GarlicJam wrote: I still have a sense of the disappointment from that day.Same with Edgbaston.
There was always a sense of invincibility about that Australian team. The first test, we splattered your top order in all fire and fury, but by the end of the day McGrath bowled the first 5 wickets for 15-20 runs on the board, and England were nearly all out under 100 at close. When that Edgbaston test started going south, I was convinced from about 40 runs away that Australia would win. The Aussies used to call Atherton the cockroach, but they should have called themselves it. We lost the momentum at Lords and ended up being thoroughly beaten. We nearly lost a game from an unassailable position at Edgbaston. We couldnt finish you off at Old Trafford, and that felt like we had dropped the Ashes at that point.
Maybe some surprise, but by Trent Bridge and 4 tests in, the chase England made for their win there was the biggest nail biter for me. It felt at that point that this England team could actually win, while at 2 tests in it just felt like had we lost at Edgbaston, it would have been a false dawn and we could have just gone back to normal service being resumed. I expected to win then, and at 2-1, would have been crushed not to have won the series..... so every single run like some huge battle, every single wicket was like a dagger!
But that 8th wicket partnership that scored 15-20 runs to seal that game felt like it lasted the time a glacier takes to melt. Warne was throwing down thunderbolts, Lee was bowling light lightening..... and that would have been cruel to have come so close at OT and to have been bowled out for a 130 for a guaranteed no loss series.
I guess Aussie might have also had hope as the 7th wicket went down, 3-4 in very quick succession, and Giles and Hoggard at the crease.