Don't despair England fans. We may have got out of jail at Cardiff, but I still see the Ashes series as being wide open.

A lot of things need to be put right for us to do better in the second Test, but Lord's will offer a different pitch and conditions, which could suit our bowlers more.

There has been rain and a lot of cloud about throughout the country and if that sort of weather persists, the ball could swing, which it refused to do for England's bowlers in the first Test.

A lot was made about none of our batsmen going on to a really big score at Cardiff, but that doesn't worry me too much. I was encouraged by our first-innings total of 435, particularly when we had been 336-7 overnight.

From that position, I expected us to make around 370 so to get well in excess of 400 was a bonus and that sort of score usually puts you well in the game, especially when the pitch already appears to be taking spin.

Yes, there were some poor dismissals. I am a big Kevin Pietersen fan, but the shot he played was quite simply wrong for the circumstances and he has to accept the high degree of responsibility that goes with being our best player.

But most of our batsmen had some time in the middle, which is valuable at the start of an Ashes series. What worried me a lot more was the fact that our two spinners, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, only took one wicket between them in the match.

Four Aussies made centuries and that is another major concern as we look ahead. Back in 2005 we managed to keep their top order out of nick early on. Now we are talking about bowling to top players with confidence sky high.

But there was a big positive to come out of the first Test in the way England battled for survival on the final day. It made for some compelling cricket and a thrilling finale, which has really whetted the appetite for the matches to come.

I was fielding for Somerset against Hampshire at Taunton alongside Justin Langer at the time, so you can imagine the banter each time the fall of an England wicket was announced over the tannoy.

The umpires were also keeping in touch with events at Cardiff via the scorers, on their radios, so we were kept well up to date. Neither Justin nor I gave England any chance after they had slumped to 70-5.

That situation was tailor-made for Paul Collingwood, who relishes a scrap and has the necessary grit and determination, as well as the ability, to bat for a long time.

Even so, I was ready to concede defeat when Monty walked out with nearly 12 overs remaining. He is actually a better batsman than his figures suggest, but 69 balls is an awful lot in a Test Match and it was surely only a matter of time.

Perhaps I should have had more faith in the 'batting buddy' scheme, which England have introduced since I was playing international cricket.

I did a bit of work with James Anderson on his batting when I was in the side, but it wasn't a regular thing. Now each of the tail-enders is paired with a top-order batsman to help him improve his run-scoring potential and it certainly seemed to pay dividends.

Jimmy is no mug with the bat in any case and often performs the night watchman duty for England. I don't think Monty has ever been considered for that role, so he deserves a lot of credit for that amazing last-wicket stand.

I thought Ricky Ponting helped us a bit with his choice of bowlers. It didn't surprise me that he took the spin option at the end, but surely Michael Clarke would have been a better bet that Marcus North.

England's time-wasting tactics made me feel a bit uncomfortable when I watched the highlights and I wish we could have saved the game without resorting to sending out the physio and 12th man for no apparent reason.

But almost anything goes in an Ashes series and Ricky Ponting must have a short memory to make something of it because I can recall his team doing similar against us when trying to save a Test in 2005.

I had to smile when I saw Ricky quoted about Australia playing to the spirit of the game. There is no doubt that had the roles been reversed they would have done anything within their power to stop England winning.

It's not difficult to imagine the contrasting emotions in the two dressing rooms at the end of an epic Test match. I doubt that England would have been celebrating after being outplayed for three and a half days, but there would have been a huge sense of relief.

Knowing Andrew Strauss, I am sure it wasn't long before the lessons to be taken from the game were discussed. Equally, Ricky Ponting would have quickly been reminding his despondent players about how dominant they had been.

I don't share the view that the momentum is now with England, because we are the ones with all the improving to do. But the draw keeps us right in the series and I am not ready to abandon my prediction that the Ashes will be regained.

Pietersen has taken a lot of stick for the shots he got out to at Cardiff, but he remains the batsmen most likely to make the big hundred England require.

Interview: Richard Latham