The 2005 Ashes Series Quiz | Test Cricket

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The series began with the first test at Lords. England's fast bowlers soon had the Australian batsmen ducking, weaving and returning to the pavilion. Despite being bowled out for a meagre 190 Australia rallied to win the test. Which bowler won the game for the Australia with a haul of nine wickets?

Answer: McGrath

Returning to one of his favourite hunting grounds McGrath made the wonderful English bowling performance look second rate as he claimed the first five English batsmen of the first innings. Australia rallied in their second innings and presented the English with a target of 420 runs to win the game.

They were never in the hunt and with Lee and Warne doing early damage McGrath ended English resistance with four more wickets. The Australians won by 239 runs.

2. Which English player made his test debut in the first test?

Answer: Pietersen

Pietersen had already set the one-day game on fire with his big hitting performances and the English selectors opted for his aggressive game over the more conservative Graham Thorpe. This proved a stroke of genius, Pietersen played well throughout the series becoming the highest run scorer with 473 runs at an average of 52.55.

His final innings won Pietersen the man of the match in the fifth test and made up for the six catches he had dropped during the series.

3. The second test at Edgbaston began in extraordinary circumstances with Ricky Ponting sending the English in to bat on a flat looking pitch despite losing his opening bowler McGrath just before the game. How had McGrath injured himself during the warm-up?

Answer: He trod on a ball

England took full advantage of the fine batting conditions and piled on 407 runs on the first day. Trescothick led the way with a powerful 90 with Flintoff joining in late with a better than a run a ball 68 which included 5 sixes.

4. The second test finished in one of the closest results ever. England won the game on only the third day, but what was the final winning margin?

Answer: 2 runs

Having set a total of 282 runs to win the game England were coasting to victory with the Australians in desperate trouble at 7-137. However, Warne, Lee and Kasprowicz not only offered resistance but set about trying to win the game. As the last wicket fell and England claimed victory Andrew Flintoff offered up one of the images of the series as he consoled a shattered Brett Lee who remained battered and bruised but undefeated on 43.

5. The third test was played at Manchester's Old Trafford ground. Australia was never in the match after a brilliant innings of 166 by English captain Michael Vaughan in the first innings was followed up with a six-wicket haul by fast bowler Simon Jones. However neither won the man of the match award, who did?

Answer: Ricky Ponting

Ponting scored 156 in the second innings as he battled to get Australia a fighting draw. Ponting's innings took 275 balls and lasted almost seven hours. The third test saw Australian bowler Jason Gillespie, already struggling for form after the first two tests, take 1/137. It was to be his last test of the series.

6. The fourth test at Trent Bridge saw which Australian make his test debut?

Answer: Shaun Tait

Tait took 3 first innings wickets including a brilliant in swinging yorker to claim English opener Trescothick as his first test scalp. Flintoff claimed the man of the match award with a first innings hundred and 3 wickets of his own.

7. Despite being made to follow on at Trent Bridge the Australians fought to the end. England required the small total of 129 runs to win the game but Lee and Warne took 7 wickets before England managed to hit the winning runs. Which Englishman hit that winning run for England?

Answer: Ashley Giles

Australia was forced to follow on for the first time in over twenty years after managing only 218 runs in response to England's first innings 477. Controversy reared its ugly head in the Australian second innings when Ricky Ponting was run out by English substitute Pratt.

A disgusted Ponting, already incensed by what he considered the English sides misuse of substitutes, verbally abused the English coach as he left the field.

8. The final test of the series was played at The Oval with Australia needing a win to retain the Ashes; England merely needed a draw to regain them. Which Australian bowler suggested that England would regain the Ashes "over my dead body"?

Answer: Shane Warne

Warne tried valiantly to gain Australia a win and claimed 12 wickets for the game but in the end it may have been his dropped catch of good friend Pietersen that finally handed England the Ashes. Pietersen went on to score 158 runs and Australia was left an impossible task to win the game.

9. What odd tactic did Australia use in their attempt to win the final test match?

Answer: They went off for bad light

Australia left the field when the umpires offered them the light on both the second and third days. Hayden and Langer were the batsmen offered the light on both occasions and both scored hundreds. On day four the English batsmen were offered the light and accepted, indeed the English captain was suggesting the light was bad while still fielding.

The game ended in a draw, England now held the Ashes for the first time in sixteen years.

10. The player of the series award was jointly awarded to two players; one was Shane Warne who claimed 40 wickets. Which Englishman also won the player of the series award?

Answer: Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff proved to be so effective with both ball and bat during the series causing some commentators to compare him with the legendary Ian Botham. Flintoff scored 402 runs at an average of 40.2 and claimed 24 wickets at an average of 27.2. Shane Warne's 40 wickets came at an average of 19.9 and he also contributed with the bat scoring 249 runs at an average of 27.6.

Source: Author quogequox

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Dalgleish before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The 2005 Ashes Series Trivia Quiz

The 2005 Ashes series proved to be one of the most memorable cricket series of all time.

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