Tony Becca
THE ASHES Test series is now in its third match and so far it has been cricket, lovely cricket.
With Australia, the world champions, dismissed for 190 on the opening day, routing England for 155 and winning the match by 239, with England, sent to bat, scoring 407 and winning the second match by two runs, the teams are locked at one-one, and with three matches to go, it could be a contest to remember - and particularly so if there is another match anywhere near as close and as exciting as the second Test at Edgbaston.
EXCITING FINISHES
As far as close and exciting finishes go, that match must be numbered among the best in the history of the game. In fact, although there have been some dramatic one-wicket victories down the years - including one in Dunedin in 1980 when New Zealand's last pair scored four runs to beat the West Indies, when it comes to close finishes, only the tied Test between the West Indies and Australia in Brisbane in 1960, the tied Test between India and Australia in Madras in 1986, and the one-run victory by the West Indies over Australia in Adelaide in 1993 were closer and more exciting.
At one stage, it looked like England all the way, at another stage it looked like Australia, at another stage it looked like England, and before England finally squeezed home, at another stage and after a wonderful fight back, it looked like Australia.
In matches like those there are always heroes, and among those at Edgbaston were Shane Warne and Andy Flintoff.
With England leading by 99 on first innings, Warne grabbed six wickets, reduced them to 131 for nine, handed Australia a chance, and then, with Australia tumbling at 175 for eight, he scored 42 before Flintoff removed him at 220 for nine.
With England in trouble and on the run, Flintoff slammed 73 off 86 balls, added 51 for the last wicket with Simon Jones and then, with Australia hunting 282 for victory and going well on 47 without loss, cut down Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting in his first over.
EDGBASTON EXHIBITION
The other heroes at Edgbaston were Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz - Australia's number 10 and 11 who, with Australia on 175 for eight, with the victory target 107 runs away, carried Australia to the doorstep of what would have been a stunning and remarkable victory, and Steve Harmison - England's number one bowler who, with Australia three runs away from victory and a full house of English men and women biting their nails, kept his nerve and snatched the last wicket in the nick of time.
Apart from being a great and unforgettable contest, the match that may well be remembered as the Edgbaston Test was also great for cricket. It was a wonderful exhibition of how those invented the game wanted it to be played and, how, even in this age of professionalism, it should be played.
On the opening day of a Test match, England scored 50 off the first 10 overs on the way to 407 off 79.2 overs, at the start of their first innings, Australia scored 50 off 8.4 overs, although they were in trouble and just could not keep up the pace, they scored 308 off 76 overs, although they were in trouble in the second innings, England scored 182 off 52.1 overs, although they were on the run at 48 for two and were sinking at 175 for eight, Australia scored 279 off 64.3 overs in their second innings - in the final innings of a close match that finished on the fourth day, and that showed the positive approach of the batsmen on both teams.
SCORERS VS DEFENDERS
Unlike so many batsmen of today, batsmen whose first thought is defence, the batsmen at Edgbaston went out to score runs and if necessary to defend their wickets - not to defend their wickets and if possible to score runs.
Unlike so many batsmen around the world, the batsmen at Edgbaston defended only when they could not score - when the delivery was too good for them to drive, to cut, to hook or to push away for a single, and that is why 54 fours and 10 sixes in less than a day were scored on the first day of a Test match, that is why 142 fours and 18 sixes were scored in less than four days off only 272 overs, and why, apart from it being the Ashes series, the ground was filled every day.
