5th Test, the Oval. 27-31st July

Apologies, but that last sequence was still fresh in my mind. Agree that before lunch they weren't rattling along but was that good bowling, sensible batting or a bit of both. The run rate was kept down although there never seemed any likelihood of a wicket. I think Australia were playing proper test match cricket, valuing their wicket as opposed to a number of English batsmen and a couple of the Aussies too who might have been suckered in.
We now have a one innings match with 3 days of fair? weather. It only gives the 4 day test criers more ammunition.

At least next year the tests should be spread out over a longer period.

Be Interesting to see how Murphy Bowls,one of the TMS team reckon the Wicket is very Dry Underneath.

Looks like rain all day tomorrow,so the weather will decide the match

dougieginn wrote:Looks like rain all day tomorrow,so the weather will decide the match

Well it was supposed to rain the last two days and didn't. These are some of the people telling us we're all going to boil.

On another note 80 overs by 6.30. Awful. When are they going to sort this out? Everyone should get a 10 over refund.That's probably around £15!

And not really surprisingly Broad has announced his retirement after the match, but not Jimmy.

Stuart Broad retires, will certainly be missed,been our best bowler in this series,be very hard to replace.I don’t think Dave Warner will retire after this news.

Surprised about Broad - he has looked more threatening in this series than I expected, and seems fit enough. Having said that,  knowing when to leave the stage with people saying "why" rather than stay on it with people saying "why is he still here?" (mention no names!) is always best.

Can't say I've ever liked the bloke, but have to respect his 600 wickets.

Won't be the same

Enjoyed my day there, but still boils my piss that at £110 a ticket I was still left without 10 overs bowled. There's just no interest in the administrators sorting out what a mess it is

Serves you right for paying it.There is more standing around talking and multiple hold ups than there is Cricket.It's a con.

I hate Stuart Broad.

Definitely a grudging admiration from the Aussies for Broad.

Alex! wrote:Won't be the same

Enjoyed my day there, but still boils my piss that at £110 a ticket I was still left without 10 overs bowled. There's just no interest in the administrators sorting out what a mess it is

They owe you £12.22
If there are around 25,000 in the ground the total refund for one day is £305,500. Maybe the administrators may wake up to that!

Chinaman wrote:

Alex! wrote:Won't be the same

Enjoyed my day there, but still boils my piss that at £110 a ticket I was still left without 10 overs bowled. There's just no interest in the administrators sorting out what a mess it is

They owe you £12.22
If there are around 25,000 in the ground the total refund for one day is £305,500. Maybe the administrators may wake up to that!

Mostly ****s.

Two days of banging on about Stuart Broad?No thankyou.Why couldn't he announce it after the game?I hope Jimmy Anderson does just that.

Sentimentality batting, not taking the runs? Rain by 2pm. Oh all out.

Badges wrote:Two days of banging on about Stuart Broad?No thankyou.Why couldn't he announce it after the game?I hope Jimmy Anderson does just that.

Watching with sound down.

Is Wood unable to bowl?

Awful decision to pick Anderson again,he is a spent force now.

Good news for the coffers. This one's going into the fifth day.

As I feared Lee Fortis has prepared a pitch that suits the Aussie batsmen.

Nothing to do with the pitch. 30 wickets have fallen in 3 days (and 1 over) here before Australia's second innings began. As any good test wicket should do, it is starting to turn on Day 4, albeit not yet excessively. If England could have produced more than one good specialist spinner who is currently injured they might have been in business. As for the ageing seam bowlers, they are simply bowling crap, and Ben Stokes's captaincy has cost them  One quick bowler and he doesn't bowl for 30 overs, by which time the batsmen are set and the ball is no longer remotely new.

Full marks to the Australian openers for ignoring the Broad circus and not being intimidated by Bazball. The rate at which they have batted today is ideal for test cricket. Shame about the weather, though it has to be said that England have somehow consistently enjoyed the most suitable overhead conditions in which to bat and bowl throughout all five test matches.

Did a commentator this morning really say: "He won't want it to be all about him"?

Looks like rain might save us!

Badges wrote:Looks like rain might save us!

"Please stop telling us what the result will be in advance based on your expert weather knowledge.Hordes of weather men/women especially on the BBC ,rarely get it right."

Well rain won't save us because it will be a draw, Australia 2/1. England have to win, with perhaps half a day tomorrow to do it. Unlikely based on today's poor bowling. They should have declared overnight rather than waste 30 minutes on sentiment. Daft.

And no need for swearing at someone.