Fifth Ashes Test: The Oval, 12-16 September 2019

[Arthur Crabtree]

And Woakes has got Smith, and before he'd batted his fill. Well done to Woakes who is probably playing his last Test, at least for a while.

England on top.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson has been pretty good at rounding up the tail. England have missed that.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fiver-fer for Archer. Probably going to be in the series XI with Cummins and Haze.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Handy lead, but hardly definitive.

[Durhamfootman]

still.... it is a lead

an actual *modded* lead

[Arthur Crabtree]

More trouble than it's worth. England aren't used to leads. What do they do now?

[KipperJohn]

Best bit of commentary I’ve heard in ages - totally unconnected and nobody laughed.

Lloyd ‘His wife gave birth last night’.

Pause as the ball whistles past Denly’s bat.

Lloyd ‘Great delivery!’

[Durhamfootman]

Best bit of commentary I’ve heard in ages - totally unconnected and nobody laughed.

Lloyd ‘His wife gave birth last night’.

Pause as the ball whistles past Denly’s bat.

Lloyd ‘Great delivery!’

[Durhamfootman]

Curran did well on his home ground. A good horses for courses pick. Woakes not so... despite lifting Smiffy. Not Broad's day... thank goodness for Archer

catches dropped everywhere, by everyone. So much poor fielding I was sure I was watching the IPL for a little while.

I did spot the Bairstow 'pretending to catch the ball' trick which caused Smiffy to dive. A particularly vile, disgusting and cowardly thing to do. A completely reckless and malicious attempt to injure a fellow professional, totally out of keeping with the spirit of the game, and utterly unacceptable. Poor Smiffy had to carry on batting with dirty trousers. Is there no low to which England are not prepared to sink?

He should be fined, suspended... maybe even flogged for that

Makes my blood boil with outraged indignation.... somebody should make Bairstow cry.... maybe even end his career for him

A disgraceful and shabby episode

[Arthur Crabtree]

Smith had flu today apparently.

[GarlicJam]

a cold?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not a cold, apparently. Flu is the story that's out there.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Burns finishes the series with an average of 39. Not amazing, but he has at least replaced Strauss in the short term.

Just looking for someone to replace Cook now. In terms of stats, Denly has had a poor series, but in the context of Adam Lyth etc, I guess he'll go to NZ. Feels like the grudging choice though that will be shuffled out as soon as he makes a couple of single figure scores.

This is better from England. Too late of course, and they may collapse in a pile, but a series draw would mitigate (perhaps flatteringly) the damning verdict that England have attracted. Ed Smith at least will be pleased.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Archer or Stokes for England's POTS?

[Gingerfinch]

Archer I would have thought. Tight!