2005 Ashes
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The Ashes, the legendary cricket series between England and Australia, began in 1877 with the first-ever Test match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The rivalry quickly grew after England lost to Australia on home soil in 1882, prompting a satirical obituary in The Sporting Times declaring that “English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
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The 2005 Ashes was one of the most exciting enthralling series of all time. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests with Australia having held the Ashes for 16 straight years since 1989. The final result was a 2–1 series win for England with the series in the balance until the last day of the series.
In the leadup, Australia had been the top-ranked test nation since 1995. England had quietly won 14 and drawn three of their 18 previous Test matches, including being victorious in their last six successive series. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath made his now infamous predicton of a "5–0 win in the series for Australia"
Australia won the first Test comfortably, but the Second Test saw England level the series with a two-run victory, the narrowest win in Ashes history. The third Test ended in a tense draw. England won the fourth Test by three wickets, losing seven men in a chase of 129.
The 5th Test entered its final day with England batting in their second innings, 40 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand. Australia needed a win to force a 2–2 series draw and retain the Ashes. Kevin Pietersen scored a maiden century, and the match was drawn to ensure the return of the Ashes to England. Winning skipper Michael Vaughan reflecting on this memorable series said "Cricket has captured the nation; I'm not sure the sport will ever get to that level again".
Top Performers:
Player of the Series (joint):
•Andrew Flintoff (Eng): 402 runs & 24 wickets
•Shane Warne (Aus): 40 wickets & 249 runs
Top Run-Scorers:
•Kevin Pietersen (Eng): 473
•Ricky Ponting (Aus): 359
•Marcus Trescothick (Eng): 431
Top Wicket-Takers:
•Shane Warne (Aus): 40 wickets
•Andrew Flintoff (Eng): 24 wickets
•Steve Harmison (Eng): 17 wickets
Legacy:
•England won the Ashes for the first time since 1986–87.
•It sparked a revival in public interest for Test cricket in England.
•The series saw Kevin Pietersen’s Test debut and Flintoff’s rise to cult hero status.
•It ended the golden era of Australian dominance — though they would reclaim the urn 18 months later in 2006–07.
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