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East Australia fast bowler brett lee He recalls the 2005 Ashes as “the best Test series” he has played in, despite England The wait of 18 years to get the urn back is over.
Ahead of the latest clash between cricket’s oldest rivals, Lee reminisced about arguably their most famous series, when England bounced back from losing the first match at Lord’s to claim a 2-1 victory.
At the center of this was a thrilling two-run win at Edgbaston next time out to level the series, which Steve Harmison dismissed Michael Kasprowicz and left Lee as an unbeaten batsman.
Speaking on an episode of the Old Boys, New Balls podcast, hosted by God Of Ian Botham and England rugby union great Sir Bill Beaumont, Lee said: “That, for me, was the best Test series I have ever been involved in.
“A lot of people say to me ‘but Australia lost’ – well, that’s how it would be. It’s the way and the style in which it was played.
“If we had won that second Test, I think we would have beaten England, we would have had that momentum, but sport is a funny thing.”
Image of a bowed Lee, consoled by England’s talisman, moments after Australia’s defeat in Birmingham. Andrew Flintoffwas the defining image of the series.
Lee said: “That big hand (Flintoff’s) came on my shoulder, he consoled me and said ‘You silly, little rascal, you almost got us.’ There were some select words that I have left out for obvious reasons.
“(Moments before Kasprowicz was out) I hit it to deep point, four half a meter on either side (of the fielder), we probably wouldn’t be talking about the game. Full credit to England, they played beautifully.”
Lee, who took 310 wickets in 76 Test matches between 1999 and 2008 and is considered one of the fastest bowlers of all time, was part of the Australia team that claimed a 5–0 whitewash in 2006/07.