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10 - Michael Vaughan Vaughan was flying even before he entered the second half of the summer, but when the Indians arrived he went supersonic. His has been an eye-poppingly magnificent year, the highlights of which are too numerous to list. His cover-driving became the signature shot of the summer, the sort of poetry in motion that condemned men choose as their final wish, and even his looping, biting offspinners grew in confidence and stature, as Sachin Tendulkar will testify. From being touted as an Atherton clone, Vaughan has discovered a joie de vivre that Athers never knew existed. But, he loses half a mark for his relative failure when it most mattered, at Headingley, and, of course for his inability to score double-centuries. But let's not quibble too much.

8 - Alec Stewart How could anyone have seriously contemplated putting the Gaffer out to pasture? A winter off and a new set of elbows, and Stewart was reinvigorated. At Lord's, he overtook Graham Gooch's England record of 118 caps, and like Gooch, he is showing no sign of bowing to the ageing process. As impossible to write off as Frank Sinatra, Stewart was a chivvying, chirpy presence at all times. He even displayed one or two new tricks against the spinners. The vital cog in both of England's campaigns this winter.

7 - Nasser Hussain Exhaustion got the better of Hussain as the summer wore on, and it was only his bloody-mindedness that got him through. While this brought out the best in his batting, as exemplified by that gutsy rearguard at Headingley, it did his captaincy no favours, and his negativity at The Oval, with 500 on the board and three days to go, was a great disappointment. But, let's not forget, it was that big century at Lord's that put England in the ascendancy in the first place. England must pray that, come November and the start of the Ashes, he has had a chance to catch up on his sleep.

7 - John Crawley Crawley grabbed his opportunity with 64 and 100 not out in England's victory at Lord's, and now, like the proverbial bad penny, turns up for his third Ashes tour. Doubts still linger about his technique, however, and he contributed little in the final three Tests of the series. By some distance, he is the sixth batsman on England's teamsheet, and with Graham Thorpe returning, Crawley faces another spell on the sidelines. But 12 months ago he was embroiled in an acrimonious dispute with Lancashire, and was a million miles from an England recall, so he won't mind too much.

7 - Mark Butcher Solid rather than spectacular. But with Vaughan and Trescothick lacerating new-ball attacks like a WWF tag-team, Butcher's phlegm at No. 3 is everything that England could ask for. He has again shown that his phobia of spin bowling is a thing of the past, and while his recent knee operation took the momentum out of his summer, he can at least look forward to a fortnight's R-and-R while his team-mates slog their way around Colombo. After his heroics against the Australians last summer, Butcher has a pivotal role come November.

7 - Marcus Trescothick With his minimalist technique, Trescothick was well equipped to slot straight back into the side at The Oval. A pair of fifties - one of them undefeated - was more than anyone could have reasonably expected from him, though reasonable expectations no longer apply to England's opening pair, who have been batting on a different plane this year. Once again, though, his only dismissal was self-inflicted - a skyed pull to long leg - and he will have to sell his wicket more dearly against the Aussies.

7 - Craig White A career in Bollywood beckons for White, whose love affair with all things subcontinental shows no sign of abating. White did absolutely nothing wrong in his two Tests before injury, and with innings of 53 at Lord's, and 94 and 6 - both not out - at Trent Bridge, he topped the batting averages by a distance. His five wickets even included the vital scalp of Sachin Tendulkar, caught behind at a critical point of India's first innings at Lord's. But while White flourishes against India, he flounders against the Australians, and the selectors took due note of his Aussie averages (7.6 with the bat and 189 with the ball).

6 - Matthew Hoggard Wholehearted, reliable and, uniquely among England's seamers, niggle-free, Hoggard ran in with vigour from first ball to last. His seven wickets at Lord's - including Tendulkar and Ganguly in consecutive deliveries - ensured that England's injury-plagued attack did not begin the series as they ended it, while his batting was a tailender's revelation. He loitered with massive intent in two of his five knocks, including a career-best 32 at Trent Bridge. Unlikely as it may seem, given England's supposed depth of fast-bowling talent, Hoggard will be the first name on the teamsheet for Brisbane.

5 - Andrew Caddick Infuriatingly inconsistent as ever, Caddick was the pick of England's bowlers at The Oval, although the series win had already been thrown away, thanks in no small part to his wet display at Headingley. At 33, he is no longer in the flush of youth, and as he was feeling his way back after a side injury, he possibly lacked that all-important rhythm. But Caddick is supposed to be the leader of England's attack in the absence of Darren Gough. If he is to make his maiden Ashes tour a memorable one, he cannot afford to be groping for form come November.

5 - Alex Tudor Another mixed bag from a man who has been "promising" for far too long. Tudor did at least stay fit for consecutive Tests, and it was his bad luck that India's batsmen had hit their straps by the time he entered the series for the final two matches. But even by England's powder-puff standards he made little impact, not that Hussain set the fields that his wicket-taking ability warranted. If he makes a belated appearance in Australia he needs to be reminded that that was where it all began, four long years ago. If he could rattle the Waugh brothers then, he must be able to do so again.

5 - Simon Jones Looked the part, and seduced many spectators with his break-back action and undoubted potential. But after taking four wickets on debut, his unavailability for the rest of the series was a major disappointment. The best of the rest, injury permitting, he confirmed his taste for the big-time with a rollicking 44 from No. 10, more runs than his father Jeff managed in an entire 15-Test career.

5 - Steve Harmison Not quite the duckling that Jones proved to be, Harmison took a little longer to take to the waters of Test cricket. But he came into his own after a shaky opening spell at Trent Bridge, and was unlucky to miss out for the remainder of the series. His upright action is a bonus, and he will have enjoyed bowling Sourav Ganguly for 99.

4 - Andrew Flintoff There are lies, damn lies, and then there are Andrew Flintoff's career figures, which have gone into freefall despite a summer in which he confirmed his pivotal importance to the side. In a side that lacks mystery, as Nasser Hussain is fond of saying, Flintoff is possibly the most straightforward of all. His willingness to charge in and thud the ball into the most unforgiving turf is an example to some of his more temperamental colleagues, but until he develops an effective yorker and an outswinger, Flintoff is in danger of becoming a one-trick pony - Ricky Ponting in particular will relish his current mode of attack. His technique against spin is as poor as anyone's in the side - though Butcher should be his role model in this respect. Ultimately Flintoff's hernia was a blessing in disguise. After playing in every single international since last October, he needed some time to recharge his batteries.

4 - Robert Key Stepping into Marcus Trescothick's shoes, and stepping out to the middle with Michael Vaughan twinkling boundaries at will, Robert Key must have felt as temporary as a snowflake in the Sahara. He proved to be more somewhat more durable than that, however, thanks in no small part to a good working knowledge of where his off stump is. But his technique, with a backlift that wafts towards gully, is a worry. The less said about his catching the better - it will have been character-building, if nothing else.

4 - Ashley Giles Utterly unfashionable, but wholehearted and reliable, Giles is the best spinner England has to offer, and what he does, he does to the best of his ability. But he is never going to run through a team, and his participation in the Ashes may be limited to the obligatory trundle at Sydney, and a stamina-saving spell on a batsman's wicket at Adelaide. Giles was missed when he did not play at Trent Bridge, but like a good umpire, was barely noticed when he did. As much as anything, Giles is an important part of England's new-improved perma-tail, chipping in with scores of 19, 25 and 31 in his three innings.

3 - Dominic Cork Cork's Test career has been on its last legs since he broke down on the tour of Pakistan almost two years ago. But somehow, thanks in no small part to his force of personality, he has remained in the selectors' good books despite assassination attempts from press and opposition players alike. Selected to swing the ball at Trent Bridge, he broke down within a day; recalled to swing the ball at The Oval, he embarked on a laughable bouncer barrage that Rahul Dravid treated with disdain. He did manage an important fifty in that same match, but from the outrageously optimistic position of No. 7. In the end Graveney & Co. rightly agreed that a tour place was a bridge too far.

2 - Graham Thorpe Best to draw a veil over this performance - though how tightly the bow should be tied depends on his mental fortitude this winter. The most encouraging aspect of his performance at Lord's was that England went on to win the match - and handsomely - despite his contribution of four runs and a dropped catch. He may no longer be the keystone of England's batting, but he is too firmly embedded in the foundations of this team for the Ashes to be retrieved without him.

Andrew Miller is editorial assistant of Wisden.com.

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