Comments on: Ashes 2005 2nd Test at Edgbaston

By: Adsy

Adsy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:43:19 +0000

Us Aussies stayed up to the early hours of the morning on the edge of our seats on that fifth day – only for Billy F’n Bowden to give Kasper out when clearly (well not exactly clearly, but clear enough after 3426 replays) he didn’t have his hand on the bat and it wasn’t technically out after all.

However twas meant to happen as they say in the classics, and it set the scene for some epic cricket to follow it as well. You could go as far as to say that the result saved the series (no way England would have come back from 2-0) and sealed the fate of several players in the Aussie side who were well past it anyway and were only in there because they held the incumbency and the side was winning absolutely everything. I brought the DVD and although most of it is very painful to watch, I just hope that this series is somewhere (anywhere) near the heights of 2005 for both sides.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:57:11 +0000

I had just flown back from a business trip to the Ashanti goldfields of Ghana. Normally I don’t travel well and end up losing most of my intake ….nuff said!!
This trip was so short that it was the Sunday morning before I found my self on our downstairs loo getting a commentary on proceedings from my father-in-law through the open doors of the loo and utility room. So I can say in all honesty when you were all bricking it I was literally s*******g it!

By: Jo Fitz

Jo Fitz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:39:51 +0000

I was at my Dad’s for the weekend – he thought we’d have some culture so we went to the National Gallery. I had my Roberts long wave transistor so we ended up sitting on a bench on the Embankment listening to TMS all afternoon (one earpiece each).
Sunday morning we stayed at home, watched the telly and waited for the inevitable England throwing-it-away ending…

By: Bert

Bert — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:11:09 +0000

I experienced Day 2 of this test at my wife’s cousin’s wedding. I had my phone on silent, and a work colleague primed to send me a text when anything happened. Since the Aussies were batting, this meant that my phone vibrated in my pocket whenever an Aussie wicket went down.

I had never previously realised quite how pleasurable it can be to have a vibrating object pressed against the upper part of ones leg. It certainly brought a smile to my face, I can tell you.

By: Ged Ladd

Ged Ladd — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:11:14 +0000

The only thing missing from this report is the Day One events that really swung the match – Glenn McGrath’s cricket ball incident before the start of play and then Ricky Ponting’s nonsensical decision to field even though his best strike bowler had gone down in a heap.

Unusually, we did not get to the ground early to see the warm ups at Edgbaston that year. We were still queuing to get in. We learnt of the incident by text from an Aussie friend, Kyle, and assumed for about 45 seconds that Kyle was pulling our legs. But soon it was the talk of the queue as word from the broadcasts filtered round.

Little did we know how hugely significant that accident would turn out to be. Frankly, I cannot imagine England having done so much damage Day One if McGrath had been playing. And frankly, I cannot imagine what Ponting was thinking of by electing to field.

By: Fred Grace

Fred Grace — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:47:31 +0000

Can someone tell the BBC that still photos getting bigger or smaller is NOT video?

By: Harris Harrison

Harris Harrison — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:56:36 +0000

That Saturday was the best day of my life. Bar none. The highlight was the Harmison slower ball to get Clarke. He hasn’t bowled it since sadly.

The day ended at about 3am on some dancefloor somewhere doing the Bowden hooked finger dance.

Sunday with a hangover was almost the worst day of my life. Almost.

http://tinyurl.com/kq58f4

By: Taylor

Taylor — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:27:16 +0000

Brilliant post, man. That test has to go down as one of the best I’ve ever seen, along with the Australia-India encounter at Eden Gardens.

By: Mahinda

Mahinda — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:59:55 +0000

For reasons I cannot go into on here, that was a weekend I’ll never forget!

As far as the cricket goes, a bunch of us stayed well past the Travelodge Sunday checkout time, crowded into one room willing England to get that final wicket. Apparently our shrieks of frustration and, eventually, delight, caused quite some amusement amongst the staff and other guests.

By: Bert

Bert — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:57:18 +0000

You forgot to mention, KC, that one M. Hayden was out for a first ball duck in the first innings. Re-live the fun and enjoyment of it all:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/ashes_2005/default.stm#

The TMS commentary highlights are guaranteed to cheer up your day.