Cricket: BOTHAM'S VERDICT: The Ashes: I was never in doubt we would win it.

Byline: IAN BOTHAM 

HAVING been there before, at Melbourne in 1982-83, I know what it's like to beat Australia in a photo finish.

But I can honestly say that, even when the Aussies needed only three runs to win, I never thought England were going to lose at Edgbaston yesterday.

Yes, more than once my mind flashed back 23 years when it was Botham bowling to Jeff Thomson at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Allan Border at the non-striker's end, after they had put on 70 runs for the last wicket.

The Aussies needed four runs to win but Thommo fished outside his off stump, Chris Tavare juggled the routine slip catch and Geoff Miller, running behind him, snaffled the rebound.

England won by three runs but it would have been a lot more if our skipper Bob Willis had brought me back into the attack earlier!

And I repeat: I never thought England were going to lose yesterday. I always felt that the tighter it became, the harder it would be for the batsmen to make it across that finish line.

It was all a bit of fun when the Aussies were still 60 or 70 runs away - Brett Lee and Mike Kasprowicz, who both fought magnificently, could swing and hope and there was no real pressure on them because they were not expected to pull off the run chase.

But when the target was down to 20 runs, then 15, and then into single figures, they didn't know whether to block, slog or run. It becomes a different mindset when you are so close to glory, knowing that you could fall agonisingly short if you make one mistake.

For that reason, my money was always on England right down to the last ball. And give credit to Steve Harmison who came up with the perfect delivery to unsettle Kasprowicz.

Believe me, no front-line batsman likes a ball bouncing up into his ribs at the best of times, and the delivery with which Harmison clinched England's win would have accounted for plenty of top-order players, let alone a No.11.

Now the momentum in this Ashes series is firmly with England, and the onus is on Old Trafford groundsman Peter Marron not to prepare a pitch for Thursday's third Test which plays into Australia's hands.

What we need at Manchester is a rock-hard surface with an even covering of grass, pace and bounce. If England are presented with a raging turner, Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill will spin us silly and a glorious chance to go 2-1 up will be lost.

If this fabulous Test match at Edgbaston proved anything, it is that England have nothing to fear from Australia's pace attack when Glenn McGrath is missing. The Aussies' main weapon now is Warne, and if the Lancashire groundstaff can come up with a pitch to nullify his threat, the Edgbaston thriller could be a real turning point in modern Ashes history.

So come on, Pete, let's see what you can do!

You could tell from the body language of both sets of players afterwards what this result means, and England have a wonderful chance to capitalise on a dramatic victory.

Ricky Ponting claimed Australia are pleased they got so close, but I'm not buying that - it was a sickener for them, a real downer. They are shattered to fall at the final hurdle.

If they can pick themselves off the floor after such a heartbreaking defeat, they deserve to be world champions.

But as I've said before this summer: Always kick an Aussie when he's down because he may get up again.

So it would be a cardinal sin to give them a dustbowl at Old Trafford when a strip with pace and bounce would play into England's hands.

Collectively, I thought Michael Vaughan's fab four attack outgunned the Aussies at Edgbaston, and if the wicket is hard and fast on Thursday they will take some stopping.

As for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 1982, crikey.... was it really 23 years ago?

Although the split-second while Tavare and 'Dusty' Miller juggled the winning catch between them seemed like a lifetime, it only feels like a few months ago that it happened.

On that occasion, I know half of Britain stayed up late to watch the last hour of the match when Border and Thomson's stand spilled over into the final morning. I trust everyone enjoyed the outcome yesterday just as much.

Interview: MIKE WALTERS

CAPTION(S):

GOING WILD: England celebrate their dramatic win yesterday