- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
There is an undeniable case that the five days of cricket played at Edgbaston to begin the 2023 Ashes will go down as one of the greatest Tests ever played.
After a match that ebbed and flowed throughout, featured batting both spectacular and resilient, bowling disciplined and destructive, it was Australian captain Pat Cummins to land the decisive blow, steering Ollie Robinson for four past a desperate lunge from Harry Brook on the boundary rope to claim one of his country’s finest ever triumphs.
The end result is a two-wicket Australian win, but in truth, cricket was the real winner.
There will, of course, be questions. Will England rue declaring on the first evening, leaving in the bank crucial runs and a chance at more attacking fields on the final day? Why did Ben Stokes wait until the middle of the day to bring himself and his golden arm into the attack – one that quickly saw the back of Usman Khawaja’s stoic defence?
Why was the new ball not taken after Alex Carey fell to Joe Root to leave Australia with eight down and only bowlers left? Why was the ball not given to James Anderson, subdued throughout his return Test but still the holder of nearly 700 wickets, at the finish? What if Ben Foakes had been picked over Jonny Bairstow, whose three missed chances with the wicketkeeping gloves granted Australia crucial runs?
There were moments, too. Root shelling two caught-and-bowleds to see the back of Carey before at last clutching one, Stokes himself unable to hold a one-handed screamer reminiscent of his famous 2019 World Cup catch to remove Lyon on 1 with 37 still to get. Cummins just about digging out a perfectly placed yorker from Ollie Robinson, having backed away in anticipation of another short ball.
Matters for another day. This is a time to commemorate heroes. Cummins, of course, was chief among them, with an unbeaten, nerveless 44 that will go down in history as one of the great captain’s innings.
But Nathan Lyon, a short-ball pushover in the first innings, was just as crucial, and the audacious clip of Stuart Broad over mid-on for four when the tension was at its highest will surely be remembered just as fondly as any of the wickets he has claimed. Redemption, and a cleansing of the soul for his missed run out at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes.
Player of the match Khawaja, for his first-innings heroics and unyielding defence throughout the final day – criticised by some, including former captain Ricky Ponting, for being too defensive, Australia do not come close to winning this Test without the 206 runs and 518 balls he painstakingly compiled in becoming the second from his country to bat on all five days of a match.
Scott Boland, for the 20 runs he prodded, nudged and nicked as nightwatchman to not only protect Australia’s middle order on the fourth evening, but defy the tricky first half an hour on Day 5, too.
For the vanquished, there was Stokes, bowling through the pain of a near-crippled knee and still finding a way past Khawaja. Moeen Ali’s battle against a badly wounded spinning finger that made consistency impossible but still found a way to winkle out Travis Head. Root, first for his runs and then his miserly spell of part-time off-spin that accounted for Carey and convinced Stokes to delay the second new ball, even when Cummins had pumped him for two match-turning sixes in his final over.
Australia lead the 2023 Ashes series 1-0. And no one will ever forget how.
Pat Cummins celebrates after hitting the winning runs. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
“I was absolutely s–ting myself for the last five minutes there,” a delighted Khawaja admitted after the winning runs had been struck.
“It’s so heart-wrenching. An unbelievable game. I watched 2005, stayed up late. We had Stokesy play an unbelievable innings last Ashes, but this is definitely one of my favourite Test matches.
“I’ve had some hard times here [in England]. The ebb and flow – no one had the game until the end. One of my favourite Tests.”
While disappointed with the loss, Stokes said he was ‘very proud’ with his team’s fight, and the spirited cricket played throughout the five days – England’s famed ‘Bazball’ approach holding true and very nearly winning them the match.
“It’s another game we’ll never forget we’ve been a part of,” he said.
“That’s what we want to do, be part of great moments, and get people on the edge of their seats. Hopefully we’ve managed to attract the attention of some more people to watch the Ashes for the next four games.
“A loss is a loss. We’ve said how we were going to operate. Losing hurts and winning is a great feeling. We’re going to keep making moves if we feel the time is right and if we end up on the wrong side of results like this, there won’t be much to complain about.
“The effort and energy from Robbo and Broady at the end was incredible. Broad is up there absolutely cooked. He’s put his body on the line.
“Long may it continue.”
A heavy downpour overnight in Birmingham delayed the start for more than three hours – frustrating everyone’s urge to reach the finish line of this captivating Test.
When play did resume at 2:15pm local time, not much changed, with Khawaja and nightwatchman Scott Boland bunkering down against a testing opening spell from James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Just 14 runs would be taken from the target in the first seven overs – Boland, remarkably, the more free-scoring of the duo, adding seven runs to his Test-best score plus a handy four leg byes when Anderson’s meticulous line erred.
Broad, though, would remove the thorn in England’s side in short order: bringing in several close-in catchers to premeditate a short ball, he’d sucker Boland in on a good length, the tailender rooted to the crease and meekly edging behind for Jonny Bairstow’s fourth catch out of four wickets for the innings.
Nevertheless, the nightwatchman had done his job with an invaluable 20 – though the short-ball onslaught hinted at for him was soon at play in force for Head.
With a remarkable 7-2 leg side field, Head even resorted to backing away from Broad and attempting to force to space in the off side; Australia’s usual middle-order aggressor taking 13 balls before finally getting off the mark by working another bumper fine.
With just one boundary from his first 19 balls, a streaky top edge down the leg side just wide of a diving Bairstow, the introduction of Moeen brought with it a change in proceedings: putting away a long hop first ball then flashing two cuts fine of point for a two and a four, Head had more than doubled his total in three balls.
Stokes’ gambit, however, would pay off handsomely, Moeen finding bite and turn to catch the outside edge of Head’s nervous poke and find the gleeful hands of Root at slip – the danger man gone for 16.
Green came to the crease armed with a regulation off stump guard, having shelved the leg stump set-up of the first innings that had seen Moeen bowl him through the gate.
It worked: he and Khawaja content to milk the regular loose offering from the off-spinner as the latter reached 50 off 143 balls; a grind to be sure, but dogged resistance all the same.
Green grew more expansive as his confidence rose, a delightful lofted drive off Anderson the highlight as the all-rounder saw Australia first past 150, then into a double-figures run chase. On 22 at the tea break, with 38 overs to chase 98 further runs having withstood the toughest conditions of the day, Australia were favourites for the first time all day.
That soon changed after the break, a reintroduced Robinson finding uneven bounce to have Green dragging on for a gritty 28. With Khawaja showing signs of fatigue after his marathon match and Carey struggling to get going against the accuracy of Root, Stokes turned to himself at last in the 70th over.
He’d need just 12 balls to work his usual magic: Khawaja, footwork leaden after over after over of diligent survival, poked at a leg-cutter, deceived by the lack of pace, and fell as Green had, dragging onto his own stumps.
There were still 72 runs to chase down, and the Eric Hollies Stand was roaring again.
The last recognised batter, Carey decided it was time to go: first missing a reverse-sweep that would have had Australians everywhere hiding behind the sofa, then presenting Root with a tough return catch hit at considerable pace.
Cummins, though, looked just as assured as he had in his first-innings 38 – his highest Test score in more than four years – unafraid to take Root on down the ground, a near-miss when the bowler failed to grasp a tough chance low down in his follow-through would prove decisive in the and.
He was on seven when Carey took one chance too many, with the part-time off-spinner given another over with the second new ball due.
Skipping down the pitch but unable to get the required elevation, Root wouldn’t miss his third chance. Eight down, 54 still to get, Stokes’ decision to persevere with spin proved a masterstroke.
At this point, a draw seemed the likely course of action for Australia’s tail. Cummins soon put paid to that: his first six, high and handsome over Root’s head, brought the target under 50, while his second two balls later in near-identical fashion brought with it nerves re-jangled.
It was here where Stokes could have worked his magic again. With Broad back on, albeit still with the old ball, Lyon couldn’t resist his favourite shot: hooking uncontrollably into the leg side, Stokes, at mid-wicket, backpedalled despairingly, stuck his hand up hoping for it to stick… and for the first time all Test, his luck deserted him, with the ball bobbling out.
Still, with 36 runs to defend, it was well and truly advantage England. Cummins had other ideas, clubbing Broad for four through cover point to bring the deficit back to an even 30.
A draw was still on the cards, if unlikely given the Australians’ approach; but it was only when Lyon defied the tension to pump Broad armed with the new ball at last through mid-off for a glorious cover driven four that a win for the visitors looked distinctly possible again.
When Cummins deposited Robinson over cover for another four, Crawley’s despairing dive only knocking the ball into his own leg and into the boundary, the target was into the teens.
The captain, while the set batter, wasn’t about to farm the strike: with England content to set fields deep for Cummins and allow singles, he was only too happy to oblige them, Lyon’s confidence growing with every ball negotiated.
With 11 to go, another flashpoint arrived; Lyon has made many runs during a storied 121-Test career, but he will remember no shot more fondly than depositing Broad over mid-on for a boundary to bring Australia within seven of the win.
With one ball left for the over and four to win, Stokes, having not taken a backward step in more than 12 months of remarkable Test captaincy, took his first defensive gambits: first choosing to remain with Robinson and Broad rather than the wisdom of Anderson or his own golden arm, then keeping the field back for Cummins with one Broad ball remaining in the 92nd over and only four to win. Cummins, batting beautifully, couldn’t be given the chance to end it with one shot.
As it happens, that is exactly what transpired: Cummins first able to calmly knock a single wide of mid-on to keep the strike, then, with the field still scattered and the match reaching its conclusion, a steer to deep third man, Brook’s dive seeing the ball rebound off him and over the ropes, would win a famous Test.
We’ll be waiting a long time before we see one better.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.