Atherton's Ashes

Book excerpt: With Australia having lost their invincible aura and an improving England side having home advantage, the 2009 Ashes series was always likely to be a gripping contest. And with the hero of 2005, Andrew Flintoff, announcing this was to be his swansong, the level of interest reached fever point. Watching on throughout, with a calm, insightful eye was former England captain Mike Atherton, whose reports on the Ashes series in The Times were required reading for all fans of the sport. Having played in seven Ashes series himself, he understands precisely the unique pressures of cricket's longest and most intense international rivalry. In Atherton's Ashes, he provides his day-by-day account of how the fortunes of both sides fluctuated throughout a terrific summer of cricket. He analyses the key turning points for each team and reveals the vital technical issues that can make or break a player in such high-pressure scenarios. He explains how the decisions of the captains, Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting, helped shape events and brings vividly to life the best of the action. Atherton's Ashes is sure to be the definitive word on the brilliant 2009 series, where the outcome hung in the balance until the final Test.