Our readers’ favourite Ashes cricketers: from Bradman and Botham to Warne and WaughJonny BairstowWith the emphasis on favourite rather than best, Jonny Bairstow. My move to secondary school in 1961 coincided with the Ashes series of that year and the magic was conjured by the glamorous Australian captain. My earliest memory of watching cricket was seeing Jim Laker take 19 wickets in the Old Trafford Test in 1956. Peter ReesMonty PanesarMonty Panesar is the epitome of Ashes cricket. He seemed like a ray of hope.Fast forward to the 1989 Ashes series in England.

Source: The Guardian January 04, 2026 11:04 UTC