This Ashes series has been a treat for the eyes… and it’s all been thanks to England’s fearless and soul-lifting style

It was Mitchell Starc running in with bad intent this time, not Pat Cummins. And he was bowling from the Pavilion End at the Oval, not the City End at Edgbaston. But England’s song remained the same.

The first England innings of this Ashes series began with Zak Crawley hammering a magnificent drive through extra cover to the boundary from the first ball of the first over of the match, a wide, swinging delivery from the Australia captain.

The last England innings of this Ashes series began with Crawley hammering a magnificent drive through extra cover to the boundary from the first ball of the first over, a wide, swinging delivery from the tourists’ leading series wicket-taker.

So much has passed in between those two deliveries and those two drives, so much thrilling, compelling cricket, so much drama, so many moments to savour, so many controversies and through it all, from then to now, from Edgbaston to the Oval, England have stayed true to their word and true to their philosophy.

They stayed true to it when they went 2-0 down at Lord’s and they stayed true to it when they fought back at Headingley and when they routed Australia at Old Trafford before the rains came. And they have stayed true to it here, too. Just as they always said they would.

Zak Crawley again crashed the first ball of England’s innings through the cover for four on Saturday

He became the top scorer on either side with a fluent 73 that set the tone for a dominant day

England have been a joy to watch all series due to their fearless style of play

And even though The Ashes will not be regained, the way that England played yesterday, the way that Crawley set the tone again with that first ball smiting of Starc, the way they turned Australia into a raggedy rabble again as they closed in on a lead of 400, was a final reminder of just what an enchanted summer it has been.

I do not subscribe to the idea England can still win a ‘moral’ Ashes but if the series is drawn, if England win this match, then only one team will finish the series feeling good about themselves and it will not be the team taking the urn back to Australia. And sometimes, that means more.

Those who have pointed out in recent weeks that just because England play more adventurous cricket than the Australians, it does not make them a better team, are correct. 

The nuances of Test cricket and its differing approaches are exactly what makes it such wonderful theatre.

But I know which team I would rather watch out of the two sides that have fought so hard and so closely over the last six weeks. 

I would rather watch the team that scored 130 runs in the morning session yesterday, not the team which scored 54 runs in the morning session on Friday.

I would rather watch the team that was trailing by 12 runs at the start of play and had turned that into a lead of one…by the end of the first over. I would rather watch the team that trusts its abilities and which relishes its talent and which thrills its public.

I would rather watch the team that has fostered a philosophy that has encouraged and empowered an outstanding, technically accomplished batsman like Joe Root to flick a reverse ramp shot for six off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh in the session after lunch here.

Australia may have retained the Ashes, but it is England who have played the more exciting cricket

Ben Stokes led by example as he strode out as a makeshift number three, much to the crowd’s excitement

Moeen Ali limped to the crease with a groin injury but still flayed some of the classiest strokes of the day

I would rather watch the team whose captain, Ben Stokes, leads by stirring example, not just in the remarkable innings he played at Lord’s when his 155 stunned Australia and brought England tantalisingly close to what would have been a victory that recalled the miracle of Headingley in 2019.

But who leads by example in what he says and does as well as the way he bats. I would rather watch a team with a captain like Stokes, who drew an excited gasp from the capacity crowd yesterday when he walked down the stairs from the England dressing room and strode on to the pitch to bat at No3 in the absence of the injured Moeen Ali.

What a moment that was. A leader strapping his armour and walking out into hostile and unfamiliar territory. A leader taking one for the team and then looking as if he had batted at No3 his entire career, a leader who has stuck faithfully to his principles, and by his players, and who has been rewarded with days like yesterday.

I would rather watch a team where Moeen limps to the crease and starts smashing fours all around the ground as Australia grow more and more frustrated.

I would rather watch a team that has stuck with Jonny Bairstow despite his occasional failings behind the stumps and has been rewarded with the kind of batting performances he produced at Old Trafford and again yesterday.

The Barmy Army trumpeter played a fine rendition of Johnny B. Goode when Bairstow moved to another 50 and the whole ground applauded. There have been periods in this series when watching Bazball has felt like one long celebration.

I would rather watch a team that backs itself and is not scared of the fallibility that lurks within every professional sportsman and woman. These England players take on that fallibility, they challenge it. They are not afraid of it.

You cannot take your eyes off this brand of cricket. If you do, you miss something, Stokes hooking Marsh over the boundary for six despite Starc’s desperate attempt to catch him, Harry Brook smashing a huge six off Todd Murphy with just the second ball he faced. People joked Brook had played himself in by easing a single off his first ball.

England have stuck with Jonny Bairstow, and he has now rewarded them with excellent fifties in two of his last three knocks

They may not have secured the urn, but Brendon McCullum’s England will live long in the memory after a summer of soul-lifting cricket

This is England now. This is Brendon McCullum’s England and this is Stokes’ England and this is our England.

From that day at Edgbaston when Crawley hit the first ball for four until the sun-kissed glory of yesterday when England grew closer to squaring this series, it has been a treat for the eyes.

Australia will take the urn home but the way they played will not live long in the memory.

It is England who have played the kind of cricket that lifts the soul. They did not win back the Ashes but if they continue to play like this, if they continue to hone this brand of cricket, the future belongs to them.