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Following On: Ashes Inquest - Fourth Test - England End Long Year Wait For An Ashes Win In Australia!

December 27, 2025·32 min·3 clips

John Norman reveals how his 15-year wedding anniversary coincides with England's first Ashes test win in Sydney since 2005.

This episode of Following On is an Ashes inquest analyzing England's victory in the fourth Test, hosted by John Norman alongside former England fast bowler Steve Harmison. The hosts react to England ending a long winless streak in Ashes Tests in Australia. They immediately contextualize the win by comparing the Melbourne pitch conditions to a previous controversial match. Norman notes his last witnessed England Ashes Test win was fifteen years ago in Sydney, coinciding with his approaching wedding anniversary. Harmison is asked to compare the 2025 Melbourne pitch to the poor 2017 Melbourne surface, and he definitively selects the 2025 pitch as worse. The hosts agree the pitch was substandard and not fit for Test cricket but choose to focus on England's performance. They highlight the team's displayed resilience, character, and togetherness as key takeaways from the match. A surprising claim is that this England victory marks their first Ashes Test win in Australia that Harmison has witnessed since his own playing career ended. The hosts find notable irony in Norman's personal milestone of a 15-year wedding anniversary aligning with this rare away win. The decision to largely set aside pitch criticism to praise team mentality offers an interesting shift from typical post-match analysis. The conversation suggests the win's significance is amplified by the prolonged drought and difficult conditions. The tone is conversational and reactionary, blending personal anecdote with professional cricket analysis. The style is informal and opinionated, characteristic of a post-match sports talk show. Cricket fans seeking immediate reaction to an Ashes Test victory and discussion of team character would enjoy this episode. Listeners wanting deep technical dissection of play or extensive pitch criticism might find the coverage too brief.

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