Wello's Cricket World

They did it. England did it. In the winter it seemed unfeasible and after the debacle of Headingley simply impossible in the eyes of most people but they did it. Andrew Strauss's England - and that's really what we're talking about here, a team forged from the resilience of their superbly committed leader - completely outplayed Australia to secure another magical Ashes victory.

What it means to cricket in the British Isles (let's not forget the support England get from Wales, Scotland and now Ireland in terms of players and goodwill) is priceless and to hear 20,000 people deliriously banging out Rule Britannia 10 minutes after the match finished is something very special. England were made to fight all the way by an Australian side that had to have the Ashes wrenched from their grasp but they were worth their victory. They outplayed Australia completely in this match handling the pressure of the occasion better than Ricky Ponting's men.

Even at 80 for 0 overnight, the task ahead of Australia was a mathematical impossibility but there wasn't an England supporter on the planet who was prepared to predict with 100% certainty that the Ashes were theirs. The nagging seed of doubt that Ponting would inspire the teak-tough Aussies to create history ate away at the dream. Thank goodness then for Graeme Swann who, despite his modest bowling average earlier in the series, has relished the cauldron that is Ashes test cricket. His early dismissal of Simon Katich settled England's nervous tension and began the gradual chipping away at Australia's batting.

Shane Watson, such a candidate to be LBW, was trapped by Stuart Broad smack in front despite his protestations of an inside edge and the hunt for a further 8 Australian wickets was on. In came Mike Hussey to join his captain with his test career hanging by a thread. The Bradman-esque Hussey of 2006/7 has been replaced in recent times by a batsman whose technique is disentegrating before his own eyes. How he battled. Along with the more aggressive Ricky Ponting, Hussey simply refused to give the game up without a fight. We may have a love-hate relationship with the Australians but you can't help but admire their desire to never give up.

At 217 for 2 and with both batsman well set, English unease began to surface and the prospect of an Australian win seemed possible. Enter Andrew Flintoff and his ability to propel the ball at 90mph not this time whilst bowling but instead using his wildly unique roundarm throwing technique to run out Ricky Ponting at a crucial time. A quiet match with both bat and ball was not the end most saw for Big Fred but his contribution in ending the Australian captain's rearguard was absolutely vital. Michael Clarke's bizarre dismissal for a duck - also run out - settled the issue once and for all and then it became a matter of time.

Having a top class spinner in his attack was such a bonus for Andrew Strauss and it was fitting that after Mike Hussey completed a thoroughly deserved century, Graeme Swann should have him caught at short leg to end the Australian innings and win the Ashes back for England. Throughout the series it has been a real team effort by the England team with different players contributing solidly at different times but the man who deserves the most credit is Andrew Strauss. The England Captain has dragged a dispirited group of players up by their bootlaces and is as tough a character that you could ever wish to meet. Now, with some excellent young players to work with such as Stuart Broad, Jonathan Trott and perhaps Adil Rashid, England can build on this famous victory in a way they didn't in 2005 and push towards becoming the best side in the world.

For the Australians, there is the bitter pill of another Ashes failure in England and the realisation, now confirmed, that though still competitive they are no longer the best side around. Ricky Ponting makes history as the first Australian captain to lose 2 series in England and this will hurt the proud Tasmanian deeply. However, he can take solace in the fact that the boos of the early test matches have been replaced by applause from a knowledgeable England crowd who have learned to respect Ponting for the selfless commitment he gives to his team.

England say test match goodbyes to Andrew Flintoff and possibly Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood. If that's the case, the country should be eternally grateful that they left the stage having secured the greatest of prizes on a perfect Oval Sunday when the Ashes came home.

10 wickets to go. Or 466 runs perhaps? Today is the day when the Ashes are decided between these two evenly matched teams who both have their strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. That England have set Australia such a daunting task in the last innings of the match is down to the collective strength of an England batting line up that has as much depth as it ever has and the unearthing of the kind of gritty, Steve Waugh-esque middle order batter that they've been craving for for years in Jonathan Trott.

From the start Trott has looked the part, getting solidy behind the line against the express pace of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle with his quick feet and excellent hands. His partnership yesterday morning with the unflappable Andrew Strauss calmed England's overnight nerves and set the platform for the lower order onslaught from their very productive engine room of Flintoff, Broad and Swann.

Australia set about their seemingly hopeless task in positive fashion and it's highly likely that whatever happens today they'll continue to look for scoring opportunities since a blocking and prodding approach will only lead to a slow death, particularly against the flight and guile of Graeme Swann. Thus an entertaining morning awaits. Even with such a huge total to defend anxieties still exist in all England supporter's minds - it is Australia after all - but sometime in the last session today the Ashes should, I repeat should, be coming home.

Key man for England? Good question. On such a dry day the ball might show signs of reversing so James Anderson will be a threat as will Stuart Broad with his skillful cutters. Swann's offspin is likely to operate all day from one end but if Australia do get in a position where they think the chase is on, Andrew Flintoff, the loveable Lancashire icon, will surely step up to the plate.

Simply an astonishing day's cricket. Who would have thought it? England 332 all out, a slightly deflating performance given their excellent position at 170 for 2 in the first innings, now have a lead of 230 with seven 2nd innings wickets left after a collapse of calamitous proportions by the vaunted Australian batting line up.

Spin played its part with Graeme Swann teasing the Aussies in conditions perfect for slow bowling but it was the youthful dynamism of Stuart Broad who grabbed this match by the scruff of the neck in an inspired spell of fastish seam. One after the other, the Australians fell, plunging from 70 without loss to 111 for 7, an unbelievable turn of events. Broad has bowled poorly at times during this series but he now has 17 wickets to his name allied to in excess of 200 runs at an average over 30. If England fans are looking for players in their team to play with heart and passion, they need look no further than the highly talented Nottinghamshire allrounder.

Doom, gloom and personal criticism abounded in the newspapers this morning, bemoaning England's inability to capitalise on good positions and questioning the character of certain members of the side and the team's attitude in general. Those journalists and know it alls - read Kevin Garside's piece in the Daily Telegraph today (Friday) if you want a good example - should hang their heads in shame at the negativity they spread about English cricket. The Ashes are not won yet, not by a long chalk and an Australian win is still possible but it will require one or more of them to bat the innings of their lives if they are to pull Ricky Ponting's side out of the awful situation they find themselves in.

Another compelling day awaits. 50 more overs of batting from England will see them perhaps 380 ahead and in a virtually impregnable position on a wicket that is turning yards and taking chunks out of the surface. Andrew Strauss, the glue that binds England's vulnerable batting order together, is absolutely crucial to this aim backed by the compact Jonathan Trott who, though it is early days, already offers a reassuring presence at No.5.

Is there another twist to come in this series of constant ebb and flow? As an England fan you know from bitter experience never to write off Australia but Strauss and his men will know they are within touching distance of achieving what many thought impossible during England's winter of discontent.

Wello

At 307 for 8 after a day of tense, cagey cricket, England find themselves with a position that is poorer than it could have been but still competitive should an incredibly dry Oval pitch continue to deteriorate. Useful contributions from Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell helped by an excellent debut by Jonathan Trott allowed England to build a decent total that at times promised more were it not for the annoying habit England's batsmen have of constantly flirting with balls outside off stump.

Good bowling from Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus pressured England at times and Mitchell Johnson picked up 2 crucial wickets without looking like he was in his best form but the Australians will be privately wishing they could change their team and that Nathan Hauritz had been picked ahead of Stuart Clark who whilst relatively tidy looked innocuous. Despite selecting what surely must be the wrong XI, Ricky Ponting's men never gave up the fight throughout the day and that was typified by Simon Katich's brilliant run out of Trott from short leg.

What a vital morning session lies ahead. If England can bat for an hour and perhaps score another 50 runs, they will feel they have a good enough total to ask questions of Australia on a pitch that will be turning square given another day. The result of the match rests on the superior Aussie batting line up versus England's better attack. Dry, toppy wickets offer assistance to tall quick bowlers and Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison should find some inconsistencies in the pitch should they hit the right length hard. Expect them to bowl the cross seam ball in abundance looking for some to 'kick' alarmingly at the Australians.

It is to Graeme Swann though that all eyes will turn. England's offspinner is a real character and his batting has fortified their lower order but the expectation on him to produce the goods on a wicket made for spin will be huge. Phil Tufnell spun Australia to defeat at The Oval in 1997. Does Swann have it in him to do the same or is England's total below par anyway? Don't miss it.

In this 5 match series, Australia have dominated 2 matches and won 1. England have done exactly the same. Now all that has gone before becomes irrelevant in the biggest test match this country has seen since the same teams met at The Oval 4 years earlier.

There are concerns for both sides despite the widely held view that Australia are going to walk away with this one. England's top 6 is palpably weaker than their opponents with Andrew Strauss their only world class player. Debutant Jonathan Trott could not have asked for a tougher or more crucial baptism into test cricket. He is in excellent form but this will be as much a test of his character as his technique.

England's lower order is however stronger than the Australians and worth a good few runs particularly with Andrew Flintoff back in the side. Stuart Broad is one player capable of playing a very big innings for England and despite his moderate bowling earlier in the series he is made of the right stuff.

The Aussies have momentum with them after their comprehensive win at Headingley but there is a sense that the cup final nature of this test makes that less important. Simon Katich is short of runs for them as is Ricky Ponting but the quality of their middle order will usually ensure sufficient runs are put on the board. Their biggest issue is with their bowling and the make-up of their attack. 4 quicks was ideal at Headingley when conditions suited Stuart Clark's medium-fast swing and cut perfectly but can they realistically go into an Oval test without a frontline spinner after the week of dry weather London has had?

The only side to do this in recent years has been the West Indies but they used Chris Gayle's offspin to supplement their pace attack. You have to go back to Hansie Cronje's South Africans in 1994 as the only overseas team not to bowl an over of spin in the entire match. The Aussies won't do that with Michael Clarke, Katich and Marcus North available but it will nag away at them whether they should pick Nathan Hauritz again.

If they do revert to a 4 man attack with 3 seamers it ratchets the pressure back onto those 3 fast men and particularly Mitchell Johnson who has shown himself vulnerable before. This is a potential area of weakness that England must expose. Andrew Strauss's men have to win since a draw leaves Australia retaining the Ashes. They have to play positively. Will the Australians follow suit? Playing for a draw is not in their nature which makes for a fascinating contest as in reality that's all they need to do. That would leave Ricky Ponting never actually winning The Ashes in England as captain and he is desperate to avoid such a historical epitaph.

Ponting is an incredibly motivated man as is Andrew Flintoff, more so with him playing in his last ever test. Which man's character will galvanise their team most? The return of Freddie will give England the belief that they can win whilst Ponting will demand his side do the same. It will be worth watching to say the least.

Wello

One test apiece with one to play. Somehow that scenario always seemed likely with 2 evenly matched sides finding their form at different times in the series. England deserve criticism for their performance in this match. They were insipid, toothless and lacked heart - until the morning session yesterday when Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann launched a much needed assault on the Australian bowlers to help lift a dispirited Yorkshire crowd.

But when all is said and done, it must be accepted that when playing Australia in a 5 test series you're going to lose a match. They are still the best rated test side in the world and have been so for 15 years. On paper, the side they put out at Headingley looks better than England's, particularly in the middle order where their number 3, 4 and 5 all average over 50. Now we enter the wonderfully English post-match period where everyone in the country calls for everyone to be sacked, dropped or better still shot. Why do we do this? We played badly, Australia didn't. England lost. Move on.

Whoever wins at The Oval wins The Ashes. Australia needed to win at Headingley and thus approached the game with positive intent whilst England, badly affected by the Flintoff fitness issue and the Prior back spasm, seemed unsure of what their mindset would be going into the 4th test. All that is done now. They have to win the 5th test otherwsie Ricky Ponting will achieve his lifelong ambition of lifting the little urn in England. For this to happen several things need to fall into place.

Firstly, Andrew Flintoff must play. He gives the England side that most fundamental sporting requirement - the belief they can win. Secondly, England's middle order has to change. It's impossible to win a game if your 3 to 5 batsmen accumulate just 16 runs for 6 times out in a match. If England can find the right combination to get at least some production from this crucial area of the team, they'll have a chance since their 7- 10 is superior to the Australians if Freddie plays. Broad and Swann's batting yesterday showed what England are capable of and importantly how to play the nagging accuracy but diminished pace of Stuart Clark. It was a losing cause but their antics may just have caused some doubt in the Australian camp about whether Clark should play at the Oval.

If he doesn't it's back to Nathan Hauritz and 3 seamers again for the Aussies - a far more pressurised position for their quicks. If Clark does play, then Ricky Ponting has no front line spinner at a ground where slow bowling is seen as crucial. Selecting the Australian team will not be plain sailing next week.

Crumbs of comfort? Perhaps. But these 2 teams are still pretty evenly matched if - and it is a big if - Flintoff is fit to play and England secure some runs from their middle order. Ravi Bopara will go but as to who will come in and bat at 3 it's difficult to say. The names of Mark Ramprakash, Rob Key, Jonathan Trott and Mike Carberry are being thrown into the hat. How ironic that Michael Vaughan should have retired to assist Bopara with England now desperate for him to still be available. Here's one from the leftest of left fields. If England need one player to come in and bat in the top order for a one-off test to win the Ashes, how about Marcus Trescothick? Unlikely? Yes. Desirable? Absolutely.

Wello

In a 5 test series against Australia, you're always going to lose a game. This is England's. Outplayed from start to the inevitable finish today, England are on the receiving end of a good old fashioned stuffing. The recriminations have already begun but for my money it's time to forget this test and put all the energy into deciding how to put things right at the Oval.

The big question is whether England can beat Australia without their two key matchwinners Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff. Hard enough without one of them, the task seems almost impossible in the absence of both. With Big Fred out and Stuart Clark back in the Australian side, there's no doubt that the Aussies look a better side on paper. Their batting from 1 - 6 is superior of that there is no doubt with Michael Clarke and Marcus North having superb series. If Australia get into difficulty such as they did in the 1st innings here or at Edgbaston on the last day, their composed orthodox strokeplay digs them out of trouble.

What can England do? Poor Ravi Bopara was unluckily judged LBW first ball yesterday but for whatever reason it just hasn't happened for the talented Essex player. Surely he'll be left out at The Oval. Will Ian Bell get the axe too? If so who comes in for them? England have proven test class options in seam bowling, wicket keeping and spin but their batting reserves are decidedly thinner.

Whatever happens the dynamic will be different for the final test. England will not concern themselves with trying to hold onto a 1-0 lead and the classic negative mindset that engenders. They must now throw caution to the wind and play to win. The Aussies will also have some thinking to do about whether they continue with a four man pace attack at a venue where a spinner is seen as essential but at Headingley it has proved more than enough.

Is it possible to lose a test match in its first 90 minutes? England will find the answer to that awkward question at Headingley this weekend. An excellent bowling performance from a re-jigged Australian attack saw England incapable of responding and their horrible first innings 102 all out represents a losing position unless they can produce something special today.

Pace, aggression, accuracy and movement. Fast bowlers thrive on these factors and the Australians supplied them in abundance buoyed by the return of the immaculate Stuart Clark. England's batting looked frail yesterday, rocked by the early loss of their leader Strauss to an astonishing reflex catch at 3rd slip by Marcus North. When they get their chance again, some of England's young batsmen are going to have to bat like real men to have any hope of invoking the spirit of Headingley 1981.

Such an occurrence though unlikely is not impossible and after a terrible spell of ridiculous short pitched stuff, the England attack caused the Australian top order just as much trouble by pitching the ball up. The same approach this morning should see the Aussies all out by lunch, albeit with a potentially matchwinning lead. If not the game is gone. What chance Australia chasing a small but testing total in the 4th innings? One last thing: Ravi - play your shots young man, you're in the last chance saloon and have nothing to lose.

One - nil up with two to play. A delicious series scoreline that leaves everything to play for in the 2009 Ashes. Australia's comfort in batting out the last day at Edgbaston showed the resilience of their middle order with the class of Michael Clarke coming to the fore. Nicknamed 'Pup' for his youthful nature when first entering the Aussie dressing room, the stylish right hander is now a real banker at No.5 and arguably their best player in the absence of real form from Ricky Ponting. Marcus North is another interesting batsman and English crowds haven't quite worked out whether they think he's any good or not. At times he can appear late on the ball and vulnerable defensively yet his cover drive is played with textbook clarity and shape and he has a century and a 90 in the series already.

Australia appear destined to alter their side once again for today's Headingley test - indeed they probably have to. Their current 4 man bowling unit has been unable to apply sustained pressure to the England batting line up and they have leaked runs. Focusing on averages in cricket has always been the major statistical talking point but economy rates have a huge impact on games too. At the moment, England score much quicker than the Australians, something that was unthinkable in the days of Warne and McGrath.

This series, Mitchell Johnson has conceded over 4 runs an over and Peter Siddle is only just behind him whereas Ben Hilfenhaus's have cost 3.2 runs for each one bowled, a substantial difference. Contrast that to the England attack where Stuart Broad's economy rate is 3.6, Andrew Flintoff an excellent 3.2 and James Anderson, previously the wayward child who swung and sprayed the ball in scattergun fashion, a positively parsimonious 3.1. The Lancashire fast bowler is now the most accurate seamer on either side, an amazing turnaround, and though the ball didn't swing for him in the 2nd innings at Edgbaston his figures of 47 runs off 21 overs would likely have had a 1 in front of them 15 months ago.

This faster scoring rate has allowed England to move into positions where they can apply pressure much more easily than Australia. The return of Brett Lee will assist Ricky Ponting because he offers experience allied to a lion-hearted approach but his record in England is moderate and his economy rate in Ashes tests in this country is 4.2. Lee's return will give Ponting some additional firepower but it won't help him gain control which is what all captain's crave.

Perhaps then Stuart Clark will come into the side, possibly in place of Peter Siddle. Has he lost some of his potency? In the last Ashes series he bowled like Richard Hadlee and was constantly at the England batsman, playing a major part in the 5-0 drubbing inflicted on Flintoff's sorry bunch. Surely the Australians will play him at some stage.

Onto England and the fitness of Flintoff is causing major concern. With the match less than 3 hours away his participation is still in doubt and even if he does play, his bowling role looks likely to be reduced. This has been an unsettling issue and England will need to show it hasn't affected them, doubly so if Big Fred doesn't play. If that is the case, England fortunately have some excellent reserves and Ryan Sidebottom - long a favourite of this column - could get his chance to remind us just how good a bowler he is. If not it will be the like for like pace of Steve Harmison who has been in magnificent form for Durham but whose selection would have England fans wondering whether he will once again flatter to deceive.

Another fascinating match awaits. Australia will sense unease in the England camp over Freddie whether he plays or not whilst England will know they are one win away from achieving back to back Ashes wins on home soil - something that looked impossible during the winter. One last thing. England's middle order has vulnerability about it with Bopara and Bell but surely they're the best young players we've got and we should get behind them. Both looked good at Edgbaston and Bell in particular has it within him to play a big innings against the Australians. One area of worry is the semblance of a return to form for Mitchell Johnson. If he fires and has it bending back in to the right handers in excess of 90 mph, this game will be alive.

Wello

Game on. A weather forecast set fair, a minimum of 98 overs in the day and nervous tension in both camps, particularly the Australian one. Most pundits are predicting a draw but the quality of England's attack - with Graeme Swann causing numerous problems for left and right handers alike - suggests that at some time tomorrow the home side will be batting again.

Australia are still 26 runs behind with 8 wickets left after the loss of Simon Katich to another airy flick against the excellent Graham Onions and Ricky Ponting, bowled in classical manner by Swann who drew the world's best player wide of off stump and bowled him middle stump through the gate. What a shock wave this dismissal sent through the Australian camp. Could Swann be the man to unhinge the Baggy Green's tomorrow?

If he is, it will be due to the middle and lower middle order of England who reacted to the uncertain position of 159 for 4 in vintage Edgbaston style, carving 159 runs in 32 overs during the afternoon session. Ian Bell's neat half century was nipped in the bud by the improved Mitchell Johnson but there is now a marked difference in the 7 - 10 positions in the England and Australia batting orders. Against the current Aussie attack, Flintoff, Broad, Swann and Anderson are worth at least another hundred runs allowing 200 for 5 to become a score in excess of 300.

Big Fred is enjoying this series and England have now found their true number 7. No longer worried with the technical complexities of compiling a batsman's innings, the burly all rounder can now bat as Chris Cairns did for New Zealand and give the ball a solid whack. Stuart Broad at 8 is a wonderful player and in truth he is more of a banker with the bat than with the ball at present. Graeme Swann is, well, Graeme Swann - a man who rubs the Aussies up the wrong way with his cheek and exuberance. He also happens to be a very good off spin bowler to boot.

The final day of this test promises to be a compelling spectacle. 3 wickets in the first session should not be beyond England and by then Australia might be, perhaps 70 ahead. What a final few hours that would set up. Expect an all seam burst from England followed by Swann at one end and the quicks rotating. Test cricket is alive and well this summer. Roll on 11am.

Wello