Greatest Ashes innings

[bigfluffylemon]

My second thread also stems from a desire to get past the England implosion and look back on happier times. What are your top Ashes innings of all time? Why were they so great? I'll do my personal top 5 for England - for me great Australian innings were just painful

There's an unashamed recent bias - I'm not that old, so anything before the 90s I only know by hearsay. And let's face it, there weren't many great innings played by Englishmen against Australia in the 90s.

5: Michael Vaughan, 183, 5th test, Sydney 2003
A lost series, but Vaughan was the shining light that proved to England that Australia could be tamed. His final, and best innings of the summer set up a rare win and prevented an England whitewash, but more than that, this innings (and the match in general) signified a change in England. They would go on to win series in the summers of 2003 and 2004, and then the Ashes in 2005. It all began here.

4: Jonathan Trott, 119, 5th test, the Oval 2009
On debut, after a horrible defeat for England at Leeds, and with the Ashes on the line, Trott played a magnificent innings that took the game beyond Australia. England were wobbling at 39-3 when he came to the crease, and wickets kept dropping, but Trott did what we later learned he did best: calmly accumulated, looked after his partners, and annoyed the bloody hell out of Australia.

3: Kevin Pietersen, 227, 2nd test, Adelaide 2010
Not just the number of runs, but the style in which he did it. England were on a high after not losing at Brisbane for the first time in 25 years, and Anderson had given England a great edge with his early wickets restricting Australia to 245, but it was KP's innings that totally demoralised Australia and set the scene for the first triumph down under in 25 years. Outrageous shots were the norm, and Australia looked pretty silly for trying to target his 'weakness' against left arm spin, as Xavier Doherty was spanked for more than five an over.

2: Kevin Pietersen, 158, 5th test, the Oval 2005
A lot of fifth tests here, but maybe innings mean more when the Ashes are on the line. Second entry for KP, and the innings that brought the Ashes home after such a long, long time. His dismantling of Brett Lee was a sight to behold, and even Warne, who had such a magnificent series had no answer. Ok, he was dropped on 15, but when you get dropped you make it count. He did.

1: Mark Butcher, 173*, 4th test, Headingley, 2001
Or maybe the Ashes on the line means nothing. A corollary to my other thread, I think the 2001 Australians were one of, if not the best XI of all time. An innings, the one innings of the summer that rendered them human, that took on McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gillespie and won. Not only that, but the match situation, a very hard chase and hardly any time to do it, and yet Butcher pulled off an incredible win against the odds. Bravo.

So, what are your favourites?

[Gingerfinch]

Gower's 215 at Edgbaston in 1985 was glorious stuff. I admit the bowling wasn't the best, but it was still a beauty.

[D/L]

It'd be an idea to go back beyond 1985 to find the best. There can be little doubt that it was Eddie Paynter's at the 4th test in Brisbane in the 1932/33 Ashes series.

"Eddie Paynter, who died at Keighley on February 5 aged 77, was a left-handed batsman who averaged 84.42 for his seven Tests against Australia, a figure which no other Englishman can approach. This in itself would entitle him to a place among the great, but his figures become even more remarkable if his innings are analysed. In three of these matches he came to the rescue at a grave crisis.

On the first occasion, the third Test in 1932-33, he came in at 186 for 5, not a good score by the standards of Tests in Australia in those days, and made 77, adding 96 with Verity for the eighth wicket. In the fourth Test at Brisbane, he was taken to hospital with tonsillitis and doubtless, had all gone well with England, would not have batted. But all did not go well, and at 216 for 6 he emerged from the pavilion, refused Woodfull's offer of a runner, was still there at the close, and returned to bed in hospital.

Next morning, he was not out until he had scored 83 in nearly four hours. On this occasion he and Verity put on 92 for the ninth wicket. Normally quick on his feet and a fine driver, he had conserved energy by waiting for opportunities to hit the ball to leg, preferably to the boundary. Few innings in history have so captivated the imagination of the public. Moreover, Paynter insisted on fielding for a couple of hours before retiring and then, as if to show that he was none the worse, in a brief second innings he finished the match with a 6."

(http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/18475.html)

Not bad for a Lancastrian.

[Aidan11]

For me it has to be Botham - Headingley '81.

Beefy had just resigned the captaincy after the previous test at Lord's. It wasn't certain he would even play but new skipper Mike Brearley wanted him in. A first innings 50 showed a slight return of form but England struggled badly in that innings and were made to follow on. In their second innings our top order still struggled. Legend has it that when Graham Dilley joined Beefy at the crease, Beefy said something along the lines of just giving it the long-handle. The rest is history although credit has to go to Bob Willis who played his part as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great piece bfl, and great choices. Can't disagree, going back as far as 2000. Flintoff's two innings at Edgbaston 05 stick in the mind. Not hundreds, but ridiculously exciting, and valuable.

I tend to value more innings in live Tests that lead to a win or a draw. Unfortunately that means most of the nineties and half of the noughties can be ignored. For example, Gower's hundreds at Melbourne and Sydney in 1990, or Smith's charismatic resistance in 1989. But it does allow Botham at Headingley and Old Trafford in 1981 and Hussain and Thorpe at Edgbaston in 1997. Bell's three hundreds last summer deserve a mention. And before my time, but from tape, Greig against Lillee and Thomson looked scary stuff in about 1975.

Two from way back have stayed with me. Randall's 174 in the Centenary Test, which was a thrilling attacking innings against Dennis Lillee. And Randall's 150 at Sydney in 1978 over ten hours in crippling heat, initially trying to save the game, but eventually winning it. True it was the Packer era, but the pitch was a dog, and the Aussie pacers were good.

Gower in 1985 was something to see, but his 102 in Perth in 1978 was a more stirring effort.

A personal top five.
Randall in Sydney
Botham at Headingley
Pietersen at the Oval
Trott at the Oval
Flintoff at Edgbaston

[Albondiga]

D!L Got it in one - even if he was from over the border !!!

[Albondiga]

Stan McCabe should get a mention - Must have been a great century if non other than Bradman called his team to come to the balcony saying " come and watch - you'll not see the likes of this again"

[Arthur Crabtree]

Oh, I forgot about Aussie innings. I'll have a think.

[Gingerfinch]

Ponting's 156 at OT in 2005

Junior's debut ton in 93ish. A mark waugh ton is always a pleasure.

[Alviro Patterson]

England's 2nd innings at Brisbane in 2010 - How an innings defeat was avoided let alone the top 3 of Strauss, Cook and Trott scored huge to save the match was nothing short of incredible.

Pietersen's test debut against Australia was memorable in itself, a player refused to be bullied to the likes of McGrath, Lee, Warne and Gillespie whilst his fellow batsmen could not handle the torment.

[Making_Splinters]

Barrington's 256 at OT in 64. Australia had racked up over 600 in their first innings thanks to a a tripple by Bobby Simpson and 106 from his opening partner Bill Lawry.

Things started off badly for England with Edrich getting out cheaply and Boycs falling for 58. Dexter and Barrington combined for a 250 run third wicket partnership before Teddy was bowled for 174 by Veivers. Ken was finally out with the score on 7 for 594 and England went on to draw the match.

[D/L]

D!L Got it in one - even if he was from over the border !!!

I nearly didn't mention it because of that, Albondiga.

Yes, Paynter's was an innings that puts nearly all the others in the shade.

[alfie]

Barrington's 256 at OT in 64. Australia had racked up over 600 in their first innings thanks to a a tripple by Bobby Simpson and 106 from his opening partner Bill Lawry.

Things started off badly for England with Edrich getting out cheaply and Boycs falling for 58. Dexter and Barrington combined for a 250 run third wicket partnership before Teddy was bowled for 174 by Veivers. Ken was finally out with the score on 7 for 594 and England went on to draw the match.

Was a fine innings indeed. But that pitch was such a road that there ought to be an asterisk attached...they could have played for ten days and not got a result...

I find it hard to go past Botham at Headingley ...for sheer impact , and astonishing game changing . Though in fact his effort at Old Trafford a couple of matches later was arguably a more complete exhibition of batting.

[sussexpob]

Nasser Hussain's 207 at Edgbaston in 1997. Slaughtered Warne every time he went short, drove at McGrath when he went full, and was one of the few examples of an English batsman really taking it to the Aussies in a large barren period. The had been questions that the pitch was unfit for purpose as wickets had fallen and the overcast skies reigned in, making it all the more impressive. Graham Thorpe 138 at the other end was arguably even more stylish.

[KipperJohn]

Colin Cowdrey - 1954 - Melbourne - 3rd appearance for England and maiden Test century - his father had died 3 weeks after he had left Tilbury for the tour.

New Year's Eve at the MCG, his maiden Test century, he scored 102 out of 191 against Lindwall and Miller at their most incisive on a bad pitch: "a blend of leisurely driving and secure back play, of power and propriety". England won the game and , after he had made another 79 at Adelaide, the Ashes. A star was born.

54 years later I went to the MCG for the first time - I couldn't help but shed a tear.