Brendon McCullum has ramped up the Ashes hype before the trip to Australia this winter, describing England’s pursuit of the urn they last won a decade ago – and have brought back from tour just once since 1986‑87 – as “the biggest series of all of our lives”.
England returned to international action last week for the first time since a thrilling five-Test series against India concluded in early August, and though they lost against South Africa over three one-day internationals that run ended with a historic, one-sided win in Southampton on Sunday. A spellbinding performance in that game from Jofra Archer, who took four wickets for 18 runs – “There was an ‘ooh’ or an ‘aah’ every single over,” he said afterwards – set imaginations racing with thoughts of what the injury-prone seamer might achieve in more high-profile assignments to come. The first Ashes Test starts in Perth on 21 November.
