Ashes Bet

After being blown away in the first Test Match of the 2005 Ashes Series at Lords, England went into the 2nd Test at Edgbaston desperate to make amends, and the hosts were handed a huge boost just prior to the start, of the game when Australia's star fast bowler Glenn Mcgrath who was the man of the match at Lords, twisted his ankle when warming up and was ruled out of the contest.

Australia won the toss and somewhat surprisingly elected to field first, on what appeared to be a good track for batting, England came out and played in an extremely positive fashion with opener Marcus Trescothick making a brilliant, 90, although England were bowled out at the end of the first day, they had made 407, and put themselves in an extremely healthy position in the game.

Australia looked set to make a similar score to England as they made a confident start to their innings, and at 88-1 they appeared to have a very good platform to post a sizeable total, but the tourists lost their way from here and were bowled out for 308, to give England a first innings lead, of 99 runs and put Michael Vaughan's men firmly in charge of proceedings

A brilliant spell of bowling from Shane Warne who picked up 6 for 46 enabled Australia to bowl out England for 182, in their 2nd innings, this left Australia needing, 282 for victory, the match appeared to be in the balance at this stage.

England to their credit bowled with purpose and aggression and when Steve Harmison comprehensively bowled Michael Clarke with a slower ball at the end of day 3, Australia were 175-8, and England seemed on course to level the series.

Australia went into the 4th day of the Test Match with just 2 wickets in hand and still needing an improbable 107 to take a 2 nil lead in the series, the tourists lost Shane Warne early, but Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee withstood everything that England's attack threw at them the duo hit a flurry of boundaries and appeared to be giving Australia a real chance of pulling off an unlikely victory.

When Australia needed lees than 10 runs to win the Test Match it seemed as though England had missed their chance, to level the series, but with Australia requiring just 3 runs for victory, Kasprowicz gloved a ball from Steve Harmison, straight through to wicket keeper, Geriant Jones, England had won one of the most riveting Test Matches of all time by, 2 runs.

A few weeks later England went on to regain the Ashes.