Matt Prior on Ashes 2015: New England have all the makings of a potentially great side

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: Five things we learnt from the Fourth Test

Stuart Broad and Joe Root of England celebrate (GETTY IMAGES)

1. Broad gives rise to false expectations

Thursday was the first time I had been to a match as a spectator. I was there with some people who had never been to watch a game of cricket before and, as the players walked out, I didn’t think there was any particular sign that something extraordinary was about to happen.

The weather wasn’t great and, although there was that Ashes buzz in the ground, there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary – until Stuart Broad started bowling. That spell led to one of the most unbelievable periods of cricket that any of us will witness.

Just to have been there and seen it live was incredible, God knows how Broady felt when he walked in 18.3 overs later.

The best thing, though, was that Thursday captured the imagination of the entire nation. The Ashes was front-page news and that can only be good for the sport. All these boys deserve a massive hand because they’ve not just recaptured the Ashes, they’ve put a huge smile on the face of everyone in this country.

As for the people I was with, it might take a while to convince them that something like that doesn’t happen every week.

2. The big man still has plenty left in tank

He doesn’t always get the best press but I think Broady has shown over the years that he’s not just a superb bowler in almost all conditions, he’s genuinely one of the best in the world.

He has an ability that I would say is almost unique. When he’s on roll, he takes wickets almost at will. Best of all, he always stands up when England need him, more often than not when we’re playing Australia.

His 8 for 15 will rightly be the spell that people remember when they talk about this series, but the fact is that he has bowled superbly throughout. He has been consistent, hit good lengths and has troubled all the Aussie batsmen. They’ll be glad to see the back of him after the Oval but he’ll be back. I think he still has a good couple of Ashes series in him. Bad news for Australia, great for us.

Stuart Broad of England is handed a replica ashes urn to sign (GETTY IMAGES)

3. This is no surprise, I said it all along

I said in this column at the start of July that I fancied England to win this series. A few people gave me some funny looks at the time but I’ve been proved right.

The fact is that this Aussie side arrived under a huge weight of expectation. They had been talked up to such an extent that a lot of Aussies, and more than a few Englishmen, thought another 5-0 whitewash was an inevitability. As it is, we’ve not only won the series with a match to spare but banished the demons of that last tour Down Under.

Quite simply, our bowlers have been too much for them and the moving ball has caused them no end of trouble. The bowling unit as a whole has been superb.

Yesterday Mark Wood stood up, the day before it was Ben Stokes, and at Edgbaston Jimmy Anderson and Steve Finn were unbelievable. That’s a sign of a good, potentially great side.

As for Australia? There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Michael Clarke’s retirement leaves a huge hole and I think we’ll see a lot of changes between now and the next Ashes series.

Mark Wood of England celebrates by riding his imaginary horse (GETTY IMAGES)

4. Regime change has sparked revolution

After the World Cup there was much soul-searching and a massive amount of negativity. Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and Andrew Strauss deserve a huge amount of credit for sweeping that aside and giving these young guys the platform to express themselves.

Everywhere you look in this England side there’s excitement. Whether it’s Joe Root, now the world’s No 1 batsman, or Stokes or Jos Buttler or Moeen Ali, this is an England side that’s not just for today but for the future too.

The real challenge now is to maintain the kind of fearless attitude that has taken them this far. Ignorance is bliss in many ways but there will be times when Test cricket drags them down. They need to keep doing what they’ve done in this series. If they can, then we could be in for a very, very exciting few years.

England coach Trevor Bayliss (AFP)

5. The crowning glory for captain Cook

If anyone deserved to enjoy their beer at Trent Bridge yesterday, it was Alastair Cook. To have taken all the knocks that he has and then still come back and win another Ashes series is just an incredible achievement.

I said last week that it looks as though he’s really enjoying captaining his country again and his leadership throughout this series has been first-class. That said, it’s always easier to captain a side that’s playing unbelievably well. Michael Clarke was hailed for his captaincy when the Aussies beat us 5-0 but he has found the going a lot tougher this summer. Cooky undoubtedly deserves his moment in the sun.

Alastair Cook of England is congratulated by Michael Clarke (GETTY IMAGES)

Matt Prior won three Ashes series with England during a career spanning 79 Tests between 2007-14