First Test: Edgbaston
The first match of the series featured the return to Test cricket of the Australian trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft following suspensions for their respective parts in the ball-tampering scandal of 2018, aka “Sandpapergate”. Needless to say, few England fans were willing to let bygones be bygones.
Warner, one of the Australian openers, soon fell to a delivery by Stuart Broad – a recurring theme in the series – and copped an earful from the home fans as he departed. But what of Smith? The former Australian captain struck a superb 144, helping the tourists to recover from a disastrous 122-8 to eventually post 284 all out. In reply, England’s Rory Burns scored 133 – his maiden Test century – as England made 374 all out.
Edgbaston’s Hollies Stand is recognised worldwide for its fancy dress and carnival atmosphere. Fans came in various guises including a group dressed as the England 1966 World Cup winners (replete with the Jules Rimet trophy) and a Donald Trump baby blimp. Many brought pieces of sandpaper to bate the Aussies.
The second Australian innings saw another century for Smith – his 10th Ashes ton – and 110 for Matthew Wade. Australia declared on 487 for 7, leaving England chasing 398 to win. Australian bowlers Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyons were in inspired form when England returned to the crease, taking all 10 wickets for only 146 runs. England’s misery in defeat was worsened by the news that their seam bowler James Anderson, who bowled only four overs in the Test, would miss the rest of the series with a calf injury.
Second Test: Lord’s
The sight of Jofra Archer blitzing Smith in the second Test will live long in the memory; it echoed the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-33, which is still talked about today.
Archer hit speeds in excess of 96mph and caught Smith twice in quick succession with bouncers in Australia’s first innings. The first cracked Smith on the forearm; the second careered into the back of his neck and sent him sprawling to the floor. After a concussion assessment and a brief rest, Smith was allowed to carry on, but he was later forced to retire from the Test.
Prior to that, the two sides had only traded metaphorical blows. After a washout on day one, Australia had won the toss and sent England – who wore red caps in support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation – in to bat. England made 258 all out.
Warner fell in the fifth over of the visitors’ reply – his third single-digit score of the series – bowled again by his nemesis Broad. Then Archer claimed his first Test wicket, dismissing Cameron Bancroft lbw. With Smith losing his wicket LBW to Chris Woakes only eight runs short of another century, Australia’s tailenders tumbled before tea and the tourists finished with a total of 250.
England’s second innings saw Joe Root out for a golden duck to Cummins on day four, before rain brought proceedings to a premature end. A sprightly batting display from Ben Stokes, who bludgeoned 115 from 165 balls, allowed the hosts to declare on 258 for 5 in order to chase a late win. However, Labuschagne and Travis Head proved obstinate for Australia, putting on 85 runs for the fourth wicket.
Ultimately, despite placing numerous fielders at close quarters in the dying light, England could not skittle Australia and the match was drawn.
Third Test: Headingley
Headingley 2019: the greatest Test match ever played? Discuss.
For sheer drama and down-to-the-wire brilliance, the final day of the third Test will go down in legend; so too will its key protagonists. Ben Stokes and Jack Leach hauled England to an unthinkable victory with a show of great resilience – the latter earning himself a lifetime supply of Specsavers glasses to boot.
But how did it ever come to that? For the second Test running, the start of play was delayed by rain. Australia collapsed to 179 all out in their first innings and Archer ended with figures of six for 45. However, England were woeful in reply: all out for only 67, it was their 12th lowest Test score of all time. Josh Hazlewood picked up a five-wicket haul for the visitors and England looked like they had thrown the Ashes away.
In their second innings, Australia scored 246 all out to give themselves a lead of 358, meaning England needed their highest ever successful run-chase in Test cricket.
England reached day four of the Test on 156 for 3, giving themselves a ray of hope. But Joe Root was then caught behind before Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad all departed in the space of 16 crippling overs. England had only one wicket remaining with 73 more runs needed for victory. It looked impossible.
Jack Leach joined Ben Stokes in the middle and the two men created a partnership for the ages. Stokes reached his century with a masterful display of batting, while Leach, whose glasses frequently steamed up as the pressure mounted, was the perfect defensive foil. At times, Stokes was so nervous he was unable to watch his partner on strike.
In the dying stages, when England needed just two runs, Nathan Lyon fumbled a brilliant chance to run out Leach who was miles from his crease. The next ball looked like a plumb lbw shout but Australia had burned all their reviews. Leach then scrambled a single off Pat Cummins before Stokes hammered through the covers to complete an astonishing victory.
As delirious celebrations swept the ground, Leach planted a smacker on Stokes. England had not only saved the Ashes, they’d given themselves a chance to go on and win it.
Fourth Test: Old Traffford
After the delirium of Leeds, England’s performance at Old Trafford fell flat. The Aussies ran rampant in their first innings, racking up 497 for 8 before declaring. Steve Smith was once again the main architect of their innings, scoring 211 before being caught by Joe Denly off Joe Root. England narrowly avoided the follow-on when they posted 301 in reply – Stokes could only muster 26 in his first stint at the crease – but even the arrival of storm clouds couldn’t alter the course of the Test.
Smith top scored (again) in the second innings as Australia declared on 186 for six, setting England a run-chase of 383. When Burns fell for a duck and was instantly followed by Root – out first ball to a monstrous delivery by Pat Cummins – late on day four, England were 0 for 2. Jason Roy defended the hat-trick ball and survived until the close of play, but England’s hopes were in tatters.
A brief rally on day five gave Australia the jitters – Jos Buttler, Craig Overton and Jack Leach all provided solid resistance to Australia’s otherwise inspired trio of Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Hazlewood. The latter eventually took Overton’s wicket lbw to end the contest and ensure Australia retained the Ashes on English soil for the first time since 2001.
Fifth Test: The Oval
Only one thing remained to be settled in the fifth Test: could Australia win the Ashes series outright, or could England force a creditable draw? Remarkably, Australia’s captain, Tim Paine, put England in to bat after winning the toss – one of his many questionable decisions in the series – allowing the home side to chalk up 294 in their first innings. Jos Buttler top scored with 70.
In return, Warner fell cheaply again as Archer took six for 62. Woakes removed Smith lbw, but not before the Australian had plundered another 80 runs.
England’s 329 runs in their second innings teed up the prospect of victory. But for that to happen, they’d surely have to find a way through Smith. Unexpectedly, Smith fell cheaply by his standards but Matthew Wade made 117 off 166 balls. The innings featured an increasingly hostile battle between Wade and Archer as the Australians scrambled in vain. Their target, 399, was never in sight and when Root caught Hazelwood off Leach’s delivery in the 76th over, England sealed victory and salvaged a series draw.
The urn may not be coming home, but it’s been a whirlwind few months for English cricket. First a World Cup win in the one-day format, then the heroics of Headingley in a tumultuous Ashes series. A cricketing summer never to be forgotten.
