*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[GIMH]

Freddie's fit mother****ers, have a bit of that, the Ashes are coming home

 

[Burgey]

If recent form and confidence are major factors, England has little chance of success in the final test. They have certainly improved since the last Ashes series loss of 5-0. However, if you look at the series to date, it realistically should have been Australia 2-1 at this stage (the First Test was a moral victory to the Aussies). At the end of the day, it will end up 2-1 in Australia's favour, but it should have been 3-1, and as I stated, that is a real improvement on the previous 5-0 drubbing.

The concern for England and the selectors should not just be the final test, but ensuring that their nation remains as competitive in the next 12- 24 months. Otherwise, it will be back to another 5-0 loss in Australia. Only time will tell.

Couldn't disagree more with this tbh.

These teams are far more closely matched than you're giving credit for. England have bowled us out cheaply twice and our blokes have needed help from the wicket to get the job done (as you expect from an inexperienced attack).

England's problem is and has all series been the batting. Strauss and Prior aside none of thwm are in consistently decent nick. At Lord's they got a good opening stand and put on 400 plus, but aside from thayt the top order hasn't done much. When it did they won. At Edgbaston their bowlers covered for them, as did their lower order, which incidently has been very good.

At Headingly the bowling and conditions were too good for their lower order, and they bowled poorly, which only magnified the issues of the top order.

At least, that's how I see it anyway.

 

[GIMH]

Fair post that Burgey, hard to disagree. I mean, the batsmen topped 400 at Cardiff but the Aussie bats showed that for the mediocre total it really was.

 

[JBH001]

True that, Burgey.

In other news, I expect quite a lot of fluff and 'my side for the Oval etc' on this thread before the test actually starts next week.

Too long between drinks, imo, but I think England need it. Reckon they will be up for it. Just hope its a decent deck.

 

[GIMH]

Haha, it seems like ages between Tests, really it's just a standard break for Tests in England except for the fact that it ended so early!

 

[Manee]

Freddie's fit mother****ers, have a bit of that, the Ashes are coming home

I can almost feel them coming home as we speak...

"And did those feet..."

 

[Burgey]

I can almost feel them coming home as we speak...

"And did those feet..."

Thought it was Flintoff's knee that was the problem, not his feet.

If our England fans could choose a type of pitch to maximise their chances at The Oval, what ould it be?

Pre-series the talk was England's superiority in spin. They played two at Cardiff but it didn't really work out, though the turn there was low and slow. Also, although I agree Swann > Hauritz, is the difference given the way Swann has bowled great enough to go the way of preparing a bunsen?

Likewise, it seems to me England's attack relies a little more on atmospherics rather than what's in the wicket. Given what happened at Headingly and indeed in SA where Australia's attack excelled when there was something in the deck but has struggled in recent times when it's flat, do they risk a green-top, especially given their batting issues atm?

Find it a bit of a conundrum tbh, though 2-1 down is as bad as 1-1 for them, given we hold the urn. Maybe they just green it up and risk it

 

[GIMH]

I really don't know what sort of pitch would be best. I don't want a bunsen as if they bring Panesar in for any of the seamers then I will scream.

 

[GIMH]

Jimmeh is fit as well, btw. Hoping for a repeat of Lord's, Anderson does the work in the first dig allowing Fred the heroics in the second. God I am so hyped already, can't believe I have to wait a week and a half. It's gonna be emotional, bye bye to Freddie

 

[Wiglad]

Thought it was Flintoff's knee that was the problem, not his feet.

If our England fans could choose a type of pitch to maximise their chances at The Oval, what ould it be?

Pre-series the talk was England's superiority in spin. They played two at Cardiff but it didn't really work out, though the turn there was low and slow. Also, although I agree Swann > Hauritz, is the difference given the way Swann has bowled great enough to go the way of preparing a bunsen?

Likewise, it seems to me England's attack relies a little more on atmospherics rather than what's in the wicket. Given what happened at Headingly and indeed in SA where Australia's attack excelled when there was something in the deck but has struggled in recent times when it's flat, do they risk a green-top, especially given their batting issues atm?

Find it a bit of a conundrum tbh, though 2-1 down is as bad as 1-1 for them, given we hold the urn. Maybe they just green it up and risk it

Green top... but it won't happen.

Least then we wouldn't die wondering.

 

[FBU]

It would be good if we could have the same result at the Oval.

4th Test: England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008 | Cricket Scorecard | Cricinfo.com

 

[Burgey]

But SA aren't playing....

 

[ripper868]

But SA aren't playing....

Well...if Strauss stays fit and Trott gets a call up...

 

[Nate]

Well...if Strauss stays fit and Trott gets a call up...

Pietersen coming back as a one-off aswell iirc.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If recent form and confidence are major factors, England has little chance of success in the final test. They have certainly improved since the last Ashes series loss of 5-0. However, if you look at the series to date, it realistically should have been Australia 2-1 at this stage (the First Test was a moral victory to the Aussies). At the end of the day, it will end up 2-1 in Australia's favour, but it should have been 3-1, and as I stated, that is a real improvement on the previous 5-0 drubbing.

The concern for England and the selectors should not just be the final test, but ensuring that their nation remains as competitive in the next 12- 24 months. Otherwise, it will be back to another 5-0 loss in Australia. Only time will tell.

I think they've only improved in the results column...if it was this English team vs the Aussie team of 06/07 then the result would be the same. In saying that, the Aussies have dropped off quite a bit since then. I don't think England's playing standard has lifted a lot since then.

It's not the past vs the present though and England have done well to firstly go 1 up and then be challenging into the last test. They're a good chance for mine, who knows what Australia will throw up - I'm hoping for a repeat of the last test but who knows. I'm concerned about the impact of Freddie coming back for his last test. Although I suspect he'll develop a limp by the second day (if England bowl first) and will be on and off the field during the match having baths (possibly his first for the week) and getting treatment.

I think what we've seen so far is two team whose bowlers rely on the conditions to produce and whose batsmen haven't been all that they could be. Anything could happen at The Oval, which is what I'm slightly concerned about.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Freddie's fit mother****ers, have a bit of that, the Ashes are coming home

He'll only be fit for an hour...two at best. Don't get too excited. Given he'll have to score 200 and take 9 wickets each innings there's no way his body can hold out

 

[andyc]

Thought it was Flintoff's knee that was the problem, not his feet.

If our England fans could choose a type of pitch to maximise their chances at The Oval, what ould it be?

Pre-series the talk was England's superiority in spin. They played two at Cardiff but it didn't really work out, though the turn there was low and slow. Also, although I agree Swann > Hauritz, is the difference given the way Swann has bowled great enough to go the way of preparing a bunsen?

Likewise, it seems to me England's attack relies a little more on atmospherics rather than what's in the wicket. Given what happened at Headingly and indeed in SA where Australia's attack excelled when there was something in the deck but has struggled in recent times when it's flat, do they risk a green-top, especially given their batting issues atm?

Find it a bit of a conundrum tbh, though 2-1 down is as bad as 1-1 for them, given we hold the urn. Maybe they just green it up and risk it

If they rock up to The Oval and see a dust-bowl, the Aussie selectors would be compelled to pick Hauritz, replacing (almost certainly) Stuart Clark. Massive plus for England IMO.

 

[Burgey]

If they rock up to The Oval and see a dust-bowl, the Aussie selectors would be compelled to pick Hauritz, replacing (almost certainly) Stuart Clark. Massive plus for England IMO.

Sure, but is their advantage in spin enough to warrant them doing that? Swann's a decent bowler, but maybe if they do prepare a dustbowl (or what passes as one in England) they'd be doing themselves a disservice. Australia's batsmen have generally struggled more vs England's quicks than spinners in this series.

 

[jackster83]

Couldn't disagree more with this tbh.

These teams are far more closely matched than you're giving credit for. England have bowled us out cheaply twice and our blokes have needed help from the wicket to get the job done (as you expect from an inexperienced attack).

England's problem is and has all series been the batting. Strauss and Prior aside none of thwm are in consistently decent nick. At Lord's they got a good opening stand and put on 400 plus, but aside from thayt the top order hasn't done much. When it did they won. At Edgbaston their bowlers covered for them, as did their lower order, which incidently has been very good.

I disagree with you about the batting being the problem.

England have only had 1 catastrophic batting failure in the series to date, in the first innings at Headingley. We hear about the 7 vs 1 centuries but that is more due to England's bowlers running out of ideas and bowling poorly. The bowling from England has generally been shocking. Quite simply when Clarke and North have been batting, England don't even look like getting them out, even when they first come to the crease. Onions bowling a spell of short deliveries to Ponting (one of the best pullers and hookers ever) was total rubbish and his captain should have stepped in and put a stop to it.

So far in this series, we have managed enormous scores at Cardiff, 2nd innings at Lords, 2nd innings at Edgbaston and our only innings at Headingley. Flintoff returning for his final test match should bolster your attack considerably but the bowlers at the other end need to improve their concentration by 200% if England are to be a chance in the match.

 

[Jewels]

Let's not forget the Aussies have had 1 only win and are more than capable of an epic fail themselves.A first innings rogering puts payed to the Ashes.

Don't understand the Aussie's over confidence. As someone put it. The fat lady ain't even clearing her throat