The 3 most contentious Ashes moments ever

Michael Kasprowicz gets the mother of all bad calls

On the 8th August 2005, England hadn’t won an Ashes series since 1987. 18 long years. And after losing the first Test, it looked like they might have to wait a little longer – if they lost the second then surely it’d be over.

It all changed at Edgbaston. But it shouldn’t have. England built a substantial lead in Birmingham and set the visitors a substantial target of 282 to win. At the close of play, Australia had lost six more wickets and still needed 107 runs.

English fans turned up on Sunday morning in party mode, but they were disappointed by Brett Lee, Shane Warne and, when the spinner stepped on his stumps, Michael Kasprowicz. Their dogged defiance was as annoying as it was quintessentially Australian. The Australian tail wagged and wagged until they were two runs from victory. And then it happened.

Kasprowicz, trying to fend off a Steve Harmison bouncer, glanced the ball into the overjoyed arms of Simon Jones. England erupted – but it was only later on that Kasprowicz was found to touch the ball with his glove while not holding his bat, rendering the umpire’s decision incorrect.

England tied the series and went on to win the Ashes, but it could have been so different.