*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[morgieb]

Watson & Katich off to a decent start...hope we'll do well.

 

[age_master]

Watson pretty lucky to still be there, ha has to take advantage and make that hundred hes been talking about.

 

[Woodster]

Australia will be very pleased with how they've batted in that first session. Watson obviously rode his luck, Asad Rauf must've nodded off when the ball struck him on his pads, right in line of all three stumps, and not going over, but you win some you lose some. Played some lovely strokes, mainly flicks off his pads through mid-wicket. Katich has looked pretty solid, don't think we've bowled badly, these 2 Aussies have just neutralised our impact with the new ball to a degree.

The pitch is interesting, we know it's going through the top, we also know Australia are worried about the pitch with constant gardening (after every ball in Watson's case), and it is all to do with how you cope with it mentally. Youcannot afford to let it start influencing the shots you play, and as a consequence become indecisive, as Watson was doing early and getting caught on the crease.

England need a fast start after lunch, a Freddie onslaught to get the crowd going, and go some way to making this a memorable Test, for all the right reasons!

 

[Johnners]

Not sure how Watto is still there, but I won't complain

Good to see Harmison looks buggered already after his mammoth 4 over spell.

 

[pasag]

Minor rain, clouds, moisture et al can't be good for us.

 

[wpdavid]

Minor rain, clouds, moisture et al can't be good for us.

Might suit Anderson if he gets everything right. Big 'if' though.

 

[Woodster]

Minor rain, clouds, moisture et al can't be good for us.

Yes would be nice if we can start causing through the air, aswell as potential off the pitch problems.

 

[pup11]

Minor rain, clouds, moisture et al can't be good for us.

Yup, situation a bit similar to the Edgbaston test where both Katman and Watto got us of to a brilliant start, but then in cloudy overcast conditions on day 2, Anderson and Onions just ripped through the batting line-up, anyways hoping we would handle things much better this time around.

 

[Matt79]

Watto was massively lucky in that first session. Probably only the last one was stone dead out, but the first one was probably out, and the second could easily have been given as well. Hope he can at least capitalise on his luck to irritate proponents of the first chance average.

Now if the bloody rain would stop so we could have some cricket!

 

[wpdavid]

Might suit Anderson if he gets everything right. Big 'if' though.

So Strauss brings on Broad.


... who promptly removes Watson.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Watson in given out lbw shocker

 

[pasag]

damn

 

[Matt79]

So, so far, I'd have to agree with Greg Mathews that it was a big mistake not to play Hauritz here. The fact that Clark, North and Watson bowled 33 overs combined and took 0/100+ is pretty damning, especially when you see what spinners who he's consistently outbowled this series like Swann and North are doing on this pitch.

I'm prepared for someone to pull out a post I made in a moment of excitement at Headingley to prove me a liar, but I'm not sold on Clark as an ongoing fixture of this new attack. I think he's definitely lost around 5-10kphs since a year or two ago, and that's made him a less difficult proposition. He's not as accurate as McGrath, and this then becomes a problem for him. In conditions like the 4th test that are perfect for accurate seamers, he'll cause difficulties because he bowls in good areas, but I can see him being tight, without penetrative a lot of the time going forward - and vulnerable if someone goes after him. If Johnson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus are bowling well, we don't really need the extra control he provides, and if they're not, he's not going to be the solution as the fourth quick.

 

[Matt79]

Apparently its stopped raining... back to the tv room

 

[four_or_six]

Shame for Watto, but yay for Broad. I so so want him to do well here.

 

[wpdavid]

Shame for Watto, but yay for Broad. I so so want him to do well here.

and bowling rather well at Ponting. Apparently his bowling average for the series before this test was 36. Not great, but maybe the best of England's attack. Anyone know for sure?

 

[tooextracool]

Onions has the best record for the series, although he missed out on the lifeless Cardiff track.

 

[King Pietersen]

13 wickets at 34.53 for Broad in the series. Not bad going at all given the very disappointing start for him. Certainly been the pick of England's bowlers in the last 2 full bowling innings, taking 2/38 and 6/91.

Stuart Broad you beauty. Bowled an excellent little spell to Ponting and deserved the wicket. Very good bowling.

 

[wpdavid]

13 wickets at 34.53 for Broad in the series. Not bad going at all given the very disappointing start for him. Certainly been the pick of England's bowlers in the last 2 full bowling innings, taking 2/38 and 6/91.

Do you have the stats for Anderson, Flintoff & Harmison?

 

[pasag]

****, hang your head in shame Punter