Ashes 2005

WOW !!!!!! What a sensational series of cricket that was !!!! Probably one of, if not THE greatest series of test matches ever. So much drama and tension, a level of cricket that no one could have predicted, sportsmanship at it's highest level ..... some unbelievable batting and bowling performances ... this series had the lot !

To me, the Aussies were always the untouchables, growing up on a diet of them winning everything in cricket and seemingly doing no wrong and being almost unbeatable. After the Lords test match i was thinking it could be another white wash or that we may nick one game when the series was already decided. But back we came and we gave it right to them and it was fantastic. Our set of 4 pace bowlers clicked and we gave the best set of batsmen in the world all sorts of problems, heaven only knows what might have been if Harmison was also on his game !

We fought back and we carried on fighting, whenever someone needed to produce an effort with bat or ball, someone stepped up and we out performed the best team in the world ... the best team in cricketing history .... time and time again. In the end, their wasn't alot to choose between the 2 teams. I'm sure some cynics will say "If Australia played as well as they could have, it would have been 5-0" ... well to that i would say "We didn't let you play as well as you could have because we bowled and batted with immense courage and discipline (most of the time)" ... some might say "The rain and light saved you in this match" and i would say "The rain and light saved Australia in the 3rd test".

I'm immensely proud of that set of English players who stood toe-to-toe with the best team ever and won, if we kick on from here England will be THE best team in cricket for many many years to follow.

Cricket will lose 2 of the best ever bowlers in cricketing history in Warne and McGrath, but all i can say was it was an honour to see them and Brett Lee bowl and more importantly how great it was to see them congratulate the English players when we won. We may have won the Ashes, but surely cricket was the real winner in this, the best test series ever !

Well Done! It was a great series from start to end. England have deservedly won it back. Great going.

Thanks Haroon

Now we face a winter almost as hard as this summer when we go to the sub-continent to face Pakistan and Sri-Lanka ( i think ) in their own backyards ... that will be one tough trip. However, we did pretty well down there 4 years ago when we won in near complete darkness ... with bats flying round the groud So to keep this momentum going we need to win down there in the heat and combat all the noise and pressure from the fanatical crowds.

Its a fantastic achievement, even more so considering its only about 5 years since we were ranked bottom of the test playing nations

Every player contributed and it really was a great team effort but its really hard not to single out Freddie because he was an absolute monster, Gilchrist came in regarded as one of the best players in the world but Freddie had him on a tight leash the whole series, because of that they were never able to get themselves out of trouble as they have done so often down the years

If we can get Bell to start fulfilling his potential then by the next ashes tour we will have a complete side

I was watching the parade today and it was fantastic to see how wrecked they all were, particularly KP and Freddie ( when he stumbled out the mayor's place and could hardly focus, that was hilarious ) ... good on them, they deserve a decent celebration after what must have been an enormous amount of pressure.

My worry is that all this support is just a one season wonder, it was like this because it was against Australia, had the series been against any other team it wouldn't have been anything like this. So the big test will be next summer when we're playing ( Sri Lanka i think, can't remember to be honest ) and with World Cup fever around (should we get there ) who knows how many will turn up to the grounds.

I hope the support continues, i hope England come down to earth a tiny bit and all realise that the job is just beginning and the next stage is the tough tour of India. If we bowl like we can and keep some of their players ( Sewhag in particular ) on tight leashes like we did with some of the Aussies, then we have a good chance of winning over there.

Going back to the parade, when the whole crowd sang "Jerusalem", i had a few hairs standing on end

Final mention must go to the legend that is Richie Benaud, what a way to bow out. The way he mixed his final few comments into the delivery that got Pieterson out was just incredible ... a very very poignant moment indeed ... a true legend and gentleman

Enjoy it while it lasts folks....
Great job by england...and good for cricket for them to regain the ashes and thus the top spot.......

but just remember...one day the West Indies will be back on top too...then it will be my turn to smile

It's about time! You sure you pombe's didnt get cigarette ashes??? I'd hope the security of such a relic would be taken seriously.

Twas fantastic, made even more so by the fact that they were all blocked.

Never thought I'd see it though. Brilliant.

trini, i spend too long arguing with your compatriots on other forums to debate you on that point.

Congrats to you! England definitely deserved the win.

keep dreaming Trini ... you'll be an old man with grey dreads when they become number one again ... haha

Just kidding. You have to hope your quicks come good, which they will with time ... they're all kind of young i think, so in a few years you never know. Plus with Gayle smashing 7 kinds of **** out of the ball anything's possible.

The urn is shared Kui, it was on its way to Australia before the end of the 5th test to be shown in a display at one of the grounds ( maybe kenny shev knows which one ) ... whether that's still going ahead is another matter though, i should imagine it would after all the euphoria dies down.

In the papers today it had many shots of our drunk players, particularly Freddie who was absolutely plastered. Apparently the team spent £31,000 on drinks that night Ian Bell might not have had much luck in the tests but he pulled an absolute stunner ! She was very nice

Now for the Super Series against Australia, that'll be great to watch, are you going to the game Kenny Shev ? Any other Aussie members going ?

The cricket super series one-dayers will be played in Melbourne on Oct 5,7, 9 while the 6-day test will be held at the SCG (sydney cricket ground) on Oct 14-19. I dont think i will go to the one-dayers as I live in Sydney. I might turn up for the 6-day test in Sydney though depending on other work committments. Jim !! are you coming over for the series?

I saw Ricky's press conference today on Foxtel. He too said England deserved the win.

And oh yeah..you guys should get drunk. They dont just name the super series ' Johnnie walker ' series for no reasons

haha, i wish i was going to the test or the one day'ers KS, that would be fantastic. I'm kind of tempted to go when the Ashes are on in Australia, that would be a good trip. Although i'm not that good in the heat so we'll have to see.

You could get quite drunk if you had a glass or two of each of the Johnnie Walker labels, Johnnie Walker red label followed by black label, then maybe blue label, white label, green label ... then on the floor

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

haha, i wish i was going to the test or the one day'ers KS, that would be fantastic. I'm kind of tempted to go when the Ashes are on in Australia, that would be a good trip. Although i'm not that good in the heat so we'll have to see.

You could get quite drunk if you had a glass or two of each of the Johnnie Walker labels, Johnnie Walker red label followed by black label, then maybe blue label, white label, green label ... then on the floor

if you refer to the aussie summer heat , here is some good news for you, mate. Summer practically doesnt start untill Dec (it could get really warm then). Also, i m not sure if they are selling Johnnie at the ground though. There has been (or was) ban of alcoholic drinks at some sports venues here due to bad crowd behaviour.

That's what i mean KS, because your summer doesn't start until the late/early months of the year, that'll be when it's hottest, right when the cricket is on. I get sunburnt really easily, so if i did go i'd have to wear a tub of sun block or one an astronaut's suit