dittobrain
12-09-2005, 06:19 PM
England have taken the ashes for the first time in almost 20 years! During the past few days, things didn't looks good for us but it all turned round in today's series of events!
Pietersen, who was dropped twice, hit 158 and Ashley Giles 59 before England were bowled out for 335 at The Oval, to snuff out Australian hopes of victory.
Australia batted for just four balls before bad light intervened, and a draw was eventually declared by the umpires.
The result brings to an end a series many have dubbed the "best ever".
How symbolic that the removal of the bails officially decides the Ashes
From Dyn
Have your say on TMS
England had been in trouble early on the final day of the fifth Test - losing four wickets before lunch - but Pietersen's super knock, which saw him named man of the match, guided them home.
Giles also ended a sterling series with the bat with a career-best score, putting on a further 27 with Matthew Hoggard.
Meanwhile a capacity crowd, that spread onto the roofs and balconies of houses around the south London ground, celebrated in style.
In his final Test in England, Shane Warne took the last two wickets to finish with 6-124 and 12 wickets for the match, taking his career haul of England wickets to a record 172.
But he had little to celebrate as Australia's batsmen faced just four balls before play was stopped in confused circumstances and a stalemate was agreed after a 15-minute stand-off.
England had looked in desperate shape on 127-5 at lunch, leading by just 133 with five hours left.
McGrath had Michael Vaughan caught behind for 45 and saw Ian Bell edge to slip in the ninth over of the day.
Pietersen survived the hat-trick ball, which reared up to bounce off his shoulder and into the hands of Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting.
There was another sharp intake of breath before he got off the mark, when an edge caught keeper Adam Gilchrist's glove and was then missed by Matthew Hayden at slip.
But the easiest chance came with his score on 15, when Warne put down a simple head high chance at first slip.
Soon afterwards, an emboldened Pietersen slog-swept the veteran leg-spinner for two sixes in a single over to bring up the England 100.
Warne bowled 32 consecutive overs from the Vauxhall End and was dazzling early on as he ripped a leg-break out of the footholds to trap Marcus Trescothick lbw for 33.
Andrew Flintoff did not last long either as he was lured into a loose straight drive which Warne collected at shin height.
But Pietersen's aggression, combined with some gritty batting from Paul Collingwood and then Giles wore the veteran leg-spinner down.
Collingwood contributed 10 to a sixth-wicket stand of 60 that began to shift the momentum in England's direction, before Giles contributed a vital knock.
Pietersen hit seven sixes in all, beating Ian Botham's Ashes record of six in an innings, set at Old Trafford in 1981.
But it was the fifth, a hook over square leg off Brett Lee, which hammered in the final nail, taking the England lead past the 250 mark with 39 overs left to Australia.
By the time he was bowled by McGrath, England were 314 ahead and the teams were left to go through the motions until a stalemate was finally agreed.
Pietersen, who was dropped twice, hit 158 and Ashley Giles 59 before England were bowled out for 335 at The Oval, to snuff out Australian hopes of victory.
Australia batted for just four balls before bad light intervened, and a draw was eventually declared by the umpires.
The result brings to an end a series many have dubbed the "best ever".
How symbolic that the removal of the bails officially decides the Ashes
From Dyn
Have your say on TMS
England had been in trouble early on the final day of the fifth Test - losing four wickets before lunch - but Pietersen's super knock, which saw him named man of the match, guided them home.
Giles also ended a sterling series with the bat with a career-best score, putting on a further 27 with Matthew Hoggard.
Meanwhile a capacity crowd, that spread onto the roofs and balconies of houses around the south London ground, celebrated in style.
In his final Test in England, Shane Warne took the last two wickets to finish with 6-124 and 12 wickets for the match, taking his career haul of England wickets to a record 172.
But he had little to celebrate as Australia's batsmen faced just four balls before play was stopped in confused circumstances and a stalemate was agreed after a 15-minute stand-off.
England had looked in desperate shape on 127-5 at lunch, leading by just 133 with five hours left.
McGrath had Michael Vaughan caught behind for 45 and saw Ian Bell edge to slip in the ninth over of the day.
Pietersen survived the hat-trick ball, which reared up to bounce off his shoulder and into the hands of Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting.
There was another sharp intake of breath before he got off the mark, when an edge caught keeper Adam Gilchrist's glove and was then missed by Matthew Hayden at slip.
But the easiest chance came with his score on 15, when Warne put down a simple head high chance at first slip.
Soon afterwards, an emboldened Pietersen slog-swept the veteran leg-spinner for two sixes in a single over to bring up the England 100.
Warne bowled 32 consecutive overs from the Vauxhall End and was dazzling early on as he ripped a leg-break out of the footholds to trap Marcus Trescothick lbw for 33.
Andrew Flintoff did not last long either as he was lured into a loose straight drive which Warne collected at shin height.
But Pietersen's aggression, combined with some gritty batting from Paul Collingwood and then Giles wore the veteran leg-spinner down.
Collingwood contributed 10 to a sixth-wicket stand of 60 that began to shift the momentum in England's direction, before Giles contributed a vital knock.
Pietersen hit seven sixes in all, beating Ian Botham's Ashes record of six in an innings, set at Old Trafford in 1981.
But it was the fifth, a hook over square leg off Brett Lee, which hammered in the final nail, taking the England lead past the 250 mark with 39 overs left to Australia.
By the time he was bowled by McGrath, England were 314 ahead and the teams were left to go through the motions until a stalemate was finally agreed.