18 months ago but England’s bubble was punctured from the very first ball at Brisbane, where Rory Burns was bowled round his legs by Starc.

“That pressure release of the first ball, taking a wicket and setting up the whole series – it was my first ball as captain so it takes a little bit of the nerves off as well,” Cummins said.

“It was just one of those iconic Ashes moments which every series always seems to have a couple of. If we’re bowling. I might give it someone else down the other end just so I don’t create a memory.”

England batter Dan Lawrence is swapping Essex for Surrey, agreeing a three-year deal with the reigning county champions.

Lawrence is a local favourite at Chelmsford having come through the ranks from Chingford Cricket Club and his departure at the end of the season will be a hammer blow to Essex.

The 25-year-old has won 11 Test caps and is part of the current Ashes squad, but he will be hoping his switch to the Kia Oval can further enhance his international prospects.

Lawrence, who made his Essex debut as a 17-year-old and became the championship’s third youngest centurion in 2015, has scored 5,898 runs in 112 first-class appearances with 13 hundreds.

His aggressive style has also brought success in short-form cricket and he boasts a strike-rate of 140.16 in T20 cricket.

“It is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving Essex at the end of this season. Essex is the county who taught me how to play the game, developed me as a person and allowed me to play the sport I love professionally,” he said.

“At this stage of my career, I believe a move to the Oval offers a new challenge and would hugely benefit my own ambitions. Whilst an incredibly difficult decision, it is one that I am taking to continue my development as a cricketer.”

The Brown Caps’ director of cricket, former England captain Alec Stewart, was enthused about the latest addition to his star-studded squad.

“I first saw Dan play as a 17-year-old when he scored 161 against us in just his second first-class game, and it was obvious he had the potential to become a very special player.

“When a player of his calibre becomes available, the opportunity to bring him to the club was something I was exceptionally keen to try and make happen.

“After just a couple of conversations it was apparent, he wants to fulfil his ambitions of being the very best player he can be and become an England regular in all formats.”

England captain Ben Stokes pointed to Stuart Broad’s “incredible” record against Australia as the chief reason the veteran seamer got the nod over Mark Wood for the first Ashes Test.

Tussles with Australia have frequently brought out the best in Broad, who has taken 131 Ashes wickets in 35 Tests and 84 in 20 at home, where he averages a commendable 26.19 against England’s big rivals.

Virtuoso spells swung the series England’s way in 2009 and 2015 in particular and while Wood’s express pace presented a tempting alternative, it is Broad who will join a fast bowling attack also including James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, with Stokes as the auxiliary option in the curtain-raiser.

Ahead of the long-awaited opening day, Stokes said: “When you say Broad, Robinson, Anderson, it’s a pretty good three guys to say they’re in your starting XI.

“Broady’s record against Australia is incredible and it’s very hard to look past someone like that in the opening game of such a big series.

“I think what the Ashes brings, it’s just so hard to look past someone like that, it’s so hard to look past Jimmy and Robbo, who was incredible over the last year in all conditions. I’m very happy with the team we have.”

Broad has 43 wickets at an average of 24.06 in 10 Edgbaston Tests, including five for 86 against Australia in 2019.

His selection means he is set to continue his rivalry against Australia opener David Warner, who was dismissed seven times in 10 innings by the England quick in the 2019 series.

Asked if that was a factor in his selection, Stokes added: “I’d be lying if I said no.”

John Buchanan, the last man to coach Australia to an Ashes victory on English soil in 2001, believes the tourists need to shelve their “team ego” if they are to end their long winless run this summer.

England’s red-ball revolution over the past 12 months, with the buccaneering pair of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm, has cast them as the most daring, dynamic team in the world game.

They have batted at a pace more associated with one-day cricket, bowled to endlessly attacking fields and made a series of bold declarations to push games forward, winning 11 Tests out of 13 along the way.

Buchanan oversaw a 4-1 victory 22 years ago to keep Australia’s era of dominance alive but was also in charge during the memorable summer of 2005 when Michael Vaughan’s men wrestled back the urn.

The Baggy Greens have since lost away series in 2009, 2013 and 2015 as well as drawing 2-2 four years ago, and Buchanan has identified a key issue if they wish to get back to winning ways.

He believes it is essential Australia are not suckered in to playing the game at their rivals’ preferred tempo and instead stick to their own more traditional methods.

“I think we are pointing to ego this summer, players’ ego, team ego. That will be the whole game,” he told the PA news agency.

“If there is one person in world cricket who has enough bravado, and the ability to back it up, it’s Ben Stokes.

“Australia need to know their response. The first way would be to just play a negative game, bowl one side of the wicket, bowl wide of the crease, set a leg-side field. But that feels like a backward step when this English team is really attracting interest to Test cricket.

“It doesn’t feel like a very Australian response either, it feels more like how the old England teams would respond.

“The other way is just to bat for long periods of time, and that’s where ego will play a part. England might well go at five an over, pile on 250 and be all out by tea on day five. But that leaves so much of the game left and Australia need to realise that going at three an over, or a little more, is enough to build a sizeable lead if they go long.

“To do that they need to not allow their ego to get in the road of their batting. I would expect the coach Andrew McDonald to be hammering that home, saying: “Bat long, bat lots”. That’s the game.”

The 2023 Ashes is set to be one of the most exciting in history, with a resurgent England taking on Test champions Australia.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have led England to 11 victories in 13 matches since their appointments as captain and coach last summer, while Australia cemented their status as the best five-day team in the world by thrashing India by 209 runs in the World Test Championship final.

Here, the PA news agency picks out five key stats ahead of the five-match series.

Travball

Freed up by Stokes’ and McCullum’s ultra-positive mindset, England’s batters account for seven of the eight fastest strike rates among players with more than 500 runs to their name since the New Zealander was installed as coach on May 12, 2022.

Australia batter Travis Head is the only non-Englishman in the list, with his strike rate of 83.75 runs per 100 balls ranking fourth behind Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow.

Stokes described Head as “so hard to bowl to” in the previous Ashes in Australia, in which he scored 357 runs – the most by anyone on either side – from just 415 balls faced.

He has maintained that form ever since, most recently in a trademark counter-attacking innings of 163 from 174 deliveries against India.

Head’s performances have seen him climb to third spot in the Test batting rankings, behind countrymen Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Joe Root is the highest-ranked England batter in sixth.

The last time three batters from the same team were first, second and third in the Test rankings was in December 1984, when Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd, and Larry Gomes from West Indies were at the top.

All out attack

While England’s cavalier batting under Stokes and McCullum has attracted lots of attention, their bowlers have been equally destructive by dismissing the opposition in 25 consecutive innings.

This is their longest run since 1978 and 1979, when England bowled out 26 successive opponents in a sequence that brought series wins against Pakistan and New Zealand, plus a 5-1 Ashes success in Australia.

The wickets have been shared among 14 players during the current run, with veteran seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad – as well as the injured Jack Leach – leading the way on 45 apiece.

Anderson has the best overall figures having claimed his scalps at an average of 17.62, ahead of Ollie Robinson who has 27 wickets at 21.25.

Matthew Potts has chipped in with 23 victims, ahead of captain and Durham team-mate Stokes on 20.

Then comes a bit of a gap to Root on nine wickets and Mark Wood – who has only played two Tests under Stokes and McCullum – on eight.

The overlooked Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks took seven and six wickets in Pakistan respectively, while Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on debut against Ireland at Lord’s.

Jamie Overton (two), Brook (one) and Matt Parkinson (one) have also contributed, while there have been five run-outs and one retirement through injury.

Stokes fitness worries

Stokes’ bowling capability remains somewhat shrouded in mystery ahead of the first Test.

England’s captain has been recovering from a troublesome left knee and – despite insisting he is ready to bowl – has sent down only nine overs in six Test innings so far in 2023.

He also bowled only one over for Chennai Super Kings in this year’s Indian Premier League and was described by coach Stephen Fleming as “batting cover” during the second half of the tournament.

Stokes’ all-round abilities are key to the balance of England’s side, particularly given his preference for fast, flat pitches which could result in bowlers having to get through lots of overs.

Meanwhile, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green – who is playing in an Ashes in England for the first time – has enjoyed a promising start to his Test career.

He has lost only three of the 21 matches he has played in.

Indomitable Lyon

Nathan Lyon has played a remarkable 98 consecutive Tests for Australia, the joint-sixth longest run in history.

The 35-year-old off-spinner – who took four for 41 to help dismiss India in their second innings and clinch the World Test Championship – has not missed a single game since sitting out the opening two Tests of the 2013 Ashes in England.

While Lyon is unlikely to break the record held by former England captain Sir Alastair Cook (159), he is already out on his own among bowlers.

All-rounders Garry Sobers (85), Kapil Dev (66) and Ian Botham (65) have been surpassed, although India’s Dev can consider himself unlucky not to hold the bowlers’ record having missed only one Test in his 131-match career.

Lyon’s omnipresence is in stark contrast with his opposite number Moeen Ali, who is returning to red-ball cricket after nearly two years away as an emergency replacement for the injured Leach.

Moeen admitted this week that he has “never been able to hold an end up” and the stats back this up – his economy rate of 3.61 runs per over is far worse than Lyon’s 2.92.

However, he has a better strike rate than his Australian counterpart, taking a wicket every 60.7 deliveries compared with Lyon’s 63.7.

Absent friend

This will be the first Ashes series since Shane Warne’s sudden death in March 2022.

Warne will be forever synonymous with the urn, having taken more wickets against England than any other player in Test history (195).

The Australian introduced himself to Ashes cricket in 1993 by dismissing Mike Gatting with his very first ball. The delivery – which pitched outside leg and clipped the top of off – was subsequently dubbed the “ball of the century”.

Warne went on to claim 129 Ashes wickets in England at an average of 21.94, compared with 66 scalps at 25.81 in his native Australia.

He won 24 of the 36 Ashes Tests he played in, losing seven and drawing five.

Two of those defeats came in 2005, which was arguably Warne’s greatest Ashes performance despite him finishing on the losing side.

The leg-spinner claimed 40 wickets at an average of 19.92, including six in both innings in the fifth Test at the Oval as Australia tried unsuccessfully to prevent an England series victory.

Andre Russell and Chris Gayle are among some of the marquee players drafted for the 2023 edition of the Global T20 Canada that returns after an absence of four years.

Previously held in 2018 and 2019, the third edition of the league will bowl off July 20 and conclude on August 6 in Ontario after a four-year hiatus.

Russell has signed to play for Montreal Tigers and will play alongside Shakib al Hasan, Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite as well as Zahir Khan.

Gayle, meanwhile, will suit up for Mississauga Panthers where his power-hitting skills will be complemented by the likes of Shoaib Malik, James Neesham and Cameron Delport.

The other teams in the Global T20 Canada are the Surrey Tigers,  Brampton Wolves, Vancouver Knights and Toronto Nationals.

Surrey completed the second-highest successful run chase in County Championship history by reaching 501 to beat Kent.

Dom Sibley’s marathon, unbeaten 140 – from 415 balls and spanning 580 minutes – underpinned a sensational effort from the champions as they eclipsed their previous highest chase of 410 in 2002.

In finishing on 501 for five Surrey achieved the highest winning target in the County Championship since Middlesex chased down 502 to beat Nottinghamshire in 1925.

Ben Foakes (124) also completed a century on the final day while Jordan Clark hit the winning run shortly after tea.

Elsewhere, Sam Cook, Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter helped Essex record a 196-run victory over Somerset.

Fast bowler Cook grabbed two wickets in two deliveries with the new ball before Harmer took two more to claim match figures of eight for 178 and Porter rounded off the tail.

Somerset needed to bat out 151 overs, or reach 466 to win, but they were eventually bowled out for 269 with two sessions to spare.

Lancashire made short work of scoring the 92 runs they required to clinch a six-wicket victory against Hampshire in just over an hour’s play on day four.

An unbeaten 64 by Red Rose captain Dane Vilas steered his side to a first championship win of the season before lunch.

Joe Clarke turned his first red-ball century for 21 months into a maiden double-hundred as Nottinghamshire denied Warwickshire victory.

Thanks to Clarke’s unbeaten 229, spanning eight hours and 38 minutes, Notts clawed back a deficit of 416 on first innings after following on.

In Division Two, Worcestershire fell agonisingly short of their target of 386 in a tense draw with Sussex.

All four results were possible with two deliveries of the match remaining, before Joe Leach needed five off the final ball but a swing and a miss left the visitors stranded on 381 for eight.

Chris Wright and Callum Parkinson took four wickets apiece as Leicestershire dismissed Gloucestershire for 202.

That left the Foxes needing 221 to win and they got home for the loss of five wickets with Rehan Ahmed hitting a rapid 71 and Colin Ackermann making 78 not out.

Yorkshire celebrated a championship victory for the first time in 14 months as they knocked off 65 to beat Derbyshire by three wickets.

Shan Masood’s unbeaten 95 off 112 deliveries and a run-a-ball 41 not out from Dom Bess saw the visitors home after Dawid Malan had fallen to the first ball of the day.

Chris Cooke (134 not out) and Timm van der Gugten (52 not out) batted Glamorgan to a draw at Durham with an unbroken stand of 153.