The Ashes are all set to begin tomorrow when the first ball is bowled at 11am in Cardiff. That ball could set the tone for the entire series, whoever it is bowled by just like Steve Harmison's shocking first ball set the tone in the 2006/07 Ashes series, when England were humiliated 5-0.
Australia seem to have the momentum coming into the 2015 edition and a drawn series over the five matches will see them retain the Ashes. They are blessed with the world's best batsman right now in Steve Smith and also have a fearsome pace attack spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, though they were dealt a blow recently when Ryan Harris retired last week. Add in the experience of captain Michael Clarke, wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Shane Watson and the Aussies have a pretty formidable team.
However, after a shocking World Cup, England have certainly re grouped and are playing a much more positive brand of cricket than they were at the beginning of 2015. If they are to win the Ashes, then they will have to continue to be aggressive and not let the Australians see that they are scared, which too many players did in the last series down under. That's where young talents like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes could come into their own.
With a new coach Trevor Bayliss at the helm eager to prove his Australian countrymen wrong and players in good form with the bat and bowl, then the Aussies will be in for a tough test and their sledging could quieten down quickly against an England team keen to keep a proud record of having not lost a home Ashes series since 2001.
Here are five men who will be vital if England are to win the little urn back.
Joe Root: Still just 24, the Yorkshireman has made himself the key batsman in the England team over the last 18 months and goes into the Ashes in a rich vein of form. After a disappointing series down under where he scored only 192 runs, Root has re-grouped and has scored four test centuries since then and also performed well in the recent series against New Zealand where he had scores of 98 and 84 in the first Test. In the One Day series he scored two centuries and also helped himself to 68 in the 20/20 international between England and New Zealand.
His technique is a joy to watch unless you are the bowler trying to get him out. He will be key in either pushing England on from great starts by the opening batsmen or rescuing the situation in the middle order.
Alastair Cook: Talking of opening batsmen, Cook will need to be at his best to ensure England get off to the best possible start in each innings of the series, particularly when his opening partner is the inexperienced Adam Lyth. After a miserable couple of years with the bat, Cook finally regained his form on the tour of West Indies in April when he scored a century and two fifties and he continued that form against New Zealand with another century and two further 50 plus scores.
He also led England to victory in the Ashes in the last home series in 2013, before 'leading' his side to a 5-0 whitewash down under six months later. That saw the calls for him to resign hugely intensify but Cook has stuck it out and his decision making on the field at key moments will be hugely vital for England if they are to win the Ashes. And as Nasser Hussain knows after infamously bowling in Brisbane after winning a coin toss, he'll need to get those decisions spot on too.
Jos Buttler: The wicket-keeper batsman is arguably the most exciting cricketer who will be lining up for either side. Buttler was seen initially as a one-day specialist due to his aggressive hitting, but the new found England have seen no reason why he can't translate that to the test arena.
He scored two wonderful fifties in the test series against New Zealand recently and he'll be keen to grab his first test century as soon as possible after getting his debut last July against India. He won't be feared of the likes of Johnson and Starc and if England are in a good position batting wise when he comes to the crease, he has the ability to bat the Australians out of the game quickly.
I might have focused on his batting here, but he is improving all the time as a wicket keeper and I have a funny feeling he won't be shy in engaging in a bit of sledging with the Aussie batsmen, which could work to England's advantage.
Jimmy Anderson: With over 400 test wickets, Anderson will be leading England's attack. Still more than capable of delivering near perfect spells, the Lancashire lad will be looking to find as much swing as possible in the English conditions which he has used to great effect before, especially in 2013 when he took five wickets in each Australian innings at Trent Bridge.
If the groundsmen have prepared the pitch to suit Anderson's pace and bounce then his deliveries could prove very effective against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Adam Voges in the Australian top order. His experience and help to captain Alastair Cook on the pitch and in the dressing room with younger players will be invaluable to new England coach Trevor Bayliss as well.
Ben Stokes: Like Buttler, a player who can be absolutely devastating when on top form with the bat and the Australians will be wary of a player who made his test debut against them in the last Ashes series.
Despite England's humiliation, Stokes showed no fear and in only his second test scored a magnificent 120 in a losing cause in Perth. He also picked up six wickets in the final test in Sydney and many felt a new star had been born.
However, Stokes was still a work in progress and it wasn't until the recent series against New Zealand where he showcased his talent to all of its ability for the first time. After a 92 in the first innings of the first test, he scored the fastest ever test century by an Englishman in the second innings in just 85 balls. He has the potential to be England's all-rounder hero this summer just like Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was in 2005 if he shows no fear and can find the proper line and length with the ball.
If this series is half as good as the 2005 series was or even 2009's edition then I'll be glued to the Sky Sports Ashes Channel over the next couple of months. The Ashes can make or break players. They can either stand up and be counted and become national sporting legends or crumble like England have done down under in recent years. It will be fascinating to watch whatever happens.
For cricketing fans, this is like Christmas and birthday's rolled into one. Here's to a great summer of cricket!
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