The Fifth and Final Test at The Oval

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England bowling first!

England Team
A Lyth, AN Cook*, IR Bell, JE Root, JM Bairstow, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, SCJ Broad, MA Wood, ST Finn
Australia Team
CJL Rogers, DA Warner, SPD Smith, MJ Clarke*, AC Voges, MR Marsh, PM Nevill†, MG Johnson, PM Siddle, MA Starc, NM Lyon

Two changes for Australia - Siddle in for Hazelwood, and Mitchell Marsh replaces his brother. No Shane Watson recall.

England unchanged.

4-1 is so very possible.

Have to admit I haven't seen a ball of the game so far but am surprised that Cook bowled first at The Oval, which usually is conducive to spin as the game goes on (especially at this time of summer).

Very much Australia's day on paper

kingraf wrote:To my knowledge, the 30 minutes early start is an ICC regulation, not something done at the discretion of the Match referee or whoever. So I'd assume there will be an early start.

Cheers, Raf. That's certainly my reading of the paperwork sent with my ticket - more than 10 overs were lost to the weather today which equates to more than half an hour's playing time and so play on the second day should commence 30 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time. However, no one seems to be saying that. Hmmm.

Looks a nice day at The Oval. Slow steady start for Aussies - Smith hasn't scored yet but Voges to his second watchful 50 in a row...

England need one of these early , I reckon , or thing could get ugly. But the real tension just doesn't seem to be there in this match - dead rubber syndrome. Or maybe that's just my feeling.

England gentle and delicate. Little to no threat.

Smith being the flat-track bully that he so obviously is.

Duty281 wrote:
Smith being the flat-track bully that he so obviously is.

Not sure I can handle these hot takes duty #scorching

Actually , Duty , Smith isn't doing much bullying at present...all the scoring has been left to Voges.
If he's still there at lunch though I can see Smith fattening his average with another big score.
It seems Australia are setting out to replicate the Lord's situation ; not too bothered about the time , but wanting 500 plus to allow scoreboard pressure to work for them. Since England seem generally uninterested in gritting it out for draws , this may be a smart tactic.

I think we can safely say that yesterday's choice to field first has turned out to be a mistake

There's no defence for the flat-track bully - he can't play the moving ball!

Voges is making a fair case for himself as an ongoing number five : with Clarke , Rogers , and presumably Watson and S Marsh leaving the team , he might be kept on ....

But not today as Stokes gets the breakthrough

About as plumb as they come...

England needed that. Still need a couple more sharpish though...

...should have had one immediately ...but Finn was over by a mile

Finn has unfortunately gone backwards again since his fine effort at Edgbaston. That was a symptom. Sometimes I despair of seeing him ever getting consistency.

Aha that's better ...a good lifting delivery from Finn and there is his 100 th Test Wicket

Not a no ball this time ! Pity it was only the unthreatening M Marsh : but hopefully that will give him a lift.

Looking at his overall figures they really aren't bad - 100 wickets at 29.14.
But his inability to string two good days together - and a tendency to sometimes apparently lose it completely - are maddening.

One of these before lunch now and things might be kept under control...

Mitchell marsh may be the worst cricketer I've seen play for Australia

3-2 it is then. Engs batting won't cope with this pressure at all.

Both teams are fragile once under pressure

why on earth did eng bowl first here?

So Smith has his hundred... Hardly his most memorable ; but he has worked hard , taken his bit of luck , and is batting his team into a strong position.

Why did England bowl first ? Well I think they were going for the kill ; perhaps overkeen this time. But at least it will force them to bat under pressure : good practice , perhaps , with a couple of tougher opponents to play over the next few months.

I reckon they might draw this match anyway. But I won't be putting my house on it...

I don't reckon so Alfie. there's been nothing to suggest they can bat nearly well enough for a long time.

Little unfair to call Smith a flat track bully. The entire English team scored only 120 odd runs more than him in Lord's. He has a 100 in Centurion, which is generally one of the fastest pitches in the world (as evidenced by the fact Johnson proceeded to rip SA in half), and he now has four Ashes hundreds.

Think he's technique is brilliant myself, forces bowlers to bowl wide which minimises movement. Unfortunately, for whatever reason he decided to caricature his technique this summer and make it much more pronounced. Failed miserably.

Well, as miserably as being the leading run scorer in the Ashes can fail.

Nevill gone ! Great piece of keeping from Buttler.

Bit of a lucky strangle for Moeen...but he's actually been bowling pretty well here. Deserved another wicket.

Two in a row : yahoo:

Beautiful bowling by Moeen

England's session ...

is this likely to be an oval ground that flattens as the game goes on?

also, it's not stopped raining down in Cornwall for days (summer hols after all, we keep the sun for when they've gone home), how on earth are they avoiding it up there? Is it likely to hit them? if it does that'll be the match done.

God I love Moeen what a man

kingraf wrote:Well, as miserably as being the leading run scorer in the Ashes can fail.

I guess the main issue is that whenever Australia have been under pressure in this series , he has failed. Has only scored runs when presented with a very good platform.
And on relatively benign pitches.

I agree it is harsh to call him a FTB . But I think his failures here detract a bit from the aura that was developing around him.

Don't think I'd name him in a team ahead of Amla or de Villiers right now , whatever the rankings say.

Olly wrote:God I love Moeen what a man

Careful , Olly. The Rashid fans will be after you...

What a spirited fightback from the gallant English team.

Wrap these last three wickets up quickly - less than 400 all out would be tremendous, less than 425 would suffice - and England can take the upper hand with a classy batting display this evening.

Smith's century here, by the way, just making him look worse. He's not out of form or out of touch - he's just been outclassed in difficult conditions when they arrive, and milks the runs when they are easier to come by.

His technique is atrocious.

As one of the finest bowlers of all time, Fred Trueman, wrote:

"I shake my head in wonder when I see contemporary batsmen moving before the ball is delivered. I assume that is how they are coached these days, but moving early gives the bowler an enormous advantage. I bowled to such legendary batsmen [...] and not one of them moved before I delivered the ball."

alfie wrote:

kingraf wrote:Well, as miserably as being the leading run scorer in the Ashes can fail.

I guess the main issue is that whenever Australia have been under pressure in this series , he has failed. Has only scored runs when presented with a very good platform.
And on relatively benign pitches.

I agree it is harsh to call him a FTB . But I think his failures here detract a bit from the aura that was developing around him.

Don't think I'd name him in a team ahead of Amla or de Villiers right now , whatever the rankings say.

The guy was being compared to Bradman. There was no where to go but down. In any case, he bats three. Room for them all in a composite team.

You reckon he'll stay at three , raf ?

After Rogers and Clarke leave the scene I fancy he might go back to four - Australia might be nervous about putting all their reliable players ( well both of them) up front.

Truth is most pitches at the moment tend to be on the flat side : hosts like the full five day revenue. So Smith will keep making runs. But this tour has put a little asterisk up , I think.

Duty281 wrote:What a spirited fightback from the gallant English team.

Wrap these last three wickets up quickly - less than 400 all out would be tremendous, less than 425 would suffice - and England can take the upper hand with a classy batting display this evening.

Smith's century here, by the way, just making him look worse. He's not out of form or out of touch - he's just been outclassed in difficult conditions when they arrive, and milks the runs when they are easier to come by.

His technique is atrocious.

As one of the finest bowlers of all time, Fred Trueman, wrote:

"I shake my head in wonder when I see contemporary batsmen moving before the ball is delivered. I assume that is how they are coached these days, but moving early gives the bowler an enormous advantage. I bowled to such legendary batsmen [...] and not one of them moved before I delivered the ball."

Not often I disagree with your duty but this is utter poo

alfie wrote: Australia might be nervous about putting all their reliable players ( well both of them) up front.

Yeah, I would think so. Would be very surprised to see Australia admit they made a mistake and move him back. Clarke had the greatest (or something like that) average at five of all time, and they refused to move him back when it became painfully apparent that the leap was not helping

alfie wrote:

Olly wrote:God I love Moeen what a man

Careful , Olly.  The Rashid fans will be after you...

Shouldve picked two spinners

Wonder if Australia would out some thought to batting Starc at six? At this stage he's still a little expensive to justify a bowler slot. At the same time, he's a quality bat, and clearly Marsh and Watson are no better than him with the willow.

kingraf wrote:Wonder if Australia would out some thought to batting Starc at six? At this stage he's still a little expensive to justify a bowler slot. At the same time, he's a quality bat, and clearly Marsh and Watson are no better than him with the willow.

Bit extreme . Big difference between nine and six.

Faulkner is more of a fit for top six - and I doubt they'd want him that high either. I understand Marsh is still held in quite high regard.

alfie wrote:

kingraf wrote:Wonder if Australia would out some thought to batting Starc at six? At this stage he's still a little expensive to justify a bowler slot. At the same time, he's a quality bat, and clearly Marsh and Watson are no better than him with the willow.

Bit extreme . Big difference between nine and six.

Faulkner is more of a fit for top six - and I doubt they'd want him that high either. I understand Marsh is still held in quite high regard.

Bit extreme, but he's batting with a guy who was once a nine himself. Only reservation would be the impact it could have on his bowling, but I have no doubt he'd make the grade as a top six batter.

Aussies getting away again after tea... Showing these are pretty good batting conditions. But England's bowlers look to be wilting a bit.

Probably a mistake to bowl Ali so much after tea. Though really no one else has looked like running through them...

457/7 , so five hundred is back on the menu. Think England have now been batted out of it...hope they have the concentration to bat long and achieve a draw.

Good fifty Starc

Smith gone for 143 ...dragged Finn on. Finn will have mixed feelings : should have had him hours ago ...might have been batting by now.

Looks like its happy hour ...Starc to go into overdrive ?

Great review sends Starc on his way !

Always looked out ...well bowled Stokes But a very handy innings for Australia .

475/9

Seems the overdrive button malfunctioned a touch there. Good wicket from Stokes. He's bowled... well he's bowled. Probably done enough to convince one to maintain their stance on his bowling... Whichever stance that is

Olly wrote:

Duty281 wrote:What a spirited fightback from the gallant English team.

Wrap these last three wickets up quickly - less than 400 all out would be tremendous, less than 425 would suffice - and England can take the upper hand with a classy batting display this evening.

Smith's century here, by the way, just making him look worse. He's not out of form or out of touch - he's just been outclassed in difficult conditions when they arrive, and milks the runs when they are easier to come by.

His technique is atrocious.

As one of the finest bowlers of all time, Fred Trueman, wrote:

"I shake my head in wonder when I see contemporary batsmen moving before the ball is delivered. I assume that is how they are coached these days, but moving early gives the bowler an enormous advantage. I bowled to such legendary batsmen [...] and not one of them moved before I delivered the ball."

Not often I disagree with your duty but this is utter poo

I just tell it how it is.

And England have really messed this up since the interval. Never mind, heavy rain incoming over the weekend.

Nevr Mind dead rubber and all

England need 350 probably, given the rain to preserve 3-1, more importantly they have to show they can bat better with scoreboard pressure than lords

Now it's England's turn to be the team that stands in pairs with the bats rather than the ones in the spread-out crowd chucking it around. So make the most of that!

And remember, there's no such thing as a draw in cricket! (Mitchell and Webb)

Lyth is on his last chance.

He just needs to remember that the bat is NOT narreh, its very very wide, and very very short

Finn-ished at 481 via a fine catch by Lyth.

Australia should be happy with that...won't lose ; and a good cushioned platform to attack from with the ball.

Forgetting about rain (which never arrives if England need it : not that they should) I'd say England will look to equal that score by early Sunday morning and hope for a second innings Aussie collapse...

Not putting my house on that panning out

But you need to play with a purpose. Lyth really needs a score...

temporary21 wrote:He just needs to remember that the bat is NOT narreh, its very very wide, and very very short

Ah, the first rule of cricket.

(Though he will, without doubt, find the edge in the first twenty minutes)

I'm really willing on Lyth to score 70-80 so we can have some muddied selection waters

Although with Hales currently on 125*, his 4th ton of the summer, it may all be academic

alfie wrote:Finn-ished at 481 via a fine catch by Lyth.

Australia should be happy with that...won't lose ; and a good cushioned platform to attack from with the ball.

Forgetting about rain (which never arrives if England need it : not that they should) I'd say England will look to equal that score by early Sunday morning and hope for a second innings Aussie collapse...

Not putting my house on that panning out

But you need to play with a purpose.  Lyth really needs a score...

They need to start holding tests in Cornwall Alfie, humiliation could have been avoided.

looks like Adam Lyth's run could be over...

Siddle liking dangerous - you do have to wonder why he hasn't been picked before in the series with his past record against England

England in a bit of a rut here. The chances of rain seemed to have lessened somewhat, so a sterling effort is required.

431 is a minimum requirement - thankfully the best batsman in all the world is at the crease.

Olly wrote:Siddle liking dangerous - you do have to wonder why he hasn't been picked before in the series with his past record against England

Picks up bell with a beauty

Bell gets out like that a lot though... Either he's unfortunate that he gets a lot of jaffers, or he makes those balls look a lot better than they are. Admittedly, I've only just turned it on and seen the dismissal in slow mo.