12 Aug 2015 | Cricket
England regained the Ashes at Trent Bridge on Saturday taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series ahead of the Fifth Test at the Oval. We look at five key factors contributing to the success of Alastair Cook's men this summer.
1. Brad Haddin's dropping Joe Root
Perhaps never has a catch set two men on such opposing trajectories. For Joe Root, the drop allowed him to go on to complete a match and possibly series defining hundred in Cardiff as England completed a 169 victory. More runs for the Yorkshireman later in the series has now meant that he has ascended to number one in the world batting rankings. For Brad Haddin, now homeward bound, Cardiff may have been his final Test match.
2. The Cardiff pitch
The Cardiff pitch, criticised early on, has actually ended up producing the closest and most engrossing contest between the two sides during the series thus far. The match swung between the two teams, but England always remained slightly ahead, and completed a historic victory late on the fourth evening.
3. Moeen sets the tone
With Australia 129/1 in response to England's 430, the match was in the balance at The SSE SWALEC and Steve Smith and Chris Rogers were at the crease, and in great form. Cue England's spinner Moeen Ali; many questioned his place in the side in the run up to the series, but he produced a superb response. Dismissing both Smith and Michael Clarke on the second afternoon, as the two players went on to have disappointing series by their high standards.
4. Australia 60 all out
Few people gave England a chance of winning this Ashes series, let alone with a match to spare. The defining moment came during the fourth Test as Stuart Broad wreaked havoc at Trent Bridge to skittle the Aussies for just 60. It was one of their lowest scores since the 19th century and testament to the brilliance of the English attack.
5. The back up seamers
Whilst the skill and quality of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson with the new ball is a given, many though England's back up seamers may have a job on their hands to contain Australia's batsmen. Thankfully for the home supporters, it couldn't have been further from the truth. From Steven Finn's 8 wickets at Edgbaston to Ben Stokes' five wicket haul in the second innings at Trent Bridge, the back up pace men pulled their weight and then some. Mark Wood even sealed the Ashes victory by bowling Nathan Lyon in the fourth Test to secure the return of the urn.