19 Years ago OTD - 2005 Ashes Win

[chris.hinton]

Where has the time gone and why do i remember it so clearly

 

[Molehill]

I had spent the day wfh and saw all of KP's innings. But at the moment we won I was on a train heading into Central London. We were going on holiday 5 days later and the Passport Office were being wankers about authorising one for my 6 month old daughter. It didn't get resolved and I had to go back again the following morning with a more 'professional' person's signature on the form. Turns out my electrician neighbour was not suitable. I remember being taken into a side office for kicking up too much of a fuss in the main area.

On my way home, my train went through Vauxhall Station where so many England fans had now reached from The Oval.....it put a smile back on my face!!

And that 6 month old starts life at Oxford Uni in 3 weeks!!

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

One of the first series I remember properly, but still the best

 

[Silver Silva]

Life was better those days too..

 

[Ali TT]

Think I was on a mini-break with my then missus in the Cotswolds. She liked cricket enough that she tolerated me trying to find out the score during the day. Remember it being lovely weather.

 

[chris.hinton]

I was at work all day and they showed it on the TV so was keeping an eye on it, perhaps a little too much, after it ended i and a few others went to the nearest pub to watch and the pub celebrated when the umpires took the stumps

What a moment, What a series. Something which will never reach the peak in this country even our World Cup wins didn't have the same impact has that Ashes series did

 

[fredfertang]

I was on my honeymoon - I'd quite forgotten that that marriage had some good bits ....

 

[kevinw]

I was in Prague, didn't have a smartphone and read about KP's innings in the Guardian a few days later.

 

[wpdavid]

I was in Prague, didn't have a smartphone and read about KP's innings in the Guardian a few days later.

Reminds me of being on Interrail in 1981 from the middle of the Headingley test to just after the Old Trafford one.

Anyway, to answer the original question, I remember being at work during the final day of the series, teaching one particular class where I had placed a small black and white TV at the front of the classroom. Great series of course, arguably even better than 1981. I remember where I was at the denoument of the decisive Edgbaston and Trent Bridge tests.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I was exhausted from working at the Murray Mints factory We'd spent the summer filling a massive bulk order from the English cricket team.

 

[mackembhoy]

I vividly remember legging it down the street after I got off the bus after school to get in and watch.

So seeing that KP went to his ton by tea. I must have caught the second half of his knock.

I was only 12 so the memory of the series is hazy plenty of specifics. But I fell in love with cricket cos of it so will always be so special to me.

 

[Ali TT]

Reminds me of being on Interrail in 1981 from the middle of the Headingley test to just after the Old Trafford one.

Anyway, to answer the original question, I remember being at work during the final day of the series, teaching one particular class where I had placed a small black and white TV at the front of the classroom. Great series of course, arguably even better than 1981. I remember where I was at the denoument of the decisive Edgbaston and Trent Bridge tests.

Think I struggled to watch either. I remember going for a walk from home when we fell to 5 down in the Trent Bridge chase but came back to see the end. My then girlfriend was in the crowd.

 

[wpdavid]

Think I struggled to watch either. I remember going for a walk from home when we fell to 5 down in the Trent Bridge chase but came back to see the end. My then girlfriend was in the crowd.

I was watching a county game at The Oval on the final day of the Trent Bridge Test, and didn't have a smart phone. We knew that England were chasing and that they had started to lose wickets. At one stage we were going by the cheers from one of the rooms where people were watching the match on TV, but then wondered whether they were English or Australian. Eventually the good news broke.

As for the final day at Edgbaston, I think I watched the first half hour at home, with increasing levels of dread about where this might be heading. On C4, Richie Benaud had helpfully started the day by reminding us of the 1982/83 test when Border and Thomson almost saw Australia home with an unlikely last wicket partnership before falling 3 runs short. Maybe the England team had seen that, because they looked pretty nervous, having performed brilliantly on the previous day to take the first 8 wickets. Anyway, we had a prior aggreement to take our kids to a local park and meet friends who also had young kids there. No smart phone meant I had to invent reasons to pop back to the car park from time to time to check updates on the car radio. I thought we'd be fine once Warne was dismissed, but ended up increasingly grumpy as their last two batters looked like they'd see them home, put Aus 2-0 ahead and pretty much seal the Ashes again. Finally someone in the park who did have a smart phone casually mentioned that we'd managed to bowl them out after all. I don't think he was even a cricket fan, but he'd taken a slight interest due to all of the hype around the series.

More interestingly, 'girlfriend' during the Trent Bridge test and 'missus' by the time we get to The Oval. Busy summer for you by the sound of it.

 

[sledger]

I remember @Pothas and I being sat in the sixth form common room for part of the day.

 

[Pothas]

Still regret not just going home early.

Remember my Dad came home with a bottle of Champagne.

 

[Yeoman]

I went to the fourth day at the Oval which was partly lost to rain but where England finished off the Australian first innings quite quickly. In retrospect this was significant in that Australia could have established a significant lead (batsmen having discretion over light in those days) and subsequently have faced less time pressure on the final day.

On the final day I was first at work and following on cricinfo, then I had to go to Heathrow and saw the closing stages on a tv at the airport. Confirmation of the draw was announced by the pilot Just before the plane took off. I late went on a solo victory procession around Milan.

 

[Ali TT]

I went to the fourth day at the Oval which was partly lost to rain but where England finished off the Australian first innings quite quickly. In retrospect this was significant in that Australia could have established a significant lead (batsmen having discretion over light in those days) and subsequently have faced less time pressure on the final day.

On the final day I was first at work and following on cricinfo, then I had to go to Heathrow and saw the closing stages on a tv at the airport. Confirmation of the draw was announced by the pilot Just before the plane took off. I late went on a solo victory procession around Milan.

That first session on HR fourth day was critical, with Freddie bowling through and taking fivefer. Possibly his best bowling effort for England. That or Lords in 2009.

 

[Yeoman]

That first session on HR fourth day was critical, with Freddie bowling through and taking fivefer. Possibly his best bowling effort for England. That or Lords in 2009.

It remains the most intense, ferible atmosphere that I have ever watched cricket in. It was not forced, with chanting, music or similar. It was an organic feeling of growing tension and excitement.

 

[CartyDurham]

My daughter decided to have her wedding in Cuba and it coincided with the fifth test

I had backed England at 14/1 to win the series and trying to get a cricket score back then on South American tv was virtually impossible

so I had a 17 day sweat to see if the bet had landed

happy days and I recommend the Hotel Brisas in guardalavaca for anyone wanting to visit Cuba

 

[Chin Music]

My daughter decided to have her wedding in Cuba and it coincided with the fifth test

I had backed England at 14/1 to win the series and trying to get a cricket score back then on South American tv was virtually impossible

so I had a 17 day sweat to see if the bet had landed

happy days and I recommend the Hotel Brisas in guardalavaca for anyone wanting to visit Cuba

I'm not being bad, and the Caribbean is quite confusing because actually it spans two continents, but Cuba is actually North American, not least because its nearest points are not very far from Florida, not that I'm particularly interested in going through both Geography or history (Bay of Pigs etc).

But that fateful day, the last of the series, I had off and watched it at home. Ever more nervous as the day progressed as I saw the fall of wickets seemingly take the series away from us, then watching the ferocious counter attack from Pietersen allaying the nerves before watching Hoggard fending off searingly quick deliveries from a p*ssed off Brett Lee and then the long drawn out spectacle of the umpires wanting their day in the gloom to ceremonially remove the bails.