*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[sledger]

Sigh

Oh well, Katman/Johnners will ton up. Still in it to win it imo (even though we're obvs behind the 8 ball now).

Hussey's place in the team must be on shaky ground for the next Australian series though.

Have to doubt he'll be retained to be honest. He's not exactly a spring chicken any more, and he has been in poor form for a while now, not a lot of point in retaining him when there are younger players ready to step up imo.

 

[pup11]

This can't be happening...

 

[Pizzorno]

Lol what a nice surprise. Get in from a nice bit of shoppinf with the other half to find that Stuart Broad is running rampant. So glad that he got Clarke out; couldn't bare to see that smug arsehole ton up again.

 

[Matt79]

Re: Hussey be dropped: Especially if we do loss here and thus lose the Ashes. Heads will roll and Huss would have to be at the head of the queue.

 

[sledger]

Lol what a nice surprise. Get in from a nice bit of shoppinf with the other half to find that Stuart Broad is running rampant. So glad that he got Clarke out; couldn't bare to see that smug arsehole ton up again.

Haha Pizzorno, you're a bit of a legend, should stick around imo.

 

[silentstriker]

Agree it's very unlikely, but why on earth wouldn't you enforce the follow on? They have to win. I don't think anyone will go past 200 in the remaining innings.

1. The lead would be barely over 200, with long three and a half days to go.
2. On a pitch that won't be easy to bat on, you'll have to bat last if just one Aussie gets a really good score in the second innings
3. Since England need the win, they can set a teaser target, or they can bat Australia out of the game and go hard at them for almost two days\
4. 40 overs is not a lot, but maybe you want to give your fast bowlers a rest instead of having them tired and allowing the openers to be settled in

I would almost always enforce the follow on, and I would in this case. But modern captains all seem to disagree, probably due to one or more of the above reasons. Blame it on 2001 - I guess thrice in 120 years is too many or something.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Could really do with some other bowlers turning up mind.

 

[sledger]

1. The lead would be barely over 200, with long three and a half days to go.
2. On a pitch that won't be easy to bat on, you'll have to bat last if just one Aussie gets a really good score in the second innings
3. Since England need the win, they can set a teaser target, or they can bat Australia out of the game and go hard at them for almost two days\
4. 40 overs is not a lot, but maybe you want to give your fast bowlers a rest instead of having them tired and allowing the openers to be settled in

I would almost always enforce the follow on, and I would in this case. But modern captains all seem to disagree, probably due to one or more of the above reasons. Blame it on 2001 - I guess thrice in 120 years is too many or something.

To be honest though, England have shown their ineptitude at batting on a flat deck so I would be very hesitant to have them chasing any sort of total in the 4th innings on this pitch. Besdies, theoretically (though this is England, so it probably wouldnt work this way), with so much time left in the game you could really run the opposition out of the match, which is what I would always advocate trying to do unless you still have a lead of 300 upwards when given the option to enforce the follow on.

 

[wpdavid]

Swann must be worth a go at the two lefthanders if Anderson doesn't do anything in the near future.

 

[pup11]

Can't afford to lose another wicket today, but frankly speaking can't see that happening..

Though ffs, this is so annoying, 30 minutes of ****e batting is likely to cost us the Ashes...

 

[Langeveldt]

Is anybody listening to the 5 live sports extra feed on low bandwidth version? not working at all for me, although higher bandwidth is..

 

[Burgey]

Just about sell my first born for two century partnerships back-to-back here.

 

[Pigeon]

BTW, nice to see Aussies getting pwned by a girl.

 

[sledger]

FAO SMITTEH AND ALL OTHER AUSSIES:

Have just received a text from Corrin which reads as follows;

"Tell Smitteh to suck it. Been telling everyone Broad rules and I was right"

 

[Johnners]

Re: Hussey be dropped: Especially if we do loss here and thus lose the Ashes. Heads will roll and Huss would have to be at the head of the queue.

Have to doubt he'll be retained to be honest. He's not exactly a spring chicken any more, and he has been in poor form for a while now, not a lot of point in retaining him when there are younger players ready to step up imo.

Wouldn't surprise me if they did give him one more series at home, but I wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't. Hughes back, Watto to 4/5 imo.

Re: Heads rolling, can't see Clark/Lee playing again after this series.

 

[tooextracool]

Surely now is the time to bowl Swann with 2 left handers at the crease one would think. Anyhow, Anderson is doing a pretty tidy job at the other end at the moment.

 

[Matt79]

Think I just saw GIMH dressed as a 'cop' sitting next to a Fred Flintstone.

 

[TT Boy]

Can't afford to lose another wicket today, but frankly speaking can't see that happening..

Though Ffs, this is so annoying, 30 minutes of ****e batting is likely to cost us the Ashes...

Only one loose shot from Clarke though. Rest were down by seam and good bowling of course.

Pales in comparison to what England did yesterday where they were getting out to nothing deliveries and playing nothing shots.

 

[Burgey]

BTW, nice to see Aussies getting pwned by a girl.

Generate that graph at your accounting firm, Precam?

 

[Matt79]

Can't afford to lose another wicket today, but frankly speaking can't see that happening..

Though ffs, this is so annoying, 30 minutes of ****e batting is likely to cost us the Ashes...

Plus not getting the last wicket at Cardiff. Could have had the Ashes already by now if we'd bowled properly to Anderson and Paneser.