2005. For his performances in 2004, he was named in the World Test XI by ICC. Ashes 2005 In summer 2005 Harmison was part of the England team that regained The Ashes from Australia. He started the series well, with a hostile opening spell on the first day of the 1st Test, taking five wickets, including that of Australia captain Ricky Ponting. An incident in this innings in which Harmison cut Ricky Ponting's face with a short ball caused controversy because of the apparently uncaring response of England players to Ponting's injury, a response about which Harmison subsequently expressed regret. Although England lost the first test and Harmison was later outshone by Flintoff and Jones, he exerted pressure and claimed important wickets throughout the series as England fought back. His most important and dazzling wicket, some might say, was the slower-ball yorker with which he bowled Michael Clarke, described by Mark Nicholas, commentating for Channel 4, as "one of the great balls". Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Flintoff believed he had the second-worst split-fingered slower ball in the squad, after Flintoff. Harmison also took the final wicket of Michael Kasprowicz the next day, caught behind from a bouncer by Geraint Jones for England to win by the wafer thin margin of only two runs. England had been massive favourites overnight, but Australia, needing over a hundred to win with only two wickets left had almost pulled a victory from the very jaws of defeat thanks to the tail end efforts of Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Kasprowicz until Harmison struck. Decline in form In July 2006, during the series against Pakistan, Harmison took 6/19 off just 13 overs in the first innings as Pakistan were skittled for just 119. In the second he again shared the 10 wickets with Monty Panesar, taking 5/57. He thus took his first 10 wicket haul in a match, taking 11/76. This came in his 45th Test match, and was the best match bowling figures at Old Trafford since Jim Laker's 19/90, exactly 50 years previously. During the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy Harmison's form came under scrutiny, and he was dropped from England's final match against the West Indies. In November 2006, Harmison bowled the first ball of the eagerly awaited 2006–07 Ashes series at the Gabba in Brisbane, but erred by bowling a ball so wide that it went to Andrew Flintoff at second slip.