by John Miller
Australia won, by 179 runs, the Old Trafford Test in which Warne’s first ball was bowled. For England, captain Graham Gooch made 133 but became the first English batsman to be dismissed ‘handled the ball’. Shortly after ‘that ball’, Warne also captured the wicket of Robin Smith with another sharply turning delivery.
Always the larrikin, Warne attracted plenty of media attention for his behaviour on and off the pitch. But there can be no denying his extraordinary ability. A talented junior cricketer and Aussie Rules player, Warne failed in an attempt to make the St Kilda Football Club’s list and then travelled to England in 1989 to play league cricket. He took many wickets and started to develop the deliveries that would later bring him fame, but he was also getting fat on junk food and beer. He came back to Melbourne thinking he would get a run with St Kilda Cricket Club firsts but was dumped to thirds, owing to his figure.
Although contemplating throwing in the towel, Warne knew he could spin a cricket ball like nobody else. So he decided on one more season with St Kilda, which, like all club teams, was becoming more conscious of fitness. He shed enough weight to let the club know he was serious, and then the injuries of other players allowed him to slip into the firsts. It was the turning point, as he gained the eye of state selectors and even Test captain Border, who had spent five years dragging the Test team out of the doldrums and wanted to take them to the top. Border knew he couldn’t match the champion West Indies team for pace so it had to be spin.
Warne made the Victorian team towards the end of the 1990–91 season. He spent another season in England in 1991, was selected for a tour of Zimbabwe by an Australian Second XI captained by Mark Taylor and then took seven wickets in a match in Hobart against the West Indies late in 1991. At 22, a tubby Warne was selected to play against India in the third Test at the SCG starting on New Year’s Day, 1992. It was not a brilliant debut (1–150) and he was told to lose more weight otherwise he would be discarded. He succeeded with a gruelling fitness routine. The new-look Warne played Tests in Sri Lanka but was not overly successful and was dropped for the first Test against the West Indies in the 1992–93 season. Border asked publicly for his return and he was selected for the Melbourne Test. On the last day he delivered one of his beauties—a flipper that bowled an in-form Richie Richardson. He took 7–52 in that match and Australia won. Shane Warne had arrived.
In the 1993 series Warne took thirteen wickets, and twelve years later in the 2005 Ashes win to England he easily topped the list of wicket-takers with 40 for the five Tests. In his final Test series in 2006–07 Warne took 23 wickets to take his Test tally to a world record 708.
After Warne’s heroics in the first Test of the 1993 series, Australia repeated the dose at Lord’s as Taylor (111) and Michael Slater (152) put on 260. David Boon (164 not out) scored his first Test century in England, the first time Australia’s first three batsmen had scored a century in the same innings of a Test in England. The third Test at Trent Bridge was drawn as Graham Thorpe (114 not out) made a century on debut for England. Australia retained the Ashes with an innings and 148-run win at Leeds after scoring 4–653 in its first innings. Border (200 not out) hit his first Ashes century in six years, Steve Waugh (157 not out) posted his third Ashes century and Boon’s 107 was his third century in successive Tests. In the fifth Test at Birmingham, Mark Waugh (137) scored Australia’s tenth century of the series and shared a 153-run stand with his brother as their team won by eight wickets. England’s 161-run win at the Oval brought to an end a record run of 18 Tests against Australia without a win.
In a spin
In 1994–95 England lost 3–1 in Australia. In Brisbane, Australia won by 184 runs and Warne was at his best. He took three wickets in four balls, took 8–71 in the second innings and 11–110 in the match. He was at it again as Australia won by 295 runs in Melbourne, taking 6–64. The SCG Test featured an innings from Graeme Hick. Heading for his maiden Ashes century, he was stranded on 98 when captain Mike Atherton declared England’s second innings at 2–255. Slater and captain Taylor scored centuries for Australia but spinners Warne and Tim May played out the final 113 balls to secure a draw. England won its only Test of the series by 106 runs in Adelaide. In the final Test in Perth the home team won by 329. Steve Waugh became the first Australian batsman to finish a Test on 99 not out after his brother Mark, acting as a runner for the injured McDermott, was run out.
Taylor led Australia to England in 1997 and retained the Ashes 3–2 despite losing in Birmingham. Taylor found form (129), and Greg Blewett (125) became the first to score centuries in his first three Ashes Tests, but the home side won by nine wickets. The Lord’s Test was drawn as rain intervened and brought to an end Australia’s run of eighteen consecutive Tests without a draw. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath destroyed England in its first innings with 8–38 as the home side were all out for 77, its worst total at Lord’s since 1888. Australia won in Manchester by an innings and 133. Three young players, each in their debut Ashes series, starred for Australia in the innings and 61-run win at Headingley: Matthew Elliott fell one short of a double century, Ricky Ponting marked his first Ashes Test with 127 and Jason Gillespie took 7–37 in the first innings. Two sets of brothers played in the fifth Test at Nottingham. Australian-bred Adam and Ben Hollioake made debuts for England and bowled in tandem to Australians Mark and Steve Waugh. Australia won by 264 runs to retain the Ashes but then lost a low-scoring sixth Test at the Oval by 19 runs in three days.
It was 3–1 to Australia in the 1998–9 series. In the drawn Brisbane match Steve Waugh scored his sixth century against England but his first on home soil, and Ian Healy (134) became the first Australian keeper to score four Test centuries. Australia won by seven wickets in Perth, and in Adelaide England was chasing 443 for an improbable win but slipped from 5–221 to all out for 237. The visitors won their only Test in Melbourne. Spin bowling ended up winning the Sydney Test for Australia and the Waugh twins starred with the bat. Steve (96) fell short of matching his brother Mark (121) and broke a record with his ninth Test match 90. English fast bowler Darren Gough took a hat-trick, the first in Sydney since 1891–92, while Slater (123) scored 66.85 percent of Australia’s second innings total of 184, just shy of the record of 67.35 per cent set in the first ever Test in 1877. Stuart MacGill took twelve wickets on his home pitch.
England was again humbled in the 2001 series at home, losing 4–1. England made 294 in its first innings at Birmingham and Australia responded with 576. Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, on Ashes debut, scored 152. England lost 7–22 in the second innings to go down by an innings and 118. Australia won by eight wickets at Lord’s with McGrath taking 5–54 in the first innings and Jason Gillespie 5–53 in the second. Australia retained the Ashes with a seven-wicket win at Nottingham where McGrath took 5–49. Owing to an injury to Steve Waugh, Gilchrist presided over the Leeds Test and became the first Australian captain to lose a Test after making a declaration, despite McGrath’s eight wickets for the match. Mark Butcher was England’s hero, smashing an unbeaten 173 as England passed the victory target of 315. Australia bounced back to win by an innings at the Oval. Atherton’s final Test saw him dismissed for the nineteenth time by McGrath.
England lost 1–4 on the 2002–03 tour of Australia. The win of the toss by captain Hussain was about the only success for England in Brisbane. He sent Australia in and they made 492. England opener Michael Vaughan starred with the bat in Adelaide making 177 but the side went down by an innings. Australia again cleaned up with another innings victory in Perth. They made it four in Melbourne, set up by openers Langer (250) and Hayden (102). Australia’s bid for a 5–0 whitewash was foiled in Sydney where England won by 225. Captain Steve Waugh, despite suggestions that he should retire, hit a brilliant century brought up off the final ball of the second day, thrilling his home crowd.
CONCLUSION
No sporting contest has captured the imagination of two nations like the Ashes, and despite war interruptions, the scare provided by Bodyline, the t
hreat posed by World Series Cricket and the popularity of the one-day game, the Ashes has survived and thrived. The series in England in 2005 and Australia in 2006–07 provide the evidence.
Going in to the 2005 series, Australia had won eight successive series and had an overall lead of 125 to 95 in English–Australian Tests. However, England produced the unbelievable, coming back from 1–0 down to win 2–1 and regain the coveted urn.
The first Test was at Lord’s and not since 1890 had both teams failed to muster 200 in the first innings there as Australia made 190 and England 155. Kevin Pietersen gave notice to Australia with 57 and 64 not out, and Steve Harmison with 5–43 but Australia won by 239. The Edgbaston Test was a thriller with England winning by two, the narrowest margin in any Ashes contest. After being put in to bat by Ricky Ponting, England openers Marcus Trescothick (90) and Andrew Strauss posted a 112-run stand, setting up a total of 407.
Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a country other than his own and did so with a delivery in the second innings reminiscent of ‘that ball’ from the 1993 series. It ripped through the defence of Strauss, crashing into his middle stump. Warne took 10–162 in the match. Fast bowlers Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz put on a plucky 59 for the last wicket and looked set to give Australia an amazing victory, when the latter nicked one to the keeper, leaving Australia just short. The final wicket was greeted with cheers and plenty of relief as England had shown more fight and flair than it had for many years. In Manchester, on the first morning of the exciting drawn third Test, Warne became the first bowler to take 600 Test wickets. But he was unable to stop Vaughan scoring 166 in England’s 444 nor Strauss hitting 106 in the second innings. Vaughan declared late on the fourth day leaving Australia 423 for victory and they were 0–24 at stumps. England expected a victory and the public responded—fans queued outside Old Trafford from 3am, the ‘house full’ sign indicating 24,000 people was put out at 8.30am and another 15,000 swirled around outside unable to get tickets. Ponting turned in a brilliant captain’s knock, staying at the crease for most of the day. At one stage Australia had a chance but at 6–263 Ponting thought it best to play for a draw. Gillespie went cheaply and Warne made a patient 34. When he was dismissed Australia was 83 short but eight wickets down. Harmison removed the tired Ponting for 156 and McGrath joined Lee with 24 balls left. England threw everything at them but they survived.
England took the lead in the series with a three-wicket win at Nottingham. The home side made 477, including a powerful 102 from Andrew Flintoff. Australia struggled to 218 owing to the reverse swing of Flintoff and an inspired 5–44 from Simon Jones. It was forced to follow on for the first time in a Test in seventeen years and fared better to make 387 and give England 128 to chase. England began its chase with most fans believing it would be plain sailing. At 0–32 and 97 to get, Warne was introduced and immediately took the wicket of Trescothick and then Vaughan in his next over. Wickets continued to fall and the crowd was first stunned as Warne got another to make it 7–116 but then relieved as the total was finally achieved.
With Australia needing a win and England at worst a draw to win the Ashes, all eyes were on the Oval. England made a good start after Vaughan won the toss and Warne was the only bowler to trouble the batsmen as England made 373. Australia replied with 367 but played into England’s hands when on day two they left the field after accepting the bad light offered just after tea. Bad light was again costly on day four and England was now content to play for a draw but ran into trouble on the final day, being 5–126 before Pietersen came to the rescue with a powerful innings of 158. At tea England was 7–199 with a 205 lead but Australia could still win with quick wickets. This didn’t happen as Pietersen continued and it was not until the end of the first hour after tea that the crowd could rest easy in the knowledge it would be drawn and the Ashes returned. Pietersen went on to one of the great power innings of Test cricket, hitting seven sixes and fifteen fours in his match-saving 158 off 187 balls. Flintoff was England’s star of the summer, becoming the first English all-rounder to achieve 400 runs and twenty wickets in a Test series against Australia.
The result created huge interest in the 2006–07 series in Australia, with most seats for all five Tests sold out shortly after tickets went on sale early in 2006. Many believed it would be another close series but to the delight of most in the sold-out crowds, except the ‘Barmy Army’ supporters of England, it wasn’t, and Australia achieved a 5–0 clean sweep for only the second time in Ashes history.
England’s stars of the previous series failed to fire with Vaughan and Jones out through injury. Flintoff was given the captaincy duties but it proved too great a burden as he failed to fire with the bat and was not consistent with the ball. Only Pietersen showed anything like the form he had in England, but he received little support. For Australia, Warne and McGrath were outstanding in their last Test series while fast bowler Stuart Clark took the most wickets. All batsmen proved up to the task, sharing the load well throughout with captain Ponting, desperate to make up for losing the Ashes, a shining light.
In Brisbane, Australia set the scene by scoring 9–602 in the first innings, including 196 from Ponting. McGrath ripped through England, taking 6–50 of 157. Ponting did not enforce the follow-on but gave England a formidable target by declaring at 1–202. England fared better scoring 370, but still lost by 277. England batted first in Adelaide and set a competitive 551. After having Australia in trouble early, they let them off the hook with Ponting’s 142 and Michael Clarke’s 124 taking the hosts to 513. Hoping to set a big total, England capitulated with 129. Australia lost four wickets in scoring 168.
England again let Australia off the hook in Perth, handing the Ashes back. Exciting spinner Monty Panesar had inexplicably been left out of the first two Tests but was included in Perth with immediate results, taking 5–92, and Australia was dismissed for 244. Hoping to get an advantage, English wickets fell steadily with Pietersen’s 70 the backbone of a disappointing 215. Australia then put the match beyond England with 5–527.
England did better in its second innings, scoring 350 but still lost by 206. Warne took 5–39 as England was humbled for 159 in the first innings in Melbourne. Flintoff took three early Australian wickets as the home side were in a spot of bother at 5–84 but Hayden (153) and Andrew Symonds (156) put their team in a strong position while Warne, much to the delight of a packed MCG for his last home ground Test, hit 40 not out as Australia made 419. Needing 261 to make Australia bat again, England could not get near it, scoring only two more than their first innings. Hoping to avoid a humiliating whitewash in Sydney, a miserable second innings saw England fail to stop Australia doing just that, handing them a twelfth successive Test win and a perfect send-off for the retiring Warne, McGrath and Justin Langer. The visitors hit 291 in their first innings. The match looked evenly poised with Australia at 5–190 but again England let them off the hook as Symonds, Gilchrist and Warne (71) gave their side an advantage of 102. England handed the win to Australia with a feeble second innings of 147.
Despite the whitewash Australia has lost a number of its best players with others close to retirement, while England has a young side with the potential to improve significantly. These factors together with the unprecedented spirit and pride associated with English–Australian Tests will ensure that future Ashes series will be as keenly contested and enthusiastically watched as any before.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Coward, M., 1998, Sir Donald Bradman AC, Ironbark Legends series, Pan Macmillan, Sydney.
Dawson, M., 2006, Australia versus England 1861–2005: 600 memorable moments, ABC Books, Sydney.
Firth, D., 1981, England versus Australia: A pictorial history of Test matches since 1877, ABC in association with Richard Smart Publishing and by arrangement with Lutterworth Press, Sydney.
Frewin, L (ed.)., 1988, The NatWest Boundary Book: A Lord Taverners Australia miscellany of cricket, Macmillan, London.
Perry, R., 2006, The Ashes: A celebration, Random House, Sydney.
Pollard, J., 1987, The Formative Years of Australian Cricket 1803–93, Angus & Robertson, Sydney.
Websites
FRONT COVER FLAP
No contest has captured the imagination of cricket lovers around the world as much as the Ashes. From the controversy of the Bodyline series to the brilliance of Bradman, from the heroics of batsmen like Botham and Ponting to the bowling magic of Warne, this is an event that has always demanded the very best of those who wish to win it. From the Test that started it all back in 1882 to the recent triumphant Australian victory in 2006-7, THE ASHES looks at the moments that have made this one of the world's great sporting events.
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INDEX