Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Thank goodness for politicians. Who else would stop Murdoch from a total takeover of the media.

indeed

We're back on tomorrow. Rain around in Manchester over the next few days.

The press are talking about momentum, that may be with England after the win in Birmingham. But what about the momentum of the past twenty years? Is that so easily overcome?

I've heard McG will be back. Lee has been in hospital, but should make it. I wonder if the ned is near for Dizzy.

England won the toss and elected to bat. Michael Vaughan said he wanted to 'put pressure' on the Australians, for the thousandth time this summer. He also said it at the close of play. England are 341-5, and Australia are under pressure. It could have been worse for our guests. KP and Hoggy got out towards the end. Kevin out caught on the rope as the shadows lengthened, Hoggy, the sacrificial bunny, out to the last ball.

They are not under pressure so much because this is a situation they can't turn around, but because it was another ill disciplined performance from the baggy greenies. The performance of the day was by Michael Vaughan, who made 166 in 215 balls. His innings reminded me of the timeline of a long lasting soap character, who, in spite of many pretty normal years on the programme, turns out to have been married nine times and two of the wives have perished in gas explosions. In spite of this being just a nice looking ton, his first for a year, he was dropped an extraordinary number of times. Once when he was dropped, he was bowled off a no ball, the next ball. Just one of an amazing number of no balls.

Like a sci fi character who knows he can't die, and so engages in a lifetime's worth of dangerous activities, Vaughan got all his high risk shots out, and swivel pulled a glorious six. If you ignore the supernatural luck, he batted like a dream. It was the first ton of the series.

Glenn McGrath looked injured (Kaspa was left out) and was moving around the outfield like a gentleman in search of his walking frame. Even so, most of the drops were off him. Brett Lee had more luck, with three of the five wickets. Gillespie was a disaster. Can I feel sorry for him?

Marcus made a start, until he was Warne's 600th Test wicket, and Bell is 59* at the close. There was a curious incident when Strauss was hit on the head by a Brett Lee bouncer. Strauss was patched up with a big, precarious plaster on his ear. I got a feeling that this was a bit of a Twilight Zone moment, and that the batter would henceforth have two divergent destinies, and the plaster would differentiate them. In one, plasterless, he would continue being Warne's bunny. In the other, he would start making tons and help bring the urn home. Not today though. he was haplessly yorked off a slower ball from Lee immediately after. Ruth was there again. I presume she doesn't work.

Series pass so quickly these days. This is the pivotal Test, in the middle of the series, already. Don't miss it, it will be gone before you know it.

By the way, I know for a fact there are tickets available for the last day. With rain around, it could be a big day in the game. Rather than queue up on the day, reserve tickets now and save a lot of hassle.

No charge.

Another good day for England. The morning began with a nice little stand of 87 between Freddie and Geraint. They seem to have these partnerships. Maybe they're difficult to bowl at because of their difference in height. Together, they look like the most popular boy in their school, and his unexpected friendship with one of the less charismatic boys. Like the beautiful girl who hangs around a plain schoolmate for contrast. England were bowled out for 444.

Langer and Hayden put on 58, but it was an unconvincing pairing, chances chipped into gaps, or worse, to Pietersen. Giles got them both, Langer to a stunning catch by Bell at short leg. And then got Martyn with the ball of the century. It was the ball of the century. It was. It'll be called the Martyn ball, in years to come. Damo will talk about it at dinner engagements.

Then the seamers took over with reverse swing. Freddie got Katich with a ball that swung back comically, uprooting off stump. Jones beat Ponting for pace with a catch that looped off the splice, and then got Gilchrist caught behind. These are extremely satisfying wickets. Simon Jones is emerging as a key player in the quest for the Ashes. His influence is increasing by the moment. This was his best bowling for England. He's starting to happen.

But as England impose themselves, it's clear that Warne is the one who is going to lead the resistance. As England surge over the battlements, Warne is the man, the top button of his uniform undone, pressed from a night of cards and women, firing off his service revolver. After four wickets in the England quadruple Nelson, he carted the bowling to end the day 45*, but with only Gillespie left in the barrel, and Lee and McGrath in the breech.

Michael Clarke batted at seven because he was off the field in the England innings. A bad back. Just a young lad. He was duped by a slower ball from Jones (after missing one from Harmi in Birmingham). Australia are 214 for seven at the close. Warne is taking the follow on out of the game.

Another motif of the series is the strange behaviour of Steve Bucknor, the bored aristocrat, giving the thumbs down to the batter with all the ennui of a decadent emperor at the colosseum. Occasionally, even correctly. Just give your bloody decision.

Middle day of the series tomorrow. England arrive in the better health.

Rain is likely, I hear.

Don't be so pesimistic about availability for final day tickets should the match go that far. You can always get into the final day.

I might pop down, you never know.......... just get there early, that's all.

Long way to go to be disappointed.

If we enforce the follow on and the rain stays away, this'll be over before the last day. I suppose it's a lot of messing about, getting a ticket you won't use.

My image of Shane Warne is shifting by the day. He was always the hereditary patrician with the aristocratic sneer that the Aussie cricketers always seem to have in these boon years, exercising his droit de seigneur on yet another unsullied English youth. But now he's the man who chases Freddie off the field to say well done when Flintoff has planted him into the crowd. He's a striver who gets hit for runs and has to experience doubt and disappointment, like the rest of us. And he's the man who steps up when his illustrious top order bats collapse, and scores 78* to take his team past the follow on.

And I think the crowds are responding... and Warne loves that. We love you when you fail heroically. This could be the making of him in this country.

It rained for most of the day. Geraint Jones missed two absolute gimmes behind the stumps, and he's stepped into the role of the fall guy, recently vacated by Gilo. England are still 180 behind, without a wicket in the day, but time is the enemy now, as much as the opposition. Two days to go, and the game still in its second innings. Warne will bat on his third day of the match tomorrow. It would be gutting if England can't squeeze a win out of this winning position. More rain forecast for tomorrow.

I've always liked Warne and he is having as good as series as anyone. Ponting seems to be the pantomime villain in this series, I think.

You're probably right about day 5. it is a long way to go for a match that might not even make it that far. I'd probably make such a long journey for the chance to watch Durham win a trophy (pfff..... no hope of that, at least not in my lifetime), but not England.

That old phrase about Belgium being the cockpit of Europe sometimes occurs to me when thinking about the fourth day of a Test, for that is when the significant battles are fought, and manoeuvres are made that will come to fruition on the last day. I'm not sure I can meaningfully say that the fourth day is the cockpit of the Test, but that is how it felt in Manchester yesterday.

England finally finished off the Australian innings after three days, with Simon Jones taking 6-53. He was supported well, but he was the go to bowler. He got Warne for 90, a catch drilled into the lap of Ashley Giles at deep square leg. Warne walked off to a standing ovation, and no little relief, again falling short of a Test ton. Gillespie slogged a straight six off Jones, which must have been an I-was-there moment.

England led by 142. The Strauss with the ear plaster came out and hit 106, before being caught on the bounce by Damien Martyn at deep square leg, who looked surprised it was given. Strauss scored most of his runs on the hook, which the Aussies kindly fed, despite the slowness of the pitch. That's the second ton of the match, and the series. McG took the worst 5-fer of his career, but was memorably hit over the stands by Geraint Jones, the shot of the summer so far. Gilly missed a hatful of chances, but they hardly seemed to matter. Today was all about getting ready for tomorrow.

Strauss' wife was there again.

Australia have been set 423 to win. As bad light encroached, Vaughan bowled himself and had Langer stone cold plumb lbw, playing no shot. It wasn't given, and Australia remain intact for the morning, 24 runs to the good.

Gilly spoke to Mark Nicholas before play, denying Australia are in disarray.

Day five tickets are at a premium. Set off now.

The gates closed at 8.40 with thousands locked outside, many with stories of epic journeys for the news crews, undertaken in vain. Out in the middle, Hoggy got Langer first ball with a great outswinger, and the crowd was set at fever pitch for the whole of the day.

If Langer's now accustomed trauma eyed trudge off the field is becoming a familiar sight, and betrayed Australian fears, England only attacked cautiously, as if fearful that Australia would make the 423 runs needed to win. England were creating a chance an over, but most flew into gaps. Gotta remember that when these players were younger, Australian cricketers haunted their dreams. Vaughan was eleven last time he saw England raise the Ashes. Bell was four. They are born into a world where Australia win.

Freddie's bounce and carry is prodigious and it pushes the batter back into a zone where his swing can be deadly. He took 4-71 in 25 overs in the day. Martyn was lbw to Harmison off a big inside edge. At last, I thought, payback for Slater's not out when clearly run out at Sydney, 1999. Simon Jones got Clarke with one of the best balls I've ever seen, a huge inswinger that plucked out the off stump with Pup leaving the ball, foolishly thrusting his bat way above his head, his castle in pieces. Gilo took a sensational catch off Katich in the gully, but his lack of wickets on the last day was one of England's few disappointments. Apart from the big disappointment.

With two down at lunch Australia were in the game. At 264-7 after tea it looked like it was England's to win. It had looked like wickets all day, but Warne and Ponting stuck. Ponting was resolute, scoring his fifth Ashes hundred, and, I suspect, the one he'll be remembered for over here. He demonstrated that a ton of talent is no equal for a mere drop of resilience when evaluating a great act in sport. Warne was pretty lucky, but got off some hits, and for an awkward few overs, an Australian win loomed into view. This was memorably cut off when Geraint snaffled Warne off Strauss' knee, a moment in which time stopped stone dead.

Ponting was 156, with four overs to bowl, when he gloved a short ball to the keeper. He was distraught. He batted for seven hours, but his dismissal risked it would be for nothing.

Which left Lee and McGrath four overs to see out for the draw. Lee was again immense. If it's hard to take that England came so close, there is at least some justice in him again resisting so hard, and not being unrewarded twice, after the loss at Edgbaston. Jones was off the pitch with an injury. Harmi was spent. Even so, Freddie, who was magnificent all day, might have seized the day. And Stephen Peters fluffed a run out that would have seen England home, and made his name.

Australia were pretty fortunate to draw this, and quite pleased too, to judge their celebrations. Lord's seems a long time ago, a different contest. The story now is of England's aggression and Australia's resistance. But doubt remains. Can England survive playing so well and not winning? Or is everything different now?

all the talk seems to be about ecstatic the Aussies were to hang on. Momentum still with England. Auusies haven't had to do hanging on for what seems like a very long time............ almost a lifetime