Aussies Are The Lord's Of The Manor

Adam Collins picks out four great Ashes Tests and Lord’s and argues that it’s Australia who traditionally have the upper hand at the Home of Cricket

- Adam Collins

I had to be part of it. The 2005 Ashes series was the first of my life as an adult (legally, anyway) so over I flew from Australia with one thing in mind.

I had to be at Lord’s; whatever it took. Knowing well the history of the baggy greens at that venue – having never lost since 1934 – how could I miss it? Thanks to a surreptitious purchase on a dodgy website via dad’s poor credit card (300 quid!) I was in, sitting beneath the media centre where I’d end up working a decade later.

We all know what happens next: Harmison’s clunk, Ponting’s blood, Warne’s rally, McGrath’s 500th. Brett Lee getting Ashley Giles to stand on his stumps. Beautiful chaos.

Of course, after the frazzled start, Ricky Ponting’s men went on to win the opening Test of the Greatest Series That Ever Was in a canter – last week the first time since that they have been able to achieve a first-up win in an away Ashes since. They now move to Lord’s, where only in 2009 and 2013 they have lost since Bradman’s second tour.

Of course, Australia’s dominance at the ground will be well remarked upon as we wait for that first ball on Wednesday. But what were the wins that stand out as the most famous or interesting? Here are four to whet the appetite for the week we have ahead of us at the grand old ground.