An inspirational moment from Andrew Flintoff claimed the key wicket of Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting as England reclaimed the Ashes in London.
With rain predicted to wash out the final day’s play, England had to be at their best to dismiss the Aussies on Sunday. Australia attempted to dig in but ultimately fell to 348 all-out as Strauss’s team rallied in the face of stiff opposition.
"We had to work so hard for it today," Strauss said. "At times I didn't think we were going to get there but that makes it more special.”
Graeme Swann and Steve Harmison were the pick of the bowlers with Swann claiming crucial wickets of Simon Katich and Mike Hussey while Harmison raced through the tail-enders to seal the series.
But the crucial wicket of Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer, Ricky Ponting, fell to England’s leading all-rounder of the past decade. While frequently decisive as a batsman and bowler, Flintoff rarely makes headlines for his fielding – a fact which was not lost on Hussey.
The Australian noticed Flintoff seemed to be struggling in the field and called for a run, but Flintoff whipped in a lightning-fast throw at the stumps to dismiss Ponting just as he looked comfortable on 66.
The breakthrough didn’t exactly trigger a collapse but it signalled the beginning of the end as the momentum swung back in England’s favour.
"We're all disappointed, obviously, and I guess for me as the captain of the side it's even more disappointing," said Ponting. "It's probably fair to say I've had a few disappointing times here. It's probably not my favourite ground in the world."
While Flintoff has called time on his Test career, heroics with bat and ball from Stuart Broad in particular and Jonathan Trott’s emergence as a test batsman suggests that England’s future could be bright without him.
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