We pick some of our favourite Australian moments from the Ashes of years gone by!

Best moments of the Ashes!

The great ol’ rivalry is in full swing, and a summer of cricket is ramping up to be one to remember.

To celebrate, we take a look back at some of Australia’s golden moments against the Poms and the Ashes…

Picking your favourite Ashes moments is a virtually impossible task. After all, there’re so many outstanding ones to choose from – and they all stand out for very different reasons, too. There are pivotal moments that changed the course of a series; outstanding displays of teamwork and tactics to grind the opposition down; individual moments of brilliance that turned a game on its head… there’s no definitive answer. So, this is our way of saying ‘you’ll probably disagree with this list’. And that’s fine. But here’s our top five favourite moments of Ashes cricket. Ever!

Warne bamboozles Mike Gatting (1993)

A truly iconic moment from Warney, who had a load of other Ashes highlights in his career too – but for pure skill and showcasing the genius of Shane Warne, this one has to make the list. Known as the ball of the century for very good reason, Graham Gooch put Australia into bat in the First Test at Old Trafford, and the visitors managed a moderate knock of 289. England responded with 71 before losing Mike Atherton to Merv Hughes. Former England captain Mike Gatting came in at three, and as an experienced and talented player of spin, was expected to give young Warne a tough time. Words can’t do the delivery justice. Just watch it. The spin and turn achieved were unbelievable – and that was certainly Gatting’s overriding emotion after being dismissed for just four runs. What you can’t underestimate is the impact it had on the rest of the series – it set Australia up for a comprehensive win, eventually winning the six-game series 5-1, with Warne taking 34 wickets. 

Shane Warne Gatting Ball of the Century

Gilly hits fastest ever Ashes 100 (2006)

Adam Gilchrist has a few Ashes moments to look back fondly on, including of course his 152 at Edgbaston as he and Glenn McGrath put on a last wicket stand of 63. McGrath scoring just one. But it’s his 2006 knock we’re talking about today – in a game that saw Australia win back the Ashes in just the third test. Coming off the back of defeat in England in 2005, the 2006-07 Ashes famously started with Steve Harmison’s ‘wide’ at the Gabba, and in a series of memorable moments, Gilly’s knock of 102 off 57 balls, including 40 from 17 Monty Panesar deliveries helped Australia declare on 527/5 and reclaim the urn, with a first whitewash since 1920-21.

From the Vault: Gilchrist slams 57-ball Ashes ton

The Don makes records at Headingley (1930)

In 1928-29, England had won the Ashes in Australia 4-1. Just over a year later, 21-year-old Don Bradman took England apart almost single-handedly as Australia won a dramatic five-game series 2-1. The Don had only four test matches under his belt before this series, but had scored 131 in the First Test at Trent Bridge, and 254 at Lords. With the series at 1-1, the teams went to Headingley for an eventful game which would end up as a draw – but is remembered for Bradman’s remarkable 334 from 448 balls. Bradman loved Headingley by the way – he averaged 192.60 playing there!

The Third Test Match Aka 3rd Test – Bradman (1930)

Thomson and Lillee torture England (1974-75)

The series on home soil during the summer of 74-75 was dominated by our fast-bowling duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, who absolutely terrorised the English batsmen with raw pace and aggression, leaving the Poms battered, bruised, and wondering where on earth they were. Together they took 58 wickets – with Thomson accounting for 33 at a rate of 17.93 – as Australia won the series 4-1. In the Adelaide Test, the ferocity of Thomson’s bowling even turned David Lloyd’s box inside out – and the Poms can’t say they weren’t warned… Before the action even started, Thomson said: ‘I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. I like to see blood on the pitch.’

Lillee and Thompson 1974/75

Flintoff’s sportsmanship (2005)

We’ll throw the Poms a crumb here by including Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s moment of true sportsmanship – because it encapsulated exactly what the Ashes should all be about. From a purely sporting context, the 2005 Ashes series in England was one of the best, and the Second Test at Edgbaston was one Australia looked sure to lose – and then likely to win. With eight wickets lost, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz chased down 107 to win. With just two more runs needed, Kasprowicz edged a Steve Harmison ball to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, giving England the win to level the series. Rather than celebrate with his teammates in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic victory for the hosts, Flintoff consoled Brett Lee – creating an iconic image that typifies the Ashes spirit.

The Flintoff Lee Handshake   Edgbaston 2005   Greatest Ashes Moments