5 great Ashes knocks which went in vain

Much like most other top-level team sports, only performances resulting in victories withstand the test of time. Those tireless efforts, which were not enough to ensure favourable results, are not remembered with the same fondness. The situation is even more palpable in the historic Ashes rivalry wherein cricket transcends from gentleman's game to fierce warfare.

While heroic centuries influencing the outcome of the match as well as the direction of the fabled urn are etched into memory forever, the valiant knocks ending in vain have largely been swept under the rug.

In reverse chronological order, let us revisit five of the greatest Ashes knocks which came in losing cause. With contests outside the comfort zone truly testing a player's mettle, only centuries away from home by both England and Australian batsmen are considered for this particular segment.

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#5 Ben Stokes - 120 at Perth (2013)

Even though it has been nearly four years since then, the aftermath of the tremors created by Mitchell Johnson during the 2013/14 series in Australia continues to reverberate. Such was the mayhem induced by the maverick pacer. Sporting a handlebar moustache, he brought back memories of Dennis Lillee at his meanest. The left-armer's ruthless intimidation and merciless demolition of England saw pace bowling reach its zenith in an era designed to facilitate run-scoring. Yet, amidst the debris, one man stood up to Johnson's fury.

Playing just his second Test in the cauldron of Perth, Ben Stokes gave something to cheer for the beleagured Barmy Army. Facing an improbable target of 504, England began their second-innings on a dangerous WACA pitch. With the cracks opening up substantially and Johnson at his fiercest, the visitors were in danger of going out on a whimper.

Coming into bat at 121/4, Stokes produced a counter-attacking knock of the highest order. When Johnson targeted his rib-cage relentlessly, the left-hander treated fire with fire. Responding in kind, he cut and pulled ferociously to offer a rare moment of serenity for the hapless tourists. His 195-ball 120 included a whopping 18 boundaries and a solitary six. An ill-judged sweep shot brought about his downfall. However, when he walked back to the dressing room, the usually partisan crowd applauded his performance in unison. After all, no visiting batsman since Roy Fredericks had played with such gumption at the WACA.

Watch Stokes' scintillating century at the WACA

#4 Paul Collingwood - 206 at Adelaide (2006)

Collingwood's sublime double ton was not enough for England to escape with a draw

After recapturing the coveted Ashes urn with their euphoric triumph in 2005, England embarked to Australian shores for the return series in 2006/07 with a reasonable amount of confidence. However, Ricky Ponting's troops were desperately waiting to dish out retribution within the comforts of home.

Right from Steve Harmison's 'frozen' wide to kick start the series, things began to go south for the visitors. Upon suffering an emphatic defeat in the opening match, England arrived in Adelaide hoping for a fresh start. Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen gave them exactly that. On a docile track, the duo put on 310 runs for the fourth wicket.

While Collingwood brought up a splendid double century, Pietersen fell short of the same mark by just 42 runs. England amassed a mammoth total of 551 before declaring. When Australia responded by racking up a 500-plus total themselves, the game appeared to be heading towards stalemate. But the irresistible Shane Warne summoned a magical spell to rout his favourite opponents on the final day. Australia completed a manic run-chase en route to a 5-0 clean-sweep over their traditional rivals. Meanwhile, the visitors' only positive memory from an otherwise calamitous tour came from a man whom they affectionately referred as 'Brigadier Block'.

Watch Collingwood's splendid double century against Australia

#3 Allan Border - 123* at Manchester (1981)

Border remained unconquered at the crease even as Australia succumbed to England

No cricketer embodied Australian grit as much as Allan Border did during his heydays. Often the lone warrior in a team mostly filled with no-hopers, the determined left-hander carried the batting lineup on his able shoulders for the vast majority of the 1980s. His no-nonsense style of captaincy also instilled a renewed sense of self-belief into a despondent outfit. Due to the paucity of quality cricketers beside him, the southpaw was not able to taste sustained success in the Test arena.

Unlike most of his centuries which helped Australia stave off defeats, Border's finest knock came in a losing cause. During the fifth Test of the 1981 Ashes series, England left the visitors needing 506 runs on a sharply deteriorating track at Old Trafford. After Graham Yallop's thrilling shot-a-ball century infused life into the proceedings, Border held fort against a bowling attack featuring the likes of Bob Willis and Ian Botham.

Even as wickets kept falling around him on a regular basis, Border stood unfazed and continued to battle from his end. Eventually, he ran out of partners and England sealed a 103-run victory. While Australia lay defeated, Border remained unconquered. A series, which gained the moniker of 'Botham's Ashes', also evoked the formulation of one of the most tenacious batsmen in the history of Test cricket.

#2 Bill Lawry - 135 at Kennington Oval (1968)

Lawry's resolute first-innings century kept England at bay for a considerable stretch of time

Unlike his spell-binding commentary which has captivated multiple generations of viewers, Bill Lawry's batting was as dour as they came. However, the left-hander's remorseless appetite for runs served him extremely well during a productive career in the 1960s. Most of his runs were invaluable as he kept menacing bowlers at bay on dicey pitches.

The fifth Test of the 1968 Ashes series on English soil evinced one such back to the wall knock from the southpaw. In response to the home team's massive total of 494, Lawry occupied the crease for more than seven hours and carved a marathon 401-ball 135. The Australian captain's sheer defiance even managed to exasperate potent bowlers such as John Snow and Derek Underwood.

After a spirited show by their bowlers, Australia's batting lineup unraveled at the eleventh hour when confronted with Underwood's wizardry on a crumbling track. Lawry and his men had entered Old Blighty with the sole ambition of winning the series. However, they had to remain content with retaining the Ashes urn as their defeat at The Oval allowed England to square the series.

Relive the thrilling finish of the 1968 Oval Test

#1 Sir Len Hutton - 156* at Adelaide (1951)

Hutton single-handedly defied Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller at the Adelaide Oval

Aside from being the first professional to lead England in Tests, Sir Len Hutton also carved a niche for himself in the upper echelon of the country's pantheon of batting greats. He was a prolific run-scorer against varied attacks on myriad pitches. While the vast majority of his knocks were renowned for their quality, the right-hander reserved his best for the toughest of bowlers under challenging circumstances.

When the list is filtered to encompass only centurions, Hutton remains the only opener in Test cricket to carry his bat on two different occasions. The second such instance came in Adelaide during the 1950/51 Ashes series. With Arthur Morris' scintillating double ton propelling Australia to 371, the visitors needed their star batsman to rise to the occasion.

Extra Cover: 10 most emotional moments in Ashes history

In what was a delectable display of pristine batting, Hutton absorbed everything that Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller threw at him. Even as his batting partners kept deserting him, he carried on in an obstinate manner. The Yorkshireman's unbeaten 156 brought the deficit down to 99. But the Australian batsmen piled on the runs in their second essay and left England with an unenviable target of 503. Upon being shot out for 228, the visitors suffered their fourth defeat in as many matches in the series. Nevertheless, Hutton's masterful first-innings knock continues to be among the abiding memories in Ashes history.