Only Test, 1882 at the Oval: Chasing just 85 runs for victory, England is blown away for 77 by the Australian demon, Fred Spofforth, who takes 7-44 to deliver a victory that prompts an obituary for English cricket in the Sporting Times and the origin of the Ashes
urn itself.
Third Test, 1981 at Headingley: Ladbrokes offered odds of 500-1 when tailender Graham Dilley joined Ian Botham in the middle at Leeds. Following on, England were seven down and still behind at the time, but Botham's unforgettable 149 set-up a last day chase on a difficult wicket, and Bob Willis completed the greatest comeback of them all by claiming 8-43.
Fourth Test, 1982-83 at the MCG: An evenly-balanced low scoring match appeared to have run its course when last man Jeff Thomson joined Allan Border at the wicket with 74 runs still to get, but their dogged partnership took Australia to within four. Enter Botham, who finds Thomson's edge for Chris Tavare to fumble it into the waiting hands of Geoff Miller. It was the closest match in Ashes history, until...
Second Test, 2005 at Edgbaston: Glenn McGrath rolls his ankle and Ricky Ponting still chooses to send England in, allowing a fearless home side to pile up 400 on the first day. Michael Vaughan's side retained that momentum until the fourth morning, when Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz took advantage of home stage fright to get within three runs of a 2-0 lead. However Steve Harmison found one last throat ball to tickle Kasprowicz's glove and set England on the path to a sublime series victory.
Second Test, 2006-07 at Adelaide: Smarting from a heavy lost in Test one, England piles up 6-551 declared then reduces Australia to three for not many. But Ashley Giles drops Ricky Ponting and the home side inches to within 38 runs on a dead wicket. Left to bat for the draw, England is first mesmerised by Shane Warne then finished off by Michael Hussey.
- AAP
