TMS Top 10: Ashes moments

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Hello and welcome to ashes top ten on the TMS podcast where we'll be ranking the greatest individual moments in the men's ashes winning or losing over or innings who has taken taken the game by the scruff of the neck to help their side. I'm joined once again by two men who have lived ash's moments from either from the crease or from the commentary box. Sir Alistair Cook and Jonathan Agnew.

People always forget my one knot out in the ashes test match of Nineteen Eighty Five at Old Trafford.

I don't know what she told me about.

I mean ashes winner as well, you.

Know, either from the crease or the commentary box. You're both from the crease and the commentary box.

I don't because you told me so many times about your one motto.

There you go. And Ash's winner as well.

Thank you, Jack. Leech your heart out. So the greatest Ashes moments we've been asked to rank are.

In comes Stokes. ¿Is there a bowl still? He drives through the covers. And there you go. Steve Smith in his return test match after a year's ban from the game, has scored his twenty fourth test entry in goes line. Bowles reverse sweep field a field it overdosed. No, no, no, no. He set off. Oh, Lions dropped it.

Bowling bow. That's edge. And caught caught that third slip by LA and Boland is just not going to stop.

And Flintoff goes roaring in again.

He's there.

He bowls to ponting. Oh, my word. He's caught behind. ¿Is it a bit?

He's.

He's caught behind a fabulous over.

¿What are you tripping now, mate?

Parmesan from the Far End Bowles The First ball of the series. Oh, my word. It's gone straight to second slip. What a horrible start walks in now on a hat trick to bowl to Malcolm.

Malcolm pushes forward and he's gone a shot leg. ¿Is he or did it come off the paint?

Yes, he's outing. Comes toward, plays out the offside. Big every quick single. Garrett Pratt shuts up to hits them. That's probably run out. A marvelous piece of fielding by Gary Pratt. Is fraud coming in and bowling to voges. Oh, he's brilliant, Nicole. Brilliant, Nicole. That is an outrageous catch by Ben Scots. Here comes Warren Bowles. And he's got it.

There it is.

He's got it. Warner's taken his seven hundredth wicket and Strauss walks to.

Steve Smith. Scores a century on return from Sandpaper Gate. Nathan Lyon drops the ashes as Stokes secures an iconic, headingly win. Scott Boland takes six for seven at the McG. Freddy Flintoff's infamous over at Edge Baston two thousand five. Jimmy Anderson's perfect response to Mitchell Johnson's sledge. Steve Harmison opens the ashes with a wide that misses the cut strip. Shane Warns hat trick at the mcg in nineteen Ninety four substitute. Gary Pratt runs out Ricky Ponting. Ben Stoke's flying catch. Is Stuart Broad runs riot at Trentbridge And Shane Warne's seven hundredth Tess wicket. Well, we kicked off with Alistair last time. ¿First of all, is there anything on there that's missing?

Agaz. ¿Are you going here? You're off your long run.

Well, Steve Orr's century two thousand two should be in there because his career was going up in flames. And so for me, the last ball of the day bang, It was Australia's Captain. That for me, was one of the great Ashes moments. So I think that should be in there.

Ball of century.

Ball of century that might get a mention.

Surely should be in there.

It's a bit surprising, but. Yes, that's not in there.

Are we got. But are these just. ¿Are we just ranking these moments? Because. ¿What about Chris Tremlett taking the wicket in twenty eleven?

Mitchell Johnson's first baller at Sydney.

Sydney. Or even. Or even win that moment when the team won the ashes in twenty eleven first time for twenty odd years.

Basically there's a lot of moments.

Yeah.

¿Who chose yours?

These definitely aren't mine. They were handed to me.

Stuart Brawl's first border at Adelaide.

You love that story.

The longest first border in test history.

Jack Leach's one run.

Yeah, I mean.

I mean, they have.

We should probably say nineteen, ninety five.

Because that takes out the ball of. ¿Like what you're doing? Like what you're doing.

¿Okay, let's go, shall we? Agas. We'll start with you ten to six.

Okay. Well, number ten I have got. I'm afraid, the Jimmy Mitchell Johnson sledging thing. Because that. Well, okay. I mean, it was amusing. It's funny. They're old mix.

¿Good clip bay, isn't it?

Yeah. You're a bit quiet now, mate. Not getting anywhere, Gets bang. Got him out, so, I mean, you know. Yes, it's amusing, but he's at number ten. Warn's ashes. Hat trick. Now, people say hat trick and the ashes. Yeah, yeah, it was. And of course I was. There defray us Goff, and then Big Devon at the end.

So surely if it wasn't Shane Warne like Sid or's hat trick. I mean, actually comparing batsman on his birthday. On his birthday. He got him myself. Who did get Matt Pryor and Brody out. So probably quite similar to.

I mean, they're not big. They're not big scalps, these Darren Goff. Shane Nippon, Darren Goff.

We haven't even Goff.

Sydney.

¿Yeah, when they bowled for hours, didn't they?

Our producer's just come in here. He hasn't heard any of our preamble edited out.

So that's why I have got the hat trick at. I mean, an ash's hat trick is brilliant, but I've got it at nine because it was the end of the game. England were absolutely frazzled. And yes, it was defraitus Gough and Devon Malcolm. Now, the one number eight. ¿I could have put this higher because we now know rather more detail about Shane's seven hundredth wicket, which was Andrew Strauss, wasn't it? And how he deliberately moved the field and how he'd actually told Glenn McGr as he turn around, they're gonna move that field there, and what strasse is gonna do is try and knock it away into that gap there and I'm gonna bowl him and Glenn at mid off goes. Oh, yeah, mate. And it happened next ball. And so if you watch the replay, Shane runs around a circle, waving his finger, I go Straight to Glenn McGrath points at him. I told you. I told you. I told you. Great stuff. And actually, Andrew didn't know, because Andrew, I talked to him about. He said, well, I wonder why he put that feel. He says, took that man for, you know, mid wicket for a left hand rigged to wristband. ¿It's got to be there, isn't it? From round the wicket. It's got to be there. But he moved him and the whole thing was a plot and it came off. So it is a great story. It should be higher than eight, really. But then Scott Boland coming, I've never seen him before. He took six or seven. The McG. I mean, you know, great story. So that's why I've got him there at number seven and Steve Smith again, I mean, a wonderful story to come back. So much pressure on him after the sandpaper business, which, frankly, he should never have been involved in. He should never allowed to have let that happen. So all of that, frankly, he brought upon himself. But to come back from that and to somehow block it out, I don't know. Steve very well, I mean, I've introduced him a lot, but he always strikes me as quite sort of nervy. Kind of agitated, you know. ¿He's always moving, isn't he fidgety? He mentally psychologically blocked all that stuff out he could block out. The holy snail abuse he was getting and score one hundred. ¿So, that's a pretty tough performance, isn't it?

Well, cricket is his game. It's his life. I mean, you look at players across history and you know that there are players that have, you know, the great ability to be able to enjoy playing the game, but also recognize that there's stuff outside playing the game as well. And, you know, he tried to do that in that period. He was out of test. Cricket started playing the guitar and all sorts. But you know that it's twenty, four, seven for him. So, I think there was an element of relief for him, for his family, the Australians behind him, and, actually, probably a lot of the English fans as well who had been booing him all the way to the Greek.

¿Well, he was booed badly, wasn't he? I mean, he really was. When he walked out to bat, I mean, it was very, very hostile. He could. He blocked it out. I mean, he got a safe fair play and he served his time, you know. I mean, that's. ¿That's to be said, isn't it? You know, he was out of the game. Served his time. Comes back and does that. So, however, it's only number six.

OK, Alistair, I don't often agree with aggers. But I did. I did agree with the clickbait of Jimmy Mitchell. Number Ten. Great little moment, but can't be an all time classic Scotty Bowling. Six for seven. I've gone for Number Nine.

¿Basically because you're such a batter, aren't you?

No, yeah. ¿Was the series still alive at that stage? ¿That? ¿You know, like an iconic moment Six or Seven? No, I think the game had already been Darn. ¿Is this? ¿Was this? ¿Is this Covid? ¿Was it the Covid? So it doesn't. Actually, count. Brody's told us it doesn't count that one. So that's why it has to be slightly lower on my list. Brilliant achievement for Scotty Boland. Obviously, Six or seven doesn't happen ever really so. But in a Covid match, it doesn't count. So that's why it's Number Nine. Warns hat trick. I'm going again at Number Eight for the fact of the game was done. I'm pretty sure.

And was done.

I mean, I'd have a chance for Hatchery against those three as well. So I'm gonna have to go there. Unfortunately for that, there's probably no as we spoke a little bit earlier. Now Jack is back. The Producers back in their own bigger hat tricks and more important hat tricks in the ashes since that time which could be well ahead of that one. I'm saying a smile on my face, everyone by the way so joking. And then I've actually gone for harmlessness wide at Brisbane at Number Seven.

Oh, come on. You wish you had to be there.

I was. I was at short leg. If I was standing at Silly Point, he would have hit me.

Of course you were there.

Yeah, I was there.

And you still get Number Seven.

¿Do you know why I'm going for Number Seven?

¿Did you say anything after that moment?

No.

¿Do you remember the crowd?

Yeah, I do.

Got to remember everything. I've had two moments at Brisbane that moment. And then, obviously, when Straussy got out in the first over straight to Point. When he hit Ben Hilfenhouse to Gully or Point whoever it was. Third ball. And I'm pretty sure there was no one else out there. It was just me. And then the rest. Because the Umpires go meet together. The Australians are Cockahooga. I'm pretty sure.

Because the first ball that we all the build up all the hype, everything. He waited all these all this time for that. And he ran up and bowled that thing, I know.

But then there's still so many other times that you can influence a game from that one ball. ¿Like, do you know what I mean? After that one ball, it happened. It was a wide it slipped out of his hand. And I know they lost series five nil and pretty easy. But it's really easy then to go that one ball cost us.

But I mean, I think set a tone because Brisbane always.

Well, you then have to think about Rory Burns. Mitch Stark.

Yeah.

Yeah, but you say, it's Darren later. But I just. I think we read a little bit too much into it. It's too easy for us as journalists and broadcasters in the media. That one ball thing. Well, actually, then every first ball or whatever happened in twenty ten eleven Strassie can't. Then Australia won the series or. ¿Do you know what I mean? Or Zach Crawley hitting the first ball for four. That was. That was a big moment. But it's just one of. Or Joe Root, actually.

Joe Root.

If we talk about moment Joe Root trying to play the reverse sweep of a thing, I'll talk of another moment. But like, it's one ball such an isolated into, and I love it the fact deflating, though. Yeah, but then if you don't like.

My commentary. Listen to Jim's commentary.

¿Have you watched the next over the over after the other six balls?

Well, I was commentating on them, presumably, but I've got. I was still in tears.

¿But what happened? ¿What? There could have been three jaffers there and Langu could have played a miss.

I don't know.

I stood at short leg. I still can't remember, but I get your point. I just think. ¿I just thought, you know what? It's one ball I love harmie and the poor blow. Every time I ever hear anyone talks about Steve Harmson, it's about that one ball. And I do. And it must be horrible. You remember for that. So that's why it's going down a bit lower and I've got Steve Smith returning for number six just for all the reasons you said. And when you walk out as a batter in those moments when all the attention is on you for whatever reason you find yourself in there, it's a really uncomfortable place. Even if you're the biggest peacock in the world. Even the guy who wants the center of attention. I just think it must have been horrible. So then, for anyone to then deliver a skill. That's not just one ball skill, that is, however, many balls. It took him two hundred balls over four. It'll say four and a half hours of batting in the concentration like that with the crowd on your back. And in both innings, I know, I just. He hasn't written that in there, but I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to tell him he got under the next innings as well. But I just think for that as a moment, as a player, I admire something who can do that. And that's why he's quite hyperman.

¿Can I tell you one more harmison story, please?

Well, after it, all it might be.

Edited out, but go on.

After all, had a go at Brisbane about it, you know, and said so much, you know, whatever it was. But we did. It was a big story, obviously.

Of course it was.

We moved to Adelaide and went in the same hotel as the England Players. And I'm on something like the tenth floor pressed the lift and it came down from, like, the twelfth floor door open. There's one person standing in. It was Steve. Harm the door closed and I'd go down ten floors in the lift with Steve. I don't know what to say to him. He was clearly looking at me, thinking things you said about me. It was those awful moments.

Nothing was said for ten falls.

No, he had his bowling boots in his hand. I was tempted to say off the net, Steve. There was no absolute silence. Ten floors.

I'm trying to actually get on that game now on the Internet and just see brilliant whether you can actually see what happened in that first time. Favor, I'm not on the right website. I'm sure you probably could, but we.

Also don't have time on this podcast.

No good. Just shut me out and then.

Okay purely for Bowler's union and for the reason of not wanting Steve Argon to be remembered for this. Because actually, before you've done it in a positive way. Yeah, I don't see. I don't think it should be a big moment.

That's interesting. Okay, that's good.

Just out of interest. ¿Alistair, what is that feeling when you're out in the middle Boxing Day Test? Ninety thousand people you can't hear yourself. ¿How are you feeling inside?

I actually don't think the Boxing Day Test match is as big as the first one, But I look at anyone who performs on the first day of that series in particular with the bat. Because you only have one chance. Your senses are just so much more heightened for that day. They are all the build up. You've You know, you've been picked on the tour, but this tour or any tour whichever that date of the sixteenth of November, the twentieth of November. It's been in your mind for about twelve months. And everything is building up like you try and try not to do it. In the summer before think about the ashes, but it happens every like, even this the last summer, we just done this India series.

Wow.

It's been good preparation for the ashes. You know, it's all is in. So those players as much as say is about winning against India in that series is still there. So everything is more high and the crowd that buzz is unbelievable. It's one of the things I don't miss, but I do miss because like your whole body is alive. It is full of adrenaline. It's full of anxiety. It's full of things. The one thing after that's why you say back to Boxing Day. You ask about the Boxing Day test match. Yes, it's good. But you've kind of suddenly realized after day one of Brisbane or wherever the first test match you realize it's still just to get another game of cricket. But that first day really special and really uncomfortable as well.

I'm just imagining what Steve Harmison would have been thinking at the top of his mark.

Oh, yeah. I mean, it's a big. It's a big thing with, like, Hilfern House bowled that ball, or I faced it a couple of times. Yeah, it is very. No matter how mentally strong you're meant to be or mentally aware of what's about to happen. And I think I faced the ball twice. I think first one in twenty thirteen and one in I don't. I'm in fifteen. I can't remember fifteen. But I did Brisbane in seventeen, eighteen. And David Warner, like, I think I got off the mark third ball, and he said, it's pretty cool. I was like.

It was.

It's like. And you remember. I remember that.

Oh, I didn't sledge all the time then.

Not all the time. I think it was past that I was a bit too old to sledge.

Great insight. Thank you for that. Anyway, Harmison at Number Ten for me. I've got Gary Pratt running out. Ricky Ponting as number nine. Same sort of reason. I just think there were much bigger moments that have happened. Although that was a great moment for me. It's funny, though.

It was very funny.

I mean, that was a great moment in two thousand when that happened. Everyone was just like.

Yeah, it was because Ricky's reaction he had a girl at Duncan Fletcher.

I think it was the react. And also we're looking at that iconic series. ¿Actually, it was an important run out, wasn't it as well?

Brilliant.

Piece of brilliant. ¿Yeah, they were getting back into the game, weren't they?

Australia. And it's ponting the opposition's captain, their best batter. And the fact that they'd already been moaning that the basically the bowlers bowled their spell and went off with the three overs. And basically Gary Pratt was on all the time. But it was, you know, it's. I think it's brilliant. Brilliant feeling, but also quite significant moment in that series as well. So that's what I've got it a bit higher up.

When I think about big moments I'm thinking about like on the more positive side you're putting.

Then the sledging ahead of that just one an off. Just imagine like how many one off things have been said which haven't been repeated up which is compared to one arm, a run out hit in one stump of the Australian.

That's true.

I think that one's a little bit loud.

¿You'Re revising that?

Maybe I am revising. I've got Jimmy against Mitchell Johnson at eight the more. ¿So because the Aussies in Australia are so arrogant, aren't they? And that's a fair point to have Jimmy be able to get one back. I think that was quite a good moment.

The reason I had that lower as well. We lost that game, That was the one we lost. So that's kind of like Brody didn't count that one we forgot about. But yeah, I do like your point about any time you get one up on the Aragon Australians.

Which I guess you could say is number nine as well. But anyway, I've got Warn's Ash's hat trick at number seven because it was his arena. And again, we're talking about the theatre, the emotion, the drama. Very special moment. I've also, we've gone all the sixes for the last podcast. ¿And this one Smith returning from, did.

You do what I do on this list? I started my top two, and then my bottom two, and then just fiddled around.

And then suddenly I think that's basically what happened. Yeah. But yeah, just the fact that he was booed to the Greece. He'd been battered by the media to be able to stand up and do that you could feel the tension. And almost how much he'd been thinking about it prior to the actual match. He'd been thinking about that for two years. To get that moment to.

It's a really good point, actually.

To get that moment to prove himself once again. And almost that redemption moment was that.

His first game back from the band as well or had he played another. And he played test matches before that.

It was his first test match back extraordinary.

¿And I think he was so exposed, wasn't he? In tears on the telly. I mean, you know, the Holy Stand is pretty cruel and cracky. They did rip into him.

And also going on this just before saying about that date in your mind first devin ashes. That date would have been in his mind as soon as his band being announced. And how, when he would have known that for two years. Even bigger builder.

Yeah. Sixteen months. March to August. Twenty nineteen.

¿But he's an unbelievably special player, though, isn't he? So it doesn't actually surprise me that he could do that. Not many people could. The TMS Podcast from BBC Radio Five Live.

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Agaz. Let's go your five to three.

Five to three. Okay. Well, I've got Pratt running out ponting at number Five. Just because it was just. I mean, we've been twelfth men. We've fielded as twelfth man. Actually, it's not an easy thing to do. You suddenly walk into a game that's taking place. You're not part of it yourself.

Wait a second, Alistair, have you been twelfth man before.

Not very often. But actually, we're saying he was actually on all the time.

Anyway, he was most of the time. But it is not an easy thing to do because you don't field part of the game. And just that the twelfth man should come on. And he was on legitimately because Simon Hughes was off and finished.

Simon Hughes.

Sorry. Simon Jones is off.

Simon Hughes have done well to play on. That's good. You've got to heat that in there. That's.

¿Simon Jones is off legitimately and never came back on again, didn't he? So he was actually legitimately on the field. So anyway, he's at five for me. Four. Yeah. Trentbridge again. Brilliant catch by Ben Stokes. I mean, it all happens so fast. I was on. I was commentating that one. And it's one of those where I wasn't quite sure who the fielder was. Because it all happened so quickly. And because it was such a brilliant catch, you had to name the fielder. And it's one of those we just almost buying time with a sentence to try. And just waiting to see. I thought it was Stokes, but wasn't quite sure it happened so quickly. And the balls, actually, it was behind him. It had gone. It was incredible. It was an absolutely superb. And Stuart's face and everything else. Incredible spell. And then, yeah, number three. Well, this really is, I guess, my favorite moment. Actually, if I'm honest, is Lyon missing that run out. Because he said some pretty ugly things over the years as well at Brisbane before testing. Oh, we're going to finish some careers and all that sort of stuff. So I've always been a bit negative about Nathan Lyon. So that he dropped that, but he should have run him out by yards. ¿I mean, it was just the game over, wasn't it? And then there was the unfortunate business of the LBW to follow up afterwards. You know, it was all of that. So I have got Nathan Lyon dropping the ball and failing to run out. Jack Leach at number three.

The best thing about that whole chat was that you were giving a bit of insight into commentary there Aggers. And just how we basically blag it.

¿Well, you buy a little bit of time, don't you? ¿So what you do, actually? Yes. You switch the attention from the fielder to the bowler from home. And look at the bowler's face while you're thinking. Come on, let's have a look. You're buying. Buying. ¿Five seconds, aren't you?

And That's why he's the best. Everyone.

Alistair, I've gone. Shane Warren's seven hundred wicket. I've never heard an atmosphere like it, you know, very early on in my career. That was. I was already out at that stage. Of course I was. I was around. I was watching the game and just never heard a noise like ninety thousand people shouting Warny Warney. It was incredible, as you keep saying. It was his back garden. It was his Melbourne boy. Just the first time I've ever really seen hero adulation outside of, I suppose, India. But for someone doing something which I didn't think will actually was possible to do, like seven hundred wickets as a leg spinner in Australia. So I thought that was an incredible moment. There. I've gone. I've gone. The Gary Pratt four. Just because he played so many times. And it's great to see Ricky Ponting getting so stressed about it when he's walking off. I just think I just. It makes me smile. It just makes me smile as a. And the fact that probably, obviously I've played one of the couple times I've played against Ricky Ponting. He's such a good player and he's normally scoring runs. He's abrasive. He's great off the field. On the field. He plays cricket as he plays cricket, actually. Probably as you should play cricket. Absolutely hards nails on it, you know. Nicest.

He talked about it since. ¿Have you talked about it?

¿Has anyone dared bringing up with him?

No.

Do you know what I might do. I might do. I would like to have a beer, Ricky. And I've got number three.

I get a feeling he'd be probably a little bit.

Surely He's fine.

Not wanting to talk about you think.

Surely. Now it's two thousand five.

Twenty years.

It's twenty years ago. Surely. It's fine.

Sure. He's done a bit of therapy since.

Yeah, possibly.

And then I've gone for the flint off over at three. Just for the skid of the bowling. I thought it's just absolutely fantastic at the peak of his powers. Bonnie's one of the best bats in the world. Obviously. Getting langer out early on first ball, second ball, whatever it was no ball. And then the extra ball. Getting the wickets and just imagining how loud the Holystown would have been. I wasn't there, but just the atmosphere would have been unbelievable as it was. Cricket was gripping the nations and just on a purely skill laced based over there. Can't be many better overs than that bold. And if there was, I'd like to see it. I'd like to. I'm sure Jeffrey would have said the over that he faced against holding was as good, and I'm sure it absolutely was. But that for pure over, it was quick. Absolutely frightening quickly.

Yeah. Steaming in.

So that's my five to three.

Okay. I've gone with the Stokes catch and broad. Eight. Fifteen at five. Just again theatre. The moment when you're up against Australia, you want to continue and he massively got on a roll Stuart Broad. ¿How often do you manage to do that against Australia? Usually you're thinking there's a partnership coming and it just never came. And then that ridiculous piece of fielding from Ben Stokes. And then the kind of half surprise celebration from Stuart Broad. And I remember that going viral around the grounds that summer. So for that moment, I think that was pretty special. I've got Shane Warren seven hundred test wickets number four again pure theatre mcg, his backyard showman in action. So I did have this at number two. But I've actually gone with Scott Boland a bit higher up than you guys. Just purely because.

¿Are you there?

I was there. And I still have Mark Howard commentary ringing in my ears. Build that man a statue.

¿Is that what you say?

Six.

Six at the G. Six at the.

G. Build the man a statue. Six for seven. And it was just absolute carnage. But also because he was the kind of unlikely hero came out of nowhere. But the adulation he got when he went down to Bay Thirteen was just so heartwarming. And I think was a real moment in time for Ash's critical.

¿And also, I suppose he unexpected hero as well, isn't he? Which adds to the story in terms of he's always been behind, you know, that great trio boulders of Haze would come in and start so then to get a chance. And then to blow them out the water.

And he bowled beautifully too. He really did.

I mean, it was unplayable by the looks of, you know, when I was watching it, I was just.

He just kept coming in.

Maybe. Maybe as an iconic moment I could have been hiring.

It was. I mean, certainly, in recent times, it's one of the best moments. Also for the fact that, you know, second Aboriginal man on record to represent Australia at test level. And he wins the Johnny Mueller medal. Who was the player of the series on the Aboriginal tour. Back in England in the eighteen hundreds. So, I think for all those reasons, it all coming together for him. I think that was just a really special moment in Ash's cricket.

Agreed.

Two and one. So agos to you.

Oh, well, you see, this is where very different here because I'm afraid I've got harmy at Number Two. We talked about it, but just the impact of that ball. Jim's reaction on ABC, My reaction on BBC was just, you know, it just said everything. Jim kind of laughing. Look at this. ¿It has a shambles and being, oh, my God, what's he done? You know, he's got that sort of reaction, you know, it just felt. It just looked as if England were really nervous and kind of intimidated, and it's quite hostile place the Gabriel. It just gave the impression that harmie was really, you know, it might have been. Yeah, I think. I think he probably was, anyway, which is quite understandable.

Or did the ball just slip, but.

It went to flinter. Well, it went quite a reasonable piece.

I've watched it, I mean, ag. As you would know. Like, when you feel like you haven't got control of your bowling.

Yeah, it's horrible.

And you're bowling and you're in the arena.

It sort of pushed it. It was.

That tells me he was full of anxiety.

It was a really nervous ball.

And I can't watch it because I'm.

Like, oh, anyway, I need to go and watch the next six balls. I do. I do as. And just have, like, interest.

You can go and watch this evening. Good luck. So I've got him there at Number Two because it just. And England's record, the first ball they bowled Brisbane. Just down the years or first ports happened at Brisbane. It's just been so bad. And that was just in that catalog. And then, number one. Yeah, it's that flint off over because again, I was. It definitely helps when you're there, particularly when it actually helps when you're commentating too. And I was for that over. And that commentary box at edgebaston, you were right in the game. It was a different one talk we have now, and you were lower and you were kind of in it. I mean, it was hard to explain, but you were like almost over the boundary edge so you could almost reach out and touch flintoff, you know, as he was turning from our end and running in. And it was, God, it was a fantastic over and ponting again key man. And that match was so important after losing the first game. All of that. There's all that stuff kicking off. There was Ponting having putting a din. There was his row with Warren. There was McGrath on his tennis ball. All of that stuff. And this over, which is just brutal over. Wonderful fast bowling. And one of the finest players in the world hopping around all over the place. Frankly, cookie.

So I've gone. I've misread. I've misread it as well. I had to put my hands up and misread the thing. Because I actually thought it set. Said Broad his spell. Rather than just Stokes his got to.

Read the question rubbish at exams.

I'm actually sure. Well, I was.

But I still thought it was that too, to be honest.

So I actually do think it does say. So I actually had that as my number one. Because eight for fifteen. So I'm actually going to now change the rules. The eight for fifteen. I just wasn't ex. I mean, you know we were one two, one in the ashes from the series little bit set in the scene. Mark Butcher said you're going to watch this series behind the ash, behind the sofa. Because England have got no chance. And we were two on up after a great game at Edgboston. Win the toss bowl. And within no Jimmy. Jimmy's injured yet. Within an hour and a half we had won the ashes. And as a captain who lost it five nil and all the fallout from there to have pretty much done it by quarter to quarter.

One that summer, it felt like it was. It was almost predetermined that you were going to win.

Well, we went one hill up at Cardiff where no one exposed us to. Then we got hammered at Lords. Everyone's there, we calm. And then we just had two great games at a fortnight of Baldmouth. Purchably both times ball nipped around a bit and. Yeah, but I mean, I did not that. I set Well, after that day at all. Because I thought don't be the captain who concede bowler side up for sixty. And I think we're two hundred forty for four. You got a brilliant one hundred. But we know we're going to win the game again as there. So that for me was has to be my number one. The fact that the emotional attachment I had of that and the five nil before. And I had to spell rather than the catch. Catch. Unbelievable part of the spell. So sorry, Jack. I've changed the rules. And I've gone lion dropping the dashes as we call it what a moment I want to say. It's my first commentary test match. I was commentating on. I might have commentated on some. One day, I'm pretty sure remember it.

Was your early days.

It was very early on. And I, actually, I could it building up. And not that. I'm an experienced broadcaster at all. But Agaz did say to me when just think about what you might say. When it got a bit close and just allow it space. I don't know when he said it. We definitely said that to me. I tried to get out of that stint. Because I was so nervous about messing up my words. I do anyway. So I offered fourney to do it. Because, you know, you get time slots. You get twenty minutes lapsed or half an hour. And I knew it was gonna have to finish. I was like, Vaughan, you do it. You do it. Cause I didn't want to mess it up. So I had the run out where all my literary brilliance came in. And I just shouted no, no, no. As I could see what was happening before he dropped the ball. I shouted no, no, no. So that's not adding much to the listeners saying the same word three times.

No, I remember listening to that going. That's brilliant.

Well, I mean pure. I just. I was. And also when you're. I was just out the side. I was so emotionally att attached to the side. I genuinely was emotionally attached. Like now it's seven, eight years still good friends of the players. But not nowhere near as emotional about the England cricket team. Just as relationships. So that was one. And then when the moment happened.

Right. Glenn, though, by the way, Glenn McGrath.

Absolutely brilliant. No, the best thing about that was when obviously the LBW has given out off eight. But through his thing, I turned his mic, turned his microphone off and goes. And that's why you don't waste reviews or something like that.

Fuming.

And then said it again on air. But he was so cross. That was actually the day I was taxi driver. That test match, I was taxi driver for Jim Maxwell and Glenn McGrath. I mean, driving along thinking, this is surreal. After. And then at the moment when Stokesy cut it ago, I was there. ¿I was like, what am I gonna say? And then lucked out with the phase of saying it was the greatest evenings I've ever seen. And then just stopped. Normally, I'll waffle on like I'd waffle on it. So that held such a big memory for me in terms of my next style of the career. And also Nathan line dropping the easiest thing how always brings a smile to my face. It could easily probably be my number one compared to Stokesy's catch. But as I read it as Brody's spell, I've gone that way around.

And of course, Adam Mountford in the background, you know, well, because he couldn't see.

So Adam, just to explain, the producer was sitting well behind and he was sort of heading of very high seats so he actually couldn't see the play. So he's listening, so hearing you shouting, Oh, my God, hit his face. All because of he couldn't see what was going on. So his hands are going everywhere and.

He'S anyway, it was an incredible place to be. I mean, when you think about some of the most incredible moments in cricket, I think about twenty nineteen being in the laws media center there and haggards. It was, I guess for me, twenty nineteen was at a time where there weren't as many female commentators so we had to get shared around a bit more. So I was working for BBC and sky for the ashes. So I was splitting between the skybox and the BBC box. And I remember coming into the BBC box and everyone's just like high on edge, on the edge of their seat and just really kind of anxious everywhere you looked. And then I went into the skybox. Similar thing. It was just one of those unbelievable moments.

What was sad about that was twenty nineteen with the World Cup. And that test match English cricket was just kind of. On the launch pad, it felt like a rocket and the steam was coming out, the engines were firing up. And then Covid came and it sort of fell off a bit of a cliff that just felt to me because of what had happened to English cricket that summer. That could have. It could have been the moment when it really took off. And it was real shame that Covid came immediately and just kind of killed it.

Yeah, incredible summer. I have got mine. So I went with the flint off. He was originally at number one for me, but then I've kind of merged everything for number one. So Freddy Valentoff, two thousand five, unbelievable over of skill, accuracy, precision, being able to do it against Ricky. I remember watching it live. And as I mentioned before, we had our women's ashes on at the same time and from a pure inspiration point of view for me as a bowler, as someone who tried to swing the ball. It was honestly one of the greatest overs I've ever seen in cricket from an inspiration point of view. And I just watched that over going. Oh, my God, I want to do that. And so every time I would be at the top of my mark during that series, I'd be thinking about that over from that point on just about, you know, the way he was able to set him up, the different kind of movement that was on offer for every delivery. Every delivery was clearly executed. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. Every single ball, and he was able to do it. And I just think for that reason Freddy is at number two. That specific over and to be able to do it against Ricky as well, who is arguably one of the greatest ever. I thought was really, really special.

And then flint off on the bus. ¿I mean, does that get mentioned as well here?

Well, we were on the bus.

I know.

¿You were?

No. Well, we were on the bus behind. Behind. Yeah.

Crowds.

We weren't the wags as everyone else thought we were. We were on the bus behind. ¿And it was one of the most unbelievable, you know, how old would I have been? I think I was just twenty at the time. And so us youngsters were just completely.

Awesome because the players thought no one was going to turn up that being there for me is Ashes moment.

Yeah, I mean, that was pretty special. And we'd. We'd done a kind of lap of honor the last day the Oval Test. And so we'd had a few days of enjoying ourselves. Prior to that. But I do remember being on the bus on the way from there to Downing Street to Lords. And that's when Harmie drew on Freddy's face, and I remember walking past him, going. Oh, my God, It's Freddie blind.

I don't think Freddie knew what day it was by then, but there he goes.

Yeah, well, we sort of cottoned onto that when we arrived at the hotel and he was hobbling about. Anyway, that was a special moment. But my number one has to be that I've actually encapsulated the whole day because I think it's. You can't describe that moment without talking about the excellence and the miracle of Ben Stokes. And, you know, at the start of the day, you know, I think a lot of people had hope for England, but as the wickets started falling, they needed seventy three, one wicket. I was on commentary. And I did what you did, Alistair. I stepped aside. I let Shane Warren come in or Ricky Ponting Because I was like, you're about to take the ashes here. And then it just continued and just one of the most. Yeah, just. I mean, of all the innings of all time it has to be up there in terms of one of those innings that it just doesn't happen. It was just so unbelievable.

I interviewed him the other day in a different capacity. And so I said to him, come on. Then you got all the fielders on the boundary edge which they were nine on the boundary edge, You know, you've got to have to hit sixes because you can't get ones. You can't get leech onsite. You've got to hit it over them. ¿How were you able to actually do that? ¿What's going through your mind that you've got all these fielders out there and yet you're still hitting sixes? And he looked at me like I'd gone a bit simple. ¿And he said, well, because I had it over them, didn't I? So the fact they were there didn't matter. I thought, wow, that's how clear he was thinking how to do it over them.

And also if you go back to, actually, the first forty balls, he said he had to go he for England to win that game. He had to be not out overnight. I think it was one or two of forty balls.

Yeah. Two off seventy three.

So the actual it was innings like the reason I had it. Because the greatest things I've seen was the fact it had everything in it, you know, it had the lot. And also getting over, running out Joss Butler as well, didn't he just extraordinary. I just. Yeah, with the seventy odd. There we were in the back. ¿We were in the back of the box discussing where do England go from here? We were. We were discussing because we're going to do the podcast after the lunch feature was.

Yeah, English Crickets finished. ¿Where did we go?

And also we were discussing what we said at the end of the game. Waiting to see serious. And then, as it got clear, you kind of think I hit a few. Got to fifty, forty. And then you start the worst thing. ¿You start believing, don't you? And you start believing at thirty.

Well, that's what. That's what Happened When the Nathan Lion Incident Happened Extraordinary.

¿And what? Yeah, like not a bad way to getting introduced into punditry. That was.

Well, my thanks to Sir Aleister Cook and Jonathan Agnew. ¿But did we get it right? You can join the conversation. Email us at TMSBC dot co dot UK text eight one one one one. Start your message with TMS or one word all capitals and you can WhatsApp us on zero three zero one two three one eight two six again. Start your message with TMS or one word all capitals. That's it for now. We'll speak to you next time.

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