Ashes Test 2009 – Oval- Pre Report
After the complete collapse of England at the 4th Test at Headingly, they will be looking for a vast improvement in both their batting and bowling when the 5th and final Test in the 2009 Ashes series starts tomorrow at the Oval. In order to win back the famous Urn they must win, whilst the Australians just have draw.
The news from the Australian cricket camp is that they will be targeting England’s middle order that they deem to be vulnerable to their much improved bowling attack. Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood all failed to reach double figures in either innings in the fourth Test at Headingley and Jonathan Trott has been selected to make his debut at the expense of Bopara who’s form has been particularly disappointing.Trott will bat at five with Bell and Collingwood moving up to three and four respectively.
Bell averages 31 batting at number three compared to an overall average nearly 10 runs higher when he bats lower in the order. Hence he is carrying a huge responsibility in what can be considered the pivotal batting position.
“Belly is a maturing character,” Strauss said. “He hasn’t set the world on fire at three but he’s played some important innings. He’s good against pace and he’s good against spin and this is a fantastic opportunity to show his talent.”
Strauss is urging his team to stay calm in the biggest Test match staged in England since the equivalent game in 2005 when the hosts secured the draw they needed to regain the Ashes.
“The important thing about a Test match is that you can’t win on day one, you’ve got to earn the right to win the game and that means playing good, solid cricket for the first three days or so,” he said.
“So it’s not a case of particularly forcing the pace, it’s about wrestling the initiative away over the course of the first three days.”
The manner of the Aussie victory in Leeds together with their all-round superiority looks like it may lead them to play an all-pace attack with Stuart Clark and Brett Lee competing for the final place. Ricky Ponting the Australian Captain and the Australian selectors plan to assess the conditions during their final practice session today before deciding to go with pace or recall off-spinner Nathan Haurtiz.
Once again the weather forecast is not good for Thursday’s start with rain predicted after a week of sunshine however the pitch looks typical of the Oval with pace and bounce and plenty of runs.
So here we are at last the final game in the 2009 Ashes Test at the Oval – the odds are stacked heavily in Australia’s favour. If England can win the toss and amass a good total in the first couple of days then they stand a slight chance of winning back the Ashes but currently this seems unlikely and the Urn looks destined to stay down under. One thing is for sure; before the final ball is bowled we can look forward to some good cricket and drama that only this series seems able to conjure. Let the last battle commence.
