91Èȱ¬

Mark Butcher's innings at Headingley in 2001.

John Snow and Geoff Arnold vs. Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie, 1972 series - the first series I really followed.

Mark taylor and Geoff Marsh putting on 301 runs to open the innings at Trent Bridge in 1989....fantastic.

First Day of First Test 1997. Aussies all out for 118. One of the best false dawns ever!!

Steve Harmison hitting Langer on the elbow, Hayden on the helmet and then leaving Punter with a permanent reminder on his cheek! Set teh tone for a pulsating series of Test cricket at its finest.

Of course, it made his first ball at Brisbane 18 months later all the more ridiculous...

My best Ashes memory is Kim Hughes weeping. Pure joy !

1977 - the great Derek Randall, from cover, running out the Australian opening batsman Rick McCosker as he was backing up.

after an epic test match at Edgbaston 2005 with the closest and most tense finish ever the battling aussies lost their final wicket, Andrew Flintoff went straght over to a distraught Brett Lee to console him. Fantastic moment in sport.

2005 - Edgbaston- Harmison's slower ball to dismiss Clarke, and on a far more important note.....
Merv Hughes and the dog.

Flintoff and Brett Lee. Freddie went over to console the poor fellow after his team lost. True sportsmanship.

Adelaide 1979 - Bob Willis slashing a six over cover point. A truly bizarre stroke!

2005 simon jones's reverse swing to dismiss clarke

Dilley and Botham dishing it out at Headingley when there was no hope...

1981. Enuff said.

Bob Willis. Ian Botham. Graham Dilley. Headingley 1981. Sport doesn't get better than that.

1953 The Oval

Johnners "It's The Ashes!". Black and White 9inch TV. One of my earliest cricket memories - and still one of the best.

I think my favourite memory is the Aussie crowd at Lords back in the late 70's/early 80's taking the "michael" out of their own player Dennis Lillee while he was fielding on the boundary and Dennis turning around with a two finger salute to his loyal travelling fans met with floods of laughter by all concerned!

Botham's 138 in 1986 at the Gabba. The master was back including hitting 24 of a Merv Hughes over.

For sentimental reasons (because he loved cricket so much and would've been a great England coach) Bob Woolmer taking forever to make 149 in the final test at the Oval and extracting the comment Rod Marsh that they were 'all sick of the site of Woolmer's arse!'

1993 Old Trafford, one that Mike Gatting must be sick of watching replays

Ponting's furious tirade towards the England dressing room at Trent Bridge '05. That was the moment he betrayed his sense of powerlessness against the unrelenting pressure exerted by England. It was when I first truly believed we were going to win the Ashes. Not to mention how FUNNY it was!

Mexican Standoff at The Waca...

Dennis Lillee and (fully bearded) Mike Bearley standing toe to toe in the great "aluminium bat" row.

From more recent times...
That incredible sunday morning at Edgbaston 2005. Jones takes the catch off Harmison and England square the series.

Stan McCabe's 232 at Trent Bridge in 1938, and England's 3-run win at Melbourne in 1982-83. Oh, and The Oval in 1953 - Brian Johnston's immortal "It's the Ashes, it's the Ashes".

PS I was born in 1985, which makes me something of a philophaster

I think people were so shocked that we won the ashes four years ago that we really didn't dwell on the most amazing piece of cricket I'v ever seen.
When bowlers bowl at 90 mph even the best batsman in the world duck the bouncers or lean back to let it pass them by.
There were two overs in the series four years ago when Brett Lee was bowling almost every ball at 96mph. Mr Peterson took him on and was hooking these balls off his face for 6's and 4's. The most amazing piece of extrovert batting I've aver seen.
Botham '81 We couldn't get Steve Waugh out in '89 which was the start of 15 years of world domination by the Aussies.
To be totally honest though, even as an England fan, I don't think that anyone could deny that Warne removing Gatting's off stump is in the top 5 greatest sporting moments of all time.

Apart from the obvious Botham 'confectionery stall' shot off Alderman, how about Knotty hoicking Jeff Thomson over cow corner for 6 at Headingley in the ill-fated 1975 test. A truly audacious shot off the man who had terrorised England's batsmen the previous winter.

Sadly I'm too young to remember '81. My first 'Ashes' was 1989 and Aussies were just too good. Most of my favuorites are understanbly recent. Several favourite moments come to mind.

Opening partnership of 300+ at Trent Bride, 1989
Warnes 'magic ball' to Gatting
Gattings 'X-marks the spot' interview after having his nose broken.
1993 - Athertons run out for 99 at Lords. Gutted.
2000 - Goughs hat-trick.
2001 - Nasser hit a six onto the rooves of houses next to Headingley.
2005 - Punters reaction to being run out by Gary Pratt
2005 - Trying to get into the last day of the Old Trafford test - I think we were inside the ground about 15 mins before the announcement came that it wa full. Phew!
2005 - The tension at the end of that day as Lee and McGrath batted for a draw was something I've never felt at any other cricket match.
2007 - Hoggards 5for at Adelaide


But my favourite for the sheer joy it brought was the final wicket of that Edgbaston test in 2005, giving England the narrowest of wins to get back into the series.

Botham smashing Craig McDermott for a huge six, straight back over his head, first ball at Edgbaston 1985. Smacked a four with his 2nd, then another six with his 4th. Absolute classic Botham. No player in the World back then would have even thought about opening up a Test innings like that. Granted he got out shortly after....

Missing an economics test in 1981 because we were watching Bob Willis skittle the Aussies at Headingley. Walked into the classroom half an hour late expecting to be told off. Teachers response was 'who won?' absolutely brilliant......

Warne to Gatting and the ball of the century which must have spun 3 feet:; gatting could not believe it.

Harmison's slower ball to Clarke... sublime commentary... it conveyed the shock of what had just happenned, England's delight and Clarke's abject misery wonderfully

Sunday at Edgebaston 2005...We were all late geting to our North Devon League match - we just could not leave until it was all over.... very tense....

81 was special, Both and Dilley were amazing but Willis bowling he Aussies out was even better, I was 10 and have been hooked on TMS ever since...

I know it is not an Ashes moment, but the very best bit of TMS has to be the Botham Leg over... even if it did mean PB kept Aggers and Johnners apart for a year or more...

3rd Test at Headingley 1981 - Botham's ton & Willis' 8 wicket haul. It was the match that turned me on to cricket in all of its forms and I still get goosebumps watching the highlights.............

This is strange - 30 posts in and nobody has mentioned it? OK, so I'll do the honours.
The 5-0 whitewash/drubbing/thrashing comprehensive win by Australia only 2 years ago. It was the best Ashes result that I have enjoyed. As usual, England will point out all excuses - Vaughan, Flintoff, Harmison etc.

But that doesn't take away a truly remarkable achievement by the Aussies. And proved that the 2005 result was a fluke. And the Aussies should win this year to prove that '05 was a fluke and '07 wasn't.

And if you want a specific moment - Harmison's first ball on that morning in Brisbane...

The 1991 Ashes tour, a warm up match against (I think) Queensland. No idea about the result, but David Gower buzzing the pitch in a tiger moth armed with water bombs can't help but raise a smile!

Adelaide 1995 - Phil DeFreitas slamming Craig McDermott all over the Adelaide Oval. You could see the steam coming out of Macca's head. Pure fun for a Pom!!!

I bet 32/33 was as good as it gets with Larwood and co breaking the whole Australian team into little pieces. Its worth reading a bit about this period because I think it was probably as memorable as any of the other excellent examples shown in this article yet sadly time and lack of film will never make it as memorable.

I think that even though the series was slightly humiliating, being at the SCG the last time we went down under to see the likes of Langer, McGrath and Warne playing their final test match and doing a lap of honour being cheered on by the Barmy Army was something special.

Being 18 the only positive is 2005

2005 Ashes win, the entire series. Having never known England to have won an ashes test series, I sought the advice of a New Zealand batsman, Matthew Horne(playing cub cricket), to ask him how he thought the England bowling attack would fare. He said Hoggard and Flintoff in English conditions could win England the Ashes. I then placed a bet on England and then on September 12th 2005, collected my winnings. Loved it!

Strauss's go-go-gadget-arm slip catch in 2005 - one of many moments in that fantastic series, but not mentioned so far.

Also, Richard Ellison's swing bowling in , I think, 1985 series?

When Michael Vaughn scored that amazing centuary at old Trafford to say in your face to all critics

Headingley 1977. Boycott with up turned collar and wrist bands driving Chappell down the ground. Graham Roope's scissor jump to avoid the ball and the crowd's spontaneous outpouring of joy as he reached his 100th century.

Edgbaston 2005, i was in the Hollis. The place went mad!!!

I'm with #9 fierylittleman. Harmi to Clark @ Edgbaston 2005 when the place was packed and you felt England really needed a wicket....

Shane's ball to Gatting was good though....

It would have to be Hughes' century on Ashes debut. Oh wait that hasn't happened yet, don't worry, it will.

Not the best Ashes memory I have but certainly the most enduring. 1977, my first experience of test cricket let alone the Ashes. Rick McCosker batting in the 2nd innings with his jaw wired up having had it shattered by a Bob Willis bouncer in the first innings.

As a 9 year old boy obsessed with tales of derring do on warfields this was like seeing such bravery first hand. He became a hero, and despite me hailing from Sussex, I always chose to be McCosker when playing in marathon summer holiday cricket matches on Hove Lawns.

That was the day cricket won my heart and i've stayed true ever since.

My Favorite memory was when Harmison got the wicket in the last over to make it 1-1 all in the Ashes 2005. My Family and i were ready to go to Church on the Sunday and just couldnt go, iwas so nervous i let my family attend, however i stayed at home praying that if there was a god we could take that last wicket. My prayers were answered.....Thank you..

Flintoff consoling brett lee after he batted his heart out and still lost. A lovely moment of sportsmanship....

Hoggards winning runs at Trent Bridge 2005 to go 2-1 up Marvelous Barmy Army went mad.

Every test we have ever won has been pure joy! From an Aussie living in Leicester very much looking forward to the summer!

The Edgbaston 2005 Test had enough moments that could fill the top 5.

Harminson's slower ball yorker against Clarke in 2005 at Edgbaston was magical. I was there and the whole place seemed to be in slow motion as soon as the ball left Harminson's hand and you knew what was going to happen.

Flintoff's over where each ball was a wicket ball and on another other day he could have taken 6 in 6.

Flintoff and Pietersen's hour of smashing the ball to every corner in the 1st innings. Was the 1st time those two had played together at their best.

Flintoff's 2nd innings where the safest place to be was fielding as the ball was going everywhere especially towards end when each ball he attempted to smash into cannon hill park (and came close with 1). At one point all 9 fielders where on the boundary. Only the bowler and wicketkeeper inside the circle.

Shane Warne's magic ball to get Strauss out at start of England's 2nd innings.

Other mentions to: Hoggard's 1st ball wicket in 2nd over of Australia's 1st Innings. Giles and Warne telling each other which way to the pavilion. Warne then hitting two 6's off Giles in 1 over. Trescothick's '1 for the camera's' catch. Vaughan running out Martyn(i think it was Martyn). Brett Lee on 3rd morning going through the England team. Flintoff consoling Lee at the end of the game.



Oh and Harminson taking the final wicket which Jones(he could catch at 1 point believe it or not) and England winning, but who cares about that. :D

I can't believe no one has mentioned it. I am an Aussie living in London (for now) and have great respect for Ian "Beefy" Botham (now almost an honorary Aussie), but there was some brilliant moments at the Gabba in the 1982-83 series that must be mentioned here.

A bloke on the infamous GABBA hill had smuggled a pig into the ground in his esky and released it onto the field during play. On each side it was painted with the brands "BOTHAM" and "EDDIE." The little pig ran around on the ground to rapturous applause and laughter for some time, stopping play in the process, until it was eventually caught and removed.

Beefy took it all in his stride, but after the game the portly England spinner Eddie Hemmings took the joke less well when a team-mate asked him to "step on it with your trotter" when he was driving away from the ground.

Brilliant. Can't wait for summer 09.

The Oval, August 1968. The suspense occasioned by the horrible weather, everyone helping dry the ground out. It looked as though John Inverarity would save the day as wickets tumbled at the other end and then, with only a limited time left to play, lbw to Underwood.

David Steele hooking Lillee at Lord's in 1975....Botham and Willis at Headingley in 1981.....Derek Randall's 150 shot at Sydney in 1978/9....Harmison giving the Aussies some 'chin music' on Day 1 of the series four years ago.

Melbourne, 1982. Australia, chasing 292 to win had been 218 for 9 overnight. The last-wicket pair, Jeff Thomson and Allan Border, inched them closer till they were within striking distance. I was listening to the drama on TMS in London, late at night. Now just 3 runs left. Johnners says 'now here Botham for one final effort...' Thomson edges to Chris Tavare at slip, who drop sit, only for Geoff Miller to catch it on the rebound. Best match ever, most dramatic commentary ever.

4215 Christine, as a Kent man this is my favourite moment as well and I believe there´s a photo showing all the fielders crowded around the bat.

1981 Ashes was the first test series I remember (I was 10) - my Dad explained the minutiae of test cricket to me and,although I don't remember many of the details,I remember celebrating the victory at Headingley. I was at Headingley on the Sunday 20 years later - saw just enough cricket to avoid a refund and missed Butcher's match winning innings on the Monday. If only I had phoned in sick...

Boxing day test match in 1982 with last wicket stand between Border and Thompson needing 75 to win which I followed on radio 3's TMS in Denmark. With just a boundary needed to win, Thomo edged Botham to Tavare who let it slip and the ball popped out. In a reflex action, Geoff Miller went behind Tavare to grab the rebound to give England a dramatic 3 run win and get them back in the series. Every bit as exciting as Edgbaston 2005 and until then the narrowest margen for victory.

Australia need 3 to win. All hoope seems lost. harmison runs in, strikes Kasprowitz on the glove and Jones takes the catch!! Most tense ive evr been in the split second that the ball flew towards Jones and then waiting for Bowden to raise the finger!!

harmisons 1st ball of the 06-07 ashes at the gabba haha
and gillys 57 ball 100 at the WACA in perth now that was awesome

" He plays that shot very well.....he dosn't bother looking at it.......He just swats it away.......As if he was swatting away a fly!! "
Ritchie on Botham.

I remember the 1986/87 series fondly - watching the highlights from Channel 9 presented by Richie Benaud on 91Èȱ¬ in the evening. There were many performances of note - Botham, Broad and just about every other English player getting a century but the one that stood out was Gladstone Small getting 5 wickets in the fourth test having been drafted in at the last minute. We subsequently won the match and sealed the Ashes and then it all went pear-shaped, Gatting lost the captaincy and we failed to beat them again until 2005!

Trent Bridge, 2005. I'd been to the first two days but had to attend a wedding in Edinburgh on the Saturday. So, me and the good lady flew up from East Midlands, me running up the airbridge to get to a telly to see the score, spending all Sunday watching mother-in-laws old black and white telly 'cos the Jocks don't understand cricket, then watching KP and Freddie getting closer and closer to the winning runs, whilst praying that the flight home was going to be delayed. It wasn't and I left it with England still needing 50-ish to win.
Anyway, with me desperate for the aircraft to fly at Mach 1, I noticed that we were flying back over Nottingham, and, right over the top of Trent Bridge ! I could just make out that the game was still in progress !!
When we FINALLY landed, I called my mate at the game who was yelling that Hoggy and the King of Spain had won it for us. I reckon just at the poing that I was flying over, so I believe that I saw the win, from about 4000 feet up. Honest ?!

My favourite moments from 2005

1. Opening day of the Ashes 2005 at Lords. I was watching it from 12pm in an upmarket brassiere in Bellshill, Glasgow. I asked the barman to put it on and because England had the upper hand, the jock barman turned the TV over as soon as the lunch interval was signalled. Jealousy I assume. During lunch I overheard an Aussie at the table two down from me trying to impress a Scottish bird with his cricketing knowledge. "Did you know Adam Gilchrest made his test debut at 29", he exclaimed.

2. Flying over Edgbaston at around 5.30pm on the Friday of the second test. I saw the clock tower at Bham Uni then there it was in all its glory, Warwickshire CCC. I told my two work colleagues who refused to believe me, telling me that I was drunk, before going through the flight path with me as if they were the pilot.

3. Following on from 2. Arriving at New Street, popping into the Shakespeare for a pint. Saw a group of Aussies and asking them what the score was. They said England were 120 odd runs ahead, I said "YES", they just looked at me confidently as if they just knew they would get right back in it.

4. Old Trafford. Watching the final session on the Sunday at home and then booking a hotel for the night in Manchester. Queuing up outside the ground at 7.00am, just getting in and then watching 8 hours of unbelievable cricket for £10.

5. Spending the first 3 days of a holiday in Majorca watching the Oval test in various bars. Clapping when KP reached his ton. Being gutted when Gilo didn't get his.

The whole summer of 1985 really, but Gooch and Gower spraying the Aussies all around the Oval (was it?) And Les Taylor taking the last wicket as England crushed the Aussies by an innings.

Any of Gower's 9 hundreds against Australia really. But Gower at Sydney 1991. I think he joined Athers when he had 90 and got to 70 before Atherton got to a 100.
And he battered Alderman silly which was very cathartic for any English fan who had to live through '89 when it looked like Gooch had taken a backhander from Alderman.

My favourite Ashes moment was Flintoff's dream over at Edgbaston in 2005 against Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting. It showed we finally had world class operators dominating the Australians. We were just too good for them.

I have found out much too late about Mike Selvey and the other blogs are closed. I consider myself to be a well-rounded individual, far from sport-obsessed or cricket-obsessed. However, I believe TMS is, by some considerable distance the greatest radio show in the history of broadcasting - I will happily debate that with anyone. You mess with TMS at your peril and changes thus far have always been organic. I was sad when Trevor Bailey left and never liked Fred Trueman. I am sad that Mike Selvey has been singled out as he is truly exceptional, and I trust he will return very soon when the mess has been cleared up. My objection, though, is not on specifics but in your inconsistent, cavalier approach in general. I like Tufnell as a summariser and I think he captures the tone of TMS well, but as well as Selvey, not instead. Fowler is just awful - why can't you hear that? I'm sorry but a Lancashire accent is not sufficient qualification, he ruins the airtime he's given. Gooch is fine. On the commentary side, Arlo White is absolutely fine - a very good commentator. But the use of Mark Pougatch a year or two ago was, and should have been recognised as an unmitigated catastrophe. It was a holocaust, which happily was never repeated. Until now? Who is making these decisions and with what criteria? Commentators should be CMJ, Blofeld, Aggers and White, with someone like Jim Maxwell for the Ashes. Summarisers should be Selvey, Marks, Boycott, Tufnell and Gooch, with someone like Michael Slater for the Ashes. The only criteria should be quality and an understanding of what makes TMS great. Pougatch in TMS is like a fish in a vacuum - reverse that decision now.

great memory was in 64 and dexter and barrington seemingly batting forever at manchester. and fred trueman and ritchies bowling in the 61 series great days.what a shame theres no cricket today (saturday) i work all week and love my cricket on a saturday.

My first conscious Ashes and probably favourite you-tube cricket footage. David Lloyd's piece at the end is pure gold.

1975 - and cricket's original deadly duo .... Lillee and Thommo.

Fred Trueman on Saturday afternoon at Headingley in 1961. Five wickets; Harvey, O'Neill, Simpson, Benaud and Mackay without conceding a run.

It has to be at Trent Bridge 2005, during that nerve-jangling run chase. When HOGGY smashed Brett Lee through the covers for four, then Ashley Giles clipping Shane Warne for the winning runs! Absolutly brilliant.

Gary Pratt running out ricky ponting.....genius

The whole of 2005 was dreamlike - the best cricket I have ever seen. Personal favourites include Harmison hurting the Aussies at Lord's; Vaughan being so unflappable in the last overs of the Edgbaston Test; Giles' 50; and Hoggard and Giles seeing England home at Trent Bridge. But the WHOLE series was brilliant.

From other Ashes series: The Edgebaston Test in 1997 - Mark Taylor scored a century under pressure, and England won. And Tudor's spell at Trent Bridge in 2001, even though England lost that game.

1985 - a golden summer for English batting, with Gooch, Gower, Gatting and Robinson hitting century after century. AND Botham's 18, surely the greatest cameo innings ever, with Thommo giving the crowd the finger when he caught him out.

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days. When you go back as far as Bradman and even have vague memories of Walter Hammond - that's an awful lot of Ashes. - But even I can't say I saw Wilfred Rhodes take 7-17 en route to helping dismiss Australia for 36 in 1902, although I do remember Jim Laker taking 19-90 in 1964!

I'm going to plump for the 1953 series, in particular Watson & Bailey at Lord's - and then that magic moment when Denis Compton swung Arthur Morris (yes, Morris!) round the corner to win the Ashes for the first time since WW2. - And we all ran onto the hallowed Oval grass!

Just space to wish Andrew Strauss the luck of England's captain in 1905 - Colonel The Honourable Sir Francis Stanley Jackson PC, GCIE, who won the toss five times out of five!

In response to the post by start_of_an_era - I was at Edgbaston when Botham rubbed the salt into the Aussies and it was quite spectacular. And Thompsons two finger salute to the crowd was met with a huge 'V' sign from the crowd! What followed was Richard Ellison reducing the Aussies to something like 36 for 4 at close with each wicket being met with a goal-like celebration from the crowd - amazing - something I will never forget.

I'm sitting here full of nostalgia with all your comments bringing back great memories, some good, some bad, but all in the Ashes spirit. Apart from message 32 by NonEnglish, full of spite which I experienced too often as an Englishman travelling in Australia.

Yeah, Tasty Grill (re NonEnglish) - there's always got to be one, hasn't there? And I think your word 'spite' has summed that kind of post up perfectly. Well let's not bite; we know that not all Aussies are bent on being abrasive and arrogant, even though, as last time, one or two are bound to surface over the next few months....

The strauss superman catch in 2005. I refused to believbe that he had caught it until I had watched the replay. I remember seeing a huge framed photo of the catch in the window of a local shop and decided against buying it. How I regret that now. Also worth a mention was Hamy's slower ball to Clarke (as was mentioned earlier in the blog) and Collingwood's double hundred in Australia (who would ever thought he was capable of such a feat)

ooops! I see I blipped on the year of Laker's 19-90 (above) - 1956, not 1964 - Apologies.

I've been lucky enough to see three of the best moments live in my Ashes watching career:

Boycott's 100th 100 at Headingley in 77

Bob Willis' 8 for to win the Headingley Test in 81

Melbourne 1986 when Gladstone Small and Phil DeFreitas demolished the Aussie first innings and Chris Broad etc built up a massive England first innings lead. This opened up the way to win the match and clinch the Ashes for a side that wasn't given a prayer by most pundits before it left the UK. Life in Australia was sweet that winter!

By the way, the smuggled pig also turned up in the Melbourne outfield in 1986, but in that year, he had "Gatting" painted on both sides!

One of the most memorable recent moments though was the look on Glenn McGrath's face on the second morning of the first test at Lords in 2005, when Peterson smashed him for 6 straight back over his head into the Members Stand.

The ball went like a bullet. McGrath sensed it go past him but I don't think he knew where it had gone until he heard it hit the stand in what seemed like a millisecond later.

Priceless.

Sorry tasty grill, but how is bringing up the 07 series by 'NonEnglish'(post 32) series in any way spitefull? Shame you have to reduce this walk down memory lane to a 'them or us' kind of thing. You do realise its a sport? I am not surprised a few Australians took a set against you when you were travelling there.

Despite that, the most memorable moment for me was the 82/83 series in Australia. Specifically the 4th test at the MCG where England won by 3 runs(echoes of Egbaston 2 years later).

Australia were set to close out the series, and Alan Border tried to shield Thommo from the strike, but couldn't. Bear in mind, thommo looked about as comfortable with a bat as a hippo with a golf club.

Botham was throwing down rockets and Thommo, for a number 10 batted out of his skin (thick hippo skin) for 21 but edged it to slips. It was dropped by (i think)Tavare at third slip but caught by Millar who was diving behind.

He went on a glory run that would have made an Italian football celebration seem modest and reserved.

That was one of the most enduring memories I have of ashes cricket, probably because it was my first.

1977 was the first series of cricket I watched. Some moments of that series are very memorable....Boycott's hundred 100 probably sticks the most. 1981 was incredible of course as was 2005. Quite a few of the other series were rather bland in comparison and hard to recall even though I sat through a lot of them ball by ball!

Gower's fly past on his tour down under was tremendous......

Steve Waugh's hundred off the Dawson on the last ball of the day in Sydney 2003 (and I'm a Pom)

Even before harmison rattled the aussies in the first test 2005, the tone was set for teh series by the announcement that England won the toss receiving an almighty cheer - the country as well as the team was well up for it...

As much as it pains me to say it, Warne's final day bowling adelaide last time out. He was the only man in either team who believed a result was possible and he got it too, practically on his own.

Headley's 6 wickets in the 4 hour last session at MCG 98/99.
Stewart's ton in the same game,
Vaughan's 3 hundreds in 2002/03.
Waugh hits the last ball of the day for 4 to get to 100 in his last Ashes test.
Edgbaston 2005 of course.
Warne's Gatting ball.
Hoggard and Flintoff bowling on the gloomy sunday afternoon at the oval in 2005. What a great day!

Denis Compton batting on for 145 not out, bandaged after being hit on the head, in 3rd Test 1948.
Frank Tyson destroying Australia's second innings with 7-27 in 3rd Test 1954-55

Ashes Series 2005 - Aussie fans and Barmy Army trying to con the umpires...one lot wearing sun glasses and taking their shirts off to show how great the light was and the other lot with umbrellas up pretending it was raining...priceless.....oh and KP at the Oval and Warney dropping him and the King of Spain batting like a demon in support...wonderful wonderful wonderful

Its ironic that the 91Èȱ¬ are asking for recollections, given that recollections of cricket is all that's left on terrestial television.

Has anyone mentioned when the imposter Nasser Hussain came out to bat? Closely followed by the real Nasser! Headingly 2001 wasn't it? Not a cricketing highlight but amusing all the same.

Boycott. Headingly. 1977.

Emirates cabbage you are a cabbage, Kim Hughes blubbed during a series against the West Indies, get your facts straight!!

Don't know about my best Ashes memory, but my first one was the 70/71 tour - John Augustine Snow (the well known poet/fast bowler) being pelted with beer cans from the Hill after what they saw as excessive intimidatory bowling, and Illingworth taking England off the pitch (I'm fairly sure I've got that right). Seem to remember following the progress of that tour over the winter as though we were following the progress of some campaign in the Penninsular War.

Wonder what the media reaction would be to that kind of behaviour now?

I think it was the 1948 tour, I was in bed with asthma/bronchitis. Dad carried our enormous wireless set into my room, with it's attendant wet batteries. I listened, ten years old, in Penzance, through the static and fading in and out, to Australia being reduced to 38-8 (I believe), in the only drawn test of that rather wet summer.

2005 ashers- either the egbasten test- how the aussis clung on to get within 2 of victory I don't know, or the old trafford test, Lee and McGrath holding on to draw, dispite matthew hoggard walking between McGrath and the stumps

scap that- andrew strauss doing a superman to dismiss adam gilcrist

Gary Pratt as a sub fielder to remove Ricky Ponting - and his actions leaving the field

My favourite Ashes moment is when it used to be shown on TV that you didn't have to pay for. That was sweet.

I agree with blogooner...Derek Randall's run-out of Rick McCosker was fantastic. The speed with which he managed to hit the stumps looked unbelievable

It didn't seem to be noticed at the time, but I think in the third test in 2005 Brett Lee came in to bat, Freddy bowled a quick, heavy ball first up, Lee played a defensive shot and was knocked off his feet. The look on his face was "jeepers!"

1968- Colin Milburn's explosive 83 at Lords when all others struggled to score runs at any rate- Boycott got 25 I believe.

1972 Bob Massie's 16 wickets at Lords, and Dennis Lillie's searing pace throughout the series.

1990/91 David Gower's 123 outpacing Michael Atherton

1993 Warne's ball to dismiss Gatting. He was not brought on however until former part time leg spinner Atherton had been dismissed.

2005- 2nd Test Australia's 1st innings replying to England's 400. Michael Vaughan running out Justin Langer I believe. Really leading from the front and showing that good batting by the team was not enough to win but showing what was needed by his actions.

2005 Andrew Strauss' marvellous diving slip catch