On this day in 2005 – One of the greatest Test finale in Ashes history
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Shane Warne and Australia’s tail-enders gave England a massive fright before Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison snatched a dramatic two-run victory for the home side in the second Ashes Test in Birmingham.
It was the closest winning margin in Ashes history in one of the most fascinating and anxious games that left the five-match series perfectly draw at 1-1.
It was also the closest game in international cricket since West Indies beat Australia by one run in Adelaide in 1992-93.
England’s victory gave them their first win in a ‘live’ Test against Australia since the first Test of the 1997 series, also at Edgbaston.
Fourth day of the 2005 Ashes Test at Edgbaston
When play began on the fourth day of the 2005 Ashes Test at Edgbaston, England was staring at a straightforward victory. They were just two wickets away and Australia needed 107 runs.
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Australia won the first Test at Lord’s by 239 runs but their chances for the second game took two major blows even before the first ball was bowled.
Their premier fast bowler Glenn McGrath was ruled out after suffering a freak ankle injury while playing touch rugby during the warm-up before the start of the game.
And then, captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to field first, looking at overcast conditions, would worsen greatly over the course of the match.
England took full advantage of Ponting’s appearing knock-in judgement and stacked 407 runs in their first innings.
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Marcus Trescothick was restrained at the top of the order with 90 runs, with Kevin Pietersen (71) and Andrew Flintoff (68) rendering a quickfire partnership of 103 runs for the fifth wicket.
In response, Australia scampered on half-centuries from opener Justin Langer (82) and Ponting (61) to post 308.
It’s been an epic game – Michael Vaughan
Moments before a finale which kept the series alive, England had been one shot away from defeat.
“It’s been an epic game,” England captain Michael Vaughan said.
“If we had gone down 2-0 today, I don’t think we would have come back. It’s been mentally draining.”
Flintoff made an incredible 73 down the order but Warne’s stunning spell of 6/46 brought Australia right back into the contest as England were bowled out for 182.
Things did go downhill for the visitors as they got reduced to 137/7 with Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones all picking wickets for England.
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A young Michael Clarke then put up a fight but he was clean-bowled by the other unforgettable delivery of that match – an absolute peach of a slower one by Harmison.
And that set up day four of the match. Australia were 175/8, chasing 282.
Australia had Warne and Brett Lee at the crease. The duo didn’t give up at the start of day four and went about building a partnership. They added 45 runs for the ninth wicket.
England’s star all-rounder Flintoff strode up and got rid of Warne. Australia were 220/9 and needed 62 runs to win. The match was still very much in favour of the legions.
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A final twist in the saga
From needing 62 runs to win, Australia soon needed 42, then 22, and finally they were just three runs away from the most incredible triumph.
And that’s when it arose, a final twist in the saga that thrills fans to date.
Harmison ran into Kasprowicz and bowled a sharp bouncer that climbed straight to the throat.
England had done it. They had managed to clinch their strengths and close out one of the most memorable triumphs in the history of Test cricket.
Flintoff and Lee’s exchange at Edgbaston
Lee, who had fought fearlessly to persist not-out on 43 off 75 was broken down on his haunches. And in a moment that’s as iconic as the match itself, Flintoff went across to console Lee even as his teammates celebrated.
“As history will tell you, it was an unbelievable game of cricket where one run decided that Test match and probably ended up deciding the series [England won 2-1]. That was how close it turned out at the end,” Ponting told cricket.com.au recently.
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