Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, hitting big sixes and take wickets we must. It begins, the first test in the most historic cricketing event to ever take place has begun, and it’s about to set the nation on fire in a bail burning spectacular.

The five test slog out between our nation of England and the cricket legends of Australia is one of the most heated cricket spectacles you’ll ever watch. So, if you’re not a fan of the game and want to get into it, I advise you look into this because there’s an equal amount of passion and emotion as a football world cup.

Since the dawn of the tournament back in 1882, there have been many furious battles between the two. With a total of 68 to be exact, England have won but 31 and Australia 32, meaning they have drawn 5; this making this year’s feature decisive for our lads as they’d then equal the Aussies total if they came out on top.

From previous match ups, we’ve seen plenty of ‘sledging’ between the players, this being a term used to describe a highly intense banter/teasing between the cricketers and it’s no doubt in this series we’ll see some more. All in all, as controversial as it is, the harsh words that are dealt out in blows make for great entertainment, and I reckon it spurs the lads on to win even more (so here’s to hoping of more of that).

Players you should watch out for and will presumably put on a show are first of all Joe Root. This man has been selected because he has the ability to smile at even given situation, and not only that, he’s a wizard with the bat. Root will be getting runs like he’s in a marathon and I’m certain he’ll hit a ton or two this summer. Gunning to stop him, the Aussies have the powerhouse of a bowler in Mitchell Johnson. The 33 year old is in the form of his life and will be hurling balls down to the wickets at a roaring pace. I’d put my student loan on him being the star man with the ball over the series, so keep watch for some five wicket hauls.

So there you have it, if you’re yet to catch a glimpse of the Ashes series, you should do so this year. The stage is set for it to be the best of the rest, and with both England and Australia in fine form; you’ll find it hard to miss a moment of the action! I’ll be signing off with my prediction for the series (although the Aussies may find it funny) and I’m giving to our English lads! A solid 2-1 I’m saying. Good luck guys and let the lions roar with you!