Fifth Ashes Test. The Oval.

[K]

Big appeal for LBW, Root against Cummins. Dharmasena shakes his head. Not out. England have no reviews left.

It just pitched outside leg.

Cummins gets a single to give Wade one ball in the over.

Root goes through Wade, but the stumps are safe.
Close shave.

[K]

Cummins cracks Broad for 4.
...

Broad tries to get the ball changed. No luck. It goes through the rings comfortably.

Botham says it started swinging after 20 or 30 overs, and then it suddenly stopped.

Wade glances to fine leg and brings up 100*(147).
It has been a fine innings.

[K]

Wade cuts Root for 4.

Botham: "There's got to be an element of risk if it bounces a bit."

Bairstow misses a stumping chance! Wade gets back.

And Stokes drops Wade's nick!

Wade is given two lives in two balls!
He needs to settle down and keep going.

[K]

Wade hooks Broad for 4.
111*, his highest Test score.

Oz need 156 more runs with 4 wickets in hand.

[K]

Cummins is given out caught behind. He looks puzzled, but doesn't review.

Oz 7/244 (71). Siddle in.

Wade is running out of partners.

Ultra Edge shows a spike.

[K]

Root gets Wade caught at slip. Wade reviews.

It needs Ultra Edge. His bat definitely hit the ground...

No spike. Reversed decision. Not out!

Athers: "He's got to be careful, Wade."

Botham says Wade said he thought it was a bump ball, so he didn't know that he didn't hit it.

Siddle tries a sweep. I don't think he should be doing that.

Some hesitation. Review for run out. He's home. Not out.

[K]

Siddle nicks throught the gap between first and fourth slip for 4.

Botham: "Why on earth do England for a number 9 in there...? Runs aren't important."

A second slip comes in, and Siddle drives off the middle of the bat through the covers for 4.

Oz 7/254 (73).
Oz require 145 more runs with 3 wickets in hand.

[K]

Botham: "It really all started at the toss, which was an amazing decision... knowing the history of the pitch."

[K]

Leach is back.

Siddle comes down the pitch and gets a quick single.

[K]

Root gets Wade stumped. 117.

Oz 8/260 (75.1). Lyon in.

It could be over tonight.

Here is the truth: Smith has had a huge series with the bat, but when a series win was on the line, he failed -- and it wasn't even a surprise.

[K]

Lyon holes out sweeping Leach to Root at square leg.

Oz 9/263 (76.5). Hazlewood in.
Leach has 3 wickets.

Taylor: "The damage was probably done on day 2."

[K]

Next ball, Hazlewood holes out to a diving mid on -- Root again.

Oz 263 all out.

England win by 135 runs.

Series tied 2-2.

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I hope Oz have a good, hard look at themselves. The preparation, selections, decision to bowl, and fielding for this Test were pathetic. They could do worse than somehow getting Warne involved in some capacity too. His gut feeling that Warner could score a big one today was wrong, but he's often right when Langer and co look stupid.


As for England, so much about them leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. The global game is in strife, and they just steal players from small nations that are struggling to be competitive. The ICC should have stricter qualification rules.


And if anyone makes claims again about the greatness of Smith by the highest historical standards, I'm going to scream and tear my hair out. He's good batting on flat tracks. His fourth-innings average is very low. His namesake who opened for S. Africa averaged 20 more than he does in fourth innings. What more do you want me to say?

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Lisa & Taylor think Oz probably should have won 3-1, but...

Lisa: "The batting of both sides was very poor."
Taylor: "2/30 every time... It's hard to win a series with such poor starts."

[K]

'"Peter Siddle tore a hip flexor bowling on the first morning," Paine said.' (cricinfo)

[K]

Bairstow dropped, Buttler to keep, and Root to go back to 4.

N. Hoult, The Telegraph: "He [Bairstow] knows his Test future is likely to be as a specialist batsman, with Smith confirming Jos Buttler would be wicketkeeper in New Zealand and is set for a long run in the role. ...
Root will return to his favoured position at No.4 and the Test team will now be picked from specialists rather than made up of aggressive all-rounders who shaped the Trevor Bayliss era."

[K]

"Gary Kirsten is in line to be appointed England head coach this week...

The London Telegraph revealed last week that Kirsten was England's No.1 choice and they were hopeful of persuading him to take over from Bayliss. The stumbling block was that Kirsten had turned his back on international cricket in 2013 in order to spend more time with his young family.

But Giles, and the corporate headhunting company used by the England and Wales Cricket Board, have managed to assure Kirsten he will be given time off in an arrangement that suits both sides.
...

But the salary will be an increase on what Bayliss earned and is expected to be in excess of £500,000 per annum, plus win bonuses."