Ashes 2015: Captains pledge to be true to their word and not cross line in battle for the urn

For the 69th time in 133 years and for the fifth in the last six, England and Australia will begin the contest for the Ashes. It is testament to the perpetual, almost mythical allure of this long rivalry that familiarity has failed to dull the sense of expectation.

As with most of its forebears, the spirit in which this series is likely to be conducted has exercised most of the attention in the interminable but oddly fascinating period of anticipation – the traditional phoney war, without which no Ashes would be complete but which now seems to last for the entire gap between competition.

All meetings between these two nations, the first to give structure to international sport, have an edge. Anybody who thinks the present bunch of occasional miscreants invented sledging and an uncompromising approach to the business at hand should have been around in 1933, when the Bodyline series was played, or in the 1970s, when the Australian captain, Ian Chappell, made it perfectly plain it was not a tea party.

Fast bowling has usually been at the crux of any mild villainy simply because of the mayhem it can cause and the mood it can incite. It is perhaps why the most recent series, won 5-0 by Australia largely because of Mitchell Johnson’s searing intervention, was frequently acrimonious.

There are understandable concerns that the ill will engendered then and in the previous series a few months earlier in England has barely dissipated. But both captains, aware of their responsibilities, and having just been reminded of them by the match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, were at pains, if not to be goody two shoes, then to uphold certain verities.

A rare mood of exultation about cricket has swept this nation in recent weeks and if this is to be sustained both captains need to stay true to their words.

Alastair Cook, of England, said: “I think people want to see really competitive cricket, both sides giving their all for their country, showing how much it means to you. I do believe there’s a line in the sand somewhere which everyone knows you can’t cross, and I hope we play to that.”

His counterpart, Michael Clarke, of Australia, addressed the issue in franker terms, recognising his nation’s history and deep-seated conventions. “I think I speak for all Australians: we have a brand of cricket that if we play that way, we play our best,” he said.

“The way we have been brought up is to play tough, competitive cricket on the field. I certainly understand the rules and regulations of our game and where that line sits. I have made it very clear that in the last series if somebody overstepped that mark it was me.

“As captain of this team I need to be more disciplined and I know I will be. The mutual respect is certainly there. It always has been from my point of view with the English cricket team.”

They both sounded like men determined to observe the proprieties but also unwilling to convey the impression that they were in any way soft. The Ashes is no place to be saying: “After you, Claude,” unless it is for the purposes of winding up the opposition. The line, as Cook and Clarke indicated, is thin but tangible.

England, who have won all three Ashes series at home since 2005, will start as underdogs. They were so heavily defeated in Australia 18 months ago – 5-0 to the home side and if they had played 10 Tests it would have been 10-0 – that optimism can be guarded at best.

But then England lost 5-0 away in 2006-07 and at home a year and a half later exacted revenge in a taut series. It is not easy to win away from home on a long tour and this Australian vintage is not in the same class as those who lost in 2005 or 2009.

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The obvious resurgence of England in recent weeks, accompanied by a feel-good factor in the country which has not been evident since the epic encounter 10 years ago, has closed the gap and the difference in the odds. No one now is predicting anything other than a tight series when three months ago no one dared forecast anything but a one-sided affair.

The feeling persists that the home side must leave Cardiff, as they did – only just – six years ago, either level or ahead. An early loss may easily vanquish the strides that have been made in the last few weeks and erode the joyous camaraderie and conviction that have infused them.

There looks to be no pace in the pitch according to experts in such matters, if indeed experts exist in such matters. This will suit England if the threat of Mitchell Johnson (and indeed his fellow Mitchell, Starc) can be nullified. But great fast bowlers, of which Johnson is one, have a habit of flogging life from dead horses and he is being talked up by his team-mates. Clarke could not have waxed more lyrical.

Although Cook was anxious to dismiss the 2013-14 reversal (“we cannot keep harping on about that”) cricketers should learn from history. The most pertinent series in this regard as far as he is concerned should be that of 2005, when England ended a long run of defeats going back 18 years by playing attacking cricket with both bat and ball.

The vogue phrase oft used by the captain at the time, Michael Vaughan, was that his players should go out and express themselves. He was as good as his word, he trusted his players to deliver and they were similarly inspired by his simple belief in them.

England have found a bunch of players who will be more comfortable on the front foot, a way which was first rehearsed in the mini-series of Tests against New Zealand and in the one-day matches that followed. It might not be terribly English but it suits this lot as Cook observed.

“The side has changed,” he said. “That is a natural evolution of players. There is a different way we’ve gone about things. As a leader of a group, you do have to change your style of leadership to the style of players you have in the changing room to what gets the best out of them.”

The man who most embodies this new style is Ben Stokes, the all-rounder for whom England have been waiting. How they pray that he can follow in the footsteps of Ian Botham in 1981 and Andrew Flintoff in 2005, who had wonderful summers with bat and ball.

Botham was 25 at the time of his miraculous summer, Flintoff was 27 when his time came, Stokes has only just turned 24 but Cook clearly feels that his time is now. Asked who might lead the victory parade as Flintoff did so memorably 10 years ago he was unequivocal.

“I’m going to pick another all-rounder: Ben Stokes,” he said. “He’s been in fantastic form. I believe he’s come into his own, he feels comfortable and I think he’s going to have a fantastic summer.

“So far in his career he’s had an interesting time but over the last six months he’s really matured as a cricketer. We all know how talented he is. I like the way he’s gone about his business this summer. He trains incredibly hard and physically he is in good shape.”

Australia’s fast bowlers will probably propel them to victory but England are in this. If they can reach The Oval with the series still at stake the Ashes may well be coming home.

Probable teams:

England A N Cook (capt), A Lyth, G S Ballance, I R Bell, J E Root, B A Stokes, J C Buttler (w/k), M M Ali, S C J Broad, M A Wood, J M Anderson

Australia M J Clarke (capt), C J L Rogers, D A Warner, S P D Smith, A C Voges, S R Watson, B J Haddin (w/k), M G Johnson, M A Starc, N M Lyon, J R Hazlewood.

Umpires K Dharmasena (S Lanka) & M Erasmus (SA).

Weather After a small chance of rain first thing, staying dry and overcast all day. Maximum temperature: 18C.

Television Live: Sky Sports Ashes, 10am-7pm.

Highlights 7-8pm Channel 5

Odds for first Test England 3-1 Australia 10-11 Draw 5-2.

Pitch report Likely to be slow and while it may seam on the first morning expect heavy weight of runs if more grass is taken off.