1. Australia, Edgbaston 2005, won by 2 runs– The best test in history? McGrath and that cricket ball. Ponting wins the toss and inexplicably puts England in. England score over 400 on day one and lead by 99 on 1stinnings. The Aussies fightback but a last wicket stand of 51 from Flintoff and Simon Jones enables Englandto set the Aussies 282 to win. A magical over by Flintoff accounts for Langer and Ponting. A magnificent slower ball from Harmison bamboozles Clarke. Lee with Warne and then Kasprowicz take Australiato the precipice of victory before Geraint Jones catches that ball. Flintoff consoles Lee. Breathtaking.
2. Australia, Trent Bridge 2005, won by 3 wickets – Englanddominated the match with a century from Flintoff and five wickets for Simon Jones. But in pursuit of only 129 for victory panic set in against an inspired Warne and Lee. Giles and Hoggard were the unlikely heroes that steered England home.
3. Pakistan, Karachi 2000, won by 6 wickets – A turgid match and series came to a dramatic climax in the dark with Thorpe seeing Englandover the line with Hussain his joyous captain. This after Gough, Giles and White had bowled Pakistan out for 158 in their 2nd innings.
4. South Africa, Johannesburg 2005, won by 77 runs – An even match was set up for Vaughan’s side by 180 from Trescothick. Hoggard then bowled out South Africa on the final day, and with a drawn final test England won the series and derived further belief for the subsequent Ashes series of 2005.
5. Australia, The Oval 2009, won by 197 runs– Strauss won an excellent toss and scored two vital 50s. Broad destroyed the Australians on an eventful Friday afternoon. Trott then scored a ton on debut and Flintoff ran out Ponting to mark his final test. Ashes regained.
6. West Indies, Lord’s 2000, won by 2 wickets– Trailing by 133 runs, Caddick, Gough and Cork blitzed the West Indies for 54, with the latter two seeing a nervous England over the line in a dramatic finish. This win enabled England to square a series they eventually won 3-1.
7. Sri Lanka, ColomboSSC 2001, won by 4 wickets– A brilliant century by Thorpe was followed up by a Gough inspired bowling display to shoot out the home side for 81. Thorpe again saw England over the line to clinch a come from behind series win.
8. Australia, Lord’s 2009, won by 115 runs– Strauss and Cook set it up and then Flintoff finished it off on the morning of the final day to quell England’s nerves and set up the first Ashes win at HQ since 1934.
9. West Indies, Kingston 2004, won by 10 wickets– Harmison takes 7/12 and England cruise home. This victory inspired England to an elusive series win in the Caribbean and sparked a summer of seven straight wins against New Zealand and a demoralised West Indies.
10. South Africa, Durban 2009, won by an innings and 98 runs– Centuries for Cook and Bell, nine wickets for Swann and a passable Glenn McGrath impression from Broad; a clinical performance by England.
Where next?
Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage
1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10
2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10
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