Castore have released their Ashes clothing range on the eve of the first clash between England and Australia at Edgbaston. 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.” At that point, Stokes made his breathtaking intervention, a declaration after 78 overs the earliest in a first innings in Ashes history and third-earliest ever by England.

All three were first-second punches to the gut by Australia. All three series ended in demoralising English defeat. Rory Burns was bowled by the first ball of the 2021-22 Ashes by Mitchell Starc Speak to those who have faced the first Ashes salvo and they fall into two camps. Those who say "it's just another ball" and the others that call them bluffers. If it does not work here, he will rightly or wrongly shrug his shoulders and commit to doing the same thing all over again. It did mean Travis Head and Nathan Lyon were chosen to spend pretty much all day on the fence, closer to the rowdy England fans than their own team-mates.

One will say the atmosphere turns into white noise, the other will tell you they hear every word as their heart beats in their throat. Is this happening? Both Australia bowlers hit to the boundary with their first Ashes balls? It never has before.

But, to question England's method would be to miss the point. For them, aggression is not a choice, it is a necessity. It is how they play because that is their best chance of being successful. 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.

Ben Stokes plays a shot during England’s Test series against Pakistan in December 2022. The 3-0 series win is a high point in his reign as captain. Photograph: Fareed Khan/AP The old rivalry will be ignited across five tests this summer as Ben Stokes' side will look to reclaim the Urn from the hands of the Australian's who have been in domineering form in recent years. However, Stokes has insisted his side will play without fear and with the Australian's not winning an Ashes series on English soil since 2001, this could be a successful summer for England. Player of the series Khawaja has been the most consistent batter but this has not been a Khawaja series. It has not been unshowy. It has not been a bit slow. Its skillset was not to be a consistent series. It was to be exhilarating at times, disappointing at others, but always entirely of itself. It has, in other words, been a Crawley series. On the one hand, it was un-Australian. Not fighting fire with fire, but trying to avoid it by diligently completing a risk assessment. On the other, pragmatism can be seen as a sign of strength, having enough confidence in your team to adapt to the situation.

If we were surprised, then perhaps we have not been paying close enough attention. Repeatedly Stokes tells us of his commitment to doing whatever it takes to entertain, discomfort the opposition and win in the swiftest fashion. When he arrived at the crease before lunch he was greeted with more gaps than a politician's explanation. Australia face the prospect of some fine batting conditions on Saturday. England can look forward to some hard yakka. Although the pitch seems like a featherbed now, there is a suggestion of low bounce and turn.

Moment of the series Lyon limps out to bat at Lord’s. There was the comedy of him having to leave the dressing room alongside the previous batter to have a chance of not being timed out, the shame of a brilliant player being ruled out of the series through injury, the sheer grit involved in forcing himself through the pain barrier and the knowledge with hindsight that Lyon’s departure contributed to Australia surrendering a 2-0 lead. What can we expect in 2025? “From the Vulture Street End … Jimmy Anderson.” However, it is the turnover of players between now and then that will make it so fascinating; a whole new cast who have a lot to live up to given the decade of Ashes champions on both sides we’ve just witnessed. Bravo. Barney Ronay What does it mean? Were Australia frightened? The debate will continue throughout the day and again when Australia wakes. T20 and other short formats are here to stay, a cash cow to be milked by players, administrators and broadcasters alike.