*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[Jamee999]

I think understanding the reasoning behind the Australian nicknames makes me stupider.

[King Pietersen]

Time to move on from Cook and Collingwood? They've not progressed as cricketers. They're continually getting out in the same fashion, and it could be time to move on. Moore or Denly for Cook and Trott for Collingwood? Unless Trott looks completely out of his depth of course.

Bell digging in and making runs with guys falling around him, if he makes a hundred in this innings it'll be the one of the better innings of his Test career. He's never made ugly runs like this before, and it's something he's been criticised for, so it's nice to see him making a few after getting over the tough start. Previously if he was struggling at the start he'd have just thrown his wicket away.

[sledger]

Would much rather have had Ramps coming in right now tbh. Nonetheless nice forward defense from Trott, will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure on him. Might be a good thing that he's batting with fellow Warwickshire player Ian Bell.

I agree, however, I'm not confident that Bell will last a long time. Even if Bell manages to drag himself to a century, I'd put money on the fact that he will be out soon after.

[Nnanden]

Mate has said Trott looks like Kallis. Good call for mine, just hope he doesn't bat the same...

[Pratters]

I agree, however, I'm not confident that Bell will last a long time. Even if Bell manages to drag himself to a century, I'd put money on the fact that he will be out soon after.

People have been saying for the last four hours that Bell will be out. Fact is, he is still batting.

[sledger]

People have been saying for the last four hours that Bell will be out. Fact is, he is still batting.

Pretty sure he was still batting just before he was out last time as well tbh.

[Burgey]

Trott schooling Bell on playing the rib-ticklers here.

[tooextracool]

Can I simply say that Bell's good innings are more to do with poor bowling than good batting too then? You made my point brilliantly re: Bell. He's done it with a couple of 50's, 83 and 74...very impressive stuff. Not horrible scores, but Bell's great at getting to 50.

Yes you hit the nail on the head and I know that's the problem with him. His concentration is pathetic, he should have converted a lot of them into 100s and he hasn't and that's why he's been in and out of the side. I don't like Bell, I don't think that he should have played today, but I do think that he can be a good player if he gets his concentration sorted out although he hasn't done that over the course of his career so far.

And yes you are right, the majority of his good innings (100+) have come against poor bowling or very flat pitches.

To deny North has batted well isn't quite so difficult it seems. Funny that.

Maybe he has, hes batted well against rubbish bowling and looked pathetic against good bowling. If he continues to get good bowling, he will struggle to get runs in international cricket, simple as that. Bowling short and too his strengths is hardly likely to get him out.

[Jamee999]

Time to move on from Cook and Collingwood? They've not progressed as cricketers. They're continually getting out in the same fashion, and it could be time to move on. Moore or Denly for Cook and Trott for Collingwood? Unless Trott looks completely out of his depth of course.

Bell digging in and making runs with guys falling around him, if he makes a hundred in this innings it'll be the one of the better innings of his Test career. He's never made ugly runs like this before, and it's something he's been criticised for, so it's nice to see him making a few after getting over the tough start. Previously if he was struggling at the start he'd have just thrown his wicket away.

Dropping Collingwood would be bad. Dropping Cook wouldn't be so terrible, but I don't think we have a better opener, tbh.

[Pratters]

Trott hitting them off the middle of the bat. Good hits.

[Uppercut]

Frankly speaking day 1 on this pitch if you struggle as batsman, then you aren't going to do too well in international cricket, I think the toss was vital, and England were lucky that they won the toss and batted first, because this pitch is gonna get pretty difficult to bat on as the game progresses, and a substantial 1st innings total can put England firmly in the driver's seat for the rest of the game.

EDIT: Good catch that from Hussey, put a pretty poor shot from Collingwood.

The pitch could get difficult to score on. The problem from England's perspective is that it's so slow. Harmison won't do anything on this surface, neither will Broad and Flintoff will struggle too. Anderson needs the ball to swing but even if it does he could find a lot of edges drop short. Swann's the man here, and it's hard to see him taking a big haul given how well Australia have played him so far this series- even on a very similar deck at Cardiff.

England can't possibly have asked for this pitch, Harmison wouldn't have played if they'd known it was coming, so it's not a tactic or plan. There's a long way to go, but at the moment the success with the bat is looking a little bittersweet. It would be a real shame if the deciding match ended in a draw.

[Pratters]

Why will Flintoff fail on this pitch? I expect Flintoff to pick up wickets here.

[tooextracool]

I agree, however, I'm not confident that Bell will last a long time. Even if Bell manages to drag himself to a century, I'd put money on the fact that he will be out soon after.

Indeed, at least thats what the past would predict.

[Redbacks]

Poor shot, but decent reward for disciplined stuff post-lunch.

Trott has the "Tom Hanks in Philadelphia" haircut happening. Hope he does well, just not today.

So keen on outsourcing jobs it might be harder and harder to dislike the players representing England soon

[Jamee999]

Haha, nice bouncer!