Cook's Ashes heroics leave England crowing

LONDON - England's familiar role as Ashes whipping boys has been consigned to history after Alastair Cook's career-defining innings in the series opener, the British media claims

Cook's stunning 235 not out helped England to a total of 517-1 in their second innings, wiping out their 221-run first-innings deficit and earning a confidence-boosting draw in the Brisbane Test.

"I've seen morale and self-belief go down the plughole," Times columnist Simon Barnes said. "I've seen teams looking completely clueless. I've seen captains with their minds frazzled.

"But this time it was the Australians. Australia have become the new England."

Mitchell Johnson's wayward bowling for the hosts was the source of much merriment, with popular tabloid Sun labelling him "plonker of the day" while BBC writer Jonathan Agnew called the Aussie attack "an utterly innocuous mess". Times columnist Gideon Haigh had some sympathy for the Australian scapegoat, blaming the Australian cricket authorities for his travails.

All the papers covered the unusual story of a US woman with the Twitter handle "@theashes" who became the centre of online banter when she curtly responded to unwanted cricket posts by saying "I am not a freaking cricket match!!!" The unsuspecting blogger later asked "what the hell is a wicket?" - a question Haigh suggested would also have crossed Johnson's mind.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain urged his countrymen to heap pressure on Australian captain Ricky Ponting in the second Test, which starts in Adelaide on Friday.

"That was some statement from Alastair Cook and some statement from England," he said. "Ponting was right: this wasn't a typical Brisbane pitch. But then it wasn't a typical Australian performance, either. And that will worry him greatly."

Fellow ex-captain Michael Atherton barely concealed his amusement at hearing England fans singing "are you England in disguise?" to demoralised Australian fielders.