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After winning the Ashes series 3-2 against Australia, England has climbed three spots to third position in the global Cricket Council Test team rankings.

Earlier, a ninth-wicket stand of 57 between Moeen Ali and Mark Wood saved just a few, but not many, of England’s blushes before the same pair both fell to Johnson in a fitting anti-climax to an unsatisfactory batting display.

And he praised the leadership of Cook this summer as England have thrashed Australia to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead in the Investec Ashes Series with one Test still to come.

(Picture: Reuters)Victory tasted so sweet for Cook’s men!

Australia required tea drink on second day of one in three Ashes Test on 73-2, continue to 72 behind England by using Chris Rogers and Steven Smith the boys to plummet.

At Trent Bridge this week, Clarke will merit hero or fall-guy status as he tries to keep alive Australia’s hopes of retaining the Ashes. You don’t play forever and think “who is irreplaceable”?

Cook confirmed that Durham’s Mark Wood, who took four wickets on his Ashes debut as England won the first Test in Cardiff, was likely to be tasked with filling the chasm, having recovered from an ankle problem.

Defiant and angry Australian captain Michael Clarke vowed to keep playing on after the Ashes series with England, with those suggesting he was finished talking “a complete load of rubbish”.

England bowler James Anderson will miss the rest of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston and the fourth Test at Trent Bridge because of a side strain.

Bowling 33 overs without success in England’s second test defeat by Australia at Lord’s knocked the confidence of paceman James Anderson who returned to form with a bang yesterday.

Steven Finn ripped through hapless Australia to claim 5-45 and put England on the brink of an astonishing victory on day two of the third Ashes Test, at Edgbaston.

The Middlesex paceman had been in the wilderness, so far as Test duty had been concerned, after being dropped following an off-target spell in the 2013 Ashes series opener at Trent Bridge.