Ashes open thread: 5th test

by Chris Bertram on August 21, 2009

Well with Australia 133 for 8 and 199 behind at tea on the second day, I’m a bit late starting this. If I’d posted last night it would have been to berate a mediocre England – what a difference a day makes. Is Broad the new Flintoff? Can Australia yet pull it back? Comment away.

{ 24 comments }

1

P O'Neill 08.21.09 at 4:06 pm

It seems the rain helped.

2

John Meredith 08.21.09 at 4:11 pm

The big change seems to be that these Aussies are psychologically vulnerable, not the pressure-junkies we have come to know and suffer. They don’t like it up ’em. Hooray for that.

Anderson did some excellent work with the new ball without much reward, too.

3

Leinad 08.21.09 at 4:28 pm

Don’t buy this ‘aura’ rubbish – there was never one to begin with.

The other lot were psychologically vulnerable too, they were just exeptionally good and utterly determined. The new lot are the most inexperienced Aussie Ashes squad in a generation.

They’ll get there.

4

mpowell 08.21.09 at 5:00 pm

It is a common misdiagnosis in sports that an utterly dominated team ‘plays well when it counts’. Generally this just means that they pretty much always play better. I don’t know enough about cricket to offer anything here, but it is always might instinctive reaction. Didn’t those other Australian squads generally just pound the English?

5

nick s 08.21.09 at 5:11 pm

Tufnell singing ‘where’s your spinner gone, Ricky Ponting?’ isn’t quite standard TMS fare, but it’s a good point, entertainingly made.

6

ejh 08.21.09 at 5:38 pm

Surely the main point of interest is that Jimmy Anderson finally got a duck.

7

des von bladet 08.21.09 at 6:38 pm

It isn’t often I wish I had Five, but today is certainly such a day.

Certainly all the talk from the last Test that Broad’s overuse of cutters had ruined his wrist position and he was ripe for a return to the counties isn’t looking quite as sharp as it presumably did then.

And while I’d like to have heard Tuffers singalong, it was no secret to anyone but the Aussie selectors that the Oval was going to be a bunsen.

8

chris y 08.21.09 at 6:48 pm

Leinad is right, but they might not get there this time. If England can squeeze out another 70 odd tomorrow morning, they’re in with a good shot. The Oval has a bit of a track record for this, doesn’t it? A bit before my time, but I think it was a wicket of this sort where Jim Laker took his 19-90 fifty odd years ago.

They’ll whitewash us next time we go down under though. Some very impressive young Aussies there.

9

astrongmaybe 08.21.09 at 7:27 pm

Chris Y@8: Seventy more? That’s a bit of a thin margin. 170 more by mid-afternoon, for a lead of 400, declare, pray for sun and see what they can do in 2-something days.

10

chris y 08.21.09 at 8:13 pm

astrongmaybe, I’d prefer 170 by tea, but I’m old and cynical. 70 I would believe, and a target of 300, unless the wicket improves beyond measure, will be a serious ask. 170 would be fantastic, but would involve one of the top 7, other than Strauss, kicking in 60-70. I wish.

11

ejh 08.21.09 at 10:13 pm

Up to a point, but it’s also true that chasing 300 when you were 170 behind on first innings isn’t the same thing as chasing 300 when you were, say, 50 ahead on first innings. People’s heads, on both sides, will be in a very different place if England are bowled for for only another 70 or so in the morning.

12

nick s 08.22.09 at 1:11 am

The average fourth innings total for all Tests at the Oval is about 180, according to TMS, and though there have been a few high scoring chases that ended in draws (including England v. India in 2007, where the pitch was atypically flat) I don’t see a winning total over 300 on Cricinfo.

(Can someone put their finger on when Tests regularly began finishing in three or four days?)

13

astrongmaybe 08.22.09 at 3:03 am

Doesn’t quite answer your question, Nick, but there are some fascinating (er, for some…) stats on test history here.

Average balls per test in the 1960s: 2409.
Average balls per test in the 2000s: 1967.

14

Chris Bertram 08.22.09 at 5:34 am

… and if they start using the predicted path in Hawkeye for lbw decisions, as is promised, tests will get even shorter.

15

chris y 08.22.09 at 12:05 pm

Hmm… Looking good so far. When was the last time South Africa won the ashes?

The average fourth innings total for all Tests at the Oval is about 180, according to TMS, and though there have been a few high scoring chases that ended in draws

Yes but, no but. Here’s a match at the Oval where nobody made 300 in the first three innings, but the side batting 4th chased down 250 for the loss of only two wickets. (I was there. Heee!). Let’s see what happens.

16

Sy 08.22.09 at 1:34 pm

The Oval has a bit of a track record for this, doesn’t it? A bit before my time, but I think it was a wicket of this sort where Jim Laker took his 19-90 fifty odd years ago.

That was Old Trafford.

Madness from Prior and enjoyable, though hugely indulgent, stuff from Lord Frederick. A 450 lead is attainable and would be very nice indeed, but I’m a bit concerned about how comfortable the England batsmen look. If the pitch isn’t as unplayable as the Aussies and Broad ‘s incredible bowling made it seem yesterday, what can Katich, Punter or Clark achieve with the Ashes at stake?

17

JoB 08.22.09 at 3:16 pm

<i<They’ll whitewash us next time we go down under though. Some very impressive young Aussies there.

Yup – keep heads firmly down during this most unfortunate missing of the opportunity to whine about those “wank***”. All credit to the robotics of Aussie sportsmanship.

18

JoB 08.22.09 at 3:17 pm

Huh?, my quote on the young Aussies taking England for a laugh next time was utterly sniped!

19

Nich Hills 08.23.09 at 8:02 am

Following on from Chris Y, I’m an Australian supporter but I have to concede the Rest of the World are a better side.

I’ve been particularly impressed by the South African Players. Broad, from England, has also been good. But the Indian players have disappointed.

20

astrongmaybe 08.23.09 at 8:16 am

Looking forward to seeing Caster Semenya making an appearance in the one-dayers.

21

Leinad 08.23.09 at 1:47 pm

wd Huss, getting yer capn run out.

Clarke too.

They think it’s all Oval…

22

JoB 08.23.09 at 3:11 pm

Nich, are you implying that Australia is opposed by a team of people with roots outside of the host nation? If so, that’s really funny.

23

mart 08.23.09 at 4:24 pm

Well, at least we weren’t captained by a South African for a couple of matches last year. Oh….

24

chris y 08.23.09 at 4:41 pm

They think it’s all Oval…

It is now.

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