| Cricket has been the favourite summer
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| | Michael Vaughan were among those awarded
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| sport of the English for as long as many
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| | honours by no less a figure than the
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| of us can remember. There are now signs,
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| | Queen herself.
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| however, that this traditional game may
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| | Everything looked rosy in the English
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| be in trouble.
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| | cricketing garden.
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| In 2005 England took on Australia in one
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| | Two years on, many are beginning to ask
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| of sport's oldest and finest competitions
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| | what has subsequently gone wrong. A
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| - the battle for the cricketing Ashes.
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| | number of key figures from the Ashes
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| Australia were the leading team in Test
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| | success has been struck by injuries,
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| Match cricket and had been for more than
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| | while the beginning of 2007 saw the
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| a decade. England, by contrast, were only
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| | Australians win the return series by a
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| just in the process of bouncing back
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| | mammoth 5-0 margin.
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| after years in the doldrums.
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| | As things went from bad to worse, the
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| Few expected what was about to happen
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| | England team failed at the cricket World
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| next: England competed against the
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| | Cup and saw their coach sacked. It's been
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| Australians, producing one of the
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| | noticeable that the glow that followed
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| greatest Test series in living memory. By
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| | the successes of two years ago has faded
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| the end of the series, England had
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| | - kids aren't out on the parks playing
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| regained the Ashes.
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| | cricket in the same numbers.
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| Suddenly many of the top England
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| | English cricket stands at a crossroads.
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| cricketers were household names, known to
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| | Many are asking whether it will
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| even those with no interest in the game.
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| | re-establish itself, or simply fade from
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| Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and
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| | the limelight.
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