2005 was a great year for English cricket, especially with respect to the England-Australia rivalry. Everyone remembers their regaining of Ashes after 18 long years when they won the series 2-1 including the brilliant Edgbaston test.
In the very same year, English women’s team also regained the Women’s Ashes. And for them, it was even a longer wait as they finally won the Ashes after 42 years!
The first test at Hove was drawn as England survived 95 overs on the tensed last day thanks to an unbeaten century from Arran Brindle.
For the English captain Clare Connor it was the third Women’s Ashes as captain and she wanted to get the success finally. An English teacher at Brighton College, she was already an MBE in 2004. One of her students, Holly Colvin was also in the squad.
England started the second test at Worcester brightly. Australia’s first innings lasted only for 60.3 overs as Katherine Brunt took five wickets. She picked up Belinda Clark and Karen Rolton at the top and then came back later to run through the lower order to bowl them out for 131.
England’s reply was a team effort as there were contributions from Claire Taylor (43), Jenny Gunn (38), Connor (37) and Beth Morgan (24) but on 204/9 Australia might have hoped to concede a smaller lead. However, Brunt and Isha Guha added 85 runs for the 10th wicket as Brunt also top-scored with 52 and Guha remained not out for 31. Australia conceded a lead of 158 runs.
Australia struggled again. They were 7/3 and soon 67/7 and England hoped for an easy win. However, Kate Blackwell and Shelley Nitschke built a partnership and took the score to 179/7 by the end of day three.
On 27th August 2005, day four started with immediate success for England. And who else but Brunt got Blackwell caught by Greenway without adding anything to her overnight score. Julia Price went on the next ball and England were on top. Nitschke added 53 runs with the number eleven Emma Liddell but finally, Liddell was gone and the target for England was just 75. Nitschke remained unbeaten on 88.
England were just 75 runs away from their first Ashes win since 1963. Liddell gave the early breakthrough to Australia as Laura Newton and Jenny Gunn were both LBW for noughts and England were 1/2. Charlotte Edwards and the captain Connor steadied the innings and took them to 36. However, Cathryn Fitzpatrick soon scalped both of them and England were 39/4. But Brindle and young Lydia Greenway saved the day for England. They added the remaining 36 runs and Brindle remained not out on 24 and Greenway on 10.
It was a great moment for English cricket. Brunt obviously got the Player-of-the-Match award. The Women’s Ashes was back with England. Very next day, the men’s team completed their victory at Nottingham and took the 2-1 lead and regained the Ashes after a couple of weeks.
