Ashes flashback: A look back at the ‘greatest Test’ at Edgbaston

Tags: The Ashes 2015, Ashes 2015 Edgbaston, Australia, England, Andrew Flintoff, Brett Lee

Published on: Jul 26, 2015

As England and Australia prepare for the third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, we look back at the ‘greatest Test’ played at the venue between the two sides almost a decade back

As England and Australia prepare for the third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, we look back at the ‘greatest Test’ played at the venue between the two sides almost a decade back. While England and Australia are tied 1-1 as they head into the third Test, the 2005 match was the second Test of that series, with Australia having won the first Test of that Ashes. A flasback of that nerve-wracking encounter.


Toss: Australia won, and chose to field

Teams
Australia: Jutsin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (c), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Michael Kasporwicz


England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (c), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones


England (1st innings): Batting first, England made an impressive 407. Trescothick made an aggresive 90 while Flintoff contributed 68 and Kevin Pietersen chipped in with a quick 71. Trescothick and Strauss (48) added 112 for the opening wicket. Warne, as usual, was the most successful bowler with four wickets while Kasporwicz claimed three and Gillespie two.


Australia (1st innings): Australia replied with a disappointing 308. Hayden was out for a first-ball duck before Langer (81) and Ponting (61) brought the innings back on track. However, once they were dismissed, the Aussies could not maintain their momentum. Clarke made 40 while Gilchrist was left stranded on 49 not out. England’s bowlers never allowed Australia to get away. Flintoff and Giles claimed three wickets each while Jones chipped in with two. Hoggard claimed a lone wicket, the big of Hayden. Jones got the big scalp of Langer while Giles dismissed Ponting.


England (2nd innings): England collapsed in the second innings, and were cleaned up for 182. Warne and Lee combined to pick up all 10 wickets. Warne began by clean bowling Strauss for 1 while Lee had Trescothick caught behind for 21. Lee also cleaned up skipper Vaughan for 1. Warne then ensured there was no partership in the middle order. Both Bell and Pietersen were out to him in the 20s, but Flintoff held one end up, and his 73 from 86 balls ensured England had a challenging target of 282 to defend.


Australia (2nd innings): England bowled with vigour in the scond innings, forever keeping Australia on the back foot. Flintoff dismissed Langer and Ponting cheaply while Jones dismissed Hayden just as he was getting his eye in. Martyn and Clarke also got starts but they fell to Hoggard and Harmison respectively. And, when Giles chipped in to send back Katich and Gilchrist, Australia were in big trouble. At 8 for 175, the match seemed over, but Lee and Warne batted with great defiance to keep Australia in the hunt. After Warne fell for 42, Kasporwiz gave Lee good company. It all came down to that one ball from Harmison which Kasporwicz gloved to Jones, and gave us that classic ‘Lee-Flintoff moment’.


-- By A Cricket Analyst

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