5th Ashes Test Match Thread

[Rob]

5th and Final Ashes Test Match
The Brit Oval, Kennington, London
8th-12th September 2005
Start Time: 10.45am Local Time

Weather Forecast

Sources: Met Office | BBC Weather

Match Previews

Robs Preview (Written Week Early) | CricInfo Preview | CricInfo Audio Preview.mp3 | BBC Preview

Coverage

• Live on Channel 4 (UK)
• CricInfo Live Text Commentary
• CricBuzz - Live Text and Free Audio Coverage
• TMS Commentary on BBC Radio 4 LW, 5Live Sports Extra and streaming via. BBC Cricket Website

Series Stats

1st Test Scorecard: Australia won by 239 runs
2nd Test Scorecard: England won by 2 runs
3rd Test Scorecard: England drew with Australia
4th Test Scorecard: England won by 3 wickets
Averages & Other Stats

Team News

McGrath passed fit. Likely Australia XI: Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Clarke, Martyn, Katich, Gilchrist, Warne, Lee, Tait, McGrath

England team news will be announced at toss.

[hr]

Discuss the test here!

[mhferdaus]

GO AUSSIES GO.

ps : GO is not in ' GET OUT ' , it means go out there and do your best , most of you know this but still if anyone did not know.

[imran78]

what happens if the aussies win this one? they get to keep the Ashes trophy?

[crickwizard]

Yeap

[crickwizard]

So much hope and excitement towards this one, hope the pitch is not super flat as ENG goes for a draw.

[cricket_pagol]

Sorry Rob, I don't agree with your prediction. I think the pressure of this must-win situation will bring out the best from the Aussies. With McGrath fit I don't see the England team scoring big runs... I think it will very close but Aussies will win.

[Xavier]

England are 213/4 at tea.

Guess who took all four wickets for Australia?

[Rob]

[Edited] Shane Warne.

Anyway, I am not that happy about Englands score here. 270-5 on this pitch isn't that great.

Edited on, September 8, 2005, 10:21 PM GMT, by reverse_swing.
Reason: mod.content: Edited.

[Tigers_eye]

You should be happy Rob. 270 /5 indicates something around 420-480 allout. That means Aussies would have no shot at winning this match. With rain forcast for sat and sunday. The Ashes would be yours to keep either 2-1 or 3-1.

[loyalfan]

it will be a draw and england will win the ashes

[mwrkhan]

315/7, I would say it was Australia's day. England now really need the weather to help them out.

[Rob]

Well, I am still not happy with the score. This pitch is a belter and this is a pretty pathetic effort really.

It wouldn't be as bad if all the batsman had been got out, but Vaughan, Trescothick and KP all need to have a look at there dismissals, they were soft.

England NEED Geraint Jones to continue his good nick and hit some runs with the tail to get England somewhere around 400.

Then, early wickets are what England need. This pitch is suited to Harmison and England should be looking at him to do some early damage.

Overall, Robs not very happy

[nas]

Its about the right time for G jones to show what he can do with the bat, and put up his middle finger to one or two people and shut their mouth.

[mhferdaus]

Dude if Mcgrath would be anywhere near his normal game, england would have been ... 200/10.

[jabbar]

McGrath's form is disappointing so far. Hopefully he'll get his rhythm right for the 3rd innings...

Agree with aboove that had he been 100%, England would be in deep doodoo.

But... what about Warney? Whaty a champion! Even if Australia lose, Warne can leave England on a high note and with his chin up...... wel, at least until he gets home and faces his family problems

[James90]

It's a big summer of cricket ahead for Australia with non-stop cricket from October to April. I think that the success of the summer will depend largely on the result and momentum coming out of this test.

Should Australia lose the Ashes I give them no chance to win the Super Series and then South Africa becomes a big task.

If they win this however they go in with momentum. The Super Series will be thought of as a good opportunity to get their batsmen in form to quality bowling then they should roll the Windies over with little trouble

If Australia are to win I think they need Matthew Hayden to get 60+ now.

Edited on, September 9, 2005, 11:22 AM GMT, by James90.
Reason: Touchwood

[battye]

He looks on track to make 60+. Might take another 400 odd balls though :P

[anthrax]

i had alwayz

WANTED ,

RELISHED ,

and is EXPECTING................

an ....Australian win.............cos England is nowhere australia's class..........

maybe cricket in england losing popularity......so to regain all that..............australia decided to 'lose a few test matches'..............

England neverrrrrrrrrrrrr will match australia's class.............

[guy_zin]

British Airways heightened tensions ahead of the climactic fifth Ashes Test Thursday by offering hundreds of flights between England and Australia at a price set by the combatants' first innings scores.

Under the deal, Australian customers will be able to buy return tickets to London for the equivalent in pounds of England's score in its first innings, while Britons can travel the other way by paying whatever the Aussies score in their first dig.

"We're looking forward to a great match," BA's Southwest Pacific marketing manager Suzie Hayes said.

"With London as our home hub, we'll be thrilled if England win, but if they're bowled for a low score then our Australian customers will be getting an absolute bargain."

BA's standard return fare from Sydney to London is 735 pounds (1,350 US).

afp news.

[oracle]

no worries-business as usual. Looks like Haydos and langer will match the 735 pounds.

[cricman]

Australia better push the acceleration button soon , Hayden better stop this javed imitation and get his SR to 60.

[Rob]

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain. Water, lots of water. Think water. Think flooded outfield!

Please rain more!

Edited on, September 10, 2005, 4:27 PM GMT, by Rob.

[mwrkhan]

It really does seem like only rain will save England now. Given the current situation, Australia is capable of a 200+ run lead by the end of tomorrow. England is equally capable of folding for under 200 runs in a day from an onslought by McGrath, Lee and of course Warne.

[Rob]

Originally posted by mwrkhan
It really does seem like only rain will save England now. Given the current situation, Australia is capable of a 200+ run lead by the end of tomorrow. England is equally capable of folding for under 200 runs in a day from an onslought by McGrath, Lee and of course Warne.

Tell me about it.

I don't think Australia will go for a 200 lead, that would take too much time, I think they will declare on a 50-100 run lead.

Defeat looms

[mwrkhan]

Will it rain tomorrow?

If Australia get a 100 run lead, that ought to be manageable by England as long as there is no top order collapse.

It seems that the Australian hunger to retain the Ashes has not quite been matched by England's hunger to get it back. I think, right now, that England are beginning to fray a little mentally.

Anyway, hope for more rain.