The echoes of patriotic optimism that followed England’s emphatic 3-0 sweep in the one-day internationals had swelled into a tidal wave of national euphoria by the conclusion of this extraordinary Test match. While there were reasons to believe England might perform well—bolstered confidence from their success in New Zealand, the morale-boosting one-day whitewash, the struggles of Mark Taylor, and Australia’s injuries—nothing could have prepared a disbelieving public for the sheer theatre of what unfolded.
This match had all the hallmarks of a cricketing epic.
Australia’s spectacular collapse to 54 for eight on the opening morning set the
stage for a contest brimming with drama. The heroics of Nasser Hussain and
Graham Thorpe, Taylor’s defiant century, and a gripping finale all culminated
in England’s emphatic victory, sealed in the fading light of Sunday evening
when Alec Stewart drilled Shane Warne to the extra cover boundary. The response
was immediate and euphoric—spectators poured onto the field, chanting,
"They’re coming home, Ashes coming home," a chorus borrowed from Euro
‘96 but now imbued with fresh significance.
England’s Composition
and a Symbolic Debut
England fielded a side largely unchanged from their
victorious series in New Zealand, with notable inclusions and omissions
reflecting both pragmatism and sentiment. Dominic Cork’s injury and the
exclusions of Phil Tufnell and Nick Knight paved the way for the recall of
Devon Malcolm—his first Test since his public fallout with Ray Illingworth in
South Africa. Mark Ealham returned, and Surrey’s Mark Butcher was granted his
debut in a ceremony borrowed from the Australians, his cap presented to him on
the outfield by Michael Atherton—a moment rich with symbolism, reinforcing the
team’s sense of unity and purpose.
Australia, deviating from their recent strategy, opted for a
more traditional balance of three frontline seamers and six batsmen. It was a
tactical decision that would do little to prevent what followed.
The Sensational Collapse
Taylor won the toss and chose to bat, but by 12:36 p.m. on
the first day, Australia had crumbled to a scarcely believable 54 for eight. It
was a passage of play that scrambled the senses, leaving the crowd in stunned
disbelief. Darren Gough set the tone with a delivery that zipped past Taylor’s
outside edge—a stark contrast to the opening ball of the previous Ashes series
in Brisbane, when Phil DeFreitas had served up a long hop for Michael Slater to
cut for four. Gough, bowling with pace and precision, sliced through the top
order, while Malcolm forced Taylor into an ill-advised drive and unsettled
Michael Bevan with steep bounce. Andy Caddick then tore through the middle and
lower order, ensuring that only a brief counterattack from Warne spared
Australia the ignominy of being dismissed in double figures.
The dramatic nature of the collapse reignited murmurs about
Edgbaston’s suitability as a Test venue, given the brevity of previous matches.
Yet, there was little in the pitch to justify such concerns. While there was
some uneven bounce and lateral movement, Australia’s demise was largely
self-inflicted—undermined by swing bowling and injudicious shot selection.
Hussain and Thorpe’s
Masterclass
Any doubts about the pitch were silenced when Hussain and
Thorpe produced a batting masterclass, amassing 288 runs for the fourth
wicket—surpassing England’s previous record of 222 against Australia, set by
Wally Hammond and Eddie Paynter in 1938. Here were two men, once part of
England’s so-called “Bat Pack” of fearless young players, dismantling the
world’s best team with breathtaking authority.
Hussain’s innings was touched by genius, an exhibition of
timing, placement, and unwavering concentration. When Warne erred short, he cut
with brutal efficiency; when the pacers over-pitched, he drove with classical
elegance. His 207—a maiden double-century in any form of cricket—was an innings
of rare brilliance, spanning 440 minutes and 337 balls, studded with 38 fours.
Not since David Gower’s 215 at Edgbaston in 1985 had an Englishman reached such
heights against Australia.
Thorpe, meanwhile, was his equal—perhaps even superior in
his range of strokes on the opening day. His effortless cutting and precise
sweeping of Warne were instrumental in shifting momentum. It was his third
century in four Tests, a testament to his growing stature in the England
lineup.
Australia’s bowlers, so often the architects of their
dominance, found themselves nullified. Warne, hindered by a sore shoulder,
lacked his usual venom. Glenn McGrath, bowling as if he were in Australia
rather than adapting to English conditions, failed to extract his customary
movement. Jason Gillespie’s hamstring injury further depleted their arsenal,
leaving Michael Kasprowicz—who had gone wicketless in his previous two Tests—as
their most effective bowler.
Taylor’s Defiant Last
Stand
Confronting a daunting first-innings deficit of 360, Taylor
walked to the crease burdened not only by his team’s plight but also by the
weight of his own struggles. Having failed to reach fifty in his previous 21
Test innings, he was a captain under siege, his position openly questioned by
former greats. Yet, on this occasion, he summoned all his resilience. His
century—his first since November 1995—was a study in grit and determination,
though it remained technically vulnerable around off stump.
He found support in Matthew Elliott and Greg Blewett, the
latter dazzling with exquisite cover drives and becoming the first batsman to
register centuries in his first three Ashes Tests. By lunch on the fourth day,
Australia stood at 327 for one—just 33 runs shy of making England bat again.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed the match might take a dramatic turn.
But England refused to let their advantage slip. Robert
Croft broke the burgeoning partnerships, before Gough—producing another
inspired spell—ripped through the heart of Australia’s resistance. Ealham then
delivered the coup de grâce, taking three wickets in ten balls without
conceding a run.
A Victory Seized in
Style
With a day to spare, England needed just 118 to complete
their triumph. There were 32 overs available, but they required only 21.3.
Butcher set the tone, smashing 14 runs off ten balls, before Atherton and
Stewart tore into the attack with uncharacteristic aggression. "The
adrenalin was flowing so much," Atherton later admitted, "that I
couldn't stop myself playing attacking shots." His 57 off 65 balls
included the milestone of 5,000 Test runs—an achievement eclipsed only by the
sheer magnitude of England’s victory.
As Stewart’s final stroke raced to the boundary, the eruption of joy at Edgbaston mirrored a national sentiment: a belief, however fleeting, that the Ashes might indeed be coming home.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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