A most welcome view
Hidden Ashes takes a different look back at a remarkable series
Martin Williamson
20-Jun-2006
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Not only is it now nearer the next Ashes series than the last, but everyone who cares has seen the key footage of last summer's epic matches so many times that is almost ingrained in the memory. Shut your eyes and think about Michael Kasprowicz gloving the ball to Geraint Jones ... I bet you can see it clearly as well as remembering where you were at the time.
Yet it was the fact that Sunset & Vine, who produced Channel 4's award-winning coverage, were behind this product that made me doubt it would be a rehash of the same old stuff.
In fact, this is a quite superb DVD that recounts the story of the series from all the angles not usually used. With over two dozen cameras covering each ball, this production aims to give you an alternative view of the major moments. The commentary is still Mark Nicholas's, but the images are fresh and revealing. Even after absorbing all the series had to throw at me, I found enough here that I had not see before to leave me with the feeling that I was watching something fresh and new.
Take the Kasprowicz incident. While we are used to seeing the jubilation of the England players, what we concentrate on here is the despair of Kasprowicz and Brett Lee, brought all the more into focus by the triumphant commentary which accompanies it.
And the use of high-quality slow-motion cameras brings things to life - I challenge you not to wince when Ricky Ponting is struck in the cheek on the first day at Lord's - and bring a new understanding of what last summer's Ashes were all about.
The fact that this DVD is a breath of fresh air makes it worth buying ... probably even if you are Australian.
Martin Williamson is managing editor of Cricinfo