2005 Ashes series

rdf:langString 2005 Ashes series

rdf:langString Rain delayed play on Day 3 until 15:00.

rdf:langString Rain on Day 4 prevented play until 15:45.

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 102

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 73

rdf:langString Andrew Strauss 106

rdf:langString Andrew Strauss 129

rdf:langString Justin Langer 40

rdf:langString Kevin Pietersen 158

rdf:langString Marcus Trescothick 27

rdf:langString Marcus Trescothick 90

rdf:langString Michael Clarke 91

rdf:langString Michael Vaughan 166

rdf:langString Brett Lee 43*

rdf:langString Brett Lee 47

rdf:langString Justin Langer 61

rdf:langString Justin Langer 82

rdf:langString Kevin Pietersen 57

rdf:langString Kevin Pietersen 64*

rdf:langString Matthew Hayden 138

rdf:langString Ricky Ponting 156

rdf:langString Shane Warne 90

rdf:langString Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

rdf:langString England won the toss and elected to bat.

rdf:langString Australia won the toss and elected to field.

rdf:langString Billy Bowden and Steve Bucknor

rdf:langString Billy Bowden and Rudi Koertzen

rdf:langString Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen

rdf:langString Aleem Dar and Steve Bucknor

rdf:langString Glenn McGrath 5/115

rdf:langString Shane Warne 4/102

rdf:langString Shane Warne 4/116

rdf:langString Shane Warne 4/31

rdf:langString Shane Warne 4/99

rdf:langString Shane Warne 6/122

rdf:langString Shane Warne 6/124

rdf:langString Shane Warne 6/46

rdf:langString Steve Harmison 3/54

rdf:langString Steve Harmison 5/43

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 3/52

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 4/71

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 4/79

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff 5/78

rdf:langString Glenn McGrath 4/29

rdf:langString Glenn McGrath 5/53

rdf:langString Simon Jones 5/44

rdf:langString Simon Jones 6/53

rdf:langString Steve Harmison 3/93

rdf:langString Ashes 2005 series logo

rdf:langString Kevin Pietersen made his Test debut.

rdf:langString Shane Warne claimed his 600th Test wicket.

rdf:langString Shaun Tait made his Test debut.

rdf:langString the Australian cricket team in England in 2005

rdf:langString England

rdf:langString Match drawn

rdf:langString England won by 2 runs

rdf:langString England won by 3 wickets

rdf:langString Australia won by 239 runs

rdf:langString England won the five-Test series 2–1

rdf:langString

rdf:langString Michael Clarke

rdf:langString Ricky Ponting

rdf:langString Marcus Trescothick

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff

rdf:langString Justin Langer

rdf:langString Kevin Pietersen

rdf:langString Shane Warne

rdf:langString

rdf:langString Simon Jones

rdf:langString Glenn McGrath

rdf:langString Brett Lee

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff

rdf:langString Steve Harmison

rdf:langString The 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests, with the Ashes held by Australia as the most recent victors. The final result was a 2–1 series win for England, who succeeded (for the first time since 1986–87) in their biennial attempt to win the urn. In March, Australia captain Ricky Ponting said this Ashes series would be the closest since Australia's dominance began in 1989. Since 1989, when Australia started their winning Ashes streak, England had lost by more than one match in all but one of the series played, that of 1997. During that period, Australia were the pre-eminent side in the world, while England had dropped from being the top-rated in 1981 to sixth for much of the 1990s. They reached a low point in 1999 with a series loss to New Zealand leaving them bottom of the unofficial Wisden Cricketers' Almanack rankings. However, since the previous series in 2002–03, England had improved on their fifth place in the official rankings, and were second before this series. Australia were still top-ranked, but England had won 14 and drawn three of their 18 previous Test matches since March 2004, and had won six successive series. Nonetheless, before the First Test some Australians, including fast bowler Glenn McGrath, were suggesting that a 5–0 win in the series for Australia was a serious possibility. The BBC reported on the day after the series that it was "hailed as the most thrilling series ever". Individual matches were very closely fought, with one match decided by a two-run margin, one match drawn with only one wicket remaining, and one match won by three wickets. The outcome of the contest was not decided until the last day of the series. Australia won the first Test comfortably, but in the second Test, considered to be one of the greatest of all time, England levelled the series with a two-run victory, the narrowest win in Ashes history. The third Test ended in a draw (with England one wicket away from a win), and England won the fourth Test in Nottingham (Trent Bridge) by three wickets, losing seven men in a chase of 129, after England enforced the follow-on after gaining a lead of 259 on first innings. The fifth and final Test started on 8 September, at the Oval in London. It entered its final day with England batting in their second innings, 40 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand. Australia needed a win to force a 2–2 series draw and retain the Ashes; any other result would give the Ashes to England and end 16 years and eight series of Australian dominance. After a day of fluctuating fortunes, England established a lead of 341 after Kevin Pietersen's maiden century, and Australia batted for one over before the teams went off for bad light, the stumps were pulled out of the ground, and the match was declared a draw, ensuring the return of the Ashes to England.

rdf:langString Compton–Miller Medal: Andrew Flintoff

rdf:langString Men of the Series: Andrew Flintoff and Shane Warne

rdf:langString Andrew Flintoff and Shane Warne

rdf:langString Compton–Miller Medal: