Kal-El
Club Cricketer
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2006
- Online Cricket Games Owned
I'm playing ICC as England. Let me explain the situation first. This is the 5th and Ashes Test, the series is tied 1-1. The last Test was drawn. Now we get into the game:
Fifth and Final Test v Australia
Team: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Joseph Denly, Andrew Flintoff*, James Allenby (Debut), Chris Read+, Saj Mahmood, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar
Australia won the toss and batted on a flat pitch. England struck early with Mahmood getting Hussey to mistime his shot and edge it to Flintoff at first slip.
M Hussey c Flintoff b Mahmood 3 Aus 1/15
Hayden and Ponting then got settled in and began to peel off runs at ease. Hayden passed his half century and Ponting fell agnoisingly close until Panesar spun it a little more and caught him plumb in front.
R Ponting lbw b Panesar 45 Aus 2/109
Hayden was soon to follow, unable to help Jaques get settled in as he edged Panesar to slip giving the young spinner his second successive wicket.
M Hayden c Cook b Panesar 60 Aus 3/116
Jaques and Martyn got settled in to a groove, beginning to look comfortable. However yet again it was Monty Panesar who struck again, beginning to repay the faith shown in him by the selectors.
P Jaques c Cook b Panesar 29 Aus 4/155
Langer now came out to join Martyn, but never got a chance to get settled. With Martyn taking most of the strike Langer watched and defended most of his innings. Until he misread a ball and was bowled, Panesar taking his 4th wicket of the innings.
J Langer b Panesar 6 Aus 5/185
Suddenly the game was all Englands as in the very next over Damien Martyn was caught behind off series leading wicket taker Matthew Hoggard.
D Martyn c Read b Hoggard 40 Aus 6/185
Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne were now together and set out rebuilding Australias innings. Both equally shared the strike as Warne showed confidence in his batting. They put on 54 runs until Warne finally hit it to cover and was caught.
S Warne c Strauss b Flintoff 35 Aus 7/239
Gillespie joined Gilchrist but was unable to replicate Warnes success with the bat as he fell for a duck.
J Gillespie c Flintoff b Panesar 0 Aus 8/244
Gilchrist then found surprising support in the form of Michael Kasprowicz and they combined to put on nearly 70 vital runs until Kasprowicz got caught at mid wicket, ending a critically important innings and partnership.
M Kasprowicz 21 c Flintoff b Hoggard 21 Aus 9/315
McGrath was the last batsman in and couldn't stay with Gilchrist at all, falling for one and ending Australias innings.
G McGrath lbw b Mahmood 1 Aus 316
Australia 316 (All out 93.3ov)
A Gilchrist 61*
M Hayden 60
M Panesar 5/89 (26ov)
S Mahmood 2/61 (22.3ov)
Australia lead by 316 runs
Fifth and Final Test v Australia
Team: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Joseph Denly, Andrew Flintoff*, James Allenby (Debut), Chris Read+, Saj Mahmood, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar
One change for the deciding Test at the SCG. Kevin Pietersen given the axe after a poor run of form. Replacing him is debutant James Allenby. The middle order has been changed with Ian Bell now batting at 3, and Denly moving up with Flintoff remaining at 5.
Australia won the toss and batted on a flat pitch. England struck early with Mahmood getting Hussey to mistime his shot and edge it to Flintoff at first slip.
M Hussey c Flintoff b Mahmood 3 Aus 1/15
Hayden and Ponting then got settled in and began to peel off runs at ease. Hayden passed his half century and Ponting fell agnoisingly close until Panesar spun it a little more and caught him plumb in front.
R Ponting lbw b Panesar 45 Aus 2/109
Hayden was soon to follow, unable to help Jaques get settled in as he edged Panesar to slip giving the young spinner his second successive wicket.
M Hayden c Cook b Panesar 60 Aus 3/116
Jaques and Martyn got settled in to a groove, beginning to look comfortable. However yet again it was Monty Panesar who struck again, beginning to repay the faith shown in him by the selectors.
P Jaques c Cook b Panesar 29 Aus 4/155
Langer now came out to join Martyn, but never got a chance to get settled. With Martyn taking most of the strike Langer watched and defended most of his innings. Until he misread a ball and was bowled, Panesar taking his 4th wicket of the innings.
J Langer b Panesar 6 Aus 5/185
Suddenly the game was all Englands as in the very next over Damien Martyn was caught behind off series leading wicket taker Matthew Hoggard.
D Martyn c Read b Hoggard 40 Aus 6/185
Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne were now together and set out rebuilding Australias innings. Both equally shared the strike as Warne showed confidence in his batting. They put on 54 runs until Warne finally hit it to cover and was caught.
S Warne c Strauss b Flintoff 35 Aus 7/239
Gillespie joined Gilchrist but was unable to replicate Warnes success with the bat as he fell for a duck.
J Gillespie c Flintoff b Panesar 0 Aus 8/244
Gilchrist then found surprising support in the form of Michael Kasprowicz and they combined to put on nearly 70 vital runs until Kasprowicz got caught at mid wicket, ending a critically important innings and partnership.
M Kasprowicz 21 c Flintoff b Hoggard 21 Aus 9/315
McGrath was the last batsman in and couldn't stay with Gilchrist at all, falling for one and ending Australias innings.
G McGrath lbw b Mahmood 1 Aus 316
Australia 316 (All out 93.3ov)
A Gilchrist 61*
M Hayden 60
M Panesar 5/89 (26ov)
S Mahmood 2/61 (22.3ov)
Australia lead by 316 runs
Australias Second Innings
Starting off their second innings with a lead of 123 runs, Australia set about setting England an impossible target. With an hour left of Day 2 at the commencement of their innings, Australia had plenty of time in which to make a big score. Hussey and Hayden asserted themselves early, surviving until stumps and then looking very comfortable. Enter Steve Harmison as he bowled a peach of a delivery and rapped Hayden on the pad dead in front and England had their first wicket.
M Hayden LBW B Harmison 31 Aus 1/59 Australia lead by 182 Runs
Captain Ricky Ponting then joined Hussey in the middle but was unable to get settled. It was again Steve Harmison who struck, again the ball moved off the seam just enough to catch Ponting on the pad and he was on his way back to the pavilion. Australia had suddenly lost 2 wickets in the space of 21 runs. England were fighting back.
R Ponting LBW B Harmison 5 Aus 2/80 Australia lead by 203 Runs
Young star Phil Jaques was the next man in and looked at ease from the get go. Taking on the bowlers and reaching the boundary frequently, Jaques looked ready to take the game away from England. But Captain Freddie Flintoff entered the attack and in his second over bowled danger man Mike Hussey.
M Hussey B Flintoff 63 Aus 3/125 Australia lead by 248 Runs
Damien Martyn joined Jaques at the crease and the pair attempted to put Australias innings back on track. They aimed to bat the first session out then set about making runs, but this was not to be as young spinner Monty Panesar took his first wicket of the innings, bowling Martyn around his legs just before lunch.
D Martyn B Panesar 14 Aus 4/162 Australia lead by 285 Runs
The experienced Langer was the next man in and he looked comfortable from the get go. Getting stuck into the bowlers after lunch he was peeling off runs at ease. Unfortunately midway through the session he lost his partner in Jaques, bowled by young gun Saj Mahmood.
P Jaques B Mahmood 51 Aus 5/206 Australia lead by 329 Runs
With Australias innings on the brink, superstar Gilchrist joined the fray. Combining well with Langer from the start the two West Australians set about taking the game away from England. With both of them attacking the runs started to mount up on the scoreboard and things started to look bad. Until Gilchrist misread a slower ball and lost his off stump to Mahmood. England was back in the game.
A Gilchrist B Mahmood 44 Aus 6/282 Australia lead by 405 Runs
With the pitch starting to quickly break apart England would need quick wickets if it was to have any chance of making the runs. With still over 2 days left however, if quick wickets were to fall then batting for a draw wouldn't be an option. However England were denied these quick wickets as Warne and Langer resisted and continued putting runs on the board. Langer passed 90 as Warne finally fell, edging Harmison to first slip, ending a match saving partnership.
S Warne C Cook B Harmison 23 Aus 7/354 Australia lead by 477 runs
As Warne fell so did the Australian innings. Gillespie was next to go, edging Harmison in the same way Warne did. Next to fall was Langer finally out after reaching his ton, caught by Flintoff at cover off the bowling of Hoggard. And then it was all over as Kasprowicz was hit on the pad in front by Hoggard for 3
J Gillespie C Cook B Harmison 1 Aus 8/354
J Langer C Flintoff B Hoggard 105 Aus 9/359
M Kasprowicz LBW B Hoggard 3 Aus 10/360
Australia 360 (all out 108.2ov)
J Langer 105
M Hussey 63
S Harmison 4/67 (25ov)
M Hoggard 2/69 (25.2ov)
England need 484 to win, or to survive from midway through Session 1 on Day 4 until Stumps Day 5 to Draw
Englands Second Innings
The equation is simple. 5 and a half sessions left in the series. England need 484 runs to win. Or to bat out the overs to secure a draw. On a deteriorating pitch such as this, shutting up shop and trying to block the overs out may be the right idea for England. But can they survive such a long time? With the series tied at 1-1 all is set for the ultimate innings of Test Cricket. Winner Takes All.
Englands attempt to survive the overs started badly, when in the 4th over Alastair Cook was out, caught at cover off the bowling of Glenn McGrath. With so many good strong opening stands seen on this tour England were bitterly disappointed they couldn't get one now when they needed it most.
A Cook C Hussey B McGrath 8 Eng 1/17 Need 467 runs to win, 5 sessions 20 minutes to survive
Ian Bell emerged and set about getting established along with opener Andrew Strauss. Together they built a solid partnership that guided them through the first hour of the second session. However then Australian captain Ricky Ponting introduced Spin King Shane Warne and he struck, enticing Ian Bell to hit it straight to Ponting himself.
I Bell C Ponting B Warne 28 Eng 2/67 Need 417 to win, 4 sessions 1hr to survive
Next batsman was Joseph Denly who couldn't have walked into a bigger pressure cooker. He played his strokes well and also looked like getting settled. But then the cunning of Warne struck and Denly got the faintest of edges to slip, landing the ball in the safe hands of Hayden.
J Denly C Hayden B Warne 20 Eng 3/111 Need 376 to win, 4 sessions 20 minutes to survive
Captain Andrew Flintoff was next at the crease with his team in dire straits. Needing a solid partnership at least until stumps he needed to perform and give support to the in form Strauss. But it was not to be with Flintoff skying McGrath in the direction of Hussey and he fell soon after tea, England looking unlikely to retain the Ashes.
A Flintoff C Hussey B McGrath 11 Eng 4/138 Need 346 to win, 3 sessions 1hr to survive
Enter James Allenby. The debutant had the eyes of 2 entire nations resting on him. With an established Strauss down the other end all he needed to do was survive and that alone. He and Strauss successfully guided England to stumps and then set about making runs without risk the next day. Attaining runs at a solid rate against Warne on a cracked pitch is no small achievement and Allenby played with wisdom beyond his years. Early on Day 5 Strauss reached his century, a mighty innings considering the context of it. Strauss and Allenby reached lunch comfortably with Allenby eying a ton on debut. And Shortly after the break this was a reality as he punched a Gillespie delivery to long on and running 2 to bring up the ton. Unfortunately the potentially match saving partnership was ended soon afterwards, with Allenby mistiming a ball and edging the ball to Gilchrist. But England was now not without hope.
J Allenby C Gilchrist B Gillespie 105 Eng 5/342 Need 142 runs to win, 1 Session and 90 minutes to survive
Chris Read was next man in and given he had been in form with the bat all series England was now eying a record breaking, stunning win. He looked settled at first but then the experience of Kasprowicz engineered a wicket and took out Reads off stump. Suddenly the game had gone from a potential thriller to heavily in Australias favour. Had Strauss and Allenby worked in vain?
C Read B Kasprowicz 14 Eng 6/370 Need 114 to win, 1 Session 45 minutes to survive
Suddenly Englands dreams were shattered and the Australians screaming with delight. A McGrath yorker had pierced Strauss' fierce defences and knocked over his middle stump, ending one of the greatest Ashes innings in history. A knock filled with defiance, bravery and stunning concentration was now potentially all for nothing as England were left with just 3 wickets in hand with 2 and a half hours still left to survive. Could the tail last and hold on for one of the most thrilling draws in history?
A Strauss B McGrath 178 7/385 Need 99 to win, 150 minutes to survive
In the space of 10 minutes the two champions McGrath and Warne had destroyed England. They weren't on their knees, they were dead. First McGrath had bowled Steve Harmison then in the very next over Warne got Hoggard to edge it to Hussey at short leg. In the space of one hour England had gone from looking at a potential win to now having no chance at all of securing even a draw. The Ashes were going back to Australia. It was simply a matter of when.
S Harmison B McGrath 3 Eng 8/390
M Hoggard C Hussey B Warne 4 Eng 9/397 Need 87 to win, 140 minutes to survive
Monty Panesar emerged to join Saj Mahmood with surely just one goal on his mind for the moment. To survive until tea. This they did successfully with Panesar showing a surprising tenacity with the bat. After the break Panesar and Mahmood continued to give the Australians no chances, slowly building English hopes. Suddenly the draw that was impossible was back on. And then out of nowhere Panesar ripped into a Kasprowicz over and completely changed the game. England could win.
England 9/420 Need 64 to win, 100 minutes to survive
Panesar and Mahmood continued to slowly tick the scoreboard over, without giving any chances away. The required runs amount quietly dropped under 50, then 40, they were a chance. But just 1 mistake and it could all be over in a second. Slowly the scoreboard kept ticking over, until disaster struck...for Australia. Panesar drove Kasprowicz through Mid Wicket and reached an astonishing 50, England suddenly needed just 2 to win.
England 9/482 Need 2 to win, 30 minutes to survive
"Kasprowicz now bowling to Panesar, can they do it? Can they pull off the greatest and most unlikely run chase and Test History? Kasprowicz bowls, pitches just outside off stump, Panesar plays at it drives toward Hussey who...MISSES IT! ENGLAND HAVE DONE IT! PANESAR COMES BACK FOR THE SECOND AND THEY HAVE DONE IT! ENGLAND HAVE WON!
England 9/484 (157.5ov)
A Strauss 178
J Allenby 105
M Panesar 53*
G McGrath 4/100 (41ov)
S Warne 3/138 (44ov)
England won by 1 wicket
England win series 2-1
Fifth and Final Test v Australia
Team: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Joseph Denly, Andrew Flintoff*, James Allenby (Debut), Chris Read+, Saj Mahmood, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar
Australia won the toss and batted on a flat pitch. England struck early with Mahmood getting Hussey to mistime his shot and edge it to Flintoff at first slip.
M Hussey c Flintoff b Mahmood 3 Aus 1/15
Hayden and Ponting then got settled in and began to peel off runs at ease. Hayden passed his half century and Ponting fell agnoisingly close until Panesar spun it a little more and caught him plumb in front.
R Ponting lbw b Panesar 45 Aus 2/109
Hayden was soon to follow, unable to help Jaques get settled in as he edged Panesar to slip giving the young spinner his second successive wicket.
M Hayden c Cook b Panesar 60 Aus 3/116
Jaques and Martyn got settled in to a groove, beginning to look comfortable. However yet again it was Monty Panesar who struck again, beginning to repay the faith shown in him by the selectors.
P Jaques c Cook b Panesar 29 Aus 4/155
Langer now came out to join Martyn, but never got a chance to get settled. With Martyn taking most of the strike Langer watched and defended most of his innings. Until he misread a ball and was bowled, Panesar taking his 4th wicket of the innings.
J Langer b Panesar 6 Aus 5/185
Suddenly the game was all Englands as in the very next over Damien Martyn was caught behind off series leading wicket taker Matthew Hoggard.
D Martyn c Read b Hoggard 40 Aus 6/185
Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne were now together and set out rebuilding Australias innings. Both equally shared the strike as Warne showed confidence in his batting. They put on 54 runs until Warne finally hit it to cover and was caught.
S Warne c Strauss b Flintoff 35 Aus 7/239
Gillespie joined Gilchrist but was unable to replicate Warnes success with the bat as he fell for a duck.
J Gillespie c Flintoff b Panesar 0 Aus 8/244
Gilchrist then found surprising support in the form of Michael Kasprowicz and they combined to put on nearly 70 vital runs until Kasprowicz got caught at mid wicket, ending a critically important innings and partnership.
M Kasprowicz 21 c Flintoff b Hoggard 21 Aus 9/315
McGrath was the last batsman in and couldn't stay with Gilchrist at all, falling for one and ending Australias innings.
G McGrath lbw b Mahmood 1 Aus 316
Australia 316 (All out 93.3ov)
A Gilchrist 61*
M Hayden 60
M Panesar 5/89 (26ov)
S Mahmood 2/61 (22.3ov)
Australia lead by 316 runs
Fifth and Final Test v Australia
Team: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Joseph Denly, Andrew Flintoff*, James Allenby (Debut), Chris Read+, Saj Mahmood, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar
One change for the deciding Test at the SCG. Kevin Pietersen given the axe after a poor run of form. Replacing him is debutant James Allenby. The middle order has been changed with Ian Bell now batting at 3, and Denly moving up with Flintoff remaining at 5.
Australia won the toss and batted on a flat pitch. England struck early with Mahmood getting Hussey to mistime his shot and edge it to Flintoff at first slip.
M Hussey c Flintoff b Mahmood 3 Aus 1/15
Hayden and Ponting then got settled in and began to peel off runs at ease. Hayden passed his half century and Ponting fell agnoisingly close until Panesar spun it a little more and caught him plumb in front.
R Ponting lbw b Panesar 45 Aus 2/109
Hayden was soon to follow, unable to help Jaques get settled in as he edged Panesar to slip giving the young spinner his second successive wicket.
M Hayden c Cook b Panesar 60 Aus 3/116
Jaques and Martyn got settled in to a groove, beginning to look comfortable. However yet again it was Monty Panesar who struck again, beginning to repay the faith shown in him by the selectors.
P Jaques c Cook b Panesar 29 Aus 4/155
Langer now came out to join Martyn, but never got a chance to get settled. With Martyn taking most of the strike Langer watched and defended most of his innings. Until he misread a ball and was bowled, Panesar taking his 4th wicket of the innings.
J Langer b Panesar 6 Aus 5/185
Suddenly the game was all Englands as in the very next over Damien Martyn was caught behind off series leading wicket taker Matthew Hoggard.
D Martyn c Read b Hoggard 40 Aus 6/185
Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne were now together and set out rebuilding Australias innings. Both equally shared the strike as Warne showed confidence in his batting. They put on 54 runs until Warne finally hit it to cover and was caught.
S Warne c Strauss b Flintoff 35 Aus 7/239
Gillespie joined Gilchrist but was unable to replicate Warnes success with the bat as he fell for a duck.
J Gillespie c Flintoff b Panesar 0 Aus 8/244
Gilchrist then found surprising support in the form of Michael Kasprowicz and they combined to put on nearly 70 vital runs until Kasprowicz got caught at mid wicket, ending a critically important innings and partnership.
M Kasprowicz 21 c Flintoff b Hoggard 21 Aus 9/315
McGrath was the last batsman in and couldn't stay with Gilchrist at all, falling for one and ending Australias innings.
G McGrath lbw b Mahmood 1 Aus 316
Australia 316 (All out 93.3ov)
A Gilchrist 61*
M Hayden 60
M Panesar 5/89 (26ov)
S Mahmood 2/61 (22.3ov)
Australia lead by 316 runs
Australias Second Innings
Starting off their second innings with a lead of 123 runs, Australia set about setting England an impossible target. With an hour left of Day 2 at the commencement of their innings, Australia had plenty of time in which to make a big score. Hussey and Hayden asserted themselves early, surviving until stumps and then looking very comfortable. Enter Steve Harmison as he bowled a peach of a delivery and rapped Hayden on the pad dead in front and England had their first wicket.
M Hayden LBW B Harmison 31 Aus 1/59 Australia lead by 182 Runs
Captain Ricky Ponting then joined Hussey in the middle but was unable to get settled. It was again Steve Harmison who struck, again the ball moved off the seam just enough to catch Ponting on the pad and he was on his way back to the pavilion. Australia had suddenly lost 2 wickets in the space of 21 runs. England were fighting back.
R Ponting LBW B Harmison 5 Aus 2/80 Australia lead by 203 Runs
Young star Phil Jaques was the next man in and looked at ease from the get go. Taking on the bowlers and reaching the boundary frequently, Jaques looked ready to take the game away from England. But Captain Freddie Flintoff entered the attack and in his second over bowled danger man Mike Hussey.
M Hussey B Flintoff 63 Aus 3/125 Australia lead by 248 Runs
Damien Martyn joined Jaques at the crease and the pair attempted to put Australias innings back on track. They aimed to bat the first session out then set about making runs, but this was not to be as young spinner Monty Panesar took his first wicket of the innings, bowling Martyn around his legs just before lunch.
D Martyn B Panesar 14 Aus 4/162 Australia lead by 285 Runs
The experienced Langer was the next man in and he looked comfortable from the get go. Getting stuck into the bowlers after lunch he was peeling off runs at ease. Unfortunately midway through the session he lost his partner in Jaques, bowled by young gun Saj Mahmood.
P Jaques B Mahmood 51 Aus 5/206 Australia lead by 329 Runs
With Australias innings on the brink, superstar Gilchrist joined the fray. Combining well with Langer from the start the two West Australians set about taking the game away from England. With both of them attacking the runs started to mount up on the scoreboard and things started to look bad. Until Gilchrist misread a slower ball and lost his off stump to Mahmood. England was back in the game.
A Gilchrist B Mahmood 44 Aus 6/282 Australia lead by 405 Runs
With the pitch starting to quickly break apart England would need quick wickets if it was to have any chance of making the runs. With still over 2 days left however, if quick wickets were to fall then batting for a draw wouldn't be an option. However England were denied these quick wickets as Warne and Langer resisted and continued putting runs on the board. Langer passed 90 as Warne finally fell, edging Harmison to first slip, ending a match saving partnership.
S Warne C Cook B Harmison 23 Aus 7/354 Australia lead by 477 runs
As Warne fell so did the Australian innings. Gillespie was next to go, edging Harmison in the same way Warne did. Next to fall was Langer finally out after reaching his ton, caught by Flintoff at cover off the bowling of Hoggard. And then it was all over as Kasprowicz was hit on the pad in front by Hoggard for 3
J Gillespie C Cook B Harmison 1 Aus 8/354
J Langer C Flintoff B Hoggard 105 Aus 9/359
M Kasprowicz LBW B Hoggard 3 Aus 10/360
Australia 360 (all out 108.2ov)
J Langer 105
M Hussey 63
S Harmison 4/67 (25ov)
M Hoggard 2/69 (25.2ov)
England need 484 to win, or to survive from midway through Session 1 on Day 4 until Stumps Day 5 to Draw
Englands Second Innings
The equation is simple. 5 and a half sessions left in the series. England need 484 runs to win. Or to bat out the overs to secure a draw. On a deteriorating pitch such as this, shutting up shop and trying to block the overs out may be the right idea for England. But can they survive such a long time? With the series tied at 1-1 all is set for the ultimate innings of Test Cricket. Winner Takes All.
Englands attempt to survive the overs started badly, when in the 4th over Alastair Cook was out, caught at cover off the bowling of Glenn McGrath. With so many good strong opening stands seen on this tour England were bitterly disappointed they couldn't get one now when they needed it most.
A Cook C Hussey B McGrath 8 Eng 1/17 Need 467 runs to win, 5 sessions 20 minutes to survive
Ian Bell emerged and set about getting established along with opener Andrew Strauss. Together they built a solid partnership that guided them through the first hour of the second session. However then Australian captain Ricky Ponting introduced Spin King Shane Warne and he struck, enticing Ian Bell to hit it straight to Ponting himself.
I Bell C Ponting B Warne 28 Eng 2/67 Need 417 to win, 4 sessions 1hr to survive
Next batsman was Joseph Denly who couldn't have walked into a bigger pressure cooker. He played his strokes well and also looked like getting settled. But then the cunning of Warne struck and Denly got the faintest of edges to slip, landing the ball in the safe hands of Hayden.
J Denly C Hayden B Warne 20 Eng 3/111 Need 376 to win, 4 sessions 20 minutes to survive
Captain Andrew Flintoff was next at the crease with his team in dire straits. Needing a solid partnership at least until stumps he needed to perform and give support to the in form Strauss. But it was not to be with Flintoff skying McGrath in the direction of Hussey and he fell soon after tea, England looking unlikely to retain the Ashes.
A Flintoff C Hussey B McGrath 11 Eng 4/138 Need 346 to win, 3 sessions 1hr to survive
Enter James Allenby. The debutant had the eyes of 2 entire nations resting on him. With an established Strauss down the other end all he needed to do was survive and that alone. He and Strauss successfully guided England to stumps and then set about making runs without risk the next day. Attaining runs at a solid rate against Warne on a cracked pitch is no small achievement and Allenby played with wisdom beyond his years. Early on Day 5 Strauss reached his century, a mighty innings considering the context of it. Strauss and Allenby reached lunch comfortably with Allenby eying a ton on debut. And Shortly after the break this was a reality as he punched a Gillespie delivery to long on and running 2 to bring up the ton. Unfortunately the potentially match saving partnership was ended soon afterwards, with Allenby mistiming a ball and edging the ball to Gilchrist. But England was now not without hope.
J Allenby C Gilchrist B Gillespie 105 Eng 5/342 Need 142 runs to win, 1 Session and 90 minutes to survive
Chris Read was next man in and given he had been in form with the bat all series England was now eying a record breaking, stunning win. He looked settled at first but then the experience of Kasprowicz engineered a wicket and took out Reads off stump. Suddenly the game had gone from a potential thriller to heavily in Australias favour. Had Strauss and Allenby worked in vain?
C Read B Kasprowicz 14 Eng 6/370 Need 114 to win, 1 Session 45 minutes to survive
Suddenly Englands dreams were shattered and the Australians screaming with delight. A McGrath yorker had pierced Strauss' fierce defences and knocked over his middle stump, ending one of the greatest Ashes innings in history. A knock filled with defiance, bravery and stunning concentration was now potentially all for nothing as England were left with just 3 wickets in hand with 2 and a half hours still left to survive. Could the tail last and hold on for one of the most thrilling draws in history?
A Strauss B McGrath 178 7/385 Need 99 to win, 150 minutes to survive
In the space of 10 minutes the two champions McGrath and Warne had destroyed England. They weren't on their knees, they were dead. First McGrath had bowled Steve Harmison then in the very next over Warne got Hoggard to edge it to Hussey at short leg. In the space of one hour England had gone from looking at a potential win to now having no chance at all of securing even a draw. The Ashes were going back to Australia. It was simply a matter of when.
S Harmison B McGrath 3 Eng 8/390
M Hoggard C Hussey B Warne 4 Eng 9/397 Need 87 to win, 140 minutes to survive
Monty Panesar emerged to join Saj Mahmood with surely just one goal on his mind for the moment. To survive until tea. This they did successfully with Panesar showing a surprising tenacity with the bat. After the break Panesar and Mahmood continued to give the Australians no chances, slowly building English hopes. Suddenly the draw that was impossible was back on. And then out of nowhere Panesar ripped into a Kasprowicz over and completely changed the game. England could win.
England 9/420 Need 64 to win, 100 minutes to survive
Panesar and Mahmood continued to slowly tick the scoreboard over, without giving any chances away. The required runs amount quietly dropped under 50, then 40, they were a chance. But just 1 mistake and it could all be over in a second. Slowly the scoreboard kept ticking over, until disaster struck...for Australia. Panesar drove Kasprowicz through Mid Wicket and reached an astonishing 50, England suddenly needed just 2 to win.
England 9/482 Need 2 to win, 30 minutes to survive
"Kasprowicz now bowling to Panesar, can they do it? Can they pull off the greatest and most unlikely run chase and Test History? Kasprowicz bowls, pitches just outside off stump, Panesar plays at it drives toward Hussey who...MISSES IT! ENGLAND HAVE DONE IT! PANESAR COMES BACK FOR THE SECOND AND THEY HAVE DONE IT! ENGLAND HAVE WON!
England 9/484 (157.5ov)
A Strauss 178
J Allenby 105
M Panesar 53*
G McGrath 4/100 (41ov)
S Warne 3/138 (44ov)
England won by 1 wicket
England win series 2-1
