Top 10 Ashes innings in recent history

Seldom has an object as insignificant as a burnt urn held so much importance as a historical sporting event. The Ashes, one of the most sought after rivalries of the game, unfolds a new chapter in July when Australia visit England with the aim of retaining the coveted urn. This year’s Ashes marks the 10th anniversary of the 2005 series, one of the most riveting and enthralling series in a 133-year timeline.Although a clash of two countries, various stories of individual brilliance have highlighted the Ashes over the years. Here’s a list of the 10 finest knocks in the Ashes in recent history.

#1 Ian Botham - 149* vs Australia at Headingley, 1981

Epitomizing his devil-may-care attitude, “Beefy” became part of Ashes folklore courtesy of a brutal counter-attacking century in the third Test at Headingley, Leeds. England were in dire straits at 105-5 when Botham strode to the crease, trailing by 122 runs even after the follow on.

Taking the game by the scruff of the neck against an attack comprising of Dennis Lillee, Geoff Lawson and Terry Alderman, Botham raced to his ton off only 87 balls, helping England to a total of 356. The 129-run lead proved to be sufficient in the end as Australia were bundled out for 111 with Bob Willis finishing up with breathtaking figures of 8 for 43. Marking the 1981 Ashes series as his own, he went on to score 399 runs in the series and took 34 wickets at an average of 20.

#2 Allan Border - 196 vs England at Lord\'s, 1985

Leading Australia in the Ashes for the first time, Allan Border was by far the country’s best batsman in the series. On Day 2 of the second Test, he joined Greg Ritchie after Australia were reeling at 101-4.

Countering a lively Ian Botham, Border steadied the ship before unleashing some extravagant strokes to put the pressure back on the English. He repeatedly pulled Botham for fours and used his feet well against Phil Edmonds and John Emburey. His importance to the team was highlighted from the fact that he garnered 43 percent of the team’s runs. Chasing a humble target of 127 in the fourth innings, Australia had another top-order collapse before Border took them home with an assured 41.

#3 Steve Waugh - 108 & 116 vs England at Old Trafford, 1997

Heading into the 3rd Test at Manchester, Australia, for once, were trailing in an Ashes series. Things turned worse when they were tottering at 160-7 after winning the toss and batting first. Steve Waugh, with support from Paul Reiffel, made a composed 108, eluding the English attack with his grit and determination.

He didn’t stop there. Nursing a badly bruised right hand and grimacing after every delivery, Waugh started accumulating runs from one end during the second innings. He dug in to spend 142 minutes more than his first innings effort; in the process he made 116, giving England a target of 469. England were bundled out for 200, and the series was leveled at 1-1.

The twin tons were hallmarks of an eighteen-year career that defined resolve and defied bowlers worldwide.

#4 Mark Butcher - 173* vs Australia at Headingley, 2001

Given a new lease to his career in 2001 at the No.3 slot, Mark Butcher still averaged a meagre 27 after 13 Tests. In the 4th Ashes Test, the left-hander came up with something special, an authoritative innings under pressure when the rest had surrendered meekly.

The furious cuts and drives made Bob Willis compare him to the likes of Gary Sobers and Graeme Pollock. Perennially handicapped against spin, he showed no signs of discomfort, dominating the battle against Shane Warne and remaining unbeaten on 173.

He single-handedly ensured that England survived a whitewash. Although his patchy career couldn’t match this game-changing innings, Butcher had left a “Mark” in England’s celebrated Ashes history.

#5 Steve Waugh - 157 vs England at The Oval, 2001

Stretchered off the ground during the second Test and languishing at a local hospital after tearing his left calf, Steve Waugh’s Ashes was all but over. He devised a 19-day workout plan and came back for the fifth Test, still partially fit. On day two, the sharp pain resurfaced while batting. He unfurled an array of strokes, realizing he would have to cut down the running.

Meting out harsh treatment, be it Andy Caddick or Phil Tufnell, he forged a fruitful partnership with brother Mark. On 99, wobbling with weak, strained muscles, he pushed the ball towards cover and limped for a single, crawling the last couple of yards to reach his 27th Test ton. Skill and will do make a potent combo.

#6 Ricky Ponting - 156 vs England at Old Trafford, 2005

Steve Waugh described this as Ricky Ponting’s “graduation as Test captain”. Ponting defied the English attack the same way Waugh did in his pomp. He pulled and hooked Andrew Flintoff, used his feet against Ashley Giles and countered Simon Jones’ reverse swing with contempt.

He batted close to seven hours to wade Australia out of deep waters, after they had stumbled to 263-6 in pursuit of 423 on the last day. He showed the world another glimpse of the fighting, tenacious Ponting, ready to fight tooth and nail for his country. His 23rd Test century, the knock preceded and succeeded many, turned out to be one of the greatest match-saving innings of his illustrious career.

#7 Kevin Pietersen - 158 vs Australia at The Oval, 2005

In front of a vociferous crowd on day five, Kevin Pietersen marked his arrival on the international scene with a trailblazing century, a captivating display of clean hitting that helped England draw the match and seal the Ashes after sixteen years.

Scratchy to start with, he dug in to survive the Shane Warne storm, before sweeping him for two maximums. He responded to Brett Lee’s searing barrage of bouncers by hooking him for sixes and swatting him over his head for fours, swiftly moving from 35 to 76 in the space of 15 balls. Displaying his full range of strokes, he helped England reach 335. By that time, the party had already started in England as the hosts reclaimed the urn after a very long time.

#8 Alastair Cook - 235* vs Australia at The Gabba, 2010

Under fire and ailing with technical worries, Alastair Cook generated a composed innings with a simplified approach to set the tone for the series. A monumental effort of 235 comprised of crunching square cuts and sweetly timed off drives.

He batted for over ten hours, putting on a massive stand of 329 in the company of Jonathan Trott. He went on to score 766 runs at a Bradmanesque average of 127 in the series, helping England win the Ashes on Australian soil after 24 long years. Cook has continued his fairly consistent run till date, recently surpassing Graham Gooch to become the country’s highest run-getter in Test history. And he’s still only 30 years old!

#9 David Gower - 215 vs Australia at Edgbaston, 1985

Cricket has been blessed with a number of swashbuckling southpaws. David Gower, completely different from his species, had grace and silkiness. Captaining England in the 1985 Ashes, he led from the front, scoring a total of 732 runs including three classy hundreds.

At Edgbaston, he scored a mammoth 215, motoring on to a 331-run partnership with Tim Robinson. His career-best helped England declare at 595 after amassing a huge lead. The fifth day of the match was full of twists, as unexpected rains halted a gasping Australia that had tottered to 37-5. The drama ended after lunch, as England snapped up the tail to win by an innings and 118 runs.

#10 Mark Taylor - 219 vs England at Trent Bridge, 1989

It took about half a decade to rebuild the great Australian Test side, after retirement of greats and foreign rebel tours had left a huge void. Mark Taylor, one of the many promising youngsters that stepped up, hit a solid double hundred in only his seventh Test match.

In the company of the resolute Geoff Marsh, he gave a solid platform to a flourishing Australian unit that had already won the Ashes with two Tests to go. The duo were unbeaten throughout the first day and carried on for a total of seven hours, setting up a huge first-wicket partnership of 329 runs. Taylor continued piling on the runs with his monumental effort of 219 being studded with 23 boundaries. Taylor ended with 839 runs in the series and went on to establish himself as one of Australia’s all-time greats.