Comments on: Ashes 2005 4th Test at Trent Bridge

By: Jo Fitz

Jo Fitz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:23:14 +0000

Me, Helen and Emma went dressed as the Queens of Spain on Saturday. We had a large Spanish flag with “King of Spain” written on it, which the nice old steward in Hound Round Upper let us drape over the front of the stand.

My sister was very excited that she saw us on telly. That footage is immortalised in the Ashes souvenir video. The old bloke apparently asleep next to us is my Dad. He only wakes up when either Pietersen or Flintoff are batting.

We had seats in the Pavillion the next day – they’re not so keen on large flags there but we waved it anyway when the King of Spain scored the winning runs.

By: Bert

Bert — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:36:17 +0000

Lee demolishing Freddie’s stumps is one of the great worst images of my life. I stopped watching, left my family with barely a word, and went for a pleasant stroll in the woods. I avoided everyone for an hour, just in case one of them said “Afternoon. Shame about England, eh?” On reflection, I’m pleased I did this. I am not sure I could have contained myself when Jones disnissed himself.

By: Ged Ladd

Ged Ladd — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:15:56 +0000

The final day of that match was my birthday and what a nailbiter it turned out to be.

I remember my poor old mum calling me that afternoon. What my parents know/knew about cricket could be written on the back of a postage stamp.

I said, “mum, I’ll call you back. The entire Ashes hinge on what’s about to happen over the next few minutes………”

…….and while I was trying to explain, Freddies stumps went flying. I let out an anguished bellow down the phone, which Lawrence (late of this parish) would have been proud of.

“What on earth has happened?”, asked mum, presumably imagining intruders, fire, flood or something of that ilk. “Freddie’s stumps…….” I shrieked. “Call me back later, dear”, she said and put the phone down.

Slightly frosty was the reception I got later. She didn’t even seem pleased that England had won. Dad seemed to think the whole incident was most amusing.

By: Benno

Benno — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:02:14 +0000

I always thought it absolute poetry that Wheelie Bin not only hit the winning runs, but hit them off Warne – a guy so much more talented as a cricketer who bowled spin and batted a bit, and yet every dog has their day. The game was won by a team performance and it was so fitting that the ultimate team man, who was usually the unsung hero, was the one who had the final moment glory. Probably even more perfect that the guy at the other end was the other heart-on-the-sleeve team player (total disgrace how Hoggie was later treated by England).

By: Bert

Bert — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:44:33 +0000

England were 241 when the fifth wicket went down. My Aussie mate came dancing (literally) past my office shouting “It’s a walk in the pahk, mate.” 177 runs later, when the sixth wicket fell, he was slightly more subdued. I gave him a lift home after work. We listened in the car to the first four Aussie wickets fall. It was the best drive I have ever had. He conceded the Ashes in the pub that evening, absolutely shell-shocked.

On that second day, the day you saw live, KC, England scored 236 runs for the last five wickets, and then had Australia at 22 for 3, 58 for 4, and finally 99 for 5. Without any context, that must rank as one of the half dozen or so most successful days of test cricket in English history. With context (the Aussies only needed to win to retain the Ashes) I think it stands alone.

England on that day absolutely, totally, and utterly battered the Australians. They had no clue. At the end of day 1, even the most pessamistic, clinically depressed, inferiority-complexed Australian cannot possibly have imagined that by the close of the next day they would be trailing by 388 with only five wickets left.