Battle of the Ashes Moments

[Jarquis]

Right, with the next Ashes series only a matter of weeks away, I thought this would be a nice little way of looking back and reflecting on the history of the series before the latest chapter is added.

How would people prefer this was managed? One potentially unclear area I can see is whether to allow a spell of bowling to be nominated as one moment?
Personally I'd say no, but am willing to go with the majority.

Oh and if possible could links to the Utoob/scorecard of the match involving the moment be posted with the nominations. Thanks.

Start nominating.

 

[marc71178]

[/thread]

 

[Jarquis]

There's a few.

 

[Themer]

Nearly went for Freddie consoling Lee but I enjoyed seeing Clarke shouldering arms so much more.

 

[andyc]

I would post a picture from 06/07 just to stop the unfettered shower of Englishness going on in here (pun intended), but unfortunately it turns out that come the first ball of the series, most cameras aren't focusing on second slip straight out of the bowler's hand.

 

[Jarquis]

Right, I'm nominating my 4 of my 5.

1 = Flintoff running out Ponting at The Oval
5th Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 20-23, 2009 | Cricket Scorecard | Cricinfo.com

63.6 Harmison to Hussey, lovely nudged off his hips to mid-on. But hang on - Flintoff's got a rocket arm and he throws down Ponting's stumps! He's gone! Flintoff celebrates before the replays, down on one knee, arms outstretched ala Lord's. Flintoff has done it for England 217/3

2 = Swann bowling out Ponting at Edgbaston
3rd Test: England v Australia at Birmingham, Jul 30-Aug 3, 2009 | Cricket Scorecard | Cricinfo.com

14.6 oh what a ball - what a delivery! Tossed up, dragged him forward and sharp spin turns through the gate to hit his stumps! Fantastic over and a brilliant piece of bowling to remove Ponting 52/2

3 = Gary Pratt runs out Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge
4th Test: England v Australia at Nottingham, Aug 25-28, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | Cricinfo.com

44.1 Flintoff to Martyn, RUN OUT! Martyn plays this to cover and runs, Ponting sets off for a single, he runs hard, Gary Pratt, the 12th man, throws the stumps down and Ponting is gone! 155/3

4 = Winning the 2005 Ashes
4th Test: England v Australia at Nottingham, Aug 25-28, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | Cricinfo.com

31.5
Warne to Giles, 2 runs, THAT'S IT! England have done it! full and on the pads, flicked through the on side for two of the most valuable runs Ashley Giles has ever scored in his life!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

No need for pictures,that over by Flintoff at Edgbaston in 2005.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The climax of the 2nd test at Edgbaston in 2005 will take some topping. "Jones. Bowden. Kasprowicz the man to go."

Larwood sconing Oldfield at Adelaide also an iconic moment. Lol wasn't bowling to a leg theory field as it happens.

 

[aussie]

My favourite in my time of watching cricket:

- Waugh's twin Hundred & OT 97
- Warne bowling @ OT 97, which turned me into a cricket fan
- Gough's hat-trick @ SCG 98/99
- England's chase @ Headingley 02
- Waugh's hundred @ SCG 2002
- Everything about the 2005 Ashes
- AUS comeback @ Adelaide 06
- McGrath's bowling @ Brisbane 06

 

[four_or_six]

Okay, here goes for my five:

1) Ponting getting run-out at Trent Bridge 05

Impossible to top this one. Just brilliant because we were winning, and on top of that absolutely hilarious.

YouTube - Ricky Ponting 2005 Ashes Run Out

2) Freddie's over to Ponting and Langer at Edgbaston 05

Greatest over ever.

YouTube - Andrew Flintoff @ 3:10mins

3) Jimmy and Monty's last stand Cardiff 09

Brilliant, was in a bar at a cricket club, loads of Aussies were there. They went from smug to slightly worried to completely despondent.

YouTube - England's last-wicket heroes on their defiant stand

4) First day of the Ashes, 2005

Had everything, went from such a high to such a low. Harmison scarring Ponting, KP arriving on the scene. Also, Glenn McGrath at Lords... painful but brilliant.

YouTube - Ashes 2005 | 1st Test (Lords) Day 1, 1st Session Highlights
YouTube - Ashes 2005 | 1st Test (Lords) Day 1, 3rd Session Highlights

5) That ball by Harmison to get Clarke out.

Memorable, as that was when I felt we really could do something. Also, hilarious commentary.

YouTube - Steve Harmison Vs Michael Clarke (cuts off Mark )

Honourable mentions go to the two candidates for Ball of the Century: here and here.

 

[Eds]

Shane Warne to Andrew Strauss.

 

[stumpski]

Bright bowled Willis, Headingley 1981


And Both's two 100s of that series, obv.

 

[zaremba]

Hard to argue with 4or6's list. Although obviously there are many many more. **** me dead I love the Ashes

 

[Jarquis]

Hard to argue with 4or6's list. Although obviously there are many many more. **** me dead I love the Ashes

Care to nominate

 

[Neil Pickup]

1 Swann dismissing Hussey at The Oval in 2009 to seal the series
2 Strauss' catch at Trent Bridge in 2005
3 Geraint Jones' rebound catch at Old Trafford two weeks earlier (can't find a video)
4 Darren Gough hat-trick, SCG 1999

 

[zaremba]

Care to nominate

Well I was basically agreeing with 4or6's list tbf.

OK let me add another - not so much a moment but a sustained performance to rank with the greatest of all time. MW Tate taking a record 38 wickets in Australia in 1924/25. Bowling over 600 balls in each of 3 Tests, including 89 8-ball overs in the first Test (equivalent to nearly 115 6-ball overs) and 78.3 in the second and 79 in the fifth. All this on rock hard ground, with a festering big toe in such bad condition the doctors thought it would have to be amputated.

 

[Uppercut]

Shane Warne doing anything.

 

[Jarquis]

Standing on his stumps

 

[Uppercut]

or dropping KP.

But also taking a hat-trick.

 

[Furball]

McGrath's spell at Lord's in 2005. Hands down the best spell of fast bowling I've seen. I still get goosebumps when I think about Flintoff's off stump cartwheeling away.

The 4th innings at Trent Bridge 2005. Trescothick and Strauss start off in T20 mode, Warne, as he did all series turns the game back towards Australia, Flintoff and KP settle us down, Lee bowls a masterful spell, getting Flintoff with a beauty, Geraint chokes vs Warne, before Giles and Hoggard get us there - that 4th innings had everything. Momentum swung one way then the other, and it was tense right until Giles turned for the 2nd run. A great example of why Test cricket is the greatest form of the game.

Flintoff's over at Edgbaston. Unplayable.

Strauss' batting on the first day at Lord's. So calm, so serene. A faultless display, he really ought to have kicked on and got the double, one of the best knocks I've watched.

Duncan Fletcher's put down after Ponting had a bitch about substitute fielders after getting run out. "If you hit the ball straight to the cover fielder and run, what do you expect?"