#england-v-australia

#england-v-australia

Have we all got our breath back? That was an absolutely nonsense, absurd, bizarre opening day: 19 wickets in a Test day in Australia that only contained about 70 overs. Can nobody remember how to bat anymore? Was the pitch too difficult? The answer is no, not really, because some players do still bat for long periods of time elsewhere, and the surface had some pace and bounce but nothing inconsistent or unplayable.

Mark Waugh or Steve? Greg or Ian Chappell? Will it be England's sepia-tinted Sydney F Barnes, the grumpy and moustachioed Jimmy Anderson of his day, or Australia's Sidney G Barnes, an eccentric batter in the 1948 touring Invincibles? Does Ivo Bligh's place in Ashes folklore merit inclusion even if his 10.33 batting average wouldn't get him in a village XI?

England's attacking frailties were exposed and punished by a ruthless Australia as the tourists swept to a worryingly straightforward victory in the opening Test of the Ashes. Shaun Wane's side had spoken effusively about their motivation going into the first Ashes for 22 years and they were certainly not short on endeavour at Wembley. However, in the crucial moments, it was the world champions who showed more composure

The pantheon of players who have represented England and Great Britain in the past 22 years is a modernday who's who of the game. Sam Burgess, James Graham, Sean O'Loughlin, James Roby the list is long, storied and impressive. You could argue there is plenty dividing those players, not least their ferocious rivalries at club level in Super League. But