Australian cricket fans can expect a bumper postbag from English friends and family over the next month after the Royal Mail unveiled designs for a range of stamps celebrating England's Ashes series victory.

Images of Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and England colleagues will appear on four stamps to mark the "momentous occasion" of regaining the Ashes from Australia -- two first class domestic stamps and two for letters to be sent overseas.

The English cricketers will be the first living people outside the Royal Family to have their likenesses clearly identifiable on British stamps.

England's cricketers defeated Australia 2-1 over the summer, the first time they had won an Ashes series since 1987.

The stamps go on sale on Thursday.

Complete Coverage: Ashes 2005

Photograph: Reuters