"It was billed as the series of our lives by Brendon McCullum but as he and Ben Stokes looked over towards the podium to watch Steve Smith and Pat Cummins lift the crystal Ashes trophy under an azure sky, the optimism that preceded this failed campaign felt a lifetime ago. They landed in Perth two months ago with what they and many thought was an aggressive, dynamic England side, finally set to challenge Australia's ageing champions after three miserable tours. Cue a 4-1 humbling, offset by one maelstrom win in Melbourne but with the Ashes already lost in 11 days."
"It was never truly in doubt, with Stokes standing there helpless at slip after another injury, forever wishing he had more runs to work with; that catches had stuck earlier in the match, or that his batters had made better use of a good pitch in their first innings. There were positives in the match. Jacob Bethell stretched his maiden Test century to 154, an innings of rare quality from a rookie that fulfilled the prophecies of Sir Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara growing up."
England arrived in Perth with high hopes of an aggressive, dynamic side but endured a 4-1 Ashes defeat dominated by Australia. The series featured one remarkable Melbourne win but was decided early, with England hampered by injuries and inconsistent batting. Key positives included Jacob Bethell's maiden Test century of 154 and Josh Tongue's 18 wickets at 20 apiece, offering hope for the future. Mitchell Starc dominated with 31 wickets and the Compton-Miller medal, while veteran Australian figures celebrated, including Usman Khawaja's emotional farewell to Test cricket with a sajdah on the SCG outfield.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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