Ashes Regained: The Coach's Story: Amazon.co.uk: Duncan Fletcher: Books

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The 2005 Ashes series was the most eagerly anticipated for decades. Not since 1987 had the famous urn left the hands of the all-conquering Australians, but with that great team now showing some signs of age and with England in the ascendant after a string of Test successes, hopes were high that the balance of power in world cricket would at last shift. The series did not disappoint. From the rip-roaring first day at Lord's, with seventeen wickets falling, it was clear we were in for something special. Although the visitors went on to win that match, England bounced back with a spectacular win at Edgbaston, and further nail-biting finishes followed at Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and The Oval. In the furnace of these epic encounters heroes were forged: Flintoff, the once-raw all-rounder who established himself as one of the world's greats; Vaughan, whose captaincy was sure-footed even when runs were scarce; Pietersen, who ended up as England's top scorer and whose 158 at The Oval steered England to victory; and for Australia Shane Warne and Brett Lee were magnificent with both ball and bat, often putting their colleagues higher up the order to shame. In this sparkling account of an amazing summer, England's coach Duncan Fletcher reveals the strategies, the stresses and successes of one of the greatest series in the history of the game.

From the Inside Flap

The biggest sporting story of 2005 represented a personal triumph for one of the most private yet effective people in British sport. As coach of the England cricket team since 1999, Duncan Fletcher has overseen a renaissance in the fortunes not just of the team but of the sport itself, culminating in England’s brilliant victory over Australia in the 2005 Ashes.

Widely acclaimed as the greatest Test series in the history of the game, this five-match contest thrilled the nation with its rollercoaster swings of fortune and nailbiting finishes, as England came back from losing the first match at Lord’s to take the series 2–1 and regain the famous urn for the first time since 1985. In the furnace of these epic encounters heroes were forged: Andrew Flintoff, the once-raw all-rounder who established himself as one of the world’s greats; Michael Vaughan, whose captaincy was surefooted even when runs were scarce; Kevin Pietersen, who ended up as the series’ top scorer and whose 158 at The Oval steered England to victory; and for Australia Shane Warne and Brett Lee were magnificent with both ball and bat, often putting their colleagues higher up the order to shame.

But behind England’s success lay hard work and subtle strategy, as Fletcher and his staff analysed minutely the strengths and weaknesses of this great Australian side and worked out how to target individual batsmen. Bowlers’ line, length and speed all combined with highly specific field placings to create the most propitious circumstances for taking wickets, and hours of practice in the nets against a spin-bowling machine helped prepare England’s batsmen for the rigours of facing Warne.

In Ashes Regained Duncan Fletcher reveals the coach’s story of England’s amazing summer – not just a unique dressing-room view of the stresses and successes of the series, but a fascinating insight into Fletcher’s character. Forthright and candid, and with full statistical appendices, Ashes Regained is a sparkling souvenir of a spellbinding summer of cricket.

£12.99

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