Sydney, July 21: Anything is possible for England now. The victory against Australia yesterday, which has given them a 1-0 lead in the Ashes, a risible prospect a week ago, has converted a summer of mild hope to one of rampant optimism.
If there are reasons to be cautious, not least because their two most illustrious players are both being debilitated by injury, the 115-run defeat of Australia in the second Test was clinical in its execution and stunning in its conclusion. The fifth and final morning at Lord’s belonged to Andrew Flintoff.
In 10 overs of raw pace and hostility allied to perfect length and direction he defied the pain from his right knee and drove England onward to triumph at a ground where they had not prevailed against Australia for 75 years. The occasion was made for Flintoff, who will retire from Test cricket at the end of the series and, if it was not certain before, it is now inevitable that his farewell tour of the country in this series will be accompanied by attention approaching hysteria.
–Agencies