Fifth Ashes Test. The Oval.

[K]

Wade cover drives Woakes for 4.

Botham: "Don't worry about that. That's not a problem."

Lloyd: "Just noticing there's a lot of communication between the umpires."
I don't know what that's about.

[K]

Broad gets Smith caught around the corner by Stokes for 23.

Oz 4/85 (26.3). Marsh in.

This could be a 250-run loss.

Taylor: "He was getting looser and looser..."

Lisa: "This was a plan England have tried on numerous occasions..."


That is not so far short of Smith's 4th-innings average. That may tell us something.

[K]

Marsh drives for 4 to get off the mark.

Leading wicket-takers:
Cummins 29; Archer, Broad 22; ...

Marsh pulls safely enough for a single.
He gestures to the dressing room. New gloves?

Gower: "I don't think he gets his hands high enough."
Does David mean all the time, or just that first-innings dismissal?

Gower wants the deep point in. He says Marsh has been in only 14 minutes. Try to get them out! Don't just wait.

[K]

Wade skips down to Leach and cover drives for 4.

And next ball, down the pitch and over the on side for 4 more.

The Oz 100 comes up!

And next ball another 4, as Leach drops short and is cut to the boundary.

Crowd catch next ball. Leach fires back to the keeper.

Oz 4/105 (30).
Wade 34* (38 ) is the top scorer in this innings so far.

[K]

Broad is replace with Woakes.

Athers: "I'm just wondering why not Archer."

Broad has 3 wickets, Leach 1.

[K]

Woakes gets Marsh, edging to Burns.

But it's a no ball!!!
The foot was clearly over. Burns's excellent catch is in vain.

The third this series.

Gower: "It always brooks the question, 'Why?'"

Is Baum going to suggest baloney that Marsh made Woakes bowl that no ball? I doubt it.

Oz 4/106 (31).

[K]

Athers talks about Wade coming down to Leach to take out the rough and make Leach drop short.

You can't go too early, but if you have quick feet you can get to it.
Gower: "The other thing you do is pretend to come."

Gower: "The tough part is keeping this game of cat and mouse going for a long time."

The temptation to lunge forward is the early mistake people make sometimes, Gower says.

Gower: "I think it's fascinating when you have good spin on a pitch that's turning. ... It's all about skill and nerve and judgement."

[K]

Wade nicks Woakes, but down in front of Stokes.
(And Foakes is nowhere to be seen.)

And beaten to end the over.

Oz 4/111 (33).

[K]

They appeal for a rebound catch. Marsh shakes his head. The umpires call for TV. Soft signal is not out.

Marsh drove Leach. It looks like it hit ground before hitting the close fielder's boot.

Not out!

Gower and Athers joke about Wayne Phillips being given out in similar circumstances. AB & Phillips disagree, Gower says.

Oz 4/111 (34). Drinks.

Taylor: "Mitch Marsh is still playing a bit hard with the hands."

[K]

Ponting says that was the only no ball that Woakes has been called for in more than 5000 balls in Test cricket!

Holding returns to the theme of umpires not calling no balls. He says the ball before was also a no ball, which wasn't called.

---------------------------

Wade is squared up and gets a thick edge to ground.

Marsh square cuts for 4.

Ponting: "If you're a bowler, you'd be silly not to ask."

Holding: "I don't really know why bowlers don't know where their feet are landing."

[K]

Leach.

Ponting: "Bowling to a 6-3 field."

He praises Wade's use of the feet. He hasn't been lunging, says Ponting.

This time Wade doesn't get it properly. He was trying to go over the top.

The England fielders are telling Dharmasena it hit the helmet. 5 runs.
The ball nutmegged the keeper and hit the helmet.


Meanwhile, some cricinfo reader criticism of how Smith got out. Well, his fourth-innings record is poor...

[K]

Marsh drives at Woakes, the edge is over Burns's head, and Burns can only parry it with one hand. A drop!

There was a puff as the ball hit the pitch, and one of Marsh's hands came off the bat.
...........

They take a quick single, and there's an overthrow. They check for the run out.

Easily home! Not out!

Ponting says Wade has just been panicking a bit in the last few overs.

...........

Wade on drives for 4.

[K]

Archer returns for his first spell this session.

Wade hooks fine for 4 to bring up the 50 partnership.

Then Wade ducks and is hit on the shoulder as the ball kept low. They appeal for a catch, but it wasn't even taken. Ponting says Wade was disappointed Marsh didn't come through for a legbye.

[K]

Marsh is just padding the ball away with Leach coming over the wicket.
That's what he should be doing, says Holding.
You just need to keep your gloves out of the way, says Ponting.

And again.

Ponting: "He's bowling quite fast. ... Slow it down."

Nearly 60mph.

Maiden.
Oz 4/136 (40).

[K]

Marsh smokes Archer for 4. He pulled it straight.

Warne: "87 mph, and it sat up nicely."