Shane Warne (Australia)
Warne loved England and England loved Warne, though not as much as Fleet Street such was his propensity to make headlines off the field.
From the moment he delivered 'that ball' to Mike Gatting in 1993 right to the bitter end at the Oval in 2005, Warne had England mesmerised.
The image of Gatting shaking his head as he departed was symbolic of how little clue England's batsmen had in playing Warne.
In 31 Tests he claimed 172 wickets at 22.3 apiece but those numbers did not do justice to the spell he held over England.
Other highlights were his hat-trick in Melbourne in 1994, his heroics in a losing cause in 2005 and the Strauss ball - the second pin in his nomination for back-to-back ball of the century honours.
Harold Larwood (England)
His career was brief but few bowlers caused as much controversy as Larwood, Douglas Jardine's biggest weapon in the Bodyline series of 1932-33.
Lightning fast, deadly accurate and possessing a textbook action, Larwood had all the attributes a captain would want in a quick.
He claimed 33 wickets at 19.51 during Bodyline, including the cherished wicket of Bradman four times from as many matches.
He also delivered the balls which struck Bill Woodfull and Bert Oldfield in Adelaide.
Made the scapegoat for Bodyline, Larwood never played again after refusing to sign an apology, saying he was merely following the orders of his upper-class captain Jardine.
Ironically he emigrated to Australia where he died aged 90 in 1995, two years after receiving a belated MBE for his cricket achievements.
Jim Laker (England)
As great as Warne was, he was unable to achieve what Laker did in 1956.
To say Australia had no answer to Laker would be an understatement.
In five Tests, Laker snared 46 wickets at a miserly 9.6, including match figures of 19-90 at Old Trafford.
He claimed 9-37 in the first dig then became one of only two players ever to take all 10 wickets in an innings in the second.
He repeated the feat later in the tour while playing for Surrey. All this from the same player who eights years prior, albeit against Bradman's Invincibles, was hammered for nine sixes in one morning.
Ian Botham (England)
Who would have thought after the second Test in 1981 that the series would later be remembered as Botham's Ashes?
Had Botham not relinquished the captaincy after making a pair at Lords he most certainly would have been sacked.
Worse was to follow. Australia appeared destined to win the third Test until Botham strode to the wicket with his team still deep in arrears after following on.
He bludgeoned an unbeaten 149 at better than a run a ball to set up the most unlikely of series-levelling wins for England.
He produced another pair of match-winning efforts in the next two games to win the series then claimed 10 wickets in the sixth and final Test.
He finished the series with 34 wickets at 20.58 and 399 runs at 36.27.
Dennis Lillee (Australia)
If the English weren't aware of him in 1971 after he wrecked a World XI with 8-29, they were after the following year's Ashes when he snared 31 wickets at 17.67.
His career appeared over in 1973 due to a serious back injury but strengthened by a punishing physio regime and sporting a remodelled action Lillee again became a force.
Now partnered by a frighteningly fast Jeff Thompson, Lillee wreaked more havoc on the English at home and abroad in 1974-75.
Despite no longer having the pace of his earlier years, he claimed another 39 wickets at 22.83 in 1981 but emerged a loser thanks to Botham's wizardry with bat and ball.