OBEs for Strauss, Flower

The England cricket team was honoured by the Queen for their victorious Ashes campaign five months ago, where they trounced Australia 3-1 in the five-match series to secure their first win Down Under in 24 years.

Star batsman Cook accumulated 766 runs in the series, the highest by any England player in a Test series for 80 years.

In other sporting honours, golfer Lee Westwood, who ended Tiger Woods’ reign as the world number one, and former basketball player John Amaechi, who became the first NBA player to admit he is gay in 2007, were recognised with an OBE.