England first played Australia in cricket in 1887, the year the Wimbledon tennis championships were first played. With the 2009 Ashes starting soon, this is a look back the 2005 Ashes series, the last time the Austrlians played England in the UK, one of the greatest test series of all time.
1st Test – Lords 2005 Ashes
England started the first test well, bowling Australia out for 190 runs, but fears that Australian strike bowlers McGrath and Warne were too old proved unfounded. England were skittled out for 153.
The Australians, led by a brilliant 91 by Clarke, scored 384 runs at almost four runs an over. England needed over 400 runs to win the match. They were bowled out for 180 with only Pieterson with 64 not out offering any real resistance.
2nd Test – Edgbaston 2005 Ashes
With McGrath injured in the warm-up, England built a healthy score of over 400, putting them over 100 ahead when Australia were bowled out for 308.
Australia fought back in the 2nd innings and when England were 75-6, it looked odds on that they would take a 2-0 lead. The English saviour was Flintoff, with a rapid 76. England finished on 182, leaving Australia with a record run chase to win.
Despite England having Australia in trouble at 175 for 8, they struggled to put them away and when Warne stepped on his wicket, only 50 runs were required. Finally, Kasprovicz was caught behind giving England’s a slender 2 run win.
3rd Test – Old Trafford 2005 Ashes
England again batted first with Michael Vaughan scoring 166 out of a big England total of 444. Australia’s batsmen fell short, only scoring 302, with Simon Jones getting six wickets.
England piled on the pressure in the second innings, declaring at 280 for 6 and Australia were again chasing a record total to win the game. Ponting emulated Vaughan in the first innings and produced a captain’s innings. At the tea interval, he was on 90 not out with England needing just 5 wickets to win the match.
Australia quickly knocked off fifty runs before losing two wickets and with 10 overs left, only needed 83 runs. Finally, Ponting lost his wicket, but the Australian tail-enders managed to survive the last four overs to secure one of the most exciting draws ever seen.
4th test – Trent Bridge 2005 Ashes
England scored 477 in the first innings against a changed Australian attack and applied the pressure, making the Aussies follow on after they were bowled out for 218.
England were favourites to take the series lead after being denied at Old Trafford. However, as in all the games in the series, nothing was cut and dried and when England collapsed from 32 for 0 to 57 for 4, things were starting to look shaky. Fortunately, Flintoff and Pieterson saw England past the hundred mark and despite losing two more wickets, England won the test to go 2-1 ahead.
5th Test – The Oval 2005 Ashes
England won the toss and batted. Strauss (129) and Flintoff (72), helped steer England to a solid 373 all out on the 2nd day. Australia, determined not to let the Ashes go without a fight started building a big score, getting to 264-2 before Flintoff and Hoggard got amongst them. Taking four and five wickets respectively, they bowled Australia out for 367. Honours even, but that wasn’t enough for Australia who had to win the game.
England put the game safe on day 5, building an innings of 335 with Pieterson making over 150. England only bowled 4 balls of the Australian innings before the umpires took the players off for bad light. Eventually, the match was ended in a rather farcical manner with the players off the field. England had regained the Ashes.
Tickets to the 2009 Ashes Series will be amongst the most sought after of the Summer.
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