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20 years on: Did famous Kasprowicz moment “save Test cricket”
SEN • November 8th, 2025 8:53 pm
Former Australian bowler Michael Kasprowicz was the key figure of perhaps the most famous Ashes moment this century.
The Aussies, who had dominated England for two decades, headed to Birmingham for the second Test of the 2005 series up 1-0, and it looked like they were on track for another dominant series victory over the English.
But as Kasprowicz strode out to the crease with the Aussies still needing 62 to win with just one wicket in hand, it appeared certain England would tie the series 1-1.
But once Kasprowicz and Brett Lee got together in the middle, the Aussies rallied with the duo taking the chase to the death.
The Aussies needed just three runs to win, and England needed one wicket as Steve Harmison ran into bowl to Kasprowicz, who was on 20 from 30 deliveries.
Then it happened... a bouncer took the Queenslander’s glove on the way to the keeper and umpire Billy Bowden gave it out. The series was tied 1-1 and the English would ultimately go onto win 2-1 in what many consider the greatest Ashes ever.
But really… Kasprowicz should never have been given out as his glove was off his bat when the ball brushed it.
Looking back on that moment, Kasprowicz is certain it wasn’t out and that Australia could have then got the three extra runs, but as a bowler, he can understand why the finger was raised.
“Binga (Brett Lee) cracked one through the covers and I think on TV I heard people say they thought that was it, but I went straight to Kevin Pietersen on the boundary, and it brought me on strike,” Kasprowicz explained on SEN Sportsday.
“Then two balls later and I copped a short ball from Harmison, I didn’t duck it and sort of played it standing up and it flicked my right hand now.
“My right hand was actually off the bat at the time, so it shouldn’t have been out.
“But I would have been really disappointed if I was a bowler and he gave that not out, so, it was a tough decision.”
While the match was an instant classic, Kasprowicz had no idea at the time how big of a victory that would end up being for England.
With the 2005 Ashes still spoken about and that perhaps being its biggest moment, he looked back on the moment which one punter told him ‘saved Test cricket’.
“No, not at all,” Kasprowicz said.
“I was in India recently and a guy came up to me, and he said, ‘Pleased to meet you. Thank you for saving Test cricket’.
“I said, ‘You're welcome, but what do you mean, mate?’.
“He said, ‘Well if you and Brett Lee scored those runs, you would have been 2-0 up in the series and Australia would have gone and won the series and Test cricket would be dead.
“So, I actually, I joked with him…. You’ve got to give back to the game what the game gives you.
“All the England players all got MBEs, I think the junior participation numbers went up by 20 or 30 per cent in both countries.
“DVDs called The Greatest Test was sold, and do you know what happened to me? I got dropped. There you go (laughs).”
