The Ashes: England v Australia, fifth Test, day four, report

Author: admin

23 Aug

For the second time in four years England have regained the Ashes, winning the series 2-1 after Sunday’s 197-run victory in the final npower Test at the Oval. Put like that you might wonder what all the fuss is about. But this contest stirs deep, atavistic feelings, as the emotions of the capacity crowd and the players on both sides showed when Graeme Swann took Australia’s final wicket among the lengthening shadows.

Swann’s final victim, his fourth of the innings, was Michael Hussey, whose five-and-a-half hour hundred had defiantly kept England and the crowd from celebrating. But when he finally went at 5.50pm, caught at short leg from a tired prod off bat and pad, the roar, as the younger members of England’s team smothered Swann and their skipper, could be heard over the river in Westminster.

Afterwards, following the fireworks and streamers, some of the England team played with their children on the outfield. Over the years, that has been the privilege of those wearing the baggy green, but it seems even in victory England can’t help emulating the old enemy.

On balance, England deserved their 2-1 win. Their captain, Andrew Strauss, top-scored in the series and while they may have trailed Australia in the leading wicket-takers, they possessed the stronger bowling attack and in Test cricket that prevails more often than having the stronger batting line up.

Strauss has been the better and luckier captain (he won four of the five tosses including the crucial one here), though Ricky Ponting did well with the resources at his command. Next >>