*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[aussie]

Ponting saying reverse swing could play a part at the Oval... does that mean the Aussies are thinking of Lee?

Probably. So that would be Clark could be vulnerable unfortunately. I'd much rather Lee replace Clark than Hauritz again.

 

[pup11]

Probably. So that would be Clark could be vulnerable unfortunately. I'd much rather Lee replace Clark than Hauritz again.

The wicket is bone dry and is definitely gonna turn and hence Horrie has to play, though if Punter thinks reverse swing is gonna be such a factor then obviously Lee comes into the scheme of things in a big way, and in that case I would have Siddle dropped, and pick either Lee or Clark instead of him.

 

[aussie]

The wicket is bone dry and is definitely gonna turn and hence Horrie has to play, though if Punter thinks reverse swing is gonna be such a factor then obviously Lee comes into the scheme of things in a big way, and in that case I would have Siddle dropped, and pick either Lee or Clark instead of him.

If its dry, Lee @ 90 mph will clearly be more dangerous than Haurtiz aiming to rough. Lee, Hilfenhaus & Sidvivious can reverse it. So need for Hauritz at all, keep the 4 quicks.

 

[TT Boy]

Pace through the air is king at The Oval. Won't be anything in the pitch, so pace and the ability to reverse it will be important. Mohammed Asif is the only seam bowler I can recall in the recent past who has got anything out of a traditional Oval wicket.

Will be turn and bounce from the start, so a spinner has to play.

 

[Top_Cat]

Clark the most vulnerable member of the attack, you'd think. Last bowling spot is between Lee and Hauritz. You'd think Lee would miss out considering The Oval turns. Be shocked if any of Hilf/Siddle/Johnson were vulnerable after the last Test.

 

[GotSpin]

Well I have to say I would not like to be an Aus selector right now. To be brutally honest Siddle and Hilfenhaus should make way for Lee and Clark, but that's grossly unfair on Hilfy. Hauritz needs to play and so does Johnson.

.

What a terrible idea

 

[pasag]

The article where Ponting says this is the biggest match of his career really concerns me. If we'd come out and treat this like any other match I'd be pretty confident - but pressure together with a crowd that tends to exacerbate these type of things and it might really be our downfall.

Being honest here, if we lose the match it will take me a long time to get over it. Will be a shell of a man.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The article where Ponting says this is the biggest match of his career really concerns me. If we'd come out and treat this like any other match I'd be pretty confident - but pressure together with a crowd that tends to exacerbate these type of things and it might really be our downfall.

Being honest here, if we lose the match it will take me a long time to get over it. Will be a shell of a man.

Suspect Ponting says it's the biggest game of his career because his sentiments aren't a million miles from those expressed in your second paragraph.

Plus, if he did say "it's just another test" and we somehow fluked a win he'd be slaughtered for not treating us seriously, etc.

 

[pasag]

Suspect Ponting says it's the biggest game of his career because his sentiments aren't a million miles from those expressed in your second paragraph.

Plus, if he did say "it's just another test" and we somehow fluked a win he'd be slaughtered for not treating us seriously, etc.

He's just being honest. Nothing wrong with what he's saying and it's probably true, I just think teams in general do better when the enormity of the occasion doesn't sink in (esp with a new side). It works both ways though and could affect England just as bad if not worse.

 

[four_or_six]

Goodness me, I think Brett Lee is having a mid-life crisis. His hair!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Goodness me, I think Brett Lee is having a mid-life crisis. His hair!

He's made it worse?!?! How?

 

[four_or_six]

He's made it worse?!?! How?

It's completely bleached blond, like something out of Neighbours. Or Warney in the 90's.

 

[0RI0N]

I read that 0z has 3 Test victories at England's oldest Test venue since Bradman ducked in '48.
1948 1972 2001
Staggering statistic.
Can they do 2 in the same decade?

 

[Matt79]

Not a dead rubber this time.

 

[zaremba]

Not a dead rubber this time.

like last time then

 

[Matt79]

No KP this time.

 

[Nate]

CricInfo saying Australia will probably go in unchanged.

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease

 

[Scaly piscine]

Andrew Strauss kept his large squad together "in case things go wrong" on Wednesday and talked up the possibility of employing two spinners. "It's definitely an option," he said of Panesar teaming up with Swann. "It's a pretty dry wicket. At the moment it looks like a belter, it looks like a great wicket to bat on, but there's always a chance that it's going to deteriorate in the back-end of the game."

Things like that really ****ing fill you up with hope. Could Australia themselves have hand-picked a better ****ing scenario to secure the urn at 1-1 with one to play?

 

[Nate]

Dunno, heard Broad has a rib injury. Will consider us unlucky if it rules him out.

 

[Uppercut]

If they replace him with Panesar you'll be laughing all the way to the Ashes.