'it Felt Like God's Hand On My Brain' - The Day England Were Humbled By Teenager

Like a batch of bully stories, this 1 starts successful a pub.

The pub was successful Worcester, but that portion isn't important.

"I was sitting pinch Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin," Ashton Agar tells BBC Sport. "That was beautiful cool successful itself.

"Clarke said: 'Are you fresh to go, youngster?' I thought he meant move connected to nan adjacent place.

"He said: 'No, for adjacent week.' I knew precisely what he meant. I said 'yes', pinch conviction, and location were nary different thoughts successful my mind."

Agar was an almost chartless 19-year-old spinner who had conscionable been told by Australia skipper Clarke he was successful statement for a debut successful nan first Ashes Test of 2013 astatine Trent Bridge.

When nan news collapsed and Agar was presented pinch his baggy greenish headdress by Glenn McGrath, Cricket Australia's ain website called it "one of nan biggest Ashes bombshells successful history".

There was truthful overmuch much to come. The 98 Agar swaggered his measurement to connected nan 2nd time successful Nottingham remains nan highest people by a number 11 successful Test cricket.

Even nan precocious Queen Elizabeth said to Agar astir it. Agar only played 2 Ashes Tests, yet has his ain spot successful nan communicative of cricket's top rivalry.

For Agar to beryllium successful that pub successful Worcester was nan consequence of a chaotic clip successful Australian cricket history.

He made his debut for Western Australia earlier successful 2013. After 2 games successful nan Sheffield Shield, Agar came wrong a whisker of making his Australia front connected an atrocious circuit of India.

The Australians mislaid 4-0, coach Mickey Arthur fell retired pinch immoderate elder players complete their refusal to do 'homework', and things were unravelling earlier nan Ashes.

It sewage worse successful England. Australia mislaid each 3 of their matches successful nan Champions Trophy, David Warner punched Joe Root successful a Birmingham barroom and Arthur was sacked. In came Darren Lehmann. So did Agar.

The first scheme was for Agar to play immoderate nine cricket for Henley successful nan Home Counties League, past subordinate nan Australia A tour. Both happened. The unplanned portion was being added to an Ashes squad that included 1 master spinner successful Nathan Lyon.

"The main training convention was 2 days earlier nan first Test," says Agar.

"I was stepping disconnected nan training way successful nan middle, backmost to nan dressing rooms, and Rod Marsh, nan selector, walked up to maine and said: 'Ash, spell and telephone your parents, you're in.'

"I called mum and dada backmost successful Melbourne. That was an astonishing telephone call. Mum was successful tears, my 2 brothers were yelling and dada could hardly speak.

"They sewage connected a formation from Melbourne that night. They sewage consecutive into a taxi and made it to nan crushed pinch a infinitesimal to spell earlier my headdress presentation."

Agar was 19 years and 269 days erstwhile he pulled connected his baggy green. Only 2 Australian men person done truthful astatine a younger property this period - Pat Cummins and Sam Konstas.

"It was immense because it was truthful unexpected," Agar says. "We kept it highly quiet. The full constituent was for it to beryllium a astonishment factor, because England wouldn't person really known thing astir me."

Beyond nan "bombshell", Agar had a quiet first day. He bowled 7 uneventful overs arsenic England were bowled retired for 215 - Peter Siddle took 5 wickets.

"It was everything I'd seen connected TV," says Agar. "A packed house. Jerusalem was a spine-tingling moment. When they play that, you consciousness beautiful small.

"I knew precisely wherever my family was sitting for nan full 5 days and I kept reasoning of them. If I felt for illustration I needed to consciousness immoderate support, I looked for them. That was really nice."

Things started to spell awry later successful nan day. Australia were reduced to 75-4 astatine nan adjacent by Steven Finn and James Anderson. Anderson bowled Clarke pinch 1 of nan astir memorable deliveries of his illustrious career, a bail-trimming out-swinger.

"It felt for illustration Anderson was swinging nan shot 3 different ways," says Agar.

"The chant ringing successful everyone's caput was nan Jimmy Anderson chant. Michael Clarke sewage retired to that ball, he sewage successful nan dressing rooms and he was singing it because it was truthful stuck successful his head."

Inside an hr connected nan 2nd morning, Australia recovered themselves 117-9, 98 behind. Agar, nan teen who was not expected to beryllium connected nan tour, walked retired to bat.

"It felt for illustration nan crushed was moving from broadside to broadside because of nan chants," he says.

"It was truthful loud. In a stadium, erstwhile everyone is chanting, it ever feels for illustration 1 broadside of nan crushed is somewhat retired of sync pinch nan different 1 - for illustration seaweed swaying successful a existent nether nan ocean.

"I conscionable wanted to get done my first ball. I didn't want to get a aureate duck.

"I blocked Graeme Swann, past sewage a single. It massively put maine astatine ease. Then everything happened from there."

Agar could person been stumped connected six disconnected Swann, but sewage nan use of a hairline decision.

"It felt beautiful retired and I was fortunate I sewage my ft down conscionable successful time," he says. "It could person gone either way."

What followed was immoderate of nan astir astonishing, elegant and cleanable ball-striking you could spot from immoderate Test batter, fto unsocial a 19-year-old number 11 connected debut.

"At nan commencement Phil Hughes was taking much of nan strike, past Boof [Lehmann] ran retired a connection for him to backmost me," recalls Agar.

"Every azygous shot I was connected onslaught he would travel down and opportunity 'next ball, adjacent ball, adjacent ball'. He was moreover stronger connected that nan much runs I hit. It was a existent instruction successful really to enactment present.

"Kevin Pietersen gave maine a mouthful. I can't retrieve what he said, but I laughed astatine him. I was 19 and he was an knowledgeable subordinate trying to intimidate me. It didn't matter. I was retired location batting 11, conscionable trying to person a crack.

"Anderson and Stuart Broad had a word, location were chirps from Matthew Prior down nan stumps. They were into me, but ne'er abusive. It was meant to make it uncomfortable, which is precisely what you should do to a 19-year-old retired location for nan first time."

Anderson was driven backmost down nan crushed for four. Finn dropped short and was pulled done nan limb side. Swann was lofted complete long-off for six by a languid swish of Agar's blade.

Runs flowed and England became ragged. Agar's people caught up pinch that of Hughes, Australia's number six. Agar's half-century came up successful only 50 balls. "Well done, young man," said tv commentator Ian Botham.

"These are not nan shots of a number 11," added Botham, arsenic if he was being pranked by nan full of Australia arsenic payback for his ain Ashes exploits.

"It's difficult to picture nan feeling," says Agar. "The juncture faded away. The only reference constituent I had was my family. I looked astatine them each ball.

"Ayrton Senna said it erstwhile astir driving. He said it's for illustration having God's manus connected your brain.

"You don't cognize really it's happening, but it conscionable happens. All of your knowledge and accomplishment conscionable comes retired astatine 1 time, and that's what it felt like. It felt for illustration God's manus connected my brain, that each of my subconscious was being unlocked astatine once."

The last-wicket brace wiped retired nan deficit. Agar took luncheon connected 69.

"They had these small atom pudding things successful integrative cups," says Agar. "I had measurement excessively galore connected that tour. They were delicious.

"I tucked into a bully lunch, past it was clip to spell retired location again. Phil Hughes had a steely look successful his eyes. That's nan point I retrieve astir him that day."

The records were ticked off: what was past nan highest 10th-wicket business successful Test cricket. When Agar went past 95, he hit Tino Best's grounds for nan highest people by a number 11, group against England astatine Edgbaston a twelvemonth earlier.

By this point, moreover nan location fans were connected Agar's side. Cameras captured nan worried look connected nan look of England skipper Alastair Cook. His plans were successful tatters, fielders scattered to each corners of Nottingham.

Agar, connected 98, was wrong 1 deed of a fairytale century. Broad dug successful a short one, Agar swung for nan limb broadside and Swann swooped for nan catch.

Deflation.

"I perfectly smashed it," says Agar. "I should person deed it up, but I tried to deed it down. I conscionable wanted to get location and I was going to do it successful nan measurement I sewage each of my different runs.

"It went a spot quiet for a moment. You'd deliberation nan crowd would beryllium elated, but they were really disappointed.

"I conscionable shrugged my shoulders and had a side-smile connected my face. Swann sprinted up to me. He was nan first 1 to congratulate me. All of nan English players did. I sewage a monolithic opinionated ovation from nan crowd. Pointing my bat to my parents was cool."

In 2 and a 4th hours astatine nan crease, Agar had go a superstar. Australia premier curate Kevin Rudd tweeted congratulations. Agar's parents were unrecorded connected Test Match Special astatine tea.

Despite nan attention, Agar was focused connected nan occupation he had been picked to do. He wanted a wicket. Two came nan pursuing time - Cook and Jonny Bairstow - but it was nan wicket Agar did not return that has a spot successful Ashes folklore.

Agar was nan bowler erstwhile Broad refused to locomotion aft his separator nestled successful nan hands of Clarke astatine slip, via a deflection from nan gloves of wicketkeeper Haddin.

"I conscionable walked down nan wicket to celebrate," says Agar. "Michael Clarke had his digit up. I was truthful confused arsenic to what was happening. I couldn't understand really nan 1 bloke pinch nan champion view, Aleem Dar nan umpire, didn't deliberation it was out.

"I was fielding astatine short screen and said to Broad 'you smashed that, didn't you?' He said he did. It was friendly. Everyone gets into Broady for not walking, but I wouldn't person walked. Cricket is difficult and you request luck. That luck perchance changed nan Test.

"Aleem Dar apologised to maine nan adjacent morning. He shook my manus and said: 'I'm sorry, young man, that was a bad decision.' I respect him for that."

Broad's runs were a immense facet successful England winning a classical by only 14 runs. Agar did not return different Ashes wicket, struggling pinch his action and a trim digit successful nan 2nd Test astatine Lord's.

"My digit was ripped to pieces and I was successful a batch of symptom trying to bowl," he says. "I knew my action was falling apart.

"It was truthful difficult to woody pinch mentally. You person to beryllium beautiful resilient arsenic a 19-year-old trying to vessel successful a Test knowing you're obscurity adjacent your best.

"It was truthful difficult being retired location astatine Lord's wishing I wasn't bowling. It was a beautiful lonely place."

Still, that 2nd Test created different typical moment.

"The champion portion was gathering nan Queen," says Agar. "Michael Clarke introduced her to everyone and we had to reside her arsenic 'your majesty'.

"She came to me, shook my manus and said: 'This is your first clip here, isn't it?' I said: 'It is.'

"She said: 'Good luck, person a bully time.' I could not judge it. The Queen knew it was me."

Agar was "relieved" to beryllium dropped aft nan 2nd Test. The third, astatine Old Trafford, was nan opening of Lyon's 100 consecutive Tests. Agar, now 32, played 3 much Tests, nary of them successful nan Ashes.

Hughes, Agar's batting partner connected that time successful Nottingham, was killed connected nan section small much than a twelvemonth later, struck by a fatal rustle to nan cervix batting successful a Sheffield Shield match.

"I consciousness very fortunate to person shared that pinch him," says Agar. "I had a photograph of Phil up connected my chamber wall, playing 1 of his signature trim shots. Me and my brothers loved Phil.

"I was batting pinch personification I looked up to. Getting to stock 1 of nan biggest moments of my life truthful far, and learning astir resilience, staying coming and what that does successful position of capacity is simply a immense lesson.

"He showed maine that successful existent time. It was a typical clip we spent together. He was a beautiful man."

Two days aft Hughes passed distant successful November 2014, Agar was playing successful Perth for his nine broadside University.

He was retired for 98.

"It was spooky, actually," says Agar. "There was a large 408, his headdress number, painted connected nan crushed and location was a infinitesimal of silence. It was tough.

"I retrieve emotion rather focused. I was reasoning astir our innings, what he was telling maine astatine that time. On 98 I nicked a shot to 2nd slip. It was bully it happened that way."

98. The number for which Agar's Ashes profession will everlastingly beryllium remembered.

"I've ne'er thought astir nan 2 runs I didn't get," says Agar.

"The emotion for maine has ne'er changed. It has ne'er been regret aliases disappointment.

"I'm conscionable really happy for what happened that day."

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026

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