I sense there's some excitement out there about England's performance in Cardiff. And a whole heap of talk about Australia's. What an incredible match.
You might well disagree with the numbers I've dished out, but that's the point. Get stuck in and knock yourself out. I still can't believe what I've just seen...
ENGLAND
Andrew Strauss - 4
Got a start in the first innings before being foxed by Johnson's slingy bouncer and gloving to slip, but didn't even get that in the second. So disappointed with the top-edged cut off Hauritz that cost him his wicket in the second that he remained rooted to the spot for several seconds. Lacked inspiration and imagination in the field as his bowlers toiled.
Alastair Cook - 3
Two poor shots, two cheap dismissals. His bat was well away from his body on the first day, his front foot planted on the fourth. Technical problems to resolve.
Ravi Bopara - 4
Never looked comfortable even when scoring quickly on the first morning. Could have been out to Johnson's slower one before exactly the same delivery did for him again. Unlucky to be given out lbw by Billy Doctrove on Saturday - the ball was going over the top of the stumps, and Doctrove had turned down plumb shouts until that point - but was playing round his front pad.
Kevin Pietersen - 6
England's most fluent batsman on Wednesday, but the manner of his dismissal will anger traditionalists for years. Horrible misjudgement against Hilfenhaus as England fell apart, leaving alone a straight ball that lacked any real danger. Not the performance he wanted on the biggest stage of all.
Paul Collingwood - 9
Typically dogged knock early in the match as part of England's best partnership of the match with KP, although he gave his wicket away with a loose prod outside off. Hung around with immense determination for 345 minutes as his side somehow escaped - was heartbroken with the manner of his dismissal at the death, but did more than any other man to save the match.
Matt Prior - 6
Decent first innings flash and dash before a loose drive cost him a bigger score. One of his best matches with the gloves, but a poor choice of shot in the second innings cost England dear. If you're going to bat at six, you have to bat with the a number six's discipline.
Andrew Flintoff - 6
His fiery spell against Phillip Hughes was the most menacing period England managed with the ball in hand, but it was all too brief - his final figures were 1-128. Cheered to the rafters by the Cardiff crowd for everything he did and looked to be getting back into form with the bat, yet unable to exert a direction-changing influence on the match.
Stuart Broad - 4
A chastening experience on his Ashes debut. Spanked for 129 runs off his 32 overs, struggling to find a length and line that worried the Australian batsmen. Much has been made of his character, attitude and potential, but he struggles to take enough wickets or exert enough control at the moment.
Graeme Swann - 4
Possibly England's biggest disappointment. Went into the match as the leading wicket-taker in Tests this year but failed to claim a single scalp in three days of toil, ending with a return of 0-131. His solid batting will keep him in the team ahead of Panesar.
James Anderson - 9
For all the talk about him being ready to lead the attack, he had only one spell where he looked genuinely dangerous - dismissing Katich with a trademark inswinger and following up with one slid across Hussey. For the rest of the time, he failed to halt the Aussie advance. So much for the bowling. For his epic 21 not out off 53 balls, for holding his nerve when most had lost theirs, he goes straight up to a nine.
Monty Panesar - 7
Out-bowled by Nathan Hauritz. Got the prize wicket of Ricky Ponting, but only after he'd stuck 150 on the board and arguably thanks to Ponting's first error. Still no sign of the bowling progression that he's been said to be making, and now the man most likely to make way for another seamer at Lord's - but if he doesn't play another game all summer, they'll never forget that last-wicket stand. Was that Chris Tavare in disguise?
AUSTRALIA
Phillip Hughes - 5
In his brief innings, we saw both the good and bad in the young opener. There were the trademark cuts and back-foot drives, but also a weakness against the short ball angled into him. A tale in progress.
Simon Katich - 9
A man who knows his own limits and plays within them beautifully. His innings on the second afternoon and evening began to take the game away from England. Looks twice as happy and twice the player he was four years ago.
Ricky Ponting - 7
Four years ago in the first Test, Ponting wore a bouncer from Steve Harmison on his cheek. The only thing he wore on his face in Cardiff for four and three-quarter days was a big happy grin, but then came that incredible last stand. Wonderful chanceless knock of controlled aggression to grind England into the turf, but his captaincy will now come under further fire for his tactics on the last afternoon. Why was Johnson given so many overs when he was so clearly making zero headway?
Mike Hussey - 5
A rare Aussie failure with the bat, but took a sensational diving snag in the gully to dismiss Cook on the first morning, the first wicket in the series, and what appeared to be a key one to see off Colly at the very end.
Michael Clarke - 8
Lovely fluent innings as Australia turned the screw, his footwork as quick as Michael Flatley's and his strokes through the off side so easy on the eye.
Marcus North - 9
Seen as a county workhouse before his Aussie debut, he took the game out of England's reach with an uncomplicated but punishing century on Friday afternoon and Saturday. All the concentration and application in the world, and two tons in three Test knocks tells of a man moving up the ranks.
Brad Haddin - 9
Near-faultless behind the timbers, devastating with the blade. On the evidence of this match, a fitting descendent of Marsh, Healy and Gilchrist.
Mitchell Johnson - 6
Not the mortal danger many expected in England's first innings, although the slower ball that got rid of Bopara was a beauty, and the one angled in that trapped Cook lbw on Saturday afternoon began England's second demise. Struggled badly with his line on Sunday afternoon as Australia saw the win slip away.
Nathan Hauritz - 7
Slated before the series began, he took three wickets in the first innings and then made a mockery of those predictions by finding turn and bounce on Sunday to send the England skipper back to the hutch. Out-performed the much-vaunted combination of Swann and Panesar by a country mile.
Ben Hilfenhaus - 8
Only in the side because of injury to Brett Lee, he found wobble where England's bowlers found none. Got rid of Cook and Collingwood on the first day; came back on the last to take the key wicket of Pietersen. The sight of that off stump cartwheeling backwards was the moment that England feared their fate was sealed.
Peter Siddle - 7
Aggressive and hard-working, his spell late on the first evening nipped an England revival in the bud. Found in-dip to castle both Flintoff and Prior, and then came back to end Collingwood's brave resistance.
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