The 2005 Ashes Series turned out to be the most compelling, exciting and unpredictable cricket contest since Ian Botham almost single-handedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in 1981. Twenty-four years on, and we have a new all-rounder to take the lion's share of the glory: Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, whose fast-bowling undid the tourists throughout the series. Needless to say, however, it was not entirely a solo performance, with the series seeing sterling contributions from bowlers Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison, and some absolutely top notch batting from Andrew Strauss and a rampant Kevin Pietersen, who sealed Australia's fate in the final contest at The Oval with a masterful century. The series started less well for the England team at Lord's as they faced a sound thumping at Australia's hands, and particularly the bowling arm of legendary Aussie fast-bowler Glenn McGrath. But as the series progressed England found their feet, and this confident young team started playing their best cricket, particularly impressing with the quality of their bowling. At the start of the final test at The Oval, the series hung in the balance with England 2-1 ahead, despite some of the best bowling of Shane Warne's long test career. A mixture of bad light, Pietersen's batting and Flintoff's impressive display of character and determination managed to wrest the Ashes from Australia's grasp for the first time in sixteen years and the atmosphere at the ground -- and indeed nationwide -- was euphoric. The 2005 Ashes Series will be remembered not just as a series in which a young England team came of age, but also as the the point at which the game of cricket returned to the nation's conciousness after some years in the wilderness. --Duncan Thomson
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