Swervy
International Captain
ifs and buts.....Richard said:I find it perfectly conceivable we'd have won the series if George Sharp had given Waugh lbw in the first-innings at Old Trafford when Caddick pinned him with a Full-Toss and if Thorpe had taken that catch off Elliott on 1 in the first-innings at Headingley.
Australia certainly weren't overwhelmingly the better side. The Oval was aught but dead-rubber consolation, but as I say - England could quite easily have won the Third and Fourth Tests had just a single incident in each gone differently.
1997 was certainly the closest-matched Ashes between 1981 and 2005. On the balance, Australia were - just - the better side, but it was no way as convincing as the scoreline made it look.
To be perfectly honest, the 1985 series was actually much more closely contested than the 1997 series....
How could have England 'quite easily' have won two matches that they lost by 268 runs and an inning and 61 runs.
For at least 80% of the series, Australia outplayed England...rain pretty much saved England bacon in the second test, and then pretty much until the final innings of the 6th test, Australia dominated.