The Ashes The Greatest Innings

We were fortune to have two of the best games ever in the space of months.

Said at the time and stick by it, them games people will remember to the grave.

And for once we had a tiny bit of Lady Luck on our side, the overthrow in the World Cup of Stokes bat and Lyon misfielding when going to run out Leach, just doesn’t happen, both were obviously meant to be and will never be forgotten.
 


Lucky enough to be there.

Superb day. We were at home the day before (Pompey possibly) and we were not expecting to see a single ball. The 6 of us were making plans to jump off the train in York and go for a day on the drink, especially with the weather forecast.

To go from that planning, to being over the moon to see some cricket, to being all but beaten and then for Stokes to pull THAT off....unbelievable. Just watched it again this afternoon and I was still nervous as hell. Every emotion you can imagine.

The best sporting moment I’ve ever attended. Man Utd in the semis and Johnson 0-1 were both superb, but this was something else just for the whole range of emotion. Something that will go down in history, and will be shown over and over over and over.
 
hudson88 said:
Lucky enough to be there.

Superb day. We were at home the day before (Pompey possibly) and we were not expecting to see a single ball. The 6 of us were making plans to jump off the train in York and go for a day on the drink, especially with the weather forecast.

To go from that planning, to being over the moon to see some cricket, to being all but beaten and then for Stokes to pull THAT off....unbelievable. Just watched it again this afternoon and I was still nervous as hell. Every emotion you can imagine.

The best sporting moment I’ve ever attended. Man Utd in the semis and Johnson 0-1 were both superb, but this was something else just for the whole range of emotion. Something that will go down in history, and will be shown over and over over and over.
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What was the atmosphere like? You’re obviously a bloke who’s in a position to compare it to other sport.
 
Was it @Silly Point who was also there but fucked off with an hour or so to go?
NorthCountryBoy said:
Sky did that brilliantly.

Is there another sport that lends itself to doing a repeat like that? Golf (Miracle of Medinah) is the only one that I can think of offhand.
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Sky have been showing full final round coverage of The Masters all week when it would have been happening. Brought back some cracking memories (though today's one can get fucked) but I think only tennis might work for full replays like golf and cricket.
 
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chelt_mackem said:
Was it @Silly Point who was also there but fucked off with an hour or so to go?

Sky have been showing full final round coverage of The Masters all week when it would have been happening. Brought back some cracking memories (though today's one can get fucked) but I think only tennis might work for full replays like golf and cricket.
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Aye will never live it down. I "Couldn't sit there and watch them twats retain the urn" or some shite :oops:

Would give anything to watch them whitewash us by winning every game by an innings now like
 
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NorthCountryBoy said:
What was the atmosphere like? You’re obviously a bloke who’s in a position to compare it to other sport.
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Brilliant, but weird. Mixture of being pissed, everyone’s nerves being torn to shreds and a constant ‘can we!!’.

Hard to compare to the football matches, as that’s so intense for 90 minutes and you’re surrounded by Sunderland fans. This was obviously a full day of just constant ups and downs, with Aussies around us. I missed Root going as I was down trying to buy a hat (back row of western terrace in 25+ degrees does nothing for a bald lad) and it really was just a constant wave of looking promising to looking completely lost all day.

When Archer went it really looked a lost cause, and when Leach came in a lot were ready to make a sharp exit as soon as the last wicket fell to beat the crowds. As Stokes chipped away, every 5/10 runs got everyone thinking. As it got down to 15/20, everyone was debating whether to keep playing the way he was, or to slow it down and pick it off.

Just a brilliant, brilliant day. The Aussies were fantastic as well, inside and outside of the ground.
 
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hudson88 said:
Brilliant, but weird. Mixture of being pissed, everyone’s nerves being torn to shreds and a constant ‘can we!!’.

Hard to compare to the football matches, as that’s so intense for 90 minutes and you’re surrounded by Sunderland fans. This was obviously a full day of just constant ups and downs, with Aussies around us. I missed Root going as I was down trying to buy a hat (back row of western terrace in 25+ degrees does nothing for a bald lad) and it really was just a constant wave of looking promising to looking completely lost all day.

When Archer went it really looked a lost cause, and when Leach came in a lot were ready to make a sharp exit as soon as the last wicket fell to beat the crowds. As Stokes chipped away, every 5/10 runs got everyone thinking. As it got down to 15/20, everyone was debating whether to keep playing the way he was, or to slow it down and pick it off.

Just a brilliant, brilliant day. The Aussies were fantastic as well, inside and outside of the ground.
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Class. I was at a wedding that day so today was the first time I’ve seen it properly, but I was looking at the crowd and thinking ‘you lucky gets’ when Stokes blasts that switch hit into the Western Terrace and it erupts.

I was also on L7 when Johnson scored at the Gallowgate but might have swapped it for that...
 
Listened to the whole days play today again on TMS, I was nearly jumping around the garden again at the end.

Listening to ever increasing the wails of desperation from Glen McGrath on commentary made it even better, a day that will live on always right at the very top of English cricketing folklore.

While I wasn't there that Sunday to see the innings, I was there on the Saturday, so I saw at the hard yards and I will cling onto that until I take my last breath :cool:
 
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Headingly 81 Botham and Willis
Edgbaston 05 Flintoff
Trent Bridge 15 Broad
Headingley 19 Stokes
Test matches which will still be talked about in 50 years time.
 

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