England and Australia's long cricket rivalry touched new heights of drama on Saturday when they tied in the final of the NatWest one-day international series, sharing the title in a thrilling contest that went down to the last ball.
Reduced to 33 for five in their quest for a modest Australian total of 196, England looked down and out. But wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, with 71, and allrounder Paul Collingwood's 53 dragged England back into the game.
Australia still looked likely to win when Jones and Collingwood were dismissed. But spinner Ashley Giles emerged as an unlikely hero, calmly accumulating runs although 10 were still needed from the last over.
PHOTO: AFP
The normally rock solid Glenn McGrath bowled a no ball from his first delivery but recovered to coolly run out Darren Gough with two balls to go. England needed three to win from the last ball with Giles and last man Steve Harmison at the crease.
McGrath bowled a yorker but the ball ran away into the gully and Australia could not prevent the batsmen running two to tie the match. Giles ended 18 not out, leaving Australia fuming at having thrown away what should have been a comfortable victory.
"We were outstanding in the field to restrict them to 196 and at 33 for five we were really out of the game," said England captain Michael Vaughan.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said the final reflected the series.
"We said coming into this game that honors had been pretty evenly shared through the preliminary games," he said. "As it turned out today, this final's been one of the great games of one day cricket even though the scores were low."
England was reduced to 19 for four and then 33 for five by pacemen McGrath and Brett Lee in a punishing 36-ball spell. McGrath posted three for 25 and Lee, at his hostile best and battling for a test spot, two for 36.
Marcus Trescothick had only scored six when he was caught at slip by Ponting off McGrath's bowling.
Five balls later Andrew Strauss was beaten by the raw pace of Lee and bowled for two. Things got worse for the English when the out-of-form Vaughan decided to pull McGrath, only to play onto his stumps for a duck.
Kevin Pietersen also found himself beaten by Lee's pace as England plunged to 19 for four and Andrew Flintoff fared little better, scoring just eight before dangling his bat and being caught by Matthew Hayden at slip.
Collingwood and Jones then calmly rebuilt the innings, putting on 116 for the aixth wicket in a patient stand that set up the dramatic finish.
After Vaughan won the toss and put the tourists in to bat, Adam Gilchrist and Hayden smashed the first 50 off just 39 balls.
In the seventh over, Hayden miscued a Gough delivery and spooned the ball to Giles at mid off for just 17, continuing his poor run of form in England.
With only four more runs added, Gilchrist, troubled by the introduction of Flintoff, tried to break loose. But he skied a short ball to Pietersen at deep square leg and was dismissed for 27.
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