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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘The Australians said this was a different team, like a pack of wolves coming in for the kill' : 2005 Ashes hero Simon Jones on historic win
It has been 20 years since the start of the 2005 Ashes series between arch rivals England and Australia, where the Michael Vaughan led England team scripted a 2-1 Ashes to create history. It was England's first Ashes win since 1987 after eight Ashes losses against Australia. Former England bowler Simon Jones, who took 18 wickets in three Tests in the series before being injured, has now recalled how the members at Lord's encouraged the English side to take down the Australian team prior to the opening Test apart from Australians terming the England team as 'pack of wolves coming for the kill' during the first Test at Lord's. 'When we went through that Long Room, and we walked down the stairs and through the pavilion, it erupted. I remember Kev (Kevin Pietersen) turning around and saying to me: 'What is going on here?' It almost shocked us really. Normally it is all the members and they are a bit subdued. A bit staid. A bit posh. But people were saying 'take these down' and we were all like, 'OK, here we go'. When Steve Harmison hit Ponting (in the first innings of Lord's Test), which never happens by the way, nobody went to check on him. The Australians said this was a different team, like a pack of wolves coming in for the kill. And it was. We wanted to take them down,' recalled Jones while speaking with BBC Sport. England had lost the opening Test at Lord's by 239 runs before Andrew Flintoff's heroic act at Edgbaston saw the England team winning the Test by two runs. The Edgbaston Test, which is also remembered for Flintoff consoling Australian non-striker Brett Lee after Steve Harminon dismissed Michael Kasprowicz, was also Jones' second Ashes Test. Jones would pick up three wickets in the second test, an identical haul during the Lord's Test, before the then 27-year-old bowler picked up seven wickets in the third Test at Manchester including a six-wicket haul in the first innings. 🏴 HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY! 🏴 1️⃣8️⃣ reasons to love Simon Jones ❤️#EnglandCricket — England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 1, 2024 With the Manchester test being drawn, it was Jones' dismissal of Michale Clarke with an inswinging delivery, which is the most remembered of the 18 Ashes wickets taken by Jones in his career. Jones talked about the sound of uprooting the off-stump of Clarke being the 'best noise in cricket'. 'It sounds like music. It's the best noise in cricket. People want the noise that stumps made as their ringtone and stuff. I love the fact that people are still playing it now. It's been a long time. But people still think it's one of the best balls that has ever been bowled, so it's a really proud moment,' Jones would say about the Clarke delivery. The fourth Test at Nottingham, where Jones would take his second five-wicket haul of his Ashes career in the first innings, would see the pacer being injured due to an ankle injury and bowling only four overs during Australia's second innings. England would win the Test by three wickets, which would also happen to Jones' last Test match in England colours. Jones talked about how he cherishes the fourth Test and the special win for England followed by the 2-1 series win for England with a draw in the last test at The Oval. 'At the time, I didn't realise that would be my last Test for England. It was like going from the penthouse to the outhouse. I had the best summer of my life in an England shirt and then to never play again… but I'm a big believer in what will be, will be. It's better to have experienced it. Would you rather play 100 Tests and not have 2005, or would you rather play the 18 you played and have 2005? It would be the 18 Tests with 2005 included every day of the week. It didn't get better than that,' recalled Jones.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'We felt like Premier League footballers' - Jones relives 2005 Ashes
"We felt like Premier League footballers. There was a massive crowd and they had turned away 10,000 people. It was obscene the amount of people who wanted to come and watch. "It was like, 'wow this is something to behold'. I don't think it'll ever happen again." It may be 20 years since arguably the most iconic Test series in Ashes history, but former England bowler Simon Jones can still see every moment in his mind's eye. Jones' 20-20 vision is hardly surprising given the bigger picture: 2005 was England's first Ashes series win since 1987. It not only ended an 18-year, eight-series losing run but it was an endless cricketing summer that flipped the Ashes narrative. England teams since that summer have stored that storied series in their psyche somewhere. They enter with a belief that victory is an option again. Jones' story mirrors that big-picture narrative. The 2005 series – relived in a BBC Sport documentary on iPlayer – was the zenith of a career cruelly cut short by injury. Jones took 18 wickets, including a career-best 6-53 at Trent Bridge, despite, appropriately perhaps, only playing three and a half Tests because of an ankle injury. Despite that setback, the former Glamorgan fast bowler remembers the summer as a once-in-a-lifetime blur of front and back-page news and Downing Street garden parties. It all began at a febrile Lord's that was more stag party than traditional tea party. The home of cricket is known for its serenity. Popping champagne corks rather than popping off. But as Jones remembers, 2005 felt different, even before a ball was bowled. "When we went through that Long Room, and we walked down the stairs and through the pavilion, it erupted," he says. "I remember Kev [Kevin Pietersen] turning around and saying to me: 'What is going on here?' "It almost shocked us really. Normally it is all the members and they are a bit subdued. A bit staid. A bit posh. "But people were saying 'take these down' and we were all like, 'OK, here we go'." Listen - Simon Jones: The 2005 Ashes and me England rocked the Aussies early on - literally and figuratively. Ricky Ponting was hit in the grille in a first innings during which they were dismissed for 190 - but a Glenn McGrath-inspired Australia went on to win that Test comfortably by 239 runs. "When Steve Harmison hit Ponting, which never happens by the way, nobody went to check on him," Jones says. "The Australians said this was a different team, like a pack of wolves coming in for the kill. "And it was. We wanted to take them down." If 2005 was one of the most iconic series of all times, the second Test at Edgbaston has gone down as one of the best individual matches of any series. Andrew Flintoff was at his imperious best with bat - making 68 and 73 - and ball, claiming seven wickets including an iconic second-innings over during which he dismissed Justin Langer and Ponting. His act of sportsmanship - commiserating with Australia batter Brett Lee when England had scraped to a two-run victory, after Harmison dismissed Michael Kasprowicz - is an image that is etched into Ashes history. Etched into Jones' memory is how Harmison's final wicket saved him from "getting his P45" having feared he'd "dropped the Ashes" when he spilled Kasprowicz on the boundary earlier in the day. Jones' days in the sun were to come in the third and fourth Tests. England was in full Ashes fever by the third Test at Old Trafford - Jones' tale about 10,000 fans being turned away refers to the final day at Manchester. If 2005 was the zenith of Jones' career overall, his second-innings dismissal of Michael Clarke was the crowning moment. Clarke looked well set on 39 until Jones, having lured the Australian with outswingers on repeat, delivered the perfect inswinger. It's a delivery that has gone down in folklore - both for the iconic sound of off stump being upended, but also for the stump mic recording of Clarke's painful "oh no" realisation there was nothing he could do to reverse-engineer Jones' perfect reverse-swing ruse. England didn't win that Old Trafford Test but Clarke's dismissal, and a backs-to-the-wall Australia being forced to bat out for a draw, illustrated a turning of the tide. "It sounds like music," Jones says of the Clarke delivery. "It's the best noise in cricket. People want the noise that stump made as their ringtone and stuff. I love the fact that people are still playing it now. It's a long time. But people still think it's one of the best balls that has ever been bowled, so it's a really proud moment." England and Jones' 2005 stories have a lot of common ground. But there is one key, painful error where they diverge. While England have used that series as the springboard to write a number of famous Ashes victory stories in the 20 years since, for Jones it was a full stop. The Glamorgan fast bowler was injured in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge and never played for his country again. It's a fact that could leave Jones bitter - but it is quite the opposite. There is a touch of the Tennyson - "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" - to Jones when asked if he'd have given up that endless 2005 Ashes summer for a more elongated Test career. "At the time, I didn't realise that would be my last Test for England," said Jones, who played 18 Tests for England. "It was like going from the penthouse to the outhouse. "I had the best summer of my life in an England shirt and then to never play again… but I'm a big believer in what will be, will be. It's better to have experienced it. Would you rather play 100 Tests and not have 2005, or would you rather play the 18 you played and have 2005? "It would be the 18 Tests with 2005 included every day of the week. "It didn't get better than that." Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'We felt like Premier League footballers' - Jones relives 2005 Ashes
"We felt like Premier League footballers. There was a massive crowd and they had turned away 10,000 people. It was obscene the amount of people who wanted to come and watch."It was like, 'wow this is something to behold'. I don't think it'll ever happen again."It may be 20 years since arguably the most iconic Test series in Ashes history, but former England bowler Simon Jones can still see every moment in his mind's 20-20 vision is hardly surprising given the bigger picture: 2005 was England's first Ashes series win since 1987. It not only ended an 18-year, eight-series losing run but it was an endless cricketing summer that flipped the Ashes teams since that summer have stored that storied series in their psyche somewhere. They enter with a belief that victory is an option story mirrors that big-picture 2005 series – relived in a BBC Sport documentary on iPlayer – was the zenith of a career cruelly cut short by took 18 wickets, including a career-best 6-53 at Trent Bridge, despite, appropriately perhaps, only playing three and a half Tests because of an ankle that setback, the former Glamorgan fast bowler remembers the summer as a once-in-a-lifetime blur of front and back-page news and Downing Street garden all began at a febrile Lord's that was more stag party than traditional tea home of cricket is known for its serenity. Popping champagne corks rather than popping as Jones remembers, 2005 felt different, even before a ball was bowled."When we went through that Long Room, and we walked down the stairs and through the pavilion, it erupted," he says."I remember Kev [Kevin Pietersen] turning around and saying to me: 'What is going on here?'"It almost shocked us really. Normally it is all the members and they are a bit subdued. A bit staid. A bit posh."But people were saying 'take these down' and we were all like, 'OK, here we go'." England rocked the Aussies early on - literally and figuratively. Ricky Ponting was hit in the grille in a first innings during which they were dismissed for 190 - but a Glenn McGrath-inspired Australia went on to win that Test comfortably by 239 runs."When Steve Harmison hit Ponting, which never happens by the way, nobody went to check on him," Jones says."The Australians said this was a different team, like a pack of wolves coming in for the kill."And it was. We wanted to take them down."If 2005 was one of the most iconic series of all times, the second Test at Edgbaston has gone down as one of the best individual matches of any Flintoff was at his imperious best with bat - making 68 and 73 - and ball, claiming seven wickets including an iconic second-innings over during which he dismissed Justin Langer and Ponting. His act of sportsmanship - commiserating with Australia batter Brett Lee when England had scraped to a two-run victory, after Harmison dismissed Michael Kasprowicz - is an image that is etched into Ashes into Jones' memory is how Harmison's final wicket saved him from "getting his P45" having feared he'd "dropped the Ashes" when he spilled Kasprowicz on the boundary earlier in the day. Jones' days in the sun were to come in the third and fourth Tests. England was in full Ashes fever by the third Test at Old Trafford - Jones' tale about 10,000 fans being turned away refers to the final day at 2005 was the zenith of Jones' career overall, his second-innings dismissal of Michael Clarke was the crowning looked well set on 39 until Jones, having lured the Australian with outswingers on repeat, delivered the perfect a delivery that has gone down in folklore - both for the iconic sound of off stump being upended, but also for the stump mic recording of Clarke's painful "oh no" realisation there was nothing he could do to reverse-engineer Jones' perfect reverse-swing didn't win that Old Trafford Test but Clarke's dismissal, and a backs-to-the-wall Australia being forced to bat out for a draw, illustrated a turning of the tide. "It sounds like music," Jones says of the Clarke delivery."It's the best noise in cricket. People want the noise that stump made as their ringtone and stuff. I love the fact that people are still playing it now. It's a long time. But people still think it's one of the best balls that has ever been bowled, so it's a really proud moment." England and Jones' 2005 stories have a lot of common there is one key, painful error where they England have used that series as the springboard to write a number of famous Ashes victory stories in the 20 years since, for Jones it was a full Glamorgan fast bowler was injured in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge and never played for his country a fact that could leave Jones bitter - but it is quite the is a touch of the Tennyson - "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" - to Jones when asked if he'd have given up that endless 2005 Ashes summer for a more elongated Test career."At the time, I didn't realise that would be my last Test for England," said Jones, who played 18 Tests for England."It was like going from the penthouse to the outhouse."I had the best summer of my life in an England shirt and then to never play again… but I'm a big believer in what will be, will be. It's better to have experienced it. Would you rather play 100 Tests and not have 2005, or would you rather play the 18 you played and have 2005?"It would be the 18 Tests with 2005 included every day of the week."It didn't get better than that."
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Operation Brock to be deployed on M20 near Dover
A traffic-holding system for lorries queueing to cross the English Channel is to be Brock will see lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, with the other carriageway operating as a contraflow between junctions 8 and barrier will be deployed overnight, meaning the contraflow will be in place from Thursday, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) KMRF said the system minimised congestion and that its work to find a permanent solution was ongoing. A formal review of whether the barrier needs to stay will take place in the first week of from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel showed high volumes of passenger traffic was expected every weekend of strategic lead for border disruption, Simon Jones, said: "The decision to put the Op Brock barrier out is made to keep disruption for Kent residents to a minimum and always led by on the number of passenger and freight crossings expected at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel."Our work with central government to identify a better traffic management solution will continue, alongside our around-the-clock traffic monitoring so everyone can get to where they need to be safely this summer."The decision to use Operation Brock is made collectively by the KMRF, a partnership of agencies including Kent Police, Kent County Council and National Highways.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Operation Brock deployed 'at last possible moment'
A traffic system for lorries queueing to cross the English Channel will be put in place as close to the busy period as possible to minimise disruption for residents, organisers have Operation Brock contraflow barrier will be rolled out on the M20 between junctions eight and nine overnight on 16 July, coming into force the following Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) said the system minimises congestion and that its work to find a permanent solution is residents have said it blocks "key routes" and is too expensive, costing between £100,000 and £250,000 each time. The KMRF said data from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel showed high passenger numbers were expected every weekend in July, but that it would review if the barrier needs to stay in place in the first week of Jones, the KMRF's strategic lead for border disruption, said: "The decision to put the barrier out is made to keep disruption for Kent residents to a minimum and always led by the number of passenger and freight crossings expected at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel."Our work with central government to identify a better traffic management solution will continue, alongside our around-the-clock traffic monitoring so everyone can get to where they need to be safely this summer."A BBC Freedom of Information request to National Highways revealed Operation Brock cost more than £2.7m to roll out across 10 occasions between 2019, when it was first introduced, and Robin Burkhardt, who used to run an antique shop on Snargate Street, Dover, said in May that heavy port traffic "destroyed his business"."We had to close up last December because everyone ended up staying away from the area - it caused the town to suffer," he Christine Mitchell, who lives along the M20, said when Operation Brock was in place there was disruption on the roads and lorries were "thundering through" residential said: "I think it's an absolutely disgusting waste of money and quite honestly a sledgehammer to crack a nut."The KMRF said that until the government finds a permanent solution, Operation Brock is the only option available.
