Victory - The Ashes 2009

The dramatic twists of the 2009 Ashes series would be enough to make London's most celebrated sleuth Mr Sherlock Holmes seek solace in the fine white powder of his erstwhile colleague Dr Watson.

The five-Test series ebbed and flowed, swinging one way then the other as England avenged their abject 5-0 drubbing in 2006/07 with their second successive 2-1 home series win.

Statistically, Australia may wonder how they lost. Eight centuries to England's two, six batsmen averaging over 40, compared with two for England. Three bowlers taking 20 wickets or more, Stuart Broad topping England's chart with 18.

Captain Ricky Ponting suggested after Sunday's dramatic finale at The Oval that England had won the "big moments". So what were the key ones over the last seven memorable weeks?


THE GREAT ESCAPE IN CARDIFF
First Test, Cardiff - England drew with Australia


At 1800 BST on the final day, after 344 pain-staking, crease-shuffling minutes, Paul Collingwood's 245-ball, 74-run vigil ended when he meekly guided Peter Siddle to Mike Hussey at gully.

At 1802 BST, Monty Panesar - a number 11 with an average half his batting position - joined James Anderson with Australia primed to celebrate their sixth successive Ashes Test victory.

But for 69 hair-pulling, jaw-aching deliveries, the last-wicket pair fended off everything the tourists launched at them.

Every defensive prod was celebrated as if the crowd were watching a full-length Shane Williams try at the Millennium Stadium, with Ricky Ponting's patience wearing increasingly thin.

The Australia captain became apoplectic with rage with England's apparent time-consuming tactics when they sent on dressing room lackey Bilal Shafayat, along with physiotherapist Steve McCaig and a pair of batting gloves.

However, it all became too much for the umpires and Anderson, who promptly sent the Nottinghamshire man back to the pavilion.

But despite the increasing tension, Panesar's bat, as broad as the River Taff, grew wider the more frustrated the tourists became, while Anderson's defence remained obstinate through 53 deliveries.

"We got away with it, we know that, and we must come back and play better," said England captain Andrew Strauss.

And didn't they just...


FIRED-UP FREDDIE'S FIVE-FOR AT LORD'S
Second Test, Lord's - England beat Australia by 115 runs

Whoever writes Andrew Flintoff's scripts should retire now, forever content with their role in etching the all-rounder's name into the annals of English cricket history at the game's spiritual's home.

After announcing he would retire from Test cricket because of a chronic knee injury after the Ashes, Freddie's awesome second-innings bowling spell ensured England's blushes were spared after setting Australia a record 522 for victory.

Although his 5-92 was only his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket, it was undoubtedly his most important, piqued when he dismissed Brad Haddin in the second over of the final morning at Lord's.

The wicketkeeper shared a 185-run sixth-wicket stand with Michael Clarke, the type of partnership which was on its way to germinating from a seed of doubt into a full-blown privet hedge of horror.


Freddie's ready to be mobbed by his team-mates
But with Haddin on 80, Flintoff induced a thick outside edge to the hands of Paul Collingwood at second slip, and the game was up for Australia.

Flintoff's reaction was priceless - he just stood there, as if looking for wife Rachael deep in the recesses of the Mound Stand, before being mobbed by his jubilant team-mates.

He went one better an hour later, clean bowling Nathan Hauritz before descending on one knee, arms spread, like a stadium rock star as England ended their 75-year wait for a win at Lord's.


SIZZLING ONIONS GRILLS AUSTRALIA
Third Test, Edgbaston - England drew with Australia

After watching rain pelt down for hours on the sodden Edgbaston outfield, England's bowlers were flogged to all parts as Australia's openers made hay when the sun finally shone in Birmingham.

Without Kevin Pietersen, ruled out following surgery on his right Achilles' tendon, England looked as flat as the Edgbaston wicket.

But it's amazing what a scattering of low-lying clouds and humidity can do to a semi-shiny Dukes ball.

With Australia resuming on 126-1, Graham Onions altered the complexion of the match with the first two deliveries of day two.


Onions early wickets put England in charge on day two at Edgbaston
Up went umpire Aleem Dar's right index finger when the Durham fast bowler trapped Shane Watson dead in front for 62, before bowling Mike Hussey - inexplicably shouldering arms to a delivery hurtling into his off stump for a golden duck.

Suddenly the ball was swinging like a Benny Goodman number, and James Anderson cleaned up the tourists with an inspired 5-80, while Onions collected 4-58.

The momentum was back in England's favour, but a 185-run second-innings stand between Michael Clarke and Marcus North for Australia snuffed out any hopes of a sneaky victory.


FRIDAY MOURNING IN LEEDS
Fourth Test, Headingley - Australia beat England by innings and 80 runs

When Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat on an overcast Friday morning in Leeds, Ricky Ponting did not seem overly perturbed.

With a four-pronged pace attack - the metronomic Stuart Clark returning at the expense of off-spinner Nathan Hauritz - Australia had an Andrew Flintoff-less England by the jugular when Strauss was trapped plumb in front by Ben Hilfenhaus with the very first delivery.

The crooked finger of umpire Billy Bowden remained motionless, like Australian mouths, but the reprieve was brief as the England captain was back in the pavilion 14minutes later after a brilliant one-handed catch by Marcus North at third slip.

Peter Siddle was the main benefactor as England folded at Headingley
The rot began to set in as Peter Siddle and Clark ran amok, decimating England's middle and lower order with a brilliant exhibition of good old-fashioned Headingley swing bowling.

The hosts were 72-6 at lunch, the misery ending early in the afternoon session when Graham Onions was caught at short leg for Siddle's fifth wicket as the hosts were dismissed for 102, their lowest total for 100 years in Ashes Tests at Headingley.

The humiliation was complete when Mitchell Johnson cleaned up poor old Onions less than two days later for one of England's most emphatic defeats against the tourists on home soil.


BROAD TAKES CENTRE STAGE WITH ENGLAND HOT TO TROTT
Fifth Test, The Oval - England beat Australia by 197 runs

Amid the media clamour to reinstate 39-year-old Mark Ramprakash and persuade Marcus Trescothick to come out of retirement, England's selectors opted for consistency and chose Jonathan Trott to replace the struggling Ravi Bopara.

With Australia in the ascendency at 73 without loss replying to England's 332 in the series decider, the fate of the fragile, six-inch urn turned on a destructive spell of fast bowling from Stuart Broad on a parched Oval wicket.

The 23-year-old reduced Australia to 111-7, the apogee of his 5-37 an unplayable outswinging delivery to rearrange Brad Haddin's furniture to seal his second successive five-wicket Test haul, and the third of his career.

With Australia 172 runs short of England's first-innings total, Trott became an instant hero with a debut century to take the game beyond the tourists, setting Ricky Ponting's men an impossible winning target of 546.

Ponting's dismissal particularly delighted Broad at The Oval
England supporters started to sweat as Ponting and the hitherto vulnerable Mike Hussey compiled a 127-run partnership with steely determination.

But Flintoff - relatively muted on his finale - conjured one final trick from his sunhat, uprooting Ponting's off stump with a direct hit from mid-on as the Australia captain fatally hesitated scampering for an ill-judged single.

As the match - and series - drew to its now inevitable denouement, Graeme Swann ended Australia's misery when he had centurion Hussey caught by Alastair Cook off bat-pad, sparking pandemonium in SE11.

Tastes like Ashes

In the pubs and streets of South London, fuelled by joy, exhileration and a couple of rather pleasing bottles of crispy white wine. The celebrations went on, long into the night. E-mailing long lost Aussie buddies, texting 'til the network collapses.

Ricky Ponting, Dame Edna Everage, Kylie Minogue, Kevin Rudd, Nicole Kidman, Rolf Harris, Nick Cave, John Eales, Jono Coleman, Ned Kelly your boys took one helluva beating!!

Sussex Twenty20 Champions

Good Old Sussex by the Sea

Dwayne Smith's blistering 59 from 26 balls gave Sussex a 63-run win over Somerset in the Twenty20 Cup final.

The all-rounder blasted three sixes and seven boundaries as Sussex scored 172-7, aided by a late 46-run stand between Chris Nash and Yasir Arafat.

Somerset made an explosive start thanks to Marcus Trescothick (33), but his wicket sparked a dramatic collapse.

Seamer James Kirtley (3-9) was the pick of the Sussex bowlers as the county claimed the trophy for the first time.

Saturday's victory at Edgbaston will go some way to compensate Sussex for their defeat to Hampshire in the Friends Provident final. Both finalists are also assured of a place in the lucrative Twenty20 Champions League in India.

Somerset captain Justin Langer elected to field first under the lights after winning the toss in order to utilise the control of South African new-ball pair Alfonso Thomas and Charl Willoughby. And it was the latter who made the early breakthrough when Murray Goodwin, whose 73 against Northants guided Sussex into the final, was caught behind by Craig Kieswetter for seven in the second over.

Expansive strokeplay from new batsman Rory Hamilton-Brown, alongside Luke Wright, ensured Sussex maintained their early momentum during the six-over powerplay.

But their promising 32-run partnership came to a tame end when indecision between the wickets saw Wright run out by a direct hit from Kieswetter.

The dismissal brought Smith to the crease, and he announced his arrival with two boundaries in three deliveries, much to the delight of the sizeable Sharks contingent at Edgbaston.

Max Waller, who went for 11 runs from his solitary over during the semi-final win over Kent, ended Hamilton-Brown's stay, trapped lbw for 25 in the 10th over, although replays suggested the ball would have comfortably missed leg stump.

However, Smith maintained his onslaught, launching leg-spinner Waller high into the stands for a 95m-long six before reeling off a brutal straight-driven maximum and a subtle late cut behind square for four off Ben Phillips.

Despite Smith's pyrotechnics, Sussex, who beat Northants in their semi-final, continued to lose wickets at the other end, slumping to 80-4 when Ed Joyce was deceived by a slower ball from Peter Trego. Smith brought up his 50 from just 23 deliveries with another brutal straight six off Waller in an eventful 14th over before drilling the next two deliveries for successive boundaries.

However, Waller avenged his earlier mauling when he had Smith stumped attempting to switch-hit a short leg-side delivery over point.

Captain Michael Yardy followed seven balls later, but late resistance from Nash (28 from 22 deliveries) and Arafat (20 not out off 16 balls) pushed Sussex to 172-7.

Somerset's response was impressive as Trescothick, who smashed 56 from 32 deliveries against Kent, brought up his 1,000th Twenty20 run with a boundary.

The left-hander then twice launch Wright into the stands for leg-side sixes as the Sabres raced to 34-0 from just three overs.

But just as Trescothick threatened to cut loose, he top-edged a catch to Hamilton-Brown at deep cover off Kirtley, ending his entertaining 15-ball innings.

Langer feel soon after, bowled misjudging an Arafat delivery while James Hildreth was dismissed for one in the eighth over.

Somerset's innings began to subside when leg-spinner Beer had the dangerous Kieswetter stumped for his second wicket of the night.

With the run-rate rapidly accelerating towards double figures, Trego attempted to alleviate the pressure with two successive sixes off Beer.

But any distant hopes of victory evaporated when the all-rounder was caught attempting another huge hit by Smith at long on.

Kirtley entertained the crowd with two wickets in two balls before victory was sealed with 16 balls to spare when Thomas drilled a simple catch to Yardy at short cover.

4th Test - Heading for Headingly

The Crucial Test

Despite the euphoria generated by Engalnd's bowling performance on the second morning England will be content with the final outcome. Once again, Australia's bowling attack faltered and although their batsmen looked worryingly composed on the final day they too would be happy with a draw.

The biggest problem for England is what to do about Freddie's injury. His presence is perceived as being crucial to the team (although his absences over the past couple of years have been easier to manage). England will of course do everything to get him on the pitch but if he can't make it, will they have to make two changes to make up for him? Harmison and Trott to come in for Flintoff and Broad? Or maybe even for Swann (on a seamers pitch)? Tricky decisions.

Likewise the Aussies need to find a way to get Stuart Clark in the side and Siddle looks the most under threat. Whether the under pressure Aussies will risk Binga Lee for spinner Horritz is another selection conundrum.

The weather forecast looks favourable for England with overcast conditions and rain on days 4 & 5 threatening! However, England must think and play positive, a win and The Ashes will be ours!

Jardine Verdict: One up with two to play, could be a lot worse!