*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[Nate]

I also predicted England would win.

Ah, okay, must have gotten confused when you voted for Australia.

I take no shame in enjoying my cricket, and celebrating every bit of Australian success. And as far as I can see, my only fault at present is believing too much in Hussey. But he'll come good.

Repeating myself, but that spell from Broad and Swann was sensational. If you'd rather focus on how I failed to call it than on it's incredible nature, that's your call.

Marcus North > the top half of England + Mrs. Murphy's cupcakes.

 

[Uppercut]

Interesting stat that the Aus batting hasn't gotten past 200 in 3/5 first digs this series. And they're (likely) about to lose this series 2-1. Shows you how important it is to have blokes in the side who lead from the front and why, in terms of winning Tests consistently, the relatively poor 2nd innings records of Steve Waugh, Virender Sehwag, Rick Ponting, etc. really don't matter too much. 1st innings runs > 2nd innings runs.

Don't agree. The fallacy that people sometimes bring up is that 2nd innings runs>1st innings runs, but that's equally untrue. A run is a run whether it's first innings or fourth innings, they all count the same. And while setting up the match is important, it's tough of you to label the repeated match-winning knocks of someone like Graeme Smith at the business end of a match as "less important" than if he had scored them early on.

 

[Uppercut]

Hardly anyone has mentioned the toss as being a factor. From a neutral perspective, I pretty much picked England to win this test (therefore the series) as soon as they won the toss, even though I genuinely think Oz are still the slightly stronger side. That pitch was always going to be at its best on the first day and then deteriorate

Incidentally & I stand to be corrected, but hasn't Strauss won 4 out of 5 tosses?

Personally I expected more Aussie moaning, so kudos to them. The pitch is fine, it hasn't got anyone out. Watto got exposed, Katich played forward when he should have been back, Ponting made a mistake, Broad got Hussey and Haddin out, Clarke and Johnson got themselves out and the umpire got North and Clark out.

You could say that the variable pace aided the Clarke and Ponting dismissals though, which is fair enough. There's no "ball with your number on it" though.

 

[Uppercut]

Yep. Don't mind people digging posts but not when you've been quiet till then. Cheap, IMO.

Tbf, there's only been about three of us backing Broad so I think we can collect on this one.

 

[Redbacks]

Don't agree. The fallacy that people sometimes bring up is that 2nd innings runs>1st innings runs, but that's equally untrue. A run is a run whether it's first innings or fourth innings, they all count the same. And while setting up the match is important, it's tough of you to label the repeated match-winning knocks of someone like Graeme Smith at the business end of a match as "less important" than if he had scored them early on.

no

 

[Top_Cat]

Ponting doesn't have a poor 2nd innings record. Let's hope that means we'll get saved .

Note the use of the word 'relatively'; his 2nd knock average is at least 10 points below his career.

 

[Burgey]

Personally I expected more Aussie moaning, so kudos to them. The pitch is fine, it hasn't got anyone out. Watto got exposed, Katich played forward when he should have been back, Ponting made a mistake, Broad got Hussey and Haddin out, Clarke and Johnson got themselves out and the umpire got North and Clark out.

You could say that the variable pace aided the Clarke and Ponting dismissals though, which is fair enough. There's no "ball with your number on it" though.

Naïve to assume that unless a ball either pops or rolls the wicket doesn't contribute to dismissals for both teams.

A wicket being two paced can do so as well, and I suspect it has in this game too. But generally I agree with you, the way Watto looked out there you'd have thought he was batting on the moon with his facial expressuons. Kat should have cuffed him over the ear and fed him a cup of concrete.

 

[Top_Cat]

Don't agree. The fallacy that people sometimes bring up is that 2nd innings runs>1st innings runs, but that's equally untrue. A run is a run whether it's first innings or fourth innings, they all count the same. And while setting up the match is important, it's tough of you to label the repeated match-winning knocks of someone like Graeme Smith at the business end of a match as "less important" than if he had scored them early on.

Not convinced, myself. One of the reasons I would rate a player like Rick Ponting higher than someone like Smith, both with 50+ Test averages and plenty of big scores in Tests, is precisely because of that. That Aus won so many games in the early part of this decade and Rick Ponting scored so many first Test and first dig tons isn't a coincidence, I reckon. Personal thing; I like guys who perform right off the bat (so to speak).

 

[Top_Cat]

Personally I expected more Aussie moaning, so kudos to them. The pitch is fine, it hasn't got anyone out. Watto got exposed, Katich played forward when he should have been back, Ponting made a mistake, Broad got Hussey and Haddin out, Clarke and Johnson got themselves out and the umpire got North and Clark out.

You could say that the variable pace aided the Clarke and Ponting dismissals though, which is fair enough. There's no "ball with your number on it" though.

You'd ****ing hope not on day 2!

 

[wpdavid]

This feels a bit like the start of Day 3 at Edg in 2005 - England further ahead but with less batting to come and a weaker attack to defend the eventual total. If Strauss goes early - which he often does on a new day after getting a start - then we could easily fold for around 100.

I'll be nervous as anything defending anything less than 450, which clearly isn't going to happen. I suspect this weekend is going to be the squeakiest of squeaky bum times, especially as England's record of defending 4th innings totals hasn't exactly been stellar in the last 12 months or so. Despite the pitch, I'd be astonished if Aus folded twice in this match. They certainly didn't at Lord's & Edgbaston this year.

 

[GIMH]

Nasser just said that "[Broad] is something we haven't had in a long time, a bowling all-rounder"

Fred?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Any Australians out there praying for rain?

Praying for a tsunami to be honest.

 

[wpdavid]

Nasser just said that "[Broad] is something we haven't had in a long time, a bowling all-rounder"

Fred?

On a related note, the press's obsession with Broad as the new Fred/Botham is symptomatic of where we go wrong in this country. Rather than make damned sure you produce 6 batsmen & 4 bowlers who are genuinely up to the job, cross your fingers and hope an allrounder comes along who can bail the best of the side out. Anyway, I digress.

 

[wpdavid]

Praying for a tsunami to be honest.

It would have to be fairly spectacular - the Oval is a fair way from the Thames, never mind the coast.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I'll be nervous as anything defending anything less than 450.

450? If your nerves are that bad I wouldn't have liked to have seen you on your wedding day.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I also predicted England would win.

Difference being you predict whoever's playing Australia will win every series. And as soon as their openers score a single you grace us with a comment along the lines of "There goes the game, Team X to score a thousand and Australia to be bowled out for 5".

You're bound to get in right once or twice.

 

[GIMH]

Haha, I have to admit that I get carried away with it myself. I love all-rounders. That being said, I am on record as saying that I want Broad to work on his bowling and then work in his batting down the line. Happy with him coming in at 8.

 

[wpdavid]

450? If your nerves are that bad I wouldn't have liked to have seen you on your wedding day.

I was OK tbh - but my missus has always been 200% more reliable than England's cricket team. I also suspect she may have played Johnson rather better than Collingwood did yesterday.

 

[Craig]

Note the use of the word 'relatively'; his 2nd knock average is at least 10 points below his career.

He's at his worst in the 3rd match innings where he averages 42.25.

 

[Son Of Coco]

It would have to be fairly spectacular - the Oval is a fair way from the Thames, never mind the coast.

Don't interupt me...I'm concentrating on whipping pictures of big waves in the English Channel up in my mind as we speak.