The Ashes: Top 5 moments at the Gabba

The Brisbane Cricket Ground, also known as the Gabba, is an iconic sports stadium in the state of Queensland in Australia. The inaugural cricket match at the venue was held on 19 December 1896 between Parliament and The Press. The stadium first staged a Test between Australia and England on the 1932/33 tour and has grown to become the traditional opener for any Ashes series down under.

Today, the Gabba hosts both Australian rules football and cricket with domestic teams Brisbane Bears and Queensland playing there respectively. It has become a stronghold for Australia against the tourists, often suited to their own playing styles. Here are five memorable moments from Ashes encounters at the venue.

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#5 Harmison's ill-fated wide

England arrived in Brisbane for the first Test of the 2006/07 Ashes series after clinching the urn in the dramatic 2005 series.

Steve Harmison had famously drawn blood from Ricky Ponting in the first Test of the 2005 series at Lords. Having inspired the nation, he and the rest of the England team were optimistic about their chances down under during the ensuing winter.

However, the former world number one bowler began the 2006/07 Ashes series with a delivery so wide that it was taken by captain Andrew Flintoff at second slip. The wide was a sign of things to come as England were subjected to a humiliating 0-5 whitewash.

#4 Thomson's in the house

Tony Greig tries to evade a vicious bouncer from Thomson

Jeff Thompson faced England for the first time in the 1974-75 Ashes. In the first Test at the Gabba, he finished with figures of 9-105 in an emphatic Australian victory. In his home Test, the Queenslander combined with Dennis Lillee to decimate the visitors. He used his aggressive bouncer and in-swinging yorker to propel his side to victory.

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Australia eventually won the series 4-1 with Thomson and Lillee going on to star for the better part of the decade.

Thomson famously said in a television interview “I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. I like to see blood on the pitch”.

#3 Hussain's disastrous call

Nasser Hussain made one of the worst tactical blunders in Ashes history

In the 2002/03 series, Nasser Hussain arrived in the middle of the Gabba. Upon seeing a green surface, he fell for the trap and sent the home side into bat. The England captain went on to rue his decision as Australia ended the day at 364/2.

Even though they were eventually dismissed for 492, the Aussies crushed the visitors by a landslide margin of 384 runs. England did manage to win the final Test of the series. However, they were not able to prevent an eighth successive Ashes series defeat.

Hussain handed over the captaincy to Michael Vaughan the next year and retired from international cricket soon after. It was not until the 2010/11 Ashes series that England broke their 24-year drought in Australia.

#2 Siddle's splendid hat-trick

Siddle celebrates the wicket of Stuart Broad

In the 2010 series, England had made a solid start to reach 197/4 before Peter Siddle provided Australia with a vital breakthrough by getting rid of the in-form Alastair Cook.

Matt Prior was castled in his very first delivery. Stuart Broad strode out to the middle. Even as the crowd got into the action, the seamer was adjudged leg-before wicket to a full in-swinging yorker from Siddle. The right-arm fast bowler became only the ninth bowler to pick up a hat-trick in the Ashes.

Siddle moved from strength to strength and proved himself to be an important part of the Australian bowling attack.

#1 Johnson's thunderbolts

Mitchell Johnson tormented England in the 2013/14 Ashes series

Mocked by the opposition during the preceding contests on English soil, Mitchell Johnson arrived for his home Test with a point to prove. He went on to haunt the visitors by picking up nine wickets in the match.

Like the fiery Dennis Lillee, he wore a handlebar moustache and did most of his damage in the second innings of the match. Johnson also played an important part with the bat in the Test match. He came to the crease when England were on the ascendancy. His vital partnership with Brad Haddin helped Australia get near the 300-run mark.

Gaining confidence from his performance with the bat, Johnson began to bowl in scintillating manner in the Test. His menacing bowling form would continue for the rest of the series as well. The left-arm pacer's tally of 37 wickets from five matches enabled Australia to regain the Ashes urn after almost seven years.

(Video Courtesy: cricket.com.au)