In a way the series got the last day finale it did not quite deserve.  England's win in 2005 was celebrated by the nation, even by those with only a peripheral interest, for England had overcome one of the finest of all teams. In 2009 they turned the series round, came back from a heavy defeat and won the decider in fine style. But here they had their noses in front after the first Test, sprinted ahead at Lord's, retained the Ashes by the time the third Test was done and tidied up at the Riverside.  It was all a little matter of fact, an England team playing below their best against a troubled team in turmoil trying to live with the ghosts of the past. The end result in no way flattered England, who won the important phases of matches when it really mattered but there will be no open top buses or Trafalgar Square celebrations, or even an MBE for Simon Kerrigan, which really would send Shane Warne off the scale.  There is no denying that the end of what had, unexpectedly, been an absorbing final day's play, was unsatisfactory, but those who booed the umpires for taking the players off for bad light were wide of the mark. Rather the opprobrium should be heaped on those players down the years who have so abused the regulations, using them tactically, that the ICC felt it needed to be taken out of their hands, in much the same way as they have done with the provision of runners, another stipulation that was abused.  Having set their standard for the light, the umpires had no option but to be consistent. What they might have been, however, with the approval of the match referee, is a little creative. With a delayed start and no loss of overs the light was always going to be an issue. When Australia batted as they did and then declared, there should have been no harm in saying to both captains, given that this was effectively being played as a one-off match, that no matter the circumstance they would ignore their benchmark and let the game run its course if both agreed.  England won the series convincingly, whatever the spin doctors may try to say, while rarely reaching the standards they set in the previous two series that make up the three successive Ashes victories, something not achieved since 1953-1956. In Australia last time they had been immaculate in all aspects and areas. Here it was in fits and starts.  The top three never quite got going and the magnificent Ian Bell consistently and calmly got them out of trouble, in the process dispelling any lingering doubt there may have been about his temperament. That England won the series while never scoring more than the 377 they managed in their first innings at The Oval tells its own story, which is that all the bowlers ask is sufficient runs to be able to do their job.  In fact, the bare statistics of the series show how little they sometimes reveal. Australia made the two highest totals, at Old Trafford and The Oval, when they won the toss. Take Bell out of the equation and the next three highest scoring and averaging batsmen were Australian, with the much maligned Shane Watson the second highest run scorer in the series. And in Ryan Harris they had the only bowler to average under 20, and the leading pace bowler with 24 wickets. But the devil is in the detail, just as it was in 2009 when all the statistics pointed to Australia dominating the series.  England's top three bowlers, Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, took 70 wickets between them, each at under 30 runs apiece, while their Australian equivalents managed 52. Even Matt Prior, who had a mediocre series with the bat by his standards, still shepherded his side out of trouble when it was needed at Old Trafford and The Oval.  The focus now turns immediately to the return leg which will start three months hence in Brisbane. Four years ago England's team selection was extremely precise, particularly with the pace bowlers (Ajmal Shahzad, for example, was included for the very specific purpose of perhaps playing in Adelaide where, it was surmised, the later stages of games demanded skiddy purveyors of reverse swing to look for bowled and lbw dismissals) and the preparation, from the surprise boot camp in Germany to the three warm up matches.  Meticulous (even if it failed to prevent yet another first day disappointment), England were deemed the best prepared they had ever been. Preparation this time will be on much the same lines, with rumours of another training camp, and warm up matches in Perth, Hobart and Sydney although this time, given the order, there will be no need for David Saker to take his Test match attack to Brisbane to acclimatise rather than go to Hobart.  Essentially, England could take the field at the Gabba with the same team as last time minus two – Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood – who have since retired. This says much about the continuity of selection and the success England have had with it, particularly when placed alongside the potential Australian team, which may at best contain four of their Brisbane team.  There is not one England player there who cannot be said to be in their prime, even if the fitness of some needs to be carefully managed.  It does, however, say something of the succession planning which is an integral part of maintaining future standards and which currently appears to have eluded Australia. Given that beyond this next Ashes series England will not be undertaking a Test match tour until they go to the Caribbean in April 2015, it may be the last trip of its kind for Swann, Anderson, and perhaps Kevin Pietersen, depending on his desire, and fitness to pursue 10,000 Test runs.  Should he go, it will certainly be a last hurrah for Chris Tremlett too. Generally, though, the pace bowling is in good hands, with Broad, Steve Finn, Tim Bresnan, Boyd Rankin and others such as Tymal Mills and Jamie Overton all coming on.  It might be expected that Anderson, Broad, Bresnan (who is expected to be fit: the phrase "stress fracture" is an emotive one and does not explain that there are varying degrees so that many fast bowlers might be shown to have them), Finn, and one of Tremlett and Rankin will go to Australia.  The pitches, while not "doctored" (three–day matches are not good for the coffers) will surely offer pace and bounce to allow Australia's bowlers to compete better – but that would suit England too. Finding cover for Anderson is more problematic, for beyond Graham Onions there is no swing bowler of sufficient class to take the new ball. He might well get a place just on this basis.  Spin bowling in the future looks like being a challenge. Monty Panesar remains unchallenged as the second best spinner in the country, while the only other viable option, James Tredwell, is diligent but scarcely a dynamic Test match prospect. How Panesar would fit into a touring party is the most pressing issue.  The number six batting spot remains a problem yet to be solved. Jonny Bairstow has not nailed it, James Taylor remains a fringe player and Gary Ballance seems more favoured. The experiment with Chris Woakes told very little. It may be that the future lies with Ben Stokes, who can bowl very fast and whose batting has destructive potential but is a work in progress.
Mike Selvey: Even though they were below their best and only played in fits and starts, England won the Ashes in convincing fashion