The 2025 cricket season delivered drama, redemption, and sheer brilliance, etching moments into the sport's rich tapestry that will be savoured for years. From the hallowed turf of Trent Bridge to a tense south London Test and the iconic Eden Gardens, three stories stood out, defining a year of unforgettable action.
Peter Moores' Historic Triumph: A Coach's Redemption
In a remarkable feat of longevity and adaptability, coach Peter Moores secured a piece of English cricket history. Twenty-two years after his first County Championship victory with Sussex in 2003, Moores guided Nottinghamshire to the title, making him the first coach to win the Championship with three different counties.
This triumph marked a profound personal redemption. Moores' two previous stints as England men's head coach had ended in disappointment, the second lasting little over a year before his dismissal by the ECB. Yet, his ability to inspire across different eras – from the landscape of 2003 to that of 2025 – proved undimmed.
He found a kindred spirit in his captain, Haseeb Hameed. Like Moores, Hameed had experienced the highs of England selection and the subsequent sting of rejection, even losing form at domestic level before a glorious resurgence. At just 28, the captain and his coach shared a unique understanding of the game's capricious nature, proving that 'never' is a word best avoided in a cricketer's lexicon. Together, they ensured the Championship pennant would fly high at Trent Bridge.
Mohammed Siraj's Fired-Up Finale Seals Series Draw
The final Test of a shortened summer against England at The Oval was poised on a knife-edge. With the series level and England needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand, India's lionhearted seamer, Mohammed Siraj, produced a spell for the ages.
Despite bowling the most overs in a gruelling five-match series, Siraj breathed fire. He dismissed the valiant, injured Chris Woakes and then cleaned up the tail, sealing a dramatic victory that ensured the series ended 2-2. Without his heroic intervention, the result would likely have been a 3-1 victory for England.
The son of a rickshaw driver from Hyderabad, Siraj's raw emotion in post-match interviews, switching excitedly between languages, captured the hearts of fans globally. It was a display of pure heart and soul that transcended words, a fitting end to a magnificent contest.
Temba Bavuma's Gravity-Defying Catch Cements Legacy
In Kolkata, South African captain Temba Bavuma authored a moment of high-stakes fielding genius. With India's Axar Patel launching a brutal assault to bring the target down to 31 in a low-scoring thriller, the match and series hung in the balance.
As another big hit swirled into the Eden Gardens sky, Bavuma turned and sprinted towards the boundary rope. With the weight of the match and perhaps his legacy as a Test leader in the air, he judged the catch perfectly, clinging on to a dismissal reminiscent of Kapil Dev's iconic 1983 World Cup catch.
This coolest of takes secured a famous 2-0 series win for South Africa in India, a monumental achievement. Over a decade since his Test debut, Bavuma is playing the finest cricket of his career, with many tipping him to be crowned the leading cricketer in the world in the 2026 Wisden Almanack.
