When Ashley Giles clipped a leg-side half-volley from Shane Warne through mid-wicket, a wide smile and raised bat marked a perfect moment in one “magical summer”.
Two priceless runs sealed a tense three-wicket win for England in the fourth Test against Australia at Trent Bridge. Ultimately, with the fifth at The Oval drawn, this was where they secured a first Ashes triumph since 1987.
The 2-1 victory was a titanic battle, of wills, words and warriors, and arguably the greatest in the contest’s 138-year history. Having been ridiculed previously, England earned respect through an unpredictable and unforgettable affair.
“We knew the size of the task in front of us, but it was a perfect storm of circumstances,” says Giles.
“Australia had held the Ashes so long, they had players who would go down in history as great players, and us as the youngish pretenders coming up and thinking we can challenge them.
“It was almost like playing against the Galacticos with their incredible names with records. But the cricket we had played in the previous two years, we were confident we could give them a run. We just never imagined the series would play out in the way it did.”
No-one did. As Steve Harmison’s hostile bowling set the tone in the Lord’s Test, it promised and delivered high-octane action and drama that enthralled the world.
Cricket writer Richard Gibson was covering his third Ashes for the Press Association and recalls: “It transcended sport. I’ve never seen a series like it, before and since. Everyone was talking about it. This wasn’t just top cricket, this was top sport.”
In the first Test at Lord’s, Glenn McGrath mesmerised the home of cricket with match figures of 9-82 as England lost by 239 runs.
Captain Michael Vaughan said: “I got in the car to drive home and thought, ‘that’s it, the end of the series’.”
– #Quiz360: WIN a membership at Noviplus Dubai
– Ashes: England unchanged for second Test
– Ashes First Test: England vs Australia by numbers
But they rested and regrouped for Edgbaston and enjoyed good fortune when McGrath was ruled out after he trod on a stray cricket ball in training just before the start and injured his ankle.
And then Australian skipper Ricky Ponting chose to field after winning the toss, sparking a row with spinner Shane Warne, who was not alone in being surprised at that decision.
“It was dry, it was nice,” recalled Vaughan. “If he had batted on that day we would not have won the Ashes.”
What was also significant was they remained united and their approach was positive and aggressive.
Clarke: I would love to see similar cricket as the 2005 Ashes. It was a fantastic series. Any series like that is great for the game. #Ashes
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2015
“There were elements of Lord’s that were good but we ended up getting murdered of course,” Giles tells Sport360. “But one of the things was that when we went to Edgbaston, Vaughany said in the management meeting – and I was on the management group – was that we went hard at Lord’s and we had to go even harder at Edgbaston.
“It was absolutely the right mentality to go into against the Australians. They can be bullies – and you had to stand up to them.”
And that they did to level the tie, with Andrew Flintoff ferocious and flamboyant, sparking memories of Ian Botham with his all-round brilliance of 141 runs and seven wickets.
But Australia came agonisingly close as last man Michael Kasprowicz gloved a Harmison ball to Geraint Jones two runs shy of their 282-run target. The absence of McGrath was crucial.
“He’s one of the greatest bowlers who has ever played the game,” says Jason Gillespie. “So when a team loses a player like that, it has an impact.
“England just came out and attacked. It was a different feel about England, the way they came hard at us. Even simple things like walking out after the umpires and running out on the pitch and getting into position early. These little things, I hadn’t noticed about England before and it said to me that this team was a bit more switched on.”
England remained focused at Emirates Old Trafford where another nailbiter ensued after around 20,000 ticketless fans were locked out on the final day. Lee and McGrath, back but clearly unfit, were defiant to salvage a draw.
“I was travelling that day with [former England player] Angus Fraser and couldn’t get anywhere near the ground,” recalls Gibson. “Gus had to get out of the car because he was going to miss his Test Match Special spot. It was incredible.”
It was a reflection of how much the breathtaking duels had gripped the nation. And the moment too when England sensed they could end their wait for the prized urn.
“I think when we came to Old Trafford having gone 1-1, we put them under a lot of pressure and had them at nine-down and the Aussies were celebrating a draw,” reflects Giles, now head coach of Lancashire.
“Suddenly we thought, jeez we are on them here. We realised we had an opportunity to win the series.”
And so it proved at Trent Bridge where Ponting fumed after being run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt and Giles sealed his place in cricketing folklore.
As he and Matthew Hoggard defied the Warne-inspired Aussies to reach the 129 target and give England an advantage they would not squander, there was added satisfaction.
Giles had almost quit the game a year previously after suffering from depression and endured criticism about his inclusion. His contribution, including a 109-run partnership at The Oval with Pietersen – who blazed 158 after being dropped by Warne on 15 – was described as “massive” by Flintoff.
“In our jobs, very rarely do you go through a career without criticism,” adds Giles. “But to be part of that team was really special. It was really boy’s own stuff.
“I guess I get more remembered for Trent Bridge, but the more important innings for me was the 59 at The Oval in the stand with Kev. When we got together we were 205 ahead with a lot of time left and it was important we put on a partnership.”
Farcically, the match result was decided by bad light with the Aussies scoring four of the 341 required.
For fan Andy Thompson, travel manager of the Barmy Army, it was worth spending a second day in the same clothes as he reveals: “We couldn’t go home after day four. We wanted to see it.
“Day five we didn’t have a ticket because it sold out. But, through a friend and Ian Botham’s daughter Sarah, we managed to get an empty hospitality box. So by lunchtime we were in the ground, right next to the players’ dressing room and the players’ families just below us.
“And the Barmy Army song, ‘everywhere we go’, they were singing it from one side of the ground to the other which was fantastic. We had seen Pietersen take Brett Lee apart and Warney dropping the Ashes. It was unbelievable.”
And it hurt the Aussies as Gillespie, dropped after Old Trafford, adds: “It was hard to take, disappointing. However, you have to give credit to England. When the situations dictated, they handled the big moments better.”
Rising to the challenge made England heroes. But Giles adds: “There were different times in that series when you thought we had blown it. But it was a magical summer. Here we are 10 years on and people are still talking about it as the greatest-ever series. It might well stay that way for a long time.”
