The Ashes 2015: Potential Breakout Stars to Watch

England and Australia are preparing to resume hostilities in the Ashes, with the first Test kicking off in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The tourists currently hold the urn but have not triumphed on English soil since 2001.

The home team, meanwhile, will be eager to wipe away the memory of the 5-0 defeat they suffered the last time the two old rivals met in the series.

Ahead of the opening match, we have picked out a player from each squad who could play a crucial role for their nation over the coming months.

Adam Lyth

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England will be hoping Adam Lyth can finally solve the problematic position at the top of their batting order.

The Yorkshire left-hander will start the Ashes as Alastair Cook’s opening partner, a role that has been filled by several different players since Andrew Strauss’ retirement in 2012.

Nick Compton had some success but didn’t make the cut for the 2013 Ashes. Joe Root was then promoted for a summer before Michael Carberry took over for the disastrous tour to Australia that followed.

A 5-0 series whitewash led to another change, with Sam Robson—an Australian plying his trade in county cricket with Middlesex—being the next man up.

He lasted one summer and was jettisoned for the tour of the West Indies, as England instead tried out Jonathan Trott—who had previously batted at three in his Test career—in a new role.

Overlooked in the Caribbean, Lyth finally got his chance when New Zealand arrived earlier this year. A pair of low scores at Lord’s on hsi debut was not the start he would have hoped for, but a return north to Headingley provided him with some home comforts. 

The 27-year-old’s third Test innings saw him make 107. The Yorkshireman prospered in his own back yard and in doing so cemented himself a spot for the Ashes.

He now has the chance to show he’s more than just a short-term fix. Runs against New Zealand are good, but scores against Australia are special.

A superb domestic season in 2014 saw Lyth move himself toward the front of the queue to open. 

He scored 1,489 runs in the LV= County Championship, helping Yorkshire to the Division One title while also winning the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year award.

The Whitby-born batsman told Anthony Clavane of the Mirror that he and Cook already combine well together: “We seem to click. He’s a fantastic captain and a fantastic batsman. He’s the leading ­run-scorer for England with almost 9,000 runs, including 27 hundreds.”

Lyth will be hoping their partnership lasts for longer than just a summer.

Josh Hazlewood

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

The Mitchells—Johnson and Starc—will be the focus of attention during the Ashes.

While Johnson has a long history with England, fellow left-armer Starc saw his reputation rise during a successful Cricket World Cup campaign that saw him finish the tournament as the joint-leading wicket-taker.

Yet Josh Hazlewood—the other seamer, who was named man of the series in the 2-0 sweep over the West Indies recently—is flying slightly under the radar.

The 24-year-old has only played five Tests, but his figures in the arena are impressive. He has taken 24 wickets at an average of 19.08 with a strike rate of 45.5.

Hazlewood’s potential was spotted at an early age. He made his one-day debut for Australia as a teenager when he was selected to play against England in the summer of 2010.

He had to wait a further four years to win a Test cap as a result of injuries, though the New South Welshman has been quick to make up for lost time.

A tall bowler capable of bowling at a good pace, he relies more on accuracy to take his wickets.

Considering he is from the same state, Hazlewood has been likened to Glenn McGrath. It is a comparison he is comfortable with, per Ali Martin of the Guardian: “It’s not a burden at all. Glenn’s the best quick Australia has ever had so to be compared to him is pretty exciting.”

Ahead of his first taste of Ashes cricket, Hazlewood picked up a four-wicket haul in the final innings of the warm-up match against Essex.

England will be hoping that isn’t a sign of things to come, particularly if he lives up to the comparisons to McGrath, a man who tormented English batsmen during his stellar career.