At the same ground where Shane Warne produced the fairytale ‘Ball of the Century’ in his very first Ashes series, he etched another unforgettable chapter more than a decade later.
Old Trafford and Shane Warne — just the mention of those two together instantly brings to mind that magical 1993 Ashes delivery. The image of Mike Gatting’s stunned face after being bowled remains the ultimate symbol of that ball’s brilliance. It’s one of the most celebrated deliveries in Test history. But Warne’s bond with Old Trafford didn’t end there.
Twelve years later, at this historic English venue, the Australian spin wizard created another special moment — becoming the first bowler in Test cricket to claim 600 wickets.
Today marks 20 years since Warne took Test cricket to a new height. In the 2005 Ashes, on this very day, the leg-spin maestro dismissed Marcus Trescothick to reach that incredible milestone.
That Ashes series is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever played. The third Test was at Old Trafford. Australia had won the first Test at Lord’s by a big margin, but at Edgbaston, cricket witnessed one of the most thrilling Tests in history. Facing certain defeat, the heroics of tail-enders Warne, Brett Lee, and Michael Kasprowicz took Australia to the brink, only for them to lose by two runs.
Warne had taken 10 wickets in that match. After claiming 16 wickets in the first two Tests, he arrived at Old Trafford needing just one more to reach the 600 mark.
On a batting-friendly pitch, England captain Michael Vaughan won the toss and chose to bat. After losing Andrew Strauss early, Vaughan and Trescothick built a century stand. The pitch offered little help to the pacers, but captain Ricky Ponting still relied on Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie for the entire first session.
It wasn’t until the 34th over that Warne was introduced. In his first four overs, he repeatedly tested Trescothick and Vaughan. Then, in his fifth over, came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
For the left-hander, the ball pitched outside off stump and spun sharply in. Trescothick, attempting a sweep, missed it completely. The ball brushed his glove, deflected off Adam Gilchrist’s thigh, popped up, and was safely taken by the keeper.
The appeal was loud, and umpire Billy Bowden’s finger went up. Warne raised both arms in his trademark celebration as his teammates rushed in to embrace him. He was the centre of attention. In the commentary box, Mark Nicholas declared, “Six hundred Test match wickets for Shane Warne, what a moment…”
The entire stadium stood to applaud, and the ovation lasted for a long time. At the end of the over, Warne removed his cap and acknowledged the crowd.
Speaking to the BBC at the time, Warne said, “Getting 600 wickets — no one’s ever done that before. I’m very proud of this achievement. Doing it at this ground makes it even more special, especially with my mum and dad here.”
He didn’t add another wicket on the first day but took three more on the second, finishing with four in the innings. In the second innings, he didn’t take any wickets but shone with the bat, scoring 90 from 122 balls — the highest in Australia’s first innings of 302, replying to England’s 444.
When chasing 423 in the fourth innings, Australia were 264 for 7 with nearly 31 overs left, facing defeat. Warne batted nearly 99 minutes for 34 runs, sharing a 22-over partnership with Ponting to delay the inevitable. After Ponting’s brilliant 156, Australia held on for a draw thanks to Lee and McGrath’s resistance.
Ponting later said that innings strengthened him as a captain and called it the best of his career.
Though England won the series 2–1, ending Australia’s 16-year Ashes dominance, it was still Warne’s greatest series. He took 40 wickets at an average of 19.92 — no one else took more than 24.
In the next Ashes, Warne became the first bowler in history to reach 700 Test wickets, dismissing Andrew Strauss at the MCG in 2006 before retiring in early 2007 with 708 wickets.
In March 2022, the cricket world was stunned when the spin legend passed away at the age of 52. In nearly 150 years of Test history, only Muttiah Muralitharan’s 800 wickets surpass Warne’s tally.
Warne’s Milestone Wickets
1st – Ravi Shastri (1992, Sydney)
100th – Brian McMillan (1994, Adelaide)
200th – Hashan Tillakaratne (1995, Perth)
300th – Jacques Kallis (1998, Sydney)
400th – Alec Stewart (2001, The Oval)
500th – Hashan Tillakaratne (2004, Galle)
600th – Marcus Trescothick (2005, Old Trafford)
700th – Andrew Strauss (2006, Melbourne)
