My Top Ashes Moments

The Ashes the greatest rivalry in cricket a battle between bat and ball in both England and Australia a series that has brought many great moments and below I give you my top 3 all time moments that I have witnessed in my life time.

Number 3 – Bowling Shane – 4^th June 1993 – Old Trafford, Manchester

In his first Ashes test match, bowling his first ball in Ashes cricket the legend that is Shane Warne produced a phenomenal delivery that completely bamboozled the batsman and left him walking back to the pavilion asking himself what had happened. The pitch at Old Trafford has always favoured the spin bowler but no one could have imagined the effect that a young Australian leg spinner would have on the game with just this one ball.

That Ball, The Gatting Ball, The Ball of the centaury is all words that have been used to describe this unbelievable moment in Ashes history. At the time in 1993 I was only 4 but this is the ball from Warne that I have grown up watching and trying to recreate without any luck at all.  I have added a video below but let me talk you through it the best I can. Warne strolls up to the wicket off a run up of only a few steps he delivers a ball that looks like it’s going straight down the pitch but this ball pitches outside the line of leg stump, after pitching the ball turns dramatically and hits the top of off stump something that is still to this day rarely seen, bowling Shane

Number 2 – Boom KP Strikes – 12^th Septemeber 2005 – The Oval, London

Finally after years of watching England be destroyed us England fans were watching history in the making England were not only being competitive but found themselves on the verge of a series win over the old enemy. It was a simple process bat for the full 5^th day at the Oval and the Ashes would be back in English hands, but the 2005 series was nothing but simple. A very young looking eager batsman with his skunk looking haircut in Kevin Pietersen was the man who delivered the Ashes back to us poms.

In his first test series and under extreme pressure after a batting collapse by the experienced heads his innings didn’t get going straight away as he was dropped on 0 by a combination of both wicket keeper Gilchrist and also slip fielder Matthew Hayden. KP progressed onto 15 and his Hampshire captain Shane Warne when some say he dropped the Ashes, onto 60 he was once again dropped by the Australians this time Shaun Tait slacking off in the field. He brought up his maiden test centaury with an exquisite cover drive and sent the crowd ecstatic in jubilation. I was sat at home biting my nails as I watched KP put the Aussies to the swords as he was finally dismissed by Glenn McGrath after accumulating magical 158 and securing the Ashes for England for the first time in my living memory.

 Number 1 – Victory Down Under – 7^th January 2011 – SCG, Sydney

Finally the hoodoo was broken as finally for the first time in my life time I was able to stay up through the night to watch England not retain the Ashes that was done in the 4^th test but to win an Ashes series down under for the first time since in 24 years.

07/01/11 is a night that will always live on in my memory and I have to say that I am extremely jealous of all the barmies in attendance in a full English crowd, the sprinkler celebration with the fans at the end of the day looked great to be involved in. You can always remember the moment of the person who perhaps hit the winning run or took the winning wicket and this time that honour feel to man mountain Chris Tremlett, he could have retired come the end of the test match and the name will always live on in the memory of all England cricket fans.  A 3-1 test series win down under is my top moment ever in Ashes history.

I have found this video for you all to enjoy the Barmies reaction at the moment Tremlett takes the wicket to win the ashes down under

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The Sport Files Ashes 

Captain v Captain

10^th July the day the first ball will be bowled in this double ashes year so let’s wet the appetite just a little more with a look into one of the biggest battles will be key for both teams.

This summer and winter England battle Australia in a double ashes series the cricket is going to be great and the battle fierce. During both series there are going to be many mini battles that will be vital for each team to win for me the biggest and most exciting one is going to be the captains battle Cook v Clarke.

When any new side gets a new captain there are always the same pundits asking the same questions, will it affect his batting/bowling? How will he deal with the added pressure? When it comes to both captains in question here both have answered these questions emphatically with it will affect my batting I will become unbelievable, how will I deal with the pressure with ease lead from the front just watch me bat.

Michael Clarke or pup as he is called took charge of the Aussie test side on March 30^th 2011 taking over from the legend that is Ricky Ponting. Clarke since being given the honor of leading the baggy green has matured into someone worthy to fill the shoes of the great Ponting. Clarke for me can do anything he likes with his bat in hand and is one of the greatest players of spin I have watched live, he is reliable and extremely focused when it comes to his batting and he will need to lead the run scoring chart this summer for Australia to be successful.  Since taking the test captaincy he has scored 9 centuries with 4 of these what England call a daddy hundred his 329 not out against India in Sydney was one of the greatest knocks I have ever seen. 

Alistair Cook replaced one of the most successful England captains in the modern era Andrew Strauss as test captain on 29^th August 2012 following the decision by Strauss to retire. He had previously captained the team before on a tour of Bangladesh and also on the one day stage but this was the first time he had to step up and lead his side in the test arena looking towards the future. Cook was thrown in at the deep end as his first tour as captain was to be held in India a place where England had not secured a test series victory since 1984-85. Of course as with all records they are made for breaking and the tour of India was one where Cook led his side to a test series victory, Cook also broke the record for most test centuries for England taking his personal total to 23 and also became the first captain to score a century in each of his first five tests.

Of course the series starting in July is different to any other series both Cook and Clarke have ever lead there side into battle for. This is an Ashes series this is a series when the crowds will be different to anything these players have ever seen before. England going all out to win the series and the precious urn for a third consecutive series, Australia battling until the last ball to take the urn back down under.  Cook and Clarke have never captained in an Ashes series before and for me Clark is the captain that is under the most pressure when it comes to the series. He will be seen as the key wicket for the England bowlers if they get him early as we have seen in recent times the Aussies don’t seem to have much more.

I can’t wait to for the Ashes and each day there seems to be someone else talking about it bring on July and let’s keep our fingers crossed that the Aussies bring some nice weather over so we can experience a full 25 days of battle. The battle between the captains is going to be one that is just as exciting as the overall series and for me which ever captain scores more runs, makes the more aggressive field placing will be the one stood with his hands on the urn come the 5^th test. So I say bring on the summer and then later the winter this is going to be one year of cricket not to miss out on.

 Are you looking forward to the Ashes this year? Have you been lucky to secure any tickets? If you want to join in the discussions mention @TSF_Ashes on twitter or use #TSFAshes, you can also get involved on Facebook by searching ‘The Sport Files’ and liking the fan page.

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Ricky Ponting - Baggy Green One More Time

Image from heraldsun.

Australian cricket is in turmoil the latest scandal to rip through the squad came courtesy of David Warner in the great Walkabout bar in Birmingham, I have visited Walkabout many times and love the place. With Warner now banned from cricket until the first test match and also with Michael Clarke continuing battle against his persistent back injury there are no arguments that the batting line up coming into the Ashes series is at its weakest in a long time.

Looking back through the past Ashes series there has been a certain number three batsman that has stuck fear into the England bowler’s hearts. This man recently retired from the international game but is currently showing he still has it on the country scene as he scores run after run for Surrey. I am of course talking about Australia and worldwide cricketing legend Ricky Ponting.  

In past Ashes series we have seen the Australian public starting campaigns to try and get the greatest spin bowler ever Shane Warne to come out of international retirement to terrorise the England batsman once again, this has of course never happened. So let’s get in there early for me the only way Australia are to be competitive in this Ashes series is if the great Tasmanian Ricky Ponting returns to his rightful place of number 3 in the batting line up, perhaps it won’t be long till we see the #SUR (Save Us Ricky) appear on twitter.

Is it possible though could this summer see Ponting return back to the baggy green for one more time? I think it will happen and I think at one point in this Ashes series we are going to see Ricky Ponting’s stroll to the crease. Looking back at Ponting’s career statistics which you can see below you can see why every Australian cricket fan would love to see him return.

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	168	287	29	13378	257	51.85	22782	58.72	41	62	1509	73	196	0
ODIs	375	365	39	13704	164	42.03	17046	80.39	30	82	1231	162	160	0
T20Is	17	16	2	401	98*	28.64	302	132.78	0	2	41	11	8	0
First-class	287	491	61	23939	257	55.67			81	106			306	0
List A	456	445	53	16363	164	41.74			34	99			194	0
Twenty20	36	34	3	765	98*	24.67	664	115.21	0	4	66	23	14	0

Apart from the phenomenal statistics a batting average that even after 287 innings finished at over 50 Ponting will also bring something that is missing in this current Australian touring side and that is experience. Ashes cricket is different to any other cricket these guys will ever play in forget the IPL or the Big Bash League with Ponting missing from the side the Ashes experience is something that is missing from this side.

This morning an Australian national selector has announced they will not be looking towards Ponting as a backup batsman to have on SOS call should he be needed, I see this as a smokescreen to hide the fact Ricky will take some part in this Ashes Series. Perhaps I will be wrong but with him playing as well as he is for Surrey in the English conditions the Aussies would be stupid not to give him a call before the first test at Trent Bridge.

That’s my thoughts on the return of the great one wearing his baggy green once again during this summer but I would love to hear your thoughts. Contact me on twitter through @TSF_Ashes or you can also like The Sport Files on facebook for sporting discussions with others.

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The Sport Files Ashes

Stats taken from ESPNCricinfo

Ashes History Lesson

The Ashes what is known as the greatest rivalry in cricket and a series that always provides us with moments to marvel at and pieces of history being created in each series without fail.  Who can forget the magical delivery by Shane Warne 20 years ago? The magical 158 by Kevin Pietersen during the 5^th test in the sensational 2005 series? Or what about the 1981 series known just as Botham’s Ashes.  2013 is going to be a spellbinding spectacle of cricket trust me on that but before we look forward to this summer let’s look back at the history of The Ashes.

Picture taken from wikimedia.org

Where did it all begin well back in the days of the huge British empire England went around all the colonial countries introducing to them the great game of cricket and in the process destroying many of the new nations at the countries game. England played Australia on many occasions over here in green and wonderful Blighty defeating the old enemy on ever single occasion this was until a test match way back in 1882 when finally after numerous attempts Australia won a test match for the first time in history on English soil at the Oval, London. This lead to national outcry in the press and the following image a satirical obituary shown below was printed in the Sporting Times.

In Affectionate Remembrance
OF ENGLISH CRICKET,
WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL
ON 29th AUGUST, 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing
friends and acquaintances.
R. I. P.

N.B.—The body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Australia. 

The following series when an England team travelled down under to face the Aussies was then dubbed by the English press as a quest to regain The Ashes and ever since then The Ashes have been competed for between these two arch rivals.

wikimedia.org

During the tour of 1882-83 the England captain at that time Ivo Bligh was presented with the famous little urn that is the symbol of The Ashes around the world. Bligh was presented this from a group of Melbourne women and the little terracotta urn is meant to contain the ashes of a cricket ball and bails. The urn is not the official trophy of any Ashes series but around the cricketing world this is the symbol that both teams do battle for, the original urn can be seen in the Lords museum where it never leaves. 

I have spoken all about this Ashes series but for you strange non cricketing lot an Ashes series is undoubtedly simple. An Ashes series is a 5 match test series competed normally biennial  except in 2013 due to fixture congestion. One thing for you guys to watch out for in all Ashes series you watch is that even though a series may end a tie the trophy is not shared in a drawn series the current holders of the Ashes will retain the series.

The Ashes
Australia Wins	31
England Wins	14
Drawn Series	2
Number of Series	66

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Top image taken from BBC News