Memorable Ashes finales at the Oval

London: The Oval, traditional venue for the final Test of the English summer, stages the latest Ashes clash between England and Australia starting on Thursday.

With the series tied 1-1, England need to win the fifth Test to regain the Ashes.

* 2005. A series generally acclaimed as the greatest ever ended on a suitably dramatic note when Kevin Pietersen scored an audacious 158 to ensure the draw England needed to win the Ashes back after 16 years.

Shane Warne threatened to win the match for Australia with a commanding display of wrist spin. Andrew Flintoff responded with a mature 72 in England`s first innings and a magnificent spell of fast bowling to swing the match back to his side.

* 2001. Australia captain Steve Waugh and his twin brother Mark scored centuries to head another assured victory by one of the handful of great sides to grace the world stage. Warne took seven wickets in England`s second innings to clinch the Australian innings win.

* 1985. David Gower and Graham Gooch, with contrasting methods but equal effect, plundered the Australian attack on a sun-drenched day. England won by an innings to regain the Ashes.

* 1972. Brothers Ian and Greg Chappell scored centuries and Dennis Lillee bowled with tremendous speed to take five wickets in each innings. Australia squared the series against a strong England side and a new era in Ashes history began.

* 1968. Spectators volunteered to help clear water from the outfield after a thunderstorm soaked the ground, enabling Derek Underwood to bowl England to a series-levelling victory. South African-born mixed race batsman Basil D`Oliveira scored 158 in England`s first innings and his subsequent omission from the side to tour the land of his birth sparked the international boycott of the white-ruled republic.

* 1953. Len Hutton, England`s first professional captain, scored 82 as England won back the Ashes for the first time since World War Two.

* 1948. Don Bradman, needing four runs for a lifetime Test average of 100, was bowled second ball by Eric Hollies for a duck. Australia still won by an innings and 149 runs and Bradman`s side did not lose a game in his final tour.

* 1938. Hutton scored a world record 364 in England`s 903 for seven. England, with Bradman unable to bat after fracturing an ankle while bowling, won by an innings and 579 runs.

* 1926. Jack Hobbs scored his final Test century at his home ground and England won to regain the Ashes after four draws.

Bureau Report