The Ashes has just recently concluded and it was an easy, one-sided affair for the Aussies, retaining the urn 4-0.
There were many interesting moments in the five-match series. Here I look at the top five moments.
5. Mark Wood’s fiery 6-37
Mark Wood, what a man. He deserves a special round of applause for one of the greatest spells in Ashes history.
He gave his team every ounce of what he had. He breathed fire during the spell, bowling mostly excess of 145 kilometres per hour.
He troubled the batsmen continuously with searing bouncers. He scalped the precious wickets of Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith.
He made sure the nightwatchman was removed quickly and also cleaned up the Aussie tail in quick succession.
His figured read a brilliant 16.3-2-37-6. They were his career-best figures as well.
Although England lost that Test, Mark Wood put England in the position from where they could’ve possibly won the match.
4. Travis Head’s counterattacking 150
It was the first Test of the Ashes and Australia bundled out England 147 and were in the drivers seat at 3-189.
Then came Travis Head, rubbing salt into the English wounds. His counterattacking innings consisted of 14 fours and four sixes. Jack Leach was taken to the cleaners.
(Photo by Matt Roberts – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
It helped Australia get to a total of 425 and put them in a demanding position to win the opener of the series.
Not to forget Mitchell Starc deserved some credit as well as he was giving the support Head needed.
Head’s position in the team was being scrutinised before. He pretty much sealed his place in the team as he got another century in the fifth Test.
3. Khawaja’s twin tons
After being sidelined from the national side constantly, Usman Khawaja knocked the selection doors with his performances in the Sheffield Shield.
And when the opportunity arrived, boy did he arrive with a bang, smacking twin centuries at the SCG.
His opportunity arrived in the fourth Test when Travis Head was left out after being diagnosed with COVID.
He got his hundred in the ground where he debuted 11 years ago and he became only the third player to smash twin tons at the SCG.
In the second innings, he and Cameron Green put up a timely 179-run stand when England thought they had Australia in check.
Although the match ended in a dramatic draw, it pretty much belonged to the comeback man Khawaja and he deservedly won the player of the match award.
2. Steve Smith versus Jimmy Anderson
It was the last over of the match and England needed to bat one over for a draw.
With the umpires deeming it too dark for the pacers to bowl, their skipper Pat Cummins turned to Steve Smith. Batting was the world’s most experienced number 11 James Anderson.
We were set for fantastic finish at the SCG. It probably wasn’t the Anderson versus Smith battle we had expected, but it was quite a show nonetheless.
All the fielders were closing in on Anderson and the pressure was building on Anderson. He somehow managed to survive and the match ended all smiles in a draw.
Test cricket was displayed at its finest and it was the only close match in the series, with other matches pretty much being one-sided affairs.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
1. Hometown hero Scott Boland’s 6-7
Scott Boland, a name not that popular to the world, burst onto the scene when Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser, and Josh Hazlewood all were sidelined.
Local boy Scott Boland, who was known as MCG specialist, was called up for the clash at MCG.
After the first innings, things were pretty much normal for Boland, but during the second innings, Boland simply ripped through the English batting line-up, scalping six wickets for just seven runs in his four overs.
And the crowd simply loved their new hero, cheering him along for every ball he bowled during the spell. He also scalped the visitors’ skipper Joe Root.
Who would’ve thought that a 32-year-old bloke on Test debut would simply rip apart the opposition in an emphatic manner, propelling Australia to an innings win?
Some special mentions
Jonny Bairstows’s SCG showpiece, Nathan Lyon’s 400th scalp, Ben Stokes’ battle through injury, and David Warner’s nervous 90s.
CubRoar
Roar Rookie
Honourable mention: the Aussie bowlers batting in the first innings at Adelaide. Particularly Neser, who had only been allowed to carry drinks for the previous ten years. Swashbuckling stuff, under lights, brilliant.
Mike
Guest
My comment about the Mark Wood bowling is that it didn’t matter. It came right at the end of the series and had no influence on the result of the match or the series. It was too little too late. Yep, he bowled well…but he should’ve done it in Brisbane. Starc delivered when it mattered. That first ball in Brisbane is probably the defining memory of the series and will be remembered more clearly by most fans as the years pass.
Paul
Roar Guru
Not the top 5 I'd have chosen but anyway. For mine, the first ball of the series from Mitchell Starc rates top spot. Here's a bloke many had written off before the series even started charging in and bowling an outstanding delivery that set the tone, not only for that innings but for the series as a whole. It also shut Shane Warne up about how bad Starc was, so just for that alone, it deserves top spot. I'm also wondering about this comment "Mark Wood, what a man. He deserves a special round of applause for one of the greatest spells in Ashes history." No argument in that match he bowled his heart out, but I can think of dozens of better spells in the 150 years Ashes has been played - and that's just from the Poms.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I guess the Smith v Anderson over is a moment because it was the last over of the match. But reckon I would squeeze that one out of the top 5 to include Bairstow's gutsy knocks in Sydney.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Good call. I’d probably rate Head’s fifth Test century ahead of his first Test heroics as a single innings, but in terms of the significance in the series, the first Test ton takes the prize. There’s been a lot of over-the-top stuff written about Wood. Certainly a great spell in the fifth Test, but the main difference with other spells was extra juice in the pitch and a bit more luck. But some commentators were going ga-ga over the fact he was running in and doing his thing, as if it was especially heroic. He bowled about half as many overs as most leading quicks have bowled over past series.