The man, the moment, the ball

Andrew Flintoff's dodgy knee will force him out of Test cricket at the end of this summer, but on a pulsating final morning at Lord's, he pressed through the pain barrier, and cranked up his pace, to bring a comprehensive end to Australia's 75-year unbeaten run at Lord's. At the same time he ended a hoodoo of his own, by picking up his first five-wicket haul since the Ashes decider at The Oval in 2005, and only his third in 77 Tests. Andrew Strauss could not extract the ball from his mitt until the game was done and dusted, as he became only the sixth cricketer to put his name on both honours boards at Lord's. Farewells cannot come more fitting.

Brad Haddin had been utterly immoveable during an anxious fourth evening for England, but as so often happens, resuming his innings proved to be a challenge too far. With Flintoff tearing in at full pelt, Haddin could not add to his overnight 80. Four balls was all Flintoff needed - and three would have done had a short-leg been in place - as he found a perfect length on the line of off stump, and Haddin fenced nervily to Paul Collingwood at second slip. But for the overnight break, he might not have been drawn into the stroke, but Flintoff's fiery accuracy gave him no choice.

Mitchell Johnson was sledged by Kevin Pietersen as "the big allrounder" before the series, and though his bowling in this match was abject, his defiant final-day counterattack showed a timely glimpse of the talents that took South Africa by storm earlier this year. As wickets were chiselled away at the other end, Johnson kept on timing the ball sweetly and keeping the dream alive, with nine fours in a 75-ball 63. In the end, however, Swann breached his defences with his fourth bowled of the innings. And as Johnson left the field, he couldn't help feeling that the 200 runs that came directly from his bowling had been the single biggest difference between the sides.

The introduction of Graeme Swann in the 99th over of the innings. A feature of Michael Clarke's innings had been his decisive footwork against the spinner, whom he had milked for 37 runs from 74 balls on the fourth day. But Swann is a canny operator, and having been pushed into the covers to start his day's work, his second delivery was tantalisingly floated up with a deceptive change of pace. With extra loop and late dip, he found the same spot but with 4mph taken off the ball. Clarke was drawn forward and ended up yorking himself.

Flintoff's first wicket of the innings was marred by the belated realisation that Rudi Koertzen had missed a no-ball, but today some sort of justice was served when Mitchell Johnson survived a stone-dead lbw appeal as a low full-toss thudded into his knee-roll. Johnson had made just 4 at the time, but Koertzen's eyes were hawkishly pinned to the front crease, and he rightly noticed that Flintoff's heel was over the line.

It was a stunning effort, but it simply refused to stick. Johnson was on 36, having just slammed Swann clean through point for four, when he drove on the up through the gap at mid-off. Swann was alert to the stroke and dived full-stretch to his right, and for an agonising instant it seemed as though the chance had stuck. Matt Prior was already rushing up to start the celebrations, but as Swann hit the turf, the ball bobbled out, and the moment was lost.