Child’s play for Graeme Swann

Graeme Swann fell in love with the Ashes as a child, watching highlights of the 1986-87 victory in Australia so often that he ruined the video tape.

The off-spinner went into the First Test today hoping he would be featuring in a third Ashes series-winning DVD, not to mention the return Down Under this winter.

“I look forward to the Ashes way more than we’re allowed to,” said the 34-year-old. “Me and my brother had a video called On Top Down Under.

“We honestly played this thing so often that it became warped.

“We’d get up at six in the morning on weekends and watch this video and I just fell in love with the Ashes and always wanted to play in it.

“Most little kids want to play in the FA Cup Final — for me it was always the Ashes.”