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England beat Australia and level the series
By Will 5 years ago, at the start of August Add your comment below
What a day. What four days we have witnessed. I suppose relatively, I’m quite new to cricket; I first started following in the winter of 1993, and the addiction was immediate. Despite that, this Test is without doubt the best I have witnessed. The level of skill on show, the atmosphere, the showmanship – indeed, the sportsmanship – has been breathtaking. And England, up until Warne and Lee defied their bowlers, have dictated this game from the outset. As Richie said, this was “one of the most thrilling games there has ever been.” Even those who hate the English cricket team would have been in awe of what we all saw.
Of course, at the start of the day’s play it all looked far too easy for England; with but two wickets to fall, Australia and her fans were only expecting a miracle. How close they came! Shane Warne, who with ten wickets in the match had already reminded everyone why he’s irritatingly brilliant and omnipresent, batted superbly. His knock of 42 came from just 59 balls – indeed, the speed of his innings was perhaps crucial to Australia’s eventual chance of victory. Had they scratched, poked and prodded, England would have knocked them over. They didn’t. Warne and Brett Lee, who remained undefeated on 43, gave an English nation the jitters. I left home and drove…I just had to get out, away from the TV, it was too much to withstand. Suffice to say when I heard on the radio that England had won, I drove at breakneck speeds to get home!
A word on Lee. There are some cricketers who naturally warm themselves to the opposing fans, with their brilliance on the field, or something eccentric in their character. For whatever reason, I don’t think Lee has done this to English fans. Until now, that is. His innings today was absolutely extraordinary. Once Warne had trod on his stumps – an embarassing, and hilarious way to end a brilliant knock – Lee was left with Kasprowicz. Peppered by Harmison and, in particular, Flintoff, he defied them right ’til the end. Receiving damaging, sometimes sickening blows to his body and hands, he still didn’t give in – and I for one found that quite brilliant to watch. When the Australian batsmen (Warne, Lee) walked out to bat this morning, they were inevitably booed and jeered in a theatrical style; it was a gladatorial atmosphere, and the players matched it with a gladatorial performance, from both sides.
The photo above was, for me, the moment of the day. England had won a famous victory, and Lee had been left stranded. Bouncing Lee mercilessly, Flintoff acknowledged his opponent’s misery and it was a moment of true sportsmanship…all the more rare in a world where arrogance is king, and football reigns supreme. Just fantastic.
The Australian’s (and maybe the English) media will no doubt make a lot of England nearly losing the game, from a seemingly impenetrable position, but let them. I have no doubt Australia will be smarting, and not just from losing the game today, but from being outplayed for the majority of the match. Peter English, an Australian and an excellent writer, said in his column on Cricinfo:
Australia have consistently requested more challenges during their long reign and finally got their wish. Perhaps after this Test they will change their minds. England have questioned, pestered and hurt their tormentors and are two wickets from levelling an already classic series.
And that, for me as an Englishman, is the most thrilling aspect of this Test. Rarely, and not in my lifetime or that I can remember, has an English side bounced back from an Australia drubbing, such as we witnessed at Lord’s. Yet they did bounce back in this Test. It’s one-all with three to play, and this series has already contained enough thrills and spills (Jones and KP…!) to fill an entire tour. Breathlessly, we march on to Manchester. Who will go two-up, and will McGrath be back?
Newspaper and blog round-up.
Darryl thinks England really shouldn’t have let Australia get so close, but concedes Flintoff’s brilliance.
Stu reckons both teams have batting troubles, and Australia is more likely to sort theirs out.
Rick can’t beleive it, but concedes Flintoff’s brilliance.
Jagadish’s silence is deafening.
Cricinfo have a reaction from Australia; Andrew Miller gives his verdict
, as does Peter English.
A casual cricket fan got excited. Nick thinks it’s all far too tense. BrokenEnglish thinks greatness beckons. Even a Kiwi enjoyed it! Free Beer, an Aussie, reckons the commentators went OTT. This bloke’s over the moon for the “beautiful game”. Hammy says it was a ripper, and also reminds us of the 1993 “ripper” between Aus and WI.
Tags: andrew-flintoff, australia, edgbaston, england, review, the-ashes |
8 Responses to “England beat Australia and level the series”
August 8th, 2005 at 3.52 am
August 8th, 2005 at 6.52 am
England deserved to win this test but they nearly lost it. I never predicted this result hence missed watching the thrill.
Hope the England top order batsmen show some consistency to help Flintoff-Pietersen take the score to a unreachable high in the coming tests. Wish the aussies bring back the flare in their game and don’t depend much on Warne & Lee. After all its a team game. The power of some can make the game close but not win it.
August 8th, 2005 at 8.23 am
No, I really have been busy for the last week or so to blog regularly. I hope I can do a better job now. In any case, it was a great game and England did very well to win it at the end. But England must not forget, at least I wont let it, that they nearly lost the game. Three tail-enders left, even though with no McGrath, the Aussie batting was better. More than 100 to get … and Australia got within two runs. I’d resigned myself to an England victory, and that is perhaps why I saw so little of it.
Even though Australia will be gutted at the end, I think they’ll come back stronger. I’m sure England would have expected the game to get over within an hour or so. The extra effort put in by the likes of Harmison and Flintoff would surely have drained them out. It would be interesting to see how they’d fare if Australia batted first at Old Trafford (?) given that there’re only three days between the games.
August 8th, 2005 at 1.30 pm
“Thrill?” Have you gone mad? Yesterday was purest torture. Anyone who could bear it to the end on t.v. deserves a mention in despatches for bravery. With the Aussies on 15 to win I went to have a shower, make my bed … anything to get away from the misery. With 5 to win I instructed my son to tear up my tickets for Old Trafford (he didn’t obey). Even when the moment of victory came, the rush of sheer relief overcame any sense of joy. It was some hours, and much alcohol, later before my stomach stopped churning and I could start to savour the delicious victory.
But now to Manchester… I don’t want to sound like an embittered Lancashire fan, but if Freddie actually got a bit more practice batting at home I’d be happier; and Gilo, El Rey will be called on to justify himself as never before. He may not be Shane, (who is?) but if it’s one of our turning pitches he had better be on the form of his life.
August 8th, 2005 at 2.13 pm
August 9th, 2005 at 4.04 pm
Hear, hear! Flintoff going over to Lee was one of the best acts I’ve seen in a long time. And such a great match, too. If only the next one can be a little easier on my blood pressure…
August 10th, 2005 at 2.38 pm
What a maginificent match!! And Flintoff, well he is a champion. BTW, I am back blogging, finally! 
August 10th, 2005 at 11.31 pm
Welcome back, Dave! Long time no hear. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts again on the Great Game (not this particular match…The Great Game in General!) It all kicks off in just 11 hours, and I’ve really got to get some sleep…
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