Our Ashes

So, after five long test matches, 25 days worth of play, the Ashes were won and lost over two critical sessions of cricket played at the Oval. After England were annihilated at Headingly, it seemed only fair that Australia would retain the tiny urn. However, sport is not that dissimilar from life.
England won the toss and elected to bat first. The Oval has generally produced draws in test match cricket, a result which would suffice for the Aussie's, yet with England needing a win to regain the Ashes a large batting total was deemed required if the hosts had any chance. But this did not materialize as many of the batsmen, after getting in, found themselves walking back to the Pavilion far too early. Trott on his debut for England was looking comfortable on 41 when some superb fielding from Katich saw him run out. Bell top scored on 72 with England only amassing 332 runs for their first innings.
The Australians got off to a comprehensive start with Watson and Katich reaching 73-0 fairly easily. However, what the crowd was then about to witness was one of the greatest sessions of English cricket ever. Stuart Broad was brought into the bowling attack and it was not long before he was causing havoc amongst the Australian top and middle order. First Watson was dispatched of, followed closely by Ponting, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke. Broad later went on to bowl Haddin to get a well deserved fifer. Swann also got in on the act with a four wicket haul, including Katich, who on his 34th birthday resisted the fierce bowling attack on an awkward pitch better than anyone, well deserving his half century and top scoring for the Aussies. Yet, it was Flintoff in his last England game before retirement from the national team that finished the innings off, taking Hilfenhaus's stumps out the ground. The Australians had lost 10 wickets for just 87 runs, finishing on a very demoralising low score of 160.
Strauss and Cook came out to bat with their tails up, knowing that a solid performance would give England a great chance of regaining the much desired Ashes. Yet, nerves were sent jangling when Cook, who has had a disappointing series, went out for just 9. Bell and Collingwood soon followed. Yet, captain Strauss and debutant Trott, not only steadied the ship, but put England in a commanding position, with Strauss scoring 75 and with Trott becoming the 21st Englishman to score a century on opening match for England. Flintoff came on and went off quickly on his last ever bat for England. However, he did give the crowd 20 minutes of fantastic action, something which the great man always managed over his career for the national side.
Australia needed a record breaking 546 runs to win the test match, or needed to bat two and a half days to draw, an even more unlikely event. However, one should never discount the Australians. They were cruising along on 217 for 2 until a moment of madness or magic was produced. Ponting went for a needless quick single, yet he had not banked on Freddie Flintoff picking up the ball and firing it over 25 meters in under a second smack bang into his stumps. It was an excellent piece of fielding. Strauss also ran out M Clarke with some equally good feilding to put the Ashes in real reach. M Hussey hung on scoring an admiral 121 only to lose his wicket with the last ball meaning that England has indeed regained the Ashes.
Australia were all out for 348, 200 hundred short of their allotted total, meaning England won the test match, taking them to 2-1 in the series. The Ashes were indeed their's once more, they had come back to their rightful owner. Flintoff turned the game, as he so often did for England, but for once it was not with his batting, or his bowling, or even his mouth, but with a superb piece of fielding that encapsulates everything about his distinguished career. His energy, his desire, his power and skill but also his ability to change a game of cricket for the benefit of his country. However, he is bowing out at the dawn of a new English all-rounder. Broad is the future of English cricket, Flintoff is the past. Hopefully Broad can help England achieve something which Flintoff never did and that is retain the Ashes when we travel to Australia.