The 5th and final Ashes Test, all square at 2-2. Winner takes all, unless it's a draw, when Australia would be considered to retain the Ashes.
For the very first time in the series, both sides name unchanged sides. England win the toss and choose to bat first on a straw-coloured pristine pitch.
Unbelievably, for the second consecutive innings England lose their first two wickets with no score on the board.
England lose 2 more cheap wickets, falling to 14/4 when Irani comes in. He can't repeat his 4th Test score, but makes a fast 24 to leave the score 60/5.
Adams and Hamilton combine to score a vital 50 partnership.
Adams made his own half century, for the 2nd match in a row.
Unlike in the 4th test, however, Adams didn't get straight out, and though he lost Hamilton with the score now 125/6, he built again with Blakey and posted a vital 100, the runs that brought up his hundred also bringing up the 50 partnership.
Unfortunately however it was a case of 100 and out from Adams, as he didn't add to his score before falling to catch from Warne in the slips off Hughes.
Blakey was shepherding the tail well, but couldn't reach a 50 as he fell trying to hit Warne over mid-on.
England eventually succumbed, all out for 220 - well short of the imposing total that they'd have hoped for.
Although England would have hoped for a bigger total, Australia's top order has been frail, and it didn't take long before England were celebrating a vital breakthrough as Benjamin removed Taylor.
McCague and Benjamin both picked up wickets as the top order crumbled yet again.
If Australia hoped that England's intensity with the ball would drop off once the medium-pacers came on, they were swiftly disabused of that notion, as Hamilton removed Boon before Irani again cut through the lower order.
Australia were dismissed for just 146, giving England a commanding lead of 74.
But England's top order once again proved frail, to keep Australia in the match. When Chris Adams, the first innings centurion, fell without scoring England were 30/4 - just 104 in front.
It completed a strange symmetery for Adams: in the 4th test he was out first innings for exactly 50 and failed to add to that score in the 2nd innings. In the 5th test he was out first innings for exactly 100 and failed to that score in the 2nd innings.
It meant that the last 3 innings, Irani had come in at 14/4, 29/4 and now 30/4.
As in the 2nd innings of the 4th test, he shared a vital rebuilding partnership with Maynard, though this time it was the skipper who dominated.
Irani was eventually out for 62 with the score now 172/5 and the lead approaching 250. It was a vital contribution from Irani, not for the first time in the series.
Maynard continued to bat well, unruffled by the further loss of Hamilton as he brought up his a sublime 100 - a true captain's innings.
Maynard was eventually 8th man out for 133, but he had helped England up to a lead of 334 - surely he had produced an Ashes-winning innings when it mattered most.
Australia were facing what would be - if they made it - the highest total of the series to win the Ashes.
They made a good start, if cautious, and for the first time since the 3rd test saw off the opening burst with the new ball without losing a wicket. England turned to the off-spin of Batty, and it was inspired move as he found Slater's edge very first ball.
Irani continued his fine form with the ball to remove the key wicket of Boon, to leave Australia 51/2.
With the spin of Batty and 3 medium pacers, England were able to keep the pace duo of Benjamin and McCague well rested, and their reintroduction to the attack proved vital, as they were both soon celebrating wickets.
Captain Border, who was batting slowly but not getting out, saw the reintroduction of the pace bowlers rip the heart out of his middle order, and finally a magic ball from Benjamin nipped back to remove the bails of the Aussie Captain's wicket and send him back for 11 off 44 balls. The score was now 112/7 and the Ashes were surely gone.
Australia delayed the inevitable slightly, limping to 151 before the final wicket was taken to spark joyous celebrations from England.
A thumping win then for England, by 183 runs, and a deserved man of the match award for Captain Maynard - Ashes Winning Captain Maynard!!
England Worst XI - Lathwell, Habib, Irani, McCague and all - have WON THE ASHES!
A thrilling series ends 3-2, and the whole history of 1989 up to 2005 is wiped out!
