England's international summer has come to a close with the national side having regained the Investec Ashes in style at Trent Bridge and beaten ICC Cricket World Cup finalists New Zealand 3-2 in their Royal London One-Day Series.

The 2015 summer has realised some record-breaking highs including two scintillating matches at Trent Bridge, and here we look back through six of the best moments.

 

Mark Wood Takes Last Wicket To Seal Investec Ashes

Where else to start other than the series-clinching wicket of the Ashes in 2015? England had been dominant from the off with Stuart Broad’s 8-15 on the first morning and Ben Stokes’ rampant spell on the second afternoon, either side of a Joe Root century, leaving the hosts requiring three wickets on the third morning to win the Ashes at Trent Bridge for the first time.

After Stokes struck early, Wood bowled Josh Hazlewood for nought and the Durham quick then had the honour of taking the final wicket, Nathan Lyon failing in his attempt to leave the ball, seeing it ricochet off his inside-edge and clatter into his stumps; cue wild celebrations, even bigger than those of the first Test in 2013.

 

James Taylor's Crucial Hundred

Sixth months on from being denied his golden opportunity of completing a maiden hundred against Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup due to an umpiring error, James Taylor scored a crucial century against the same opposition to keep England in the Royal London One-Day International series.

Trailing 2-0 heading to Old Trafford, and needing a win to keep the series alive, the hosts posted their first 300 score of the series centred around a maiden ODI century from the Nottinghamshire batsman on a tricky wicket. The importance of the knock wasn’t fully realised until the Australian batsmen struggled for any sort of timing as Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali shared five wickets to bowl the tourists out for 207 and secure a 93-run win.

 

THAT Ben Stokes Catch

and THAT reaction.

 

Steve Smith’s 200 At Lord’s

A quirky cricketer when he first arrived on to the international scene, Steve Smith’s unusual technique remains, but he has now combined it with the ability to score mountains of runs. In the 2015 Ashes, he scored 508 runs at an average of 56.44, his most memorable knock coming at Lord’s in the second Test.

On the back of going 1-0 down at Cardiff, Smith became the third Australian to make a double-century at the home of cricket, contributing 215 in the tourists’ first innings total of 566-8d which would set up an emphatic 405-run victory to level the series.

 

England’s Emphatic Run Chase Against New Zealand At Trent Bridge

Taking on the ICC Cricket World Cup finalists is one challenge and with scores of over 350 flying around game after game, England had to be on top form to stay with the notoriously attacking New Zealanders. The hosts had already proven their ability with a scintillating record score of 408 in the first game, before passing 300 in losing causes in each of the next two matches.

Heading to Trent Bridge needing a win to stay in the series, England were set a daunting 350 for victory after a Kane Williamson-inspired New Zealand innings. Cue one of the hosts’ best batting performances in recent years as firstly Alex Hales got them off to a flier with a 38-ball 67. Then it was down to two centurions, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, who batted in contrasting styles to seal a remarkable victory and set up the decider at Durham.

Root was the beneficiary of Hales’ firepower, able to dictate the play with ones and twos in a measured knock that saw his team over the finishing line. Morgan meanwhile was at his belligerent best, stroking an imperious 113 off 82 before Root, alongside Ben Stokes, reached the target with six overs to spare.

 

Stuart Broad's 8-15

How could we not mention the most memorable spell of the summer? Leading the England attack, Stuart Broad blew away the Australian line-up at Trent Bridge, the tourists all out for a measly 60 as the Nottinghamshire seamer took career-best figures of 8-15 with records tumbling in the process. Broad equaled the fastest Test five-wicket haul, just 19 deliveries, as the visitors were all out in just 111 balls, the shortest first innings of a Test in history.

In returning the third best Ashes bowling figures for England, behind Jim Laker’s 9-37 and 10-53, Broad all but ensured England would secure the Ashes at Trent Bridge for the first time and cap off a remarkable summer of cricket at the venue. 

 

Trent Bridge will host England's One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016. Sign up here to be the first to hear about fixture and ticketing information for these two matches.