England regained the Ashes with a momentous 197-run win in the deciding Test to seal a 2-1 series triumph.
A
fter losing 5-0 in Australia in 2007, victory in The Oval sun was reminiscent of England's famous 2005 Ashes win.Australia resumed on 80-0 needing a further 466 for a world record win but twice lost two wickets in two overs. Andrew Flintoff, in his final Test, brilliantly ran out Ricky Ponting (66) and Mike Hussey was last out at 1749 BST on day four after a defiant 121.
Some said this series did not match the tension of 2005 but the continual fluctuations made it highly absorbing. After their final wicket pair held on against the odds for a draw in the first Test, England took a 1-0 lead with their first Test win at Lord's for 75 years. They were denied by the weather and a fine Australian rearguard at Edgbaston before capitulating to emphatic defeat at Headingley, and unlike in 2005 the series came to the final match with either side able to win outright.
The target of 546 had never been achieved in any first-class match, and only once had a team scored more than 500 batting last in a Test. Australia still harboured hopes of making history but only 15 minutes into day four, Simon Katich made a fatal error of judgement as he offered no stroke to a quicker arm-ball from Graeme Swann.