da betsul： Steven Lynch recalls that he was also present at the MCG Test of 1982-83, where England won by another close margin, 3 runs
Steven Lynch07-Aug-2005
England celebrate another close victory … this time at the MCG in 1982 © Getty Images
After three-and-a-half days of unremitting tension, it’s finally safe toclimb off the edge of your Edgbaston seat and check for fragments offingernail. I can’t remember a Test match like it for sustained drama,when it was so dangerous to look away for an over or two for fear ofmissing a vital twist.It was the closest finish by a runs margin in any Ashes Test, beating thethree runs of Old Trafford 1902 and Melbourne 1982-83. By a fluke – orimpressively shrewd judgment, perhaps – I was there for that MCG epic too.That was another nerve-wracking game, although the tension wasn’t quite asomnipresent as in this match. Even so, all four totals then were between284 and 294, a uniquely close grouping, and the first three inningsneatly occupied a day apiece.But where the two Tests really come together is in the tale of two epiclast-wicket stands. At Melbourne it was Allan Border and Jeff Thomson:today it was Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz. Border was a recognisedbatsman, albeit early in his career and out of form to boot. When theycame together on the fourth evening Australia needed 74 more to win, andyou sensed that England’s champagne boys – Botham, Gower, Lamb – werealready ordering the bubbly.Bob Willis, England’s captain, decided to give Border singles in order toget at the less accomplished Thomson. By the close, exactly half thetarget of 74 had been knocked off, meaning that 37 more runs were neededon the final morning.On that last day, Melbourne proved its boast to be the sporting capital ofAustralia when 18,000 people turned up for what might have been just oneball. (I seem to remember my family thinking I was mad for trekking intotown, too.) Still the runs dripped down. Now it’s 30 wanted, 20, 10 …Just as at Edgbaston today the tension was terrific. Few people spoke,hardly anyone moved. All along I had expected England to win – butsuddenly it was just four runs needed. Just one shot. The last pair hadsomehow put on 70. Now I wasn’t so sure …And then it happened. On came Ian Botham, and Thomson edged his first ballhead-high to second slip. Game over … except Chris Tavare, white as asheet, dropped it. He only parried it over his head – but Geoff Miller ranbehind him from first slip and scooped up the ball before it touched terrafirma, setting off the sort of celebrations that were repeated today whenGeraint Jones fastened on to a similarly looping chance.Up in the Melbourne pavilion everyone stood up and shook hands with theperson next to them, just because they were there. There was a bit of thatin the press-box at Edgbaston today, too. Those 18,000 Melburnians got itright: if you were watching the match on television at home you would havemissed the juggling climax, as Channel 9 were late returning to theaction. All the viewers saw at the vital moment was an advert forspanners. One doubts if so many cans of XXXX have ever been thrown at thescreen in unison since, unless Jonny Wilkinson was the target.Eerily, my own feelings at the end at Edgbaston were exactly the same asthat December day in 1982. England were obviously going to win, weren’tthey, until suddenly Australia were within one shot – one edge for four,or some jammy leg-byes – surely now they’re going to nick it?They didn’t, again, but it was magnificent to watch, and sets up theseries beautifully. Better not tell the Barmy Army who took the series in1982-83, though …