THE STORY FROM THE OVAL: DAY 1 INSIGHT
By Jo Harman

THERE WAS an inescapable flatness in the build-up to the final Test of the men’s Ashes, a sense that the sodden draw in Manchester had robbed us of the grand finale this enthralling series deserved.
There was still plenty to play for, of course. Australia were intent on winning the Ashes on English soil for the first time in 21 years, while England, aggrieved to be 2-1 down after dominating at Old Trafford, were determined to level the series. Nonetheless, the tension and drama which had been steadily building over the last ...