Fifth Ashes Test. The Oval.

[Donny]

September 12-16 at The Oval, London.

[Donny]

The only possible change looks to be Warner out for either Khawaja or Bancroft.

Unlikely.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

win the toss bowl first

[Donny]

Whyzat, 90 ?

Got some inside info on the wicket ?

Bradman, on the toss: "9 times out of 10, you bat if you win the toss. For the other time, you think about it .... and bat"

[shawthing]

Warner should be dropped for his own good. Let him regroup for another series.

[K]

'Taking its toll': Fatigue factor has Cummins in doubt for fifth Test

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/taking-its-toll-fatigue-factor-has-cummins-in-doubt-for-fifth-test-20190910-p52q0x.html

"The world's No.1 ranked bowler and the Ashes' leading wicket-taker, Cummins sent down 48 overs in the fourth Test, 21 of which came on the last day.

He had almost exactly the same volume (47.5 overs) in Cape Town last year, then backed up the following week in Johannesburg with a career-high 53 overs before being diagnosed with back soreness and missing close to six months.

The prospect of a batsman-friendly pitch at The Oval means he faces another sizeable workload here if picked."


[I suppose this is the one valid concern about giving Cummins the captaincy when Paine retires.

If it's the fifth "batsman-friendly" pitch in a row, then it'll be a disgrace. Well, I reckon it's already a disgrace. It looks like the ECB are ordering flat pitches because they're worried their feeble batting will be all out for 50 if they aren't.]

[K]

'English pitches should be more biased' - James Anderson

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27586420/english-pitches-more-biased-james-anderson

"England's failure to reclaim the Ashes in a home series for the first time in almost two decades can in part be put down to unhelpful pitches, according to the team's senior fast bowler James Anderson.
...

"I think they've probably suited Australia more than us," he said. "I would have liked to have seen a bit more grass but that's the nature of the game here. When you're selling out - like Lancashire selling out five days of Test cricket - it's hard not to produce a flat deck but, you know, that's one of the frustrations from a player's point of view. We go to Australia and get pitches that suit them. They come over here and get pitches that suit them. It doesn't seem quite right.
...

In contrast to Anderson's lugubrious take, Australia coach Justin Langer was perhaps unsurprisingly full of praise for the "bowler-friendly wickets" on which his team had prevailed in their mission to retain the Ashes.

"It's most important for the health of Test cricket moving forward that you're playing on competitive wickets," he said ahead of the final Test at The Oval. "Great players make runs, games always moving forward, you're on the edge of your seat. I think the wickets this series have been fantastic for that." "


[They are both talking baloney. Players and coaches cannot maintain objectivity, and they are not deep thinkers anyway. It'd take a batsman to call these pitches "bowler-friendly". You have tailenders easily lasting over 100 deliveries on a fifth-day pitch against what some are saying is one of the great bowling pairs. How is that bowler-friendly. Langer is nuts.

And how does Anderson think his batsmen would go on a green pitch? Did he watch modest Murtagh bundle them out for 85?]

[K]

A. Ramsey, cricket.com.au:

"The selection panel were also pivotal to operation Ashes, earmarking the complement of fast bowlers Australia had dreamed for years of unleashing in unison for this sustained assault on the Ashes.

They were also forced to make some harsh calls on players with iron-clad cases for inclusion such as Joe Burns, Kurtis Patterson and Jackson Bird, but the series current 2-1 scoreline vindicates their judgement."


[No, it doesn't. That's another example of journos and commentators just judging by the end result. (And the real end result could still end up a 2-2 draw.) The only batsmen who've done okay for Oz are Smith and Labuschagne, who was not even in the squad. Batsmen outside the squad could be even worse, of course.]

[Donny]

[Presti35]

The last Ashes test at the Oval... I had a ticket to day 5. It was the only ticket I could get. I just wanted to be able to say I saw an Ashes in England.

I'd landed in London a few days before and ended up staying for 2 years.

The test ended on day 4 with an Australia win. (England won the series) And I had to start a new job the following Monday... or was it a Tuesday?

I still have the tickets.

[Donny]

Hey, Knee Bro, When that happens, do you get a refund ?

[K]

[Donny]

Sounds like Warner is in, after hearing Langer's comments, today.

Perhaps it will be Cummins who gets a well earned rest.

[K]

If they insist on playing Warner, maybe we can at least soothe our pain by making money out of it. What are the available bets the bookies offer on Warner failing?

It's almost as bad as the Khawaja selection. The selectors needed the evidence of him nicking off eight of his last nine Test innings () against England before they saw reality.

[Donny]

1. Why do you think teams field up to 7 of their 11 players from 'keeper to point ? Because batsmen nick or thick edge. Always have.

2. Soothe our pain ? We just secured the Ashes. What pain ?