Sporting Classics: The 2005 Ashes Series

steemsports (80)in #cricket • 7 years ago

Captains Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan before The Ashes started

SteemSports Presenter: @mojorisin

SteemSports Editor: @ldauch

The 2005 Ashes will go down in living memory as being arguably the best Test series ever.
Although this was arguably the strongest England side they had produced in a long time, the Australia cricket team was arguably the best team in history, and had been dominant in world cricket for over a decade. England hadn’t beaten the Aussies in a Test series since 1986-87, and so Australia arrived in England strong favourites to regain the famous urn.

The schedule of Tests was:

21-25 July at Lord’s

4-7 August at Edgbaston

11-15 August at Old Trafford

25-28 August at Trent Bridge

8-12 September at The Oval

All 11cm of the biggest prize in cricket

The first Test at Lord’s, as with any first day in an Ashes series, was highly anticipated. And the first day’s play really set the tone for an explosive series. Australia won the toss and chose to bat first, but with the weather conditions the ball was swinging from the off and Australia were bowled all-out for 190 in just 40 overs and it wasn’t even tea, yet. England came in to bat, and first to fall was Trescothick to McGrath. It was McGrath’s 500th Test wicket. Any confidence England had gained from their explosive start soon evaporated, as they ended day one on 92-7.

Aussie fast bowler Glenn McGrath took his 500th wicket in 1st Test

Day two saw England only reach 155 before being skittled out, and the frustration in the home crowd was haunting the arena. Australia were back to their usual best in the second innings as they put 384 runs on the board, with Michael Clarke chipping in with 91 (from just 106 balls). They then bowled England out for 180 runs to give themselves a first Test win by a huge 239 runs. It seemed like the writing was on the wall for England.

Australia won 1st Test: England 0 Australia 1

The second Test in Birmingham was a couple weeks after the first Test. And if the first Test was typical of Australia’s decade of dominance, the second test was an absolute 50/50. The first day started in bizarre fashion as Aussie fast bowler Glenn McGrath was ruled out after he tripped on a ball in the warm up. It seemed like the gods were on England’s side when after losing the all-important toss, Aussie captain Ricky Ponting put England into bat.

It proved to be a fatal decision as England scored an outstanding 400 runs on the first day. At 407 all out they were in a strong position, and with Australia managing 308, it gave the home side a 99 run first innings advantage. If England could manage 300 or so in the second innings they would be in a very strong positions, but they only managed 182 from just 52.1 overs. It was a poor effort by England and only man of the match Andrew Flintoff chipping in with anything resembling a decent score of 73 (86).

Flintoff was man of the 2nd Test

So with a target of 282 Australia were back in with a shout, and they started well at 47/0 until they lost two quick wickets. England then took control and at the end of the day Australia were on the ropes at 175/8. Day 4 started with Australia needing a seemingly impossible 107 with only two batsmen remaining.
The day started well for the Baggy Greens, but when Warne knocked his stumps with Australia needing another 59 runs it seemed like England would finally win the Test. But as was Australia’s dogged determination, they chipped away at England’s lead. Then with just 2 runs needed for a most unlikely win, Harmison delivered a bouncer to Kasprowicz which he edged to Simon Jones for England to win by the slenderest of margins.

Flintoff consoles the devastated Brett Lee after the slenderest of wins for England

It was an extraordinary test, by both teams. Some outstanding batting and bowling will live long in every cricket fans memory. However, the lasting image of the 2nd Test is Andrew Flintoff’s reaction after England’s amazing win. He saw a despondent Brett Lee crouching down with head in hands. He was devastated after the umpire’s decision, and so rather than cheer on with his winning teammates, Flintoff he went to console the heartbroken Brett Lee.

England won: England 1 Australia 1

England were buoyed after their win and really started to believe they could finally beat Australia. The 3rd Test at Old Trafford was the week after. England won the toss and opted to bat. It was a good decision as they put on 444, thanks to an outstanding 166 from captain Michael Vaughan. Australia responded with 302 thanks to an excellent 90 from spin bowler Shane Warne. So, with a good lead England piled the runs on and declared for 280/6 in the 2nd innings, thanks to a century from Andrew Strauss.

Captain Vaughan chippen in with a century in the 3rd Test

Australia were up against it. Could they be losing the famous urn? On the final day’s play, Australia needed an unlikely 399 more runs to win, but England needed to get all 10 wickets. It was either going to be a draw or an England win. Australia knew the best they could hope for was a draw, and they tried to grind it out. Wickets dropped steadily, but the Aussies held out, thanks mainly to a ridiculously good innings from captain Ricky Ponting, who was finally out after batting for more than seven hours for 156.

Match Drawn: England 1 Australia 1

The 4th Test at Trent Bridge saw England win the toss and opt to bat. Again, it was a great move by captain Vaughan as England put 477 on the scorecard, thanks to a century from man of the series Andrew Flintoff. Australia, with a highest score by bowler Brett Lee (47) could only muster 218 all out in their first innings reply, and the mighty Australia, who had made a few changes to their team, were starting to look wide open to vulnerabilities. Could the impossible be on?

England all rounder Andrew Flintoff was again man of the Test

England were starting to believe, and captain Michael Vaughan gambled by enforcing Australia’s first follow on since 1989. Australia posted 387 in the 2nd innings to leave England needing just 129 to win. Surely they couldn’t mess this up. It was a nerve wrecking day in Nottingham for everyone in the ground. The wickets started to fall as England limped their way to the target and lost seven wickets before bowlers Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles saw them over the line to give England a 2-1 series lead.

England won: England 2 Australia 1

At the fifth Test at The Oval, all England had to do was avoid defeat and the famous little urn would be theirs for the first time since the 1980s. England won the toss and chose to bat. With the help of 129 from Strauss, England put in a solid 373 to put them firmly in the driving seat. Australia responded soundly enough and with a great 138 from Matthew Hayden, they responded with 367. But with weather and bad light littering the Test, it seemed to hamper the flow. So it wasn’t until after tea on the 4th day England were starting their second innings.

Legends Warne and McGrath leave the field of their final Ashes match on English soil.
Australia knew they needed to get England out cheaply, and they couldn’t have got off to a better start. Shane Warne got Andrew Strauss bat-and-pad with Simon Katich taking the catch. It was just what Australia needed, and Warne and his legendary bowling partner Glenn McGrath pummeled the England batsmen. England held out for the rest of the day and by the end of Day 4 they had a lead of 40 runs with 9 wickets in hand.

Kevin Pieterson celebrates his maiden century at The Oval

Day 5 was much of the same with wickets falling at scattered times, and the overwrought crowd were beside themselves at the fall of every wicket. By lunch England were 5 down and leading by 133 runs. Australia had to get them all out within an hour of the second session. The Aussie attack heightened, but uncharacteristically, Kevin Pieterson was dropped three times. He took full advantage and delivered a superlative innings to earn his maiden century. As his innings went on, it was becoming clear Australia were running out of time, and with every ball, there was a shivaree from the now knowing England support that the Ashes were finally coming home. Pieterson was finally out for 158, but by that time the champagne was being popped at cricket clubs around the country.

Match Drawn: England win Series 2-1

England lift the smallest trophy in world sport for the first time in 18 years

It was an extraordinary Test series. Australia were such a stellar team. Nobody could see them giving up the urn, especially after their emphatic first Test win. The 2nd Test personified everything that's majestic about Test Match cricket. England bounced back and dominated until Brett Lee and Kasprowicz dug in. England won it by the narrowest of wins in Ashes history, and the belief that they could finally win the series was actualized.

The 3rd Test was drawn but that meant England were slightly closer, and then when they won the 4th Test the whole country was abuzz with cricket. As the 5th Test gradually combusted into a jittery game of attrition, it wasn’t until the last session of the last Test that we knew the outcome of the famous little urn, and with it Australia’s formidable run had finally been extinguished. England had finally won The Ashes again

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