Run-out of town

Down amongst the dust of The Oval under a deep blue sky and in front of a partisan crowd England regained the Ashes from a chastened Australia with a 197 run win to take the series 2-1. Don’t let the hyperbole of the television commentary team fool you; this wasn’t vintage cricket in terms of sustained quality but it was predictable only in its unpredictability. Momentum counted for little as both teams struggled to run with the hounds throughout the course of the series. That won’t matter to Andrew Strauss or his team, “when we were bad we were very bad and when we were good we managed to be good enough.” All that matters is that the little urn is back in English hands.

Strauss deserves great credit for leading an erratic England team to an Ashes win. He cajoled and inspired his side to win the key contests throughout the series, topped the list of overall run-scorers and ensured that the intensity of captaining the side didn’t affect his game. Occasional accusations of conservatism are levelled at Strauss but it may be because when he sees his team in the dressing room he doesn’t know if it will be Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde that takes to the pitch. If a composite side of the two teams was to be compiled then it is only Strauss that would make the top five.

It is safe assumption to make that Ricky Ponting has had enough of The Oval. Now the scene of two chastening series defeats as captain he ended with a bloodied mouth, a bruised ego and provided the great national hero with a last highlight for his show-reel. Ponting batted with intense determination, great application and produced a technically brilliant innings as he found a strong ally in building a 127 run partnership with Mike Hussey.

Creaking in the outfield, WD40 can no longer sustain Andrew Flintoff and the big unit finally looked like he was playing his last Test match. Ponting, caught ball-watching slightly as Hussey tipped and ran, was aghast as Flintoff hurled the 5.5 ounces of red leather towards the stumps with brute force. Ponting was a foot short by the time the missile located its target. Wide brimmed white floppy hat on his head, arms aloft, motionless save for chewing gum Flintoff stood admiring the destruction of the stumps and Australia’s dreams. Ponting remained, head bowed, unable to comprehend that he had been dismissed in such a fashion, again. If being run-out once at a pivotal moment is foolish then to do it twice is careless. Unlike the Fourth Test in 2005 this time there were no recriminatory gestures to the England balcony as Ponting returned to the dressing room to applause from the crowd. If Trent Bridge was Gary Pratt’s finest hour then this was just another career-defining moment for Andrew Flintoff. If a certain lager company made cricketers then they’d make them like big Fred.

As Michael Clarke quickly became Australia’s second run-out victim of the summer the stage was left to Hussey to try and save not just his country but potentially his career too. Overcoming a nervous start and a hitherto disastrous tour Hussey compiled his first century in 29 innings and like Matthew Hayden in 2005 and Mark Taylor in 1997 it is likely that a battling Ashes century will have saved his career. Only when Hussey prodded forward and popped a catch up to Alistair Cook at short-leg to become the twentieth Australian wicket of the match could England supporters and players breathe a sigh of relief. This time there will be no parade through the streets of London or drunken shenanigans in Downing Street but a sigh of relief at a job well done as the Australians have been run-out of town.

A last stand

Following a hectic and enthralling fourth day Australia will begin the final three sessions at Edgbaston 25 runs behind England and with 8 second innings wickets in hand. It is time for the new Australia to stand up and be counted if they are not to go two down with two to play.

Although their captain Ricky Ponting is already back in the hutch the baggy greens should be able to draw inspiration from the England rearguard action in the First Test. In Cardiff Andrew Strauss was dismissed at the end of the fourth day and England entered the last day trailing by over two hundred runs but also with 8 second innings wickets remaining. Scoring at a moderate rate of 100 runs per session will give Australia a lead of 180 at tea and batting on afterwards should secure them the draw.

All that’s needed is someone with the grit and resolve to play the Paul Collingwood role. It’s time for Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke to show their class. Without a Test century in 15 matches Hussey is in the middle of a lean spell which has seen his average plummet from a near Bradmanesque 80 at the beginning of 2008 to a more mortal 55. He will hope that the good fortune that allowed him to survive a king pair off Graham Onions yesterday will enable him to prove his critics wrong. If it’s not Hussey that guides Australia to safety then it’s likely that it will be Clarke. He fought hard at Lords with a classy century in a rearguard action only to be undone by the fire of Andrew Flintoff. A similar show of resilience will be required at the Bull Ring from the second best bladesman in Australia.

For England it is uncertain how much of a role Flintoff will play. Clearly struggling with his injured knee it would be appreciated if his designated replacement as all-rounder, Stuart Broad, could bring some wickets to the party. Undoubtedly talented Broad remains an enigma to which the code has not yet been cracked – certainly with regards to his bowling. Broad was though, along with his relatively inexperienced cohorts in Swann, Onions and Anderson, chief enforcer when it came to engaging in some lively verbal exchanges with the Australians, notably Mitchell Johnson. Undoubtedly this is not a scenario that would have happened if Warne and McGrath had been in situ.

Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar’s rearguard action at Cardiff has provoked a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the two teams in this series. Allan Border, the man who forged Australia’s modern cricketing identity, will no doubt be watching to see if Australia still possess the mettle that for nigh on 20 years no one doubted that they had. Today we will learn the answer.