Best series ever.. Review on England Cricket Team

First and foremost, this review is on the Ashes not on the English team as a whole, but as I could not find the topic and the user-friendliness of MS site not being one of their best aspects, I decided to put it down here.

The Ashes series has been one of the best ever in the history of cricket. The fascination of the British, due to great cricket being played with tense finales and the fact that the English football team are doing real bad in the World Cup qualifiers, not to forget the fact that their manager is involved in sex scandals almost every day, did help.

This nation is football crazy so something had to happen to bring cricket to the forefront, especially it being Premiership season. And this was provided by Michael Vaughn's men in almost every game bar the first.

But it takes two teams to make a great series and the manner the Aussies have managed to hang on, made in a real nail-biting finale, thus increasing the task of the National Health Service to cope with serious cases of heart failure.

Even the greatest series in cricket must have an abiding memory, and this has to be that every single Test match ground was

fully occupied, even to the fact that 21,000 people had to be turned back at Old Trafford. Police telephoned every railway station outside Manchester to announce that there was no point in coming to the ground. But not all the drama outside the ground has been related to the cricket.

On the opening day of the Lord's Test, there were the appalling terrorist bombings in London, acts which cast a pall over what seemed inconsequential sports events.

But the matches went on and this great series has thrown up great performers and personalities.

Lord's: Australia's victory on paper seemed totally conclusive, but their batting was not as dominant as usual. And the England pace attack looked like it would pose problems later on in the series.

Glenn McGrath was the key man for the Aussies with figures of 9-82. But even in defeat there wes consolation for England. Steve Harmison claimed eight wickets, and there were glimpses of resistance from Kevin Pieterson.

There was a feeling in the British media that history was gonna repeat itself.

Edgbaston: As exciting as a match ever seen.

Aussies lost McGrath before the start and Ponting sent in England to bat after losing the toss - an error.

England took full advantage making 407. The Aussies struggled thus having to follow-on.

Warne rose to the occasion taking match figures of 10-162. But the real spectacle was Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz who got Australia to 279, just two short of target.

The MAN OF THE MATCH went to Freddie Flintoff for a brilliant all round performance.

Old Trafford: Back-to-back Tests can often bring the worst in cricketers. Not this time and there was no such largesse with the toss this time for Ricky Ponting.

McGrath played, though there was some doubt over his total fitness. England outplayed Australia most of this game. The Aussies struggled to the reverse swing of Simon Jones.

But Ponting played a gem of an innings falling just 4 overs short of close of play. McGrath and Lee were left to fend off the last 24 balls in what was the greatest escape by Australia in Test history.

Trent Bridge: Even more drama and one of the finest finishes ever, conjured out of nothing.

Andrew Flintoff played one of the finest innings in an Ashes series, never before had he played much straighter in his life.

England scored 477, and the Aussies struggled with their innings with Jones getting 5-54. Thus having to follow-on they managed 387.

England came in needing 129 to win, and what looked a simple task, was made all the more harder by Warne bowly superbly.

Ultimately, Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard held Warne at bay right at the end to earn a 3-wicket win.

Once again, Flintoff rose to the occassion with a fine performance with bat & ball.

Oval: The final decider, but much of the action here was lost to bad light and rain.

England and Australia made fine starts, with the Aussies falling 6 short. Days 2,3 and 4 had short intervals of play.

Engalnd came in day five, facing the task of being all out by Australia, who had a resurgence through Warne, but his Hampshire team-mate Kevin Pietersen held out to make 158, although Warne did play a part in dropping a sitter when Pietersen was on 23, which he took full advantage of.

The match was drawn and England won the series 2-1 after 18 years.