Throughout cricket, as in life there are certain moments which have turned on a knife's edge and no doubt change the course of the game as we know it.
In science fiction this effect is known as the butterfly effect, where changing one thing - no matter how insignificant - can change the entire future.
Whilst not hugely helpful, these what if moments engage the thoughts of both pundits and cricket fantasists alike. Careers are forged, prolonged and cut short on moments where, if they went the other way, could have created the opposite effect.
So, let’s look back at some of the great nail-biting what if moments of English cricket history.
Guptill makes his ground, England v New Zealand, World Cup Final Lord’s 2019
Let’s start off with a biggy - England’s win over the Kiwis in the final of the 2019 World Cup ‘by the barest of all margins’.
But what would have happened if Martin Guptill had made his ground on 14th July of that year?
In this timeline the losers England will no doubt have most likely sacked head coach Trevor Bayliss who had been tasked to bring this tournament home as he was perceived to be a white-ball specialist coach. Eoin Morgan, then aged 32, may well have also stepped from his post as England captain.
In a massive upheaval, post World Cup England may have found themselves with a new head coach for the Ashes later that summer and could well have taken a real hammering at the hands of the Aussies.
There were so many what if moments in this game and I have heard from countless non-England fans that the game was won by chance (see the 6 runs Stokes scored from a deflection off his bat) but he probably would have just pumped the last ball of the game for 6 instead and won it outright.
Nathan Lyon doesn’t drop the ball, England v Australia, The Ashes Headingley 2019
Whilst we’re on the subject of England and Stokes later that summer, let’s have a look at possibly the greatest Test of all time - England win by 1 wicket at Headingley in the Ashes.
Amongst the incredible shots and innings in general that Stokes played that summer, one moment sticks out.
Nathan Lyon took a bit of a battering that day from Stokes who utilised both the traditional and reverse sweep to perfection but whilst Stokes was faultless - his partners were not.
With 2 runs to win and desperate to keep Leach off strike, Stokes reverse swept Lyon straight to backward point. Like a 5 year old with ADHD, Leach began to sprint down the other end only to see the ball fizz back to Lyon at the non-strikers end.
In any other game, in any other circumstance, Lyon should have whipped the bails off for Australia to win by 2 runs and seal the Ashes.
In those circumstances, Lyon becomes a national hero and finally steps out from the shadow of being a cult hero. Australia win the Ashes in England for the first time in 20 years.
Leach - for all his ability with the ball - becomes a pariah and is cast out from the team for the mistake that cost England an unlikely and incredible victory.
Ian Botham keeps the captaincy, England v Australia, The Ashes Headingley 1981
Let’s stick with the theme of famous English victories at Headingley in 1983.
The great Ian Botham, during the series that bears his name ‘Botham’s Ashes’, produced one of the great batting displays of all time bringing his country, kicking and screaming back into the Test.
Botham’s 149 not out set Australia a target of 130 to win the game - a small and hugely reachable target.
Bob Willis’ 8-43 in the 4th innings cleaned up in Australia but what would have happened if Botham had kept the captaincy despite being 1-0 down in the series.
Beefy’s ability with both bat and ball was supposedly shot to pieces with captaincy clearly weighing heavy on the mind.
If England had lost that game - they were 2-0 down with 3 Tests to go, which may have left it too late to bring in super-captain Mike Brearley and England could well have gone on to lose that series. With the series lost it seems slightly unlikely as Australia approached it’s golden era that England win again until 2005.
Michael Kasprowicz given not out, England v Australia, The Ashes Edgbaston 2005
Okay, clearly a theme is developing here but there is a reason why the Ashes is so widely celebrated and it’s for the frequent incredible events underpinned by wins, losses and draws that hang on a knife edge till the final ball.
One of these moments is Michael Kasprowicz feathering a leg side bouncer from Steve Harmison to Geriant Jones that sealed England’s victory at Edgbaston by just 2 runs. A decision that is contested to this day as it appears that Kaspa’s glove was off the bat when he came in contact with the ball.
Without that win, England would have gone 2-0 down in the series after 2 games and would have been lucky to even draw the series from there. The heroes of 2005 like Freddie Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones may well have been considered good players but perhaps never greats.
England’s search for an Ashes victory would probably have to wait until 2009 by which time England may have washed their hands of the remnants of the losing 2005 team such as Flintoff, Bell, Strauss and Harmison.
Bob Willis doesn’t get injured, England v West Indies, World Cup Final Lord’s 1979
In the 1979 World Cup final, defending champions the West Indies took on hosts England at the Home of Cricket and Viv Richards scored a free-flowing 138 to set an imposing target of 286 which England didn’t come close to catching.
England had great bowlers that World Cup in Ian Botham, Chris Old, Mike Hendrick and Phil Edmonds but one man they missed desperately in the final itself was Bob Willis who had suffered a knee injury against New Zealand in the semi finals.
With Richards scoring freely, England could well have squeezed and perhaps even taken his wicket had they had the services of one the greatest ever English bowlers.
Subsequent years of limited over mismanagement which has only been rectified in the last 10 years may well have been avoided with the appetite of the nation turning more favourably towards the shorter formats of the game and perhaps could have brought more silverware to the shores of England had that World Cup been won.
Do you think there are any other moments that could have completely changed English cricket history? Let us know @cricketdistrict on all our socials!
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