The Biggest Five Days of Cricket for Many Years
By So observes Cricket HQ in their recent post.
England 307 – 8. End of play, Day 1, 5th Test.
To refresh, the 2009 Ashes series is tied and tied some more: England 1, Australia 1, draws 2. To retain the Ashes, all Australia have to do is draw this final test. England must win to recapture the Ashes.
307 for 8 does not put them in great shape, but it’s not dire, either, and certainly a damn sight better than the 102 that England cruised to in their first innings of the 4th test. As I accurately predicted, Bopara was dropped for the final test, replaced by the South African born Jonathan Trott for his test debut. While Trott didn’t remind one of that other South African born England cricketer in his first innings of test cricket, a 41 is a massive improvement over the deposed Bopara. (To be fair, nearly anybody with the merest shred of knowledge about cricket could have foretold Bopara’s relegation after the 4th test, but hey, sometimes, rarely, my predictions do come true).
I’ve heard from a couple mates back in England that two of the wickets were a bit dodgy?
While a fairly rudimentary historical analysis (with some numbers!) over at the Ashes HQ grants the English about a 1 in 5 chance of winning this (and hence the Ashes), they are right to point out that this is a rare Ashes that comes down to the final test. At this point in the last Ashes series, 2006/07, England were already 4-0 down. Indeed, Ashes HQ wax somewhat eloquent when observing that
For players on both sides, the final test of a level Ashes series is the most high-pressure scenario imaginable. A match-winning performance in this match will make up for an entire career of underachievement, while a dropped catch or poor shot will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Which makes Trott’s inaugural 41 all the more impressive to my mind. Finally, not only high pressure and the biggest five days of cricket for many years etc. etc., but this will mark the final test match of Andrew Flintoff’s mercurial test career.
Hopefully he improves on that first innings 7 in his second innings.
