Читать книгу Caught Out - Shocking Revelations of Corruption in International Cricket - Brian Radford - Страница 9

It seemed that everyone in Britain was suddenly being gripped by Ashes fever in the summer of 2005 as England tried every imaginable trick – legitimate and otherwise – to lick the mighty Australians in a cricket contest that had the country practically grinding to a standstill.

Even those who knew nothing about the game, and the ones who hated it, were magically transformed into trembling fanatics desperate to follow every ball that was bowled. Some people confessed that the tension often became too much for them, and that they hid behind settees and under tables, unable to suffer the suspense of looking at their television sets. It really was that riveting.

Australia entered the series as holders of the prestigious little urn that theoretically contained those specks of dust that matter so much to players and supporters of both nations. It was a powerful Australian squad that was top of the world ratings. Their brilliant pace bowler Glenn McGrath, along with many, many others, were predicting a possible 5-0 whitewash.

In a series that was subsequently hailed as the ‘most thrilling ever’, there were countless shocks and surprises – and, sadly, it is now officially known that there was quite a bit of cheating and chicanery, too.

England won the series 2-1, with the outcome decided on the very last day amid immense drama and excitement. It was a sweet success in more ways than one. Some fanatics were trumpeting that England had actually licked the Aussies. And how right they were. In fact they had literally licked them! Reverse swing had played a major part, with England’s pace bowlers constantly bamboozling Australia’s strong batting line-up. Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard all generated enormous swing, and were unplayable at times.

Towards the end of this truly unforgettable series I was telephoned by a reliable England insider and assured that there was a lot more to this extraordinary reverse swing than just physical skill or playing conditions. ‘It’s all down to Murray Mints!’ was the astonishing claim. ‘Someone is sucking Murray Mints to get sugar into his saliva, and then when he licks the ball he gets more shine on it, and this helps it to swing all over the place…’

To be honest, I was shocked and disappointed. Other cricket nations had been pilloried for ball-tampering – one country in particular – and now I was being told with absolute certainty that England had succumbed to doing the same. Winning at all costs was universal, it seemed, and I resented it. I thought of all those millions of ecstatic British supporters, including thousands new to Test match cricket, who genuinely believed that what they were watching was absolute skill and nothing more.

The name of England’s marathon Murray Mint chewer was also disclosed to me, and I found it hard to believe that he was involved, especially as he was someone I had admired as an exceptionally gifted batsman.

Though working as an investigative reporter for a Sunday tabloid at the time, I resisted the temptation to tip off my sports editor and reveal to him and the nation that England’s powerful left-hand opener – Marcus Trescothick of Somerset – was virtually licking the Aussies on his own.

Every England player, and presumably the entire management, would have known that a pocketful of mints was being used to try to change the course of the Ashes by changing the condition of the ball, and it was incredible that they all managed to keep it under wraps right through to the end without anyone letting the secret slip.

It was long after England’s triumphant Ashes series that Trescothick eventually confessed, in his candid autobiography Coming Back to Me, though it must surely have crossed his mind that a revelation of this magnitude might just help to sell a few extra books.

Opening up in his customary full-blooded manner, Trescothick admitted: ‘I was firmly established as the man in charge of looking after the ball when we were fielding. It was my job to keep the shine on the new ball for as long as possible with a bit of spit, and a lot of polish.

‘And through trial and error I finally settled on the type of spit for the task at hand. I had a go at Murray Mints and found they worked a treat. It was common knowledge in county cricket that certain sweets produced saliva which, when applied to the ball for cleaning purposes, enabled it to keep its shine for longer, and, therefore, its swing.’

Trescothick, seemingly fully supported by his captain Michael Vaughan and the rest of England’s management, was illegally altering the condition of the ball, and so breaching one of cricket’s strictest rules.

Law 42, Subsection 3, states categorically that any fielder may polish the ball, provided no artificial substance is used and such polishing does not waste time. Any fielder may also remove mud from the ball under supervision of an umpire, and any fielder may dry a wet ball with a towel.

But it is ‘unfair for anyone to rub the ball on the ground, interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball, use any implement, or take any other action whatsoever which is likely to alter the condition of the ball’. Law 42 further stresses that it is the responsibility of captains to ensure that play is conducted within the spirit and traditions of the game.

Umpires are expected to check regularly that the ball has not been scuffed with a fingernail or sharp object, and that illegal substances such as sugar from sweets, lip balm or hair gel have not been applied to it. Pace bowlers regularly use spit and sweat to help the ball swing. It is a legitimate method of polishing the ball, as is rubbing the ball hard against the thigh.

Players tamper with cricket balls specifically to achieve more favourable bowling conditions. In England’s case it was to enhance the shine for its four seam specialists – Flintoff, Jones, Harmison and Hoggard – and the experiment evidently played a substantial part in the ball swinging so violently. Flintoff captured 24 wickets in the series, followed by Jones (18) and Harmison (17).

Once Trescothick had let his explosive cat out of the bag, shocked Australian newspapers displayed headlines such as ‘England cheated to win Ashes’ and wrote that: ‘England’s ability to get the ball to reverse swing early in the Australian innings regularly led to the downfall of the top order. Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff regularly swung the ball inside the first 20 overs.’

As Trescothick had publicly confessed to sucking the sweets, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the game’s governing body, had to respond responsibly when challenged and could not brush the matter aside as simply gossip and rumour, even if it wanted to.

The ICC has acquired a disappointing reputation for keeping controversial issues as low key as possible, often to avoid potential conflict between cricket-playing nations, which is fantastic news for anyone thinking of breaking the rules and wondering what type of punishment he would get if caught. Maybe a rap on the knuckles, if he happened to be unlucky!

In Trescothick’s case, an ICC spokesman said: ‘According to the laws, this is illegal. But we won’t outlaw sucking sweets. It depends on the evidence and circumstances, so if something is brought to our attention it would be dealt with. But where do you stop, for example, if you try to stop everyone who is chewing gum?’ He promised that the matter would be investigated should it be ‘appropriate’.

As Trescothick, Vaughan, Flintoff, Hoggard and the rest of England’s belly-laughing squad did not think it wise to queue up to give evidence, yet another rule-breaker walked away without facing a single question.

In addition to scoring stacks of runs for Somerset, the aggressive Trescothick amassed 5,825 runs in 76 Test matches, and a further 4,335 runs in 123 One-day Internationals. He retired from international cricket in March 2008, but committed himself to continuing his career with Somerset, and captained them in 2010.

Australia won the opening Test of the 2005 series by 239 runs at Lord’s, with Kevin Pietersen on top form as England’s highest scorer in both innings, hitting 57 and 64 not out. Steve Harmison emerged as England’s best bowler, bagging 5-43 and 3-54, and cut Australian captain Ricky Ponting on the cheek with an absolute flyer. One memorable delivery from Matthew Hoggard swung between Matthew Hayden’s bat and pad and knocked back his off stump.

England’s hopes of quick revenge soared even before the start of the Second Test at Edgbaston when Australia’s legendary pace bowler Glenn McGrath tore ankle ligaments when accidentally standing on a cricket ball while playing rugby in the match warm-up.

Michael Kasprowicz was called in to replace McGrath, but he didn’t possess the star bowler’s guile or control, and England took full advantage by hammering 407 in the first innings, brilliantly led by Marcus Trescothick who clattered 90 runs, including nine boundaries off a lacklustre Brett Lee.

Australia responded well with 308, England then grafted to 182, and Australia were asked to score 282 for victory that would secure a two-match lead and a huge psychological advantage.

Despite a fusillade of short-pitched bowling from the fired-up Flintoff and Harmison, just two runs were needed for victory when last man Kasprowicz faced yet another vicious bouncer from Harmison, which he tried desperately to fend off. The ball flew down the leg side, and the athletic Geraint Jones flung himself towards it, held it, and appealed so loudly that he was probably heard in Birmingham city centre.

Umpire Billy Bowden, the flamboyant, gesticulating New Zealand official, had the unenviable responsibility of deciding whether Kasprowicz’s bat had touched the ball on its way through to Jones. The short, agonising wait for Bowden’s decision seemed to last many minutes. The tension grew and gripped. Finally he raised his crooked index finger, his unique trademark that all batsmen dread, and Kasprowicz was given out and England had scraped home by an incredible two runs in a breathtaking finish.

Even then, justice had not been done. Film footage suggested – and that is very much a euphemism – that Bowden, so rarely wrong, had slipped up this time and that the ball had struck Kasprowicz’s glove while it was not on the bat handle, making it technically not a legitimate catch. England’s two-run triumph was the narrowest in Ashes history.

The Third Test ended in a meaningless draw at Old Trafford, so it was now crucial for England’s management ‘think tank’ to mastermind a vital victory in the next battle at Trent Bridge beginning on 25 August. England were entering this Test at 1-1, and knowledgeable commentators were already predicting a ‘no result’ on the traditional Oval flat bed in the final encounter in early September. The reality was that, if England did not succeed at Trent Bridge, it was hugely likely that this pulsating series would end all-square, with Australia retaining the Ashes, and England having nothing to show for their exceptional skills.

Over the years, Trent Bridge pitches had acquired a reputation for greatly helping seam and swing bowlers, and Nottinghamshire county cricket club, which played there, had always taken full advantage by importing the best bowlers from all over the world to exploit these conditions, including New Zealand star Richard Hadlee and South Africa’s brilliant Clive Rice.

England had the perfect ‘swing’ quartet to make the Aussies dance! Surely there was no better anywhere in the world than Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones to get the right tune from this pitch. Not to mention Trescothick, the marathon mint-sucker, secretly licking his lips and ensuring that the ball retained a shine bright enough for captain Vaughan to comb his hair in.

Nothing would be left to chance. Every available means of winning this Test match had to be grasped if England were to earn the urn. Tactical discussions continued well into the eve of the first day’s play, with the ‘think tank’ plotting and planning every strategic move, including one that was to cause an ugly row between England’s coach Duncan Fletcher and Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting in full view of the shocked crowd, and the millions of viewers transfixed to television sets all round the world.

England welcomed a major boost when Glenn McGrath, potentially the best bowler in the world on a traditional Trent Bridge pitch, was again ruled out through injury, this time to his elbow. Australia dropped the out-of-form Jason Gillespie, leaving them with a seam attack of Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz and Shaun Tait, who was playing in his first Test.

Winning the toss, England elected to bat, and openers Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick raced to a 100 partnership before Strauss, on 35, swept Shane Warne onto his boot and Matthew Hayden took a straightforward catch in the slips. Lucky Trescothick escaped when bowled by a no-ball from Lee, and England went to lunch at 129-1.

Rain washed away all but 3.1 overs in the afternoon, and England immediately lost two wickets when they resumed after tea, with Tait exploiting heavy cloud cover to swing the ball and cause serious problems. Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen each survived a dropped catch, and were moving along smoothly when captain Ponting did the unthinkable and brought himself into the attack with gentle medium pacers.

But the brainwave worked and Ponting incredibly removed Vaughan for 58, and England ended the day on 229-4. Pietersen edged a Lee out-swinger to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist next morning, but Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones took England to 344-5 at lunch, so there was much to smile about over a full-blown salad and crisps. Trent Bridge apparently serves up exceedingly good food!

Evidently well nourished, Flintoff went on to complete his century before Tait trapped him lbw for 102. Geraint Jones continued undeterred and looked all over another centurion when Kasprowicz destroyed his ambition on 85, taking a comfortable return catch. England’s innings ended on 447 at tea, boosted by a stubborn last-wicket partnership of 23 between Hoggard and Simon Jones.

Now the real testing time had arrived. How much serious swing could England’s dynamic quartet find to destroy the Australia top batsmen? Hoggard soon provided the answer. He was devastating. How he managed to achieve so much more swing than any of those highly rated Australian bowlers was a magical mystery. Surely sucker Trescothick was not making such a mammoth difference so quickly?

Australia’s best batsmen found him embarrassingly unplayable, and three wickets fell in 11 balls as Ponting’s baffled top order found themselves in disarray at 99-5 at the close of the second day. Next morning Simon Katich and Adam Gilchrist decided that attack was the only way to emerge from their deep hole and progress, and they had added 58 in 8.5 overs when England burst into life and grabbed four wickets for a measly 18 runs, leaving Australia quivering on 175-9.

Simon Jones was now literally in full swing. He removed Katich and Warne in successive balls, and then bowled Kasprowicz. But Lee remained unperturbed and clouted 47 in 44 balls, including three colossal sixes, to lift Australia to 218 before he was caught to give the devastating Jones his fifth wicket of the innings.

Australia trailed by 259 runs, and Vaughan promptly asked them to bat again. It was the first time that Australia had followed on in 17 years. Little went right for England as Australia strove to bring some crucially needed authority and composure to their second innings. Strauss dropped Justin Langer on 38, Geraint Jones missed a stumping chance, and the dynamic Simon Jones left the field and was taken to hospital for a scan on an ankle injury.

Yet all these troubles were soon completely and dramatically eclipsed by a furious public confrontation rarely seen on a village green let alone in the middle of a key Test match during an Ashes series.

It had become apparent that the England ‘think tank’ had devised a shrewd way of improving their all-round fielding skills, which meant taking players off at regular intervals and replacing them with far more athletic, and fresh, substitutes. It seemed, too, that pace bowlers in particular were being rotated for rest periods, and that the unflattering cliché ‘win at all costs’ had sprung to mind again.

By now, many highly respected commentators were voicing strong disapproval of fielders being switched so frequently, and the more critical even accused England of not playing in the spirit of the game. Trescothick’s mints were plainly not enough to secure victory, and England unashamedly sent the practically unknown Gary Pratt onto the field as their latest tactical substitute.

Pratt was not England’s official 12th man, and he had never been considered good enough even to figure in their international squad at any time. In truth, he was a promising young batsman, learning his trade with Durham in the first-class championship, and was light years away from being a Test match candidate.

Hardly anyone among the crowd packed into Trent Bridge that day had heard of him, and questions buzzed around the ground, like ‘Who is he?’ and ‘What’s he doing here?’ In a short time they would find out… and witness one of the most dramatic and bitter moments in world cricket.

At the Durham club, colleagues and fans knew all about the mercurial Gary Pratt, whom they rated as one of the best fielders in championship cricket, and they praised his speed, agility, and a throw that was fast as lightning and straight as an arrow.

Pratt incensed the Australians when he sprinted out as another weary bowler trudged off, though it was ironic that when the proverbial bomb exploded, he was genuinely on the field for Simon Jones, who was in an ambulance heading to the local hospital for tests and treatment.

It all took off when batsman Damien Martyn prodded the ball into the covers and called Ponting for a quick single. Ponting is world renowned for being one of the sharpest batsmen between the wickets, and he and Martyn had played together often enough to know each other’s running capabilities.

Maybe in most cases the single would have been achieved. But this time the ball was heading to the nimble Pratt, who swooped and threw in one amazingly swift move. The ball smashed into the stumps before Ponting, sprinting at his fastest, could reach the crease and ground his bat. In the context of the match it was a gigantic wicket for England, as Ponting looked secure and in fine form and ready to steer Australia to safety, and ultimately to retaining the Ashes.

Pratt was an instant hero. Some presumptive optimists were hailing him as the man who had won the Ashes for England, even though there were still two days left of this Test, and The Oval game still to come.

All eyes were on Ponting as he stormed off. He was blatantly livid, though not with himself or with his partner Martyn, but with the England ‘think tank’ for using the quicksilver Pratt as a specialist substitute. Ponting deliberately looked towards the England dressing room as he charged up the pavilion steps and launched a ferocious verbal attack in the direction of coach Duncan Fletcher. At close of play, Australia were still 37 adrift but had six wickets in hand.

Ponting’s tirade inevitably took the focus away from the actual match situation, and later in the evening he released a statement to apologise for his conduct, saying: ‘I was disappointed with my dismissal, given that it was at a crucial stage of the game and I’d worked hard to get to that position. I let myself down with my reaction, and for that I apologise to those who see me as a role model. My frustration at getting out was compounded by the fact that I was run out by a substitute fielder, an issue that has concerned us, and one we raised before the series.’

Fletcher, who was on the dressing-room balcony when Ponting was dismissed, said: ‘I don’t know what he said. I haven’t spoken to my players about it, but there’s always some sort of chat out there. I don’t say “Hold on, what are you talking to the Aussies about?” I saw him [Ponting] mumble about something, but I don’t know what he said.’

Referring to England’s use of substitutes, Fletcher said: ‘What we try to do is… every game we go to a county which doesn’t have a county game, and say “Can you supply your best fielders to us?” Australia brought it up with the match referee during the One-day series, but nothing has been said. It’s part of the series. There’s a lot of pressure. Things are getting tight. It’s about who can handle the pressure.’

Both Ponting and Fletcher were eager to get back to the match. Extreme pressure was building on both sides and day four began with Clarke and Katich circumspectly taking Australia into the lead. Patience was essential if England were to regain command, and when Hoggard took Michael Clarke’s wicket before lunch, and Gilchrist’s straight after it, there were jubilant smiles all round.

Australia continued to lose wickets in rapid succession. Only Warne showed any diligent resistance, and when he went for a hard-worked 45, the end was in sight. A modest 129 was England’s target for victory. Trescothick began with typical enterprise, bludgeoning 27 runs from 22 deliveries. The Australian attack was being made to look woefully tame and ordinary.

Then, crash! England lost three wickets in a flash. Warne dismissed Trescothick (27), Vaughan for a duck, and Strauss (23), and Lee sent back Ian Bell (3). England were rocking at 57-4. The victory dream was suddenly a nightmare.

Ironically, the demand for a cool head fell on Andrew Flintoff (26) and Kevin Pietersen (23), two of the game’s most aggressive batsmen who hardly knew the meaning of patience and calmness. On this occasion they performed with maximum care and responsibility, and added an invaluable 46 together before Lee dismissed them both.

Warne then removed Geraint Jones (3), before the unlikely lads Ashley Giles (7 not out) and Hoggard (8 not out) edged England to a three wicket win and a 2-1 Ashes lead. All those who still had nails to chew, and there couldn’t have been many, anxiously waited for the final Test to begin at The Oval on 8 September.

Vaughan won the toss for the third time in the series and chose to bat, and England went to lunch at 115-3. The first day belonged exclusively to opener Strauss, who struck 129 for his second century of the series.

England were 319-7 at close of play and partisan weather-watchers were excitedly predicting heavy showers for London over the next few days, and very much hoping that they would be torrential to make it impossible for the match to continue. Giles and Harmison frustrated the Australians in the early stages of the second day before England were dismissed for 373.

Langer and Hayden responded confidently with a century partnership and surprisingly walked off immediately after tea when offered the light, even though England had decided to bring gentle Giles into the attack. The light never improved and drizzle drifted across the ground, so the Australians retreated to their hotel for the night on 112-0, still a hefty 261 runs in arrears.

Wet ground conditions limited play to just 14 overs before lunch next morning; Langer and Hayden added 45 runs, with each surviving a confident lbw appeal. Langer had just reached his 22nd Test century when Harmison finally broke the partnership, but Hayden continued to bat resolutely and he, too, completed his hundred.

Fiery Flintoff then nudged himself into the record books. Strauss caught Ponting at slip, so Flintoff had equalled Ian Botham’s 300 runs and 20 wickets in an Ashes series. Only 45.4 overs were possible during the day, and Australia again took advantage of a bad light offer and left the field early with eight wickets intact, and 96 runs behind.

Australia had reduced the deficit to 17 runs by lunch on the fourth day and were finally dismissed for 367 in mid-afternoon, still six runs short of England’s first innings score. Flintoff finished with five wickets, and Hoggard four. England had built a 40-run lead for the loss of Strauss before bad light again ended play prematurely.

Tension was high on the last morning of the series. England surely could not let the precious urn slip through their fingers at this late stage. For 40 minutes Vaughan was bold and brave and in complete command. But no one is ever really set against McGrath, a truly great medium-pace bowler, and right on time he produced two magnificent out-swingers to send back Vaughan and Bell with consecutive deliveries.

England stuttered to 133-5 at lunch and Australia were clearly scenting victory, with cricket’s most menacing duo, McGrath and Warne, already sharing four of the five wickets to fall and looking deadly dangerous.

Everything was set up for a titanic finish. Pietersen had his ‘I’m a responsible batsman’ helmet on, and evidently a rabbit’s foot, a four-leaf clover and a lump of coal tucked in his trouser pocket. How else could Australian fielders, famed for having the safest hands in world cricket, drop him three times in one session?

Of course, Pietersen said ‘thanks’ in the most effective way by tip-toeing through the minefield to his maiden Test century before he was dismissed for a memorable 158 that included 15 fours and seven sixes. Giles stubbornly stumbled to 59, and Australia were left with around 19 overs to score 341 runs – rather like trying to climb Everest in bedroom slippers. Impossible.

The situation became even more absurd when the Aussie openers almost immediately accepted the offer of bad light and walked off. Restless spectators called for umpires Koertzen and Bowden to remove the bails and pull up the stumps to declare the match over, and to end a magical series that had captivated the country and had given Test cricket an unprecedented boost.

At precisely 6.17pm the umpires laid the stumps to rest. The match was a draw and England had won the series 2-1. Those priceless, mythical Ashes were back in Britain. It was time to celebrate. For the record, Australia scored just four leg byes in their second innings, making it the only innings in Test history in which every run was an extra. Australia’s coach John Buchanan had the honour of selecting England’s player of the series and chose Andrew Flintoff, while England’s coach Duncan Fletcher named Shane Warne as his top Australian.

England’s ecstatic entourage barely had time to open the champagne before a message arrived from the Queen: ‘My warmest congratulations to you for the magnificent achievement of regaining the Ashes. Both sides can take credit for giving us all such a wonderfully exciting summer of cricket at its best.’

Similar congratulatory messages poured in from political leaders, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said: ‘By bringing the Ashes back after so long you have given cricket a huge boost and lit up the summer.’ Michael Howard showered equal praise for the Conservatives, and Charles Kennedy for the Liberal Democrats.

Even in defeat, Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard did not want to be left out, and considered the Ashes so important that he broke away from a United Nations summit in New York to say: ‘There’s natural disappointment, but it’s a situation where you give credit to the team that won.’

Euphoria swept the nation and tens of thousands of people lined the streets of London on 13 September to cheer the proud England squad and its backroom staff as they waved joyously from an open-top bus that took 90 minutes to crawl from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square, where the crowd suddenly burst into a proud rendering of ‘Jerusalem’. Close behind was another open-top bus carrying England’s equally thrilled women cricketers, who had also beaten the Aussies to complete a colossal double.

Gary Pratt, the dynamic run-out specialist, was spotted among the England players, which clearly showed how much Vaughan and his team-mates valued his controversial dismissal of Ponting that essentially helped to win that Test match, and ultimately the whole series.

Pratt said very little at the time, but four years later – and after being dumped by Durham – he finally broke his silence and said: ‘In a way what happened [in the Test match] hampered my career. All of a sudden I was renowned for my fielding, even though I felt I offered a lot more than that.

‘I had averaged 35 in One-day games for Durham, but that piece of fielding went against me because suddenly clubs didn’t look at me as a middle-order batsman. They saw me as a fielder who had done something in the Ashes. It was disappointing.

‘I was more renowned as 12th man than even someone like Paul Collingwood, who played at The Oval, but isn’t really associated with that Ashes win. That run-out was just one of those things where everything clicked. It’s still a bit of a blur. I know it was a turning point in one of the greatest series of all time. I sat down with Ponting after the game. He was great. There were no hard feelings. I even got him to sign a photo of us, and he gave me a couple of pairs of his boots and a shirt.’

Ponting inevitably managed a wry smile in July 2008 when the ICC announced: ‘Substitute fielders shall only be permitted in cases of injury, illness, or other wholly acceptable reasons. Wholly acceptable reasons should be limited to extreme circumstances, and should not include what is commonly referred to as a “comfort break”.’

So England’s highly successful ‘revolving door’ strategy was finally officially closed. Yet, curiously, there was no mention of the mints that had indisputably helped to change the condition of the ball, and which many genuine cricket followers considered to be cheating at its worst.

Once Trescothick had retired from international cricket, England’s search for a discreet ‘sucker’ became a confidential priority, but no one, it seemed, had been appointed up to the end of England’s triumphant 2010/11 Ashes series in Australia, where there was no sign of a player slipping something furtively into his mouth and then polishing the ball furiously to enhance the shine.

In some ways ‘spot the sucker’ could be the perfect panacea for drowsy spectators to stay awake in dull moments of Test cricket. But if all Test matches are as riveting as the 2005 series, there never will be a dull moment, and that would be tremendous for the game.