Fred takes the Ashes, Warnie eats dust

Would it be English beef and brute strength or Australian bloody-mindedness and guile? For five tests, nothing divided them. England’s man of the series? Flintoff. Australia’s? Warne.

Flintoff had been dreaming of playing against Australia since he was a boy and delighted in the challenge. ‘‘The Ashes, it’s great, innit?’’ the all-rounder had said after the first exchanges. He talked about small windows when his batting worked, and small windows when it was the turn of his bowling. When challenged by the best side in the world, however, everything worked at once. He averaged 40 with the bat, compared to a career average of 33.43, while taking a personal record of 24 wickets.

No other batsman scored quicker. No other bowler, apart from Brett Lee, bowled faster. Once a stock-bowler, Flintoff reached 90mph while permanently threatening Australian ribcages.

Gilchrist, Australia’s own all rounder and the world’s most destructive batsman when offered width, was so neutered by Flintoff that his batting average plummeted from 52 to 22.