Fifth Ashes Test. The Oval.

[K]

Curran is warming up.

Ponting says he was the one to worry Smith in the first innings.
Yep, he did. I think it's because he swung the ball. The other English bowlers didn't.

Ponting: "They might get him into the attack before Smith is set."

And they do bring Curran on.

But Marnus is on strike. In the first innings, I was hoping Smith would be off strike to Curran, because he was worried a lot.

A small appeal. Not out.
Gower: "That swung a bit."
Ponting: "I like this from England."

Smith is on strike. He counts the fielders.

Ponting: "His back foot goes a long way outside off, but he does not commit that front foot."

Smith drives through mid on for 4.

Oz 2/44 (10).

[K]

Gower shows Smith's "Caribbean drives".

Gower: "He'll get bat on ball because he watches the ball so well."

Ponting: "He moves early. ... Almost falls through the ball after impact."

Smith glances for 4.
There were oohs, but it was too straight.
Ponting: "That kept Stuart Broad interested for a long time."


Marnus at the non-striker's end, as the ball bobbled away from Broad: "No run. No run. No run. No run."


Oz require 350 more runs with 8 wickets in hand.

[K]

Gower: "He's definitely swinging it. ... For Curran, it often swings relatively early."

Ponting says Smith in fourth innings has batted 20 times, 560 runs at an average just over 30.
What does everyone else average in fourth innings?

Gower talks about the pronunciation of Labuschagne.
Gower asks what chance they have of getting Warne to pronounce the third syllable correctly ("skukh").

Meanwhile, Curran completes a maiden.

[K]

Leach is on.

Smith leaves the first ball and is close to bowled!
I might have thought he had it under control, but there was a look of horror on his face. Maybe he thought it would turn away.

[K]

Leach for his second over. Madness.

Smith charges down and slogs it with zero control for a single. The bat twisted in his hands.

Athers: "It could have gone anywhere."

Leach is obviously bothering Smith. Can't he just work singles??

[K]

Marnus is stumped.

Oz 3/56 (16.3). Wade in.

Marnus wasn't trying to use his feet. He was just drawn out and his back foot was caught in the air.

This could get ugly now. Very unprofessional from Oz in the leadup and first three days. Not Marnus, or the batting today, but everything that led Oz to this predicament before. It's hard to believe that they don't care enough about the difference between drawing and winning the series.

Bairstow says something about "sh**stirrer", no doubt referring to Wade.

[K]

Smith continues to charge down the pitch and try to hit Leach over the top. If he holes out, it'll do my head in.

Wade is using his feet too, but not to loft.

[K]

Athers jokes that umpire Erasmus is a man who looks like he likes lunch. But he agrees to another over, to be bowled by Leach.
Botham says he's not in a position to comment.

Wade goes back to cut and misses. There are oohs and aahs.

Leach's speed is 52mph.

Wade dances down. Appeal for LBW. Not out.
Athers: "So far down..."

And again.

Oz 3/68. Lunch.
Smith 18*.

[Jezza]

3/68. Require another 331 runs for victory.

Smith 18*, Wade 10*

[K]

I don't know if this is good for my health to keep watching this.
It's all very painful.

[Jezza]

^ No need to stress, K. We've retained the Ashes!

[K]

Okay, Jezza. I'm trying not to be too grumpy.

But watching cricket this UK summer has sometimes been like watching Collingwood lose a GF.

(The 4 overthrows off the bat in the last over of the WC final was one of the saddest moments I've witnessed in all cricket.)

[K]

Woakes now to start after lunch.
He bowled poorly in the first innings, but got Smith one that wasn't special.

Lloyd: "There's a little bit of outswing."

[K]

Broad from the other end.

Wade leaves. There are cries, but that was nowhere near the stumps.

Erasmus talks to Broad. What was that about?
Paine sips water in the dressing room.

Wade square drives off the back foot for 4.

More runs, and more England cries.

The broadcast shows that to LHers, Broad has gone around the wicket 98% of the time this year, and 74% last year.

Lloyd: "Well England, after lunch, are just getting this ball to move."

Botham: "It's hot out there and quite muggy."

Lloyd: "The breeze has picked up."

Botham: "Nothing out there."

[K]

Appeal for LBW against Smith from Broad. Not out. No review.

Ball tracking says too high and hit outside the line, so it was safe.

Botham: "I've never been able to find a natural, scientific reason for why the ball swings. ... There's no proven scientific reason."


Smith hits through mid on for 4.
Botham: "This has got to be six inches, a foot outside off stump."

Oz 3/81 (25).