It was a turn of fortune for England, although Australia, after Manchester, could not blame luck. From 135 for no wicket at the start of day five, Australia lost three for 39, the ball darting around more and producing double the number of false shots per over than the old one, according to Cricviz data. He and Mark Wood shared 33 wickets at 19, turning the series when they were picked in Leeds.Īustralia can point towards the ball change when Warner and Usman Khawaja looked so serene. He was unplayable as the ball nipped and swung on day five, and was the man Stokes turned to when he needed something to happen, relegating more illustrious names. Woakes was man of the series for 19 wickets at 17 after breaking into the team in the third Test. It was totally in keeping with Chris Woakes’ career that he was eclipsed by someone else, but this selfless cricketer and modest man did more than anyone else to win on the final day, his two spells of two for 19 and two for 26 enlivened a team that was starting to give up after Australia’s openers put on 141 for the first wicket and Steve Smith and Travis Head looked unstoppable in a 95-run fifth-wicket partnership.īroad recognised that Moeen Ali was leaving the field for the last time too as a Test cricketer, and linked arms with him as they walked off the emergency off-spinner bowled on one leg and took three for 76, one last crucial contribution in the fourth innings of a Test. Australia, all out for 334, made a great fist of what would have been the second highest run chase in Ashes history, and played their full part in six weeks of absorbing sport. Both sides gave everything, showed immense heart at pressurised moments and played the game in a great spirit England with an added sense of fun. This series pulsated with life from the moment Zak Crawley bashed the first ball at Edgbaston for four to Broad kicking up his heels one last time, bandana flowing, and nicking off his 152nd and 153rd Ashes wickets.
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