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Rob Key gave the diagnosis when he swapped the role of commentator for England team director at the start of last season. He made a bet with himself that, despite the flatlining results that prompted regime change, the team were blessed with good players who were trying too hard, wanted it too much and in a jaded struggle through the pandemic’s fug of fixture fulfilment, were “suffocating”. The tension squeezes tighter as the captains emerge, both in their pristine blazers - Ben Stokes in blue and Pat Cummins in green. Player of the series There were a couple of superb innings from him, but Stokes’s leadership has been more impressive still. He marshals his players expertly on the field, brings passion and empathy to the role, his side have a real collective mindset and everyone has completely bought in to his vision. Castore have released their Ashes clothing range on the eve of the first clash between England and Australia at Edgbaston.

Their buccaneering batting is made all the more thrilling by the risk of it going spectacularly wrong, like watching a tightrope walker tiptoe between skyscrapers. England are likely to fall in a heap at some point this summer, but when? The longer they delay the collapse, the more chance of lifting the urn. The players emerge for their warm-ups, if that's what they are still called. As the crowd slowly builds, England have their football and Australia their Aussie Rules equivalent.

Joe Root knows a thing or two about Ashes plans after three series captaining England against Australia. Moment of the series Has to be Woakes hitting the winning runs at Headingley. When Woakes walks out, the series is basically disintegrating towards an ill-tempered anticlimax. When he walks off triumphant, you can tell from the noise alone that it’s alive again.

Predicting what will happen is more difficult than ever, even if the Test Match Special team have given it a good go. Australian Florence Morphy gave the small terracotta urn to England captain Ivo Bligh as a trophy and symbol of her love. The pair would eventually be married, while the two rival teams had something tangible to compete for. Less remembered are England being rolled by Glenn McGrath on the first day at Lord's in 2005 and Andrew Strauss' third-ball dismissal in 2010-11, both series England won. Even if they lose this series, if it is done while throwing everything at Australia, then it will not lead to the usual pearl clutching of an Ashes defeat. It feels like it will either be a glorious triumph or a glorious failure. Stokes has done his best this week to not be different, to ensure his players are preparing as if for any other series, but there was a sense of relief on Thursday that the hype was over and the day “finally here”.And I also know for a fact Australia will not want Woody to play these last two games. It’s so weird; how does he bowl so fast? He’s not a big bloke, it’s just arm-speed, I guess. He’s so skiddy and always at you, so I’m very happy he’s on my team. And it’s not just with the ball, the way he took them on with the bat was gamechanging.”