Is there a more intense rivalry in international sport than the Ashes? Sure, England v Scotland in football goes back the furthest. Australia and New Zealand hate losing to each other at rugby. And in cricket, India and Pakistan generate plenty of fervour when they face off.

But ever since the late 19th century, the meeting of these two men’s Test sides has been special. Played over multiple five-day matches, the contest dominates an entire season of the year. Whole careers have been made or destroyed by it. And it’s back this summer!

While Australia have held the men’s Ashes since the 2017-18 series, they haven’t actually won a series in England since way back in 2001. And those summers have provided some indelible sporting moments, from Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff tearing through the Aussie batting line-up in 2005 to Ben Stokes’s phenomenal Headingley century in 2019, when the series was drawn.

Australia are in fine form – when are they not? – and have a squad capable of beating anyone in the world. But England, playing an aggressive and positive brand of cricket with Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as head coach, are very much on the up, having won 11 of their last 13 Tests. In English conditions, and with their home Ashes record, they will be confident of reclaiming the Ashes urn with a series victory.

You can see every ball of every Ashes match live on Sky Sports this summer, starting on Friday 16 June at 9.30am on Sky Sports Cricket/HD (CH 514/504). And remember, you can follow all the live action on Sky Sports wherever you are in the UK, as long as there’s WiFi, 3G or 4G, thanks to the Sky Sports app. Simply download the free app from the Apple app store for iPad or iPhone, or from Google Play. On iPad and Android tablets you can also access Sky Sports’ cutting-edge second-screen functions.

We’ve picked out the players to watch from both sides who could have a crucial impact in this all-important series.

Five has been a problem batting position for England in recent years. Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Pope have all been tried there, before settling elsewhere in the order. But the role now appears to be filled for years to come with the emergence of Harry Cherrington Brook.

The 24-year-old Yorkshireman has played just seven Tests but looks like he was born at the crease, with four hundreds under his belt already including a monster 186 against New Zealand. Most impressively, he’s scored at a strike rate of over 98 (ie runs per hundred balls faced) – perfect for England’s ultra-positive approach.

Call us crazy, but we think the world’s best Test batsman might have an impact on the outcome of this series. The last time Australia toured England, Labuschagne made history by being cricket’s first ever concussion substitute; in the four years since, he’s established himself as a modern powerhouse, sitting atop the Test batting rankings since late 2021.

Labuschagne credits a stint with Glamorgan for helping him adjust to northern hemisphere conditions. His expertise here makes him a dangerous opponent for the England bowlers.

Even without the injured absentees Jofra Archer and Olly Stone, England have an array of excellent seam bowlers to choose from. But with five Tests in seven weeks, they may not be able to rely on 40-year-old James Anderson, 36-year-old Stuart Broad and the injury-prone Mark Wood to produce the goods in every game. Step forward Ollie Robinson, the Sussex paceman who’s been arguably England’s most reliable seamer since his debut in 2021, taking 66 wickets at an average of 21.

We may see brilliant bursts from the likes of Anderson, who’s closing in on 700 Test wickets. But across the series, Robinson is England’s key man with the ball.

Pundit and ex-England captain Michael Atherton made the point that when England have performed well in the Ashes, it’s almost always been with a world-class all-rounder (Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff, Ben Stokes) – and added that Australia, for all their quality, have struggled to produce such players. That may just have changed with the arrival of Cameron Green.

Just 24, he’s not the finished article yet but he arrives in England fresh from a brilliant IPL season with Mumbai Indians, including a brilliant 47-ball century against Hyderabad. And at 2m tall, he bangs down outswingers with enough speed and bounce to trouble any batter.

It’s rare for a world-class strike bowler to double up as skipper. But that was the burden/honour given to Pat Cummins when Tim Paine stepped back from international cricket before the last Ashes. The newly appointed Cummins led his side to a convincing 4-0 home victory, and was also the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets at 18. So the captaincy doesn’t seem to be weighing too heavily on him.

He’s done it in England too, taking 29 wickets in the 2019 Ashes series. With the other Aussie seamers inexperienced or injury doubts, a bowler of Cummins’ calibre and experience will be crucial.  

While Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have been the spearheads of England’s forceful new approach – nicknamed “Bazball”, because McCullum is known throughout cricket as Baz – Jonny Bairstow has been its most significant proponent. His total of 394 in three 2022 Tests against New Zealand is impressive as it is, but it was the way he scored them that stood out: blistering displays of power hitting that helped England chase down big fourth-innings targets twice. He then scored two centuries against India to claim another win.

He’ll be keeping wicket too, an area of his game he’s improved recently. Ben Foakes, who’s considered the best keeper available to England, was unlucky to miss out on the squad, especially when he deputised so ably this winter when Bairstow was injured. But you just can’t omit Bairstow right now. 

When are the men’s Ashes Tests on Sky Sports?

England’s men face Australia’s in five five-day matches starting at 9.30am on Friday 16 June. Every ball of every match will be live on Sky Sports Cricket/HD (CH 514/504). The women’s Ashes, also on Sky Sports Cricket/HD, begins on Thursday 22 June.  

1st Test – Edgbaston

From Friday 16 June

2nd Test – Lord’s

From Wednesday 28 June

3rd Test – Headingley

From Thursday 6 July

4th Test – Old Trafford

From Wednesday 19 July

5th Test – The Oval

From Thursday 27 July

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