Favourite Ashes Memory

[andyc]

Originally Posted by dontcloseyoureyes

Winning.

[Burgey]

Thommo and Lillee cracking heads, 74-75, especially the Gabba test when Edrich (I think) had his ribs broken, and Thommo was walking back to his mark and eyeing off the next bloke in, mouthing "You're next" to them.

G Chappell's ton at Perth 82-83.

M Waugh 100 on debut Adelaide 91.

Tuffers taking a catch at fine leg in Adelaide 95 in a game England actually won. Wasn't a great catch, but the miracle was Tuffers actually caught it.

[GIMH]

My least favourite memory

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

This is up there as well though

Yeah, right up there for me. Was definitely the most exciting moment for me of the best Test series I'd ever watched bar none. Flintoff's 70'odd a couple of hours earlier was a bit of alright too. Ballsy. Was very manly cricket.

Aside from that, Gilchrist's 152 in England was an unbelievable knock. I was dumbfounded that someone could bat that way in a Test. Mark Butcher's 173 was top-shelf and I saw most of it (Hussain's support innings distinctly under-rated, for mine) and McGrath's bowling any time at Lords was special to watch. Personally special was seeing Greg Blewett's 100's in Adelaide and Perth, was the first time SA had seen a world-class player in the Test side for some time. Obv, Warne's ball to Gatt was okay too.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Thommo and Lillee cracking heads, 74-75, especially the Gabba test when Edrich (I think) had his ribs broken, and Thommo was walking back to his mark and eyeing off the next bloke in, mouthing "You're next" to them.

Good to see the Aussies celebrating the spirit of cricket following the infamous "Dummy-Spitting" series of 1932/3

[HeathDavisSpeed]

One highlight of the 1980s that in hindsight I can appreciate all the more is the way the Aussies had a plan for Graham Gooch. In the late 80s in particular, Gooch was the key wicket and a player at the height of his form. He was the best player to tame the amazing West Indian fast bowling line up, but he just couldn't deal with Terry Alderman.

I hated Alderman as a player at the time, and didn't appreciate the true majesty of his bowling to Gooch.

[pietersenrocks]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

My least favourite memory

Yeah, the opposite of 2005..LoL

[pup11]

Originally Posted by Matt79

Warne's Gatting ball was pretty good.

But I'll actually go with Steve Waugh's first ton during the 1989 series...

Yup, that's one of my most favourite Ashes moments, the other one's are:

Last day of the Adelaide test from the 2006/07 series
Symonds' century celebrations with Haydos after scoring his maiden test century at MCG
Steven Waugh' last ball of the day century at SCG
Ponting' 156 at Old Trafford

[GingerFurball]

McGrath's spell after tea on the first day at Lord's. Still get hairs on the back of my neck standing up whenever I watch that and hear the ominous clatter of ball hitting stump.

[Uppercut]

The last days of the most recent tests at Adelaide, Old Trafford and Edgbaston.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by zaremba

Edgbaston 1997, the first day in particular: an amazing, intense, joyful occasion and the climax to weeks and weeks of build-up.

I was going to say exactly that. Australia 65 for 8 in the first innings of the series. It gets precious little better than that as an England fan.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by pasag

Waugh's last ball of the day hundred at the SCG.

Yeah I loved that as well. England on top, but one of the greatest batsmen who ever lived - and someone I always admired as player and person - playing an innings that probably meant as much to him as anything, and reaching the climax of it at the last possible moment that day.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

McGrath's spell after tea on the first day at Lord's. Still get hairs on the back of my neck standing up whenever I watch that and hear the ominous clatter of ball hitting stump.

Said it at the time but that's as good a spell of bowling as anyone could wish to see. Five deliveries each batsman had no realistic chance of playing, virtually no runs given away, hardly any overs required to bowl 'em.

I'm not sure it was a rank favourite memory of mine but it did illustrate the shortcomings of England's bowling of the previous couple of hours.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

My least favourite memory

My least favourite is beyond question the first two Tests of 2001. Despite being weakened from a side which could easily have competed on level terms at worst to one that was a fair bit behind, England could still very easily have been right in both of those Tests... but for the fact that they dropped about 20 catches in the two combined.

When the catches were held in the Third Test there wasn't an enormous amount between the teams.

[wpdavid]

Couldn't honestly claim any of 1981, as I spent a month travelling around Europe from Day 3 of the Headingley test.

Like others, day 1 of Edgbaston 1997 was extraordinary.
Gower & Gooch putting on about 500 on Day 1 at the Oval in 1985.
Randall running out McCosker - diving to demolish the stumps from wide mid-on iirc - to all but seal the 1977 series.
The look on Chappelli's face after Underwood demolished them at Leeds in 1972.
Day 3 at Edgbaston in 2005 - possibly the greatest day's cricket I have ever witnessed.
Hogg & Giles scoring the winning runs at TB in 2005.