Test matches in England in 2005 the match. During a warm-up (playing rugby), the pace-man accidentally stood on a cricket ball, tearing ankle ligaments. Australia had to field Michael Kasprowicz as replacement, and on a pitch where inaccurate bowling was immediately punished, McGrath's line and length would surely have been useful. Instead, Marcus Trescothick made innumerable smashes off Brett Lee to the cover boundary. Andrew Strauss preferred Jason Gillespie for his runs, and their 112-run opening partnership was the highest by England in the Ashes series so far this year – indeed, the second highest of the series thus far, only beaten by Damien Martyn and
Twenty20 in England in 2005 net run-rate. Match abandoned; Northamptonshire (1pt), Worcestershire (1pt) No play was possible at The County Ground, Northampton due to rain, and the hosts Northamptonshire Steelbacks qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to the no-result. Kent (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by five runs Dane Amjad Khan, who had missed the first part of the 2005 ICC Trophy and most of the Twenty20 Cup due to injury, returned to cricket with a very decent bowling spell of three for 24 to set Essex Eagles back to 26 for 3. Khan's Kent Spitfires had batted first, however, and 59 not out from left-hander Michael