So how did England win the Ashes?
Mon Aug 24 01:17PM
So exactly how did England regain the Ashes?
Who scored most runs?
Australia
Which team had six of the seven leading run makers?
Australia
Who took most wickets?
Australia
Which team had the three leading wicket-takers?
Australia
Who won the series?
England
The bottom line is Test matches are set up in the first innings and England batted like clowns in the first knock just once. Australia did it twice and that proved to be the difference between the sides.
Sure England got away with one in Cardiff and the destiny of the urn could well have been academic before we reached Kennington but in a bold attempt to smash national stereotypes, the hosts showed some stoic resistance from a couple of unlikely sources while the Aussies failed to deliver when it mattered in Wales and then the Baggy Green crumbled on a crumbled pitch in South London.
The whinging Aussie press are claiming the toss of the coin at The Oval decided the Ashes with groundsman Bill Gordon under orders to produce a Bunsen although their batsmen rather diluted their own conspiracy theory by scoring 348 batting last.
Four years on from the 2005 success and there is no clamour for an open top bus parade or Messers Cook, Swann, Broad, Anderson, Prior, Trott, Bopara, Panesar and Onions to join the rest of their team-mates as members of the British Empire.
This series was never going to be as exciting as the 2005 series. The narrowest win in Ashes history was followed by a match that England were only one wicket away from snatching before a three wicket home victory. Of course it all culminated in an ultra tense final day at The Oval.
That was an anomaly of acute excitement which probably won't be ever repeated.
Of course all these incredible finales were played to a backdrop of England having not beaten the old enemy in an Ashes series for 18 years.
But probably the most exciting part about that series was that England were going head-to-head and eventually beating unquestionably the best team in the world and some would argue one of the top three teams in the history of the game.
The 2009 series did have some echoes of 2005 with the pendulum of momentum going back and forth.
But when England embarked on their 2005 boozeathon it was no doubt fuelled in the fact that they had just beaten the team of Hayden-Langer-Ponting-Gilchrist-McGrath and Warne - legends of the game.
Of course Andrew Strauss and his men can only beat the team put in front of them but Australia have won just six of their past 16 Tests and have now dropped to fourth in the Test rankings.
As Strauss said before Leeds, the Australians have lost their aura and it reflected in the mood of the nation.
Unlike four yeas ago, there was not a hint of cricket on the front pages on the morning of the Oval Test, let alone the back pages dominated by Manchester United's defeat to Burnley.
Of course this Ashes series was not on terrestrial television. What effect that had on the series failing to grip the nation in the same way - well you decide.
So even though most of England's batsmen averaged less than 30 and most of England's bowlers averaged more than 40, it was the hosts who played the better cricket when it mattered so hats off to them for avenging the 2006/7 whitewash in Australia.
Their next test will be in South Africa this winter and if England can beat the number one team in the world in their own backyard then we will really have justification to dust down that Red Bus.
ALL THE ASHES FALL-OUT
- Monday's tabloid headlines
- Quiet Ashes celebration for Flintoff
- Flintoff to go under knife
- Strauss hails Flintoff's key moment
- Strauss eyes top of Test ladder
- Miller: We were right not to gamble
- Aussie media fuming
- Ponting ready for Ashes fallout
- Aussie cricket selectors erred 'but not to blame'
- Australia drop to fourth in rankings
- Key moments in the 2009 Ashes series
NOTTINGHAM won the ashes! Broadsword and Swannsong!
From jimig333 on Mon Aug 24 12:42PMIt's because we're good
From tom.m.j.hadley on Mon Aug 24 12:52PM"That was an abnolomy of acute excitement which probably won't be ever repeated."
Was there an "anomaly" in what you were trying to say there, or do you just make @#$% up as you go along?
From rickymcduk on Mon Aug 24 12:55PMI think that we, as supporters, were cheated by not being able to watch it on terrestrial TV and that definitely took away a lot of the hype. Not everybody has access to Sky, especially many of the older cricket fans. However, it made entertaining listening on the radio and it is always good to be able to beat Australia on home ground. We still need to improve our skills in catching and batting. Sue H an avid cricket fan
From hewitsons on Mon Aug 24 01:06PMricky mcduk obviously a typically arrogant, sore loser australian, why cant you be happy we won, like we do for you in rugby?
From rugbymad666 on Mon Aug 24 01:16PMAbsolutely "PURE, PURE, PURE" LUCK GUYS, just wait for the return in AUS., then we will sort out the AUSIE MEN from the english PART-TIMERS!!!
From wobby_bots on Mon Aug 24 01:18PMSo how did England win the Ashes? - By playing 2 South Africans
From joburgdon on Mon Aug 24 01:19PMAUSIES will win the return 4 ZIP!!
From wobby_bots on Mon Aug 24 01:20PMSorry no.5 not an aussie. I'm glad the english won it again. The Aussie's are the sorest losers in sport. That said '05 was more exciting to watch, as the author was trying to point out while making up words. Of course they have now corrected the mistake.
From rickymcduk on Mon Aug 24 01:24PMIt's so funny that the england squad can never beat any team without a couple of SOUTH AFRICANS!!!WHY IS THAT???
From wobby_bots on Mon Aug 24 01:33PMJust love the English media saying that the Aussies were smashed.. as England were lucky plain and simple and a smahsing is 5-0 like the series in Australia and what it is going to be next time in Australia.. when England can win away from home and hold it for 15 years maybe they can speak.. until then..
From ukbundybear on Mon Aug 24 01:46PMam so glad the flitoff will never play international test again.. he is bad for the game.. lets see how smashed he gets this year.. maybe they will make him a knight
From ukbundybear on Mon Aug 24 01:48PMIm in agreement that Sky tv will have watered down the national fervour. I did listen on the radio but as fantastic as Five Live's coverage was it would have been great to see Fred thrown that run out ball on the final day. Grea test, great players, great David and Goliath match up, great supporters, great game. nice one everyone. Oh, and thanks Cow corner. you made up in part for the lack of pictures.
From gavin_neate on Mon Aug 24 02:02PMThe delay in getting the covers on on the second morning at the Oval was significant!It just freshened up a dying dust tip enough to allow Broad and co to get enough zip and swing to get Australia in trouble.
AS always one win and England are "world Beaters-same in 1966 and 2003~!
Never a mention of 2006/7--!
From geoff.statham on Mon Aug 24 02:03PMThe delay in getting the covers on on the second morning at the Oval was significant!It just freshened up a dying dust tip enough to allow Broad and co to get enough zip and swing to get Australia in trouble.
AS always one win and England are "world Beaters-same in 1966 and 2003~!
Never a mention of 2006/7--!From geoff.statham on Mon Aug 24 02:03PMsorry rickymcduk, i understand
From rugbymad666 on Mon Aug 24 02:06PMGeoff - nobody has suggested that England are world beaters, more that they defeated a sub par Aussie side.
From chriscohen123 on Mon Aug 24 02:23PMYes, the fervour of the nation has been greatly diminished as due to the powers-that-be selling the family jewels, the majority of people could not watch any of the matches on TV. A big Thank You to BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra for the ball-by-ball commentaries.
From sdestinyp on Mon Aug 24 02:32PMGeoff - Are you a sore losing Scotsman. Perhaps you would like to comment on the fine results of your football teams in Europe too.
But seriously though the Aussies may have been the better team on paper, sometimes the event itself can raise the bar.From callme.gman on Mon Aug 24 02:39PMwobby_bots - so where are the aborigines in the Aussie team then?? - all the Australians are NOT real Aussies so don't start with the SA @#$%...both Trott and KP are eligable to play for England - deal with it...oh and it's AuSSies.
From quoling on Mon Aug 24 02:57PMi wouldnt back an Aussie cricket team to beat the West Indies never mind beat us 4 or 5 nil in the return, Aussie dominance is over live with it.
From dave.hartley on Mon Aug 24 03:29PMI would like to remind everyone of the little saying of some time ago which starts 'If Lillee don't get you....' Surely now the mantra should be:- 'if Broady don't get you Swanny must'
Fantastic, well done lads despite having a South African or 2 to help.From james.delevingne on Mon Aug 24 03:40PMGee let's all get excited, Ingurlund won a competition with two teams playing in it !!!
why didn't they just @#$% a coin to decide who was going to win at the start and save the rest of us having to put up with the circus that went with itFrom stevethesweep on Mon Aug 24 03:55PMbecause its a team effort......
From tulip.design on Mon Aug 24 04:24PMThis is some WE did without the help or interference of Gordon Brown and his spineless pathetic Labour party
From terrysusan1988 on Mon Aug 24 05:13PMWhat a win! well done Beffey gong!
From mozir on Mon Aug 24 05:21PMbye fredi! Memorable exit! Well done! Look forward to SA tour!
From mozir on Mon Aug 24 05:24PMERR,WARWICKSHIRE WON IT,BELL AND TROTT,AUSTRALIANS,,BAD,BAD,LOSERS,HOW CAN ENGLAND BE LUCKY,SMASHED YOU BY 197 RUNS.ALRIGHT NOTTS AND WARKS WON IT.
From d.jameslongstreet on Mon Aug 24 05:27PMCan`t people just accept England won the Ashes, what if they did have a couple of South Africans, considering what a mixed bag the Australian nation is, Sounds like alot of sour grapes to me, Get a life you miserable people, at least it cheered me up what with all the bad news lately i.e Afghanistan.
From jarethjohn on Mon Aug 24 05:29PMthere sure is some idiots who love cricket are should I say who like to shout about it but they must be Australians for sure every one knows England won the Ashes yes the Ashes in good style G - Day Mate don't miss your flight.
From yorkyal on Mon Aug 24 05:32PM
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