Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 24 runs, to succumb to a narrow defeat in Abu Dhabi
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2018New Zealand beat Pakistan by 4 runs
Abu Dhabi, November 2018At lunch on day four, Pakistan looked like they would cruise to a win in Abu Dhabi. They needed 46 runs and had six wickets in hand, with Azhar Ali, their No.3, well set. That quickly became 29 to win after the break, but then a run-out started a collapse. Debutant Ajaz Patel struck twice with his left-arm spin, the second wicket coming after No.8 Bilal Asif attempted a hare-brained slog sweep and missed. Neil Wagner, New Zealand’s man for crunch moments, took wicket No.8 before Patel struck again. Azhar Ali was left 12 runs to get with the No.11. He battled for seven and a half overs, farming the strike, scoring singles late in overs, and brought the equation down to five to win. Then, Patel capped a memorable game with his fifth wicket of the innings. He trapped Azhar in front with a beautiful delivery that drifted into the pads, and then turned, beating the edge and hitting the pad in front of off stump. The Test had been a low-scoring one. New Zealand were bowled out for 153, then fought back to dismiss Pakistan for 227. Half-centuries by Henry Nicholls and BJ Watling ensured New Zealand had something to bowl at and it proved just enough.England celebrate as Australia fall three short•Getty ImagesEngland beat Australia by 3 runs
Melbourne, December 1982It was almost the greatest last-wicket partnership in history, but after putting on 70 runs with Alan Border, No.11 Jeff Thomson nicked to the slips leaving Australia three runs short. Already 2-0 up in the series, Australia were set a daunting target of 292 at the MCG. Half-centuries by Alan Border and David Hookes kept Australia in the game, but then wickets tumbled, with fast bowler Norman Cowans ripping through the middle order. Australia were nine down with 74 still required to win. Thomson came to the crease without much pressure on him, but managed to stick around as poor tactics and some loose bowling allowed Border to whittle the runs required down to 37 by stumps on day four. On day five, Australia’s last pair continued to resist, as the crowd at the MCG grew bigger. With four needed, Border was unable to get a single, leaving Thomson an entire over to face from Ian Botham. He banged one in, and Thomson’s attempted fend travelled towards second slip, where Chris Tavare spilled the catch, only for the ball to lob up gently and allow Geoff Miller to complete a relay catch. “When Thommo hit it, my initial reaction was that it was going over the top and for four,” Border said in Gideon Haigh’s . “Then I thought: ‘It’s in Tavare’s hands and we’re gone’. And when it bounced out of his hands, I thought: ‘Beauty, we’re back in it’. Then all of a sudden, Miller was there.”Australia beat England by 3 runs
Old Trafford, July 1902The 1902 Ashes is remembered as one of the most keenly contested. Having gone 1-0 up against hosts England in Sheffield, Australia pulled off a thrilling win at Old Trafford to seal the series. The series win was considered an upset since England had greats such as Sydney Barnes, Wilfred Rhodes, Johnny Tyldesley and KS Ranjitsinhji in their squad. At Old Trafford, Australia spinners Hugh Trumble and Jack Saunders bowled England out for 120 on a crumbling pitch to secure the win. England reached 72 for 2 in chase of 124 before Trumble struck twice in quick succession to begin a collapse. Eight runs were needed when Fred Tate, the last man, joined Rhodes. He hit the first ball he faced from Saunders for four, but was bowled off the fourth, an arm ball that kept low.Andrew Flintoff consoles Brett Lee after a dramatic finish•Getty ImagesEngland beat Australia by 2 runs
Edgbaston, August 2005In one of the most famous Ashes Tests ever, England survived a special Shane Warne spell and a fourth-innings rearguard by Warne, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz to get back into a series that they would go on to win, breaking an 18-year Ashes drought. Having lost the first Test handily, England were buoyed by news of a late injury to Australia’s spearhead, Glenn McGrath. They took a 99-run first-innings lead, but Warne’s six-for in the second left Australia a difficult but gettable 282 to win. At 175 for 8, the game seemed over, but Lee and Warne resisted, and then Kasprowicz scored 20 to bring Australia within a stroke of victory. Steve Harmison bowled a bouncer, Kasprowicz gloved while trying to sway away, and England burst into celebration while Lee was left on his haunches, deflated.Courtney Walsh wheels away in century after taking the final wicket in a one-run win•Getty ImagesWest Indies beat Australia by 1 run
Adelaide, January 1993Set 186 to win, Australia were reduced to 102 for 8 by a fearsome pace bowling line-up of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Kenny Benjamin. Justin Langer, on debut, battled to make a half-century, but when he was dismissed, there were still 42 left to get with only No.10 Tim May and No.11 Craig McDermott left. The pair put on 40, but with just one to get to tie the scores, Walsh had McDermott caught behind. It had been May and McDermott who got Australia back into the Test with the ball too, bowling West Indies out for 146 in the second innings after they had taken a small first-innings lead. The narrow win levelled the series 1-1, and West Indies went on to take it after an innings win in the fifth Test in Perth.
