Cricket: "Final Ashes Test's Oval Pitch Under Suspicion"

Curator Bill Gordon was under heavy fire for producing a controversial pitch where balls were going through the top of the pitch, bringing up explosions of dust and bouncing randomely.

After England was bowled out for 332, opening bowler James Anderson sent down two deliveries in his first over that disturbed the surface and did not carry through to wicketkeeper Matt Prior on the full.

Even if Australia scores 500 in its first innings, they will face the fight of their life in the fourth innings of the Test as the dry pitch continues to deteriorate.

England need a win to steal back the Ashes and they have produced a fifth Test pitch that their batsmen admit resembles a dirtbed Indian surface. Even the normally reserved West Indian legend Holding fired up.

"I am very disappointed in this pitch,'' Holding fumed. "I have never been to The Oval and seen the ball going through the top (of the pitch) like this. Even on day one we have seen this. I played here back in 1976 - in one of the hottest summers ever in England - and it didn't play like this. It can't be the weather.''

Spin great Warne also stormed in. "He (the curator) overbaked it a little bit to make sure there is a result,'' Warne claimed.

As Andrew Flintoff surged to the crease in his farewell Test, Australian opener Shane Watson survived three huge lbw appeals in the first six overs.

The pitch was keeping low and Watson was continually struck on the pads, playing across the line, as Australia reached 0-22. The first two appeals, one off Anderson and the next off Flintoff, could have gone either way but the third appeal looked absolutely plumb.

Flintoff could hardly believe it when umpire Asad Rauf turned him down and stopped down on his knee to try to haunches to recover his composure.

Watson and fellow opener Simon Katich spent most of their time gardening in the early overs, trying to sweep dust and debris off the pitch.

England resumed at 8-307 yesterday but weren't at the crease for long as Ben Hilfenhaus (3-71) bowled beautifully to polish off the tail. Hilfenhaus, who edged past Peter Siddle (4-75) as the leading wicket-taker for the series, quickly ended Anderson's world record run of 54 Test innings without a duck.

In his first over of the day, Hilfenhaus knocked Anderson (0) over with a superb late inswinger that trapped him in front of middle stumps.

Siddle had a chance to take five wickets when Stuart Broad hooked a ball high on the bat and it flew towards Mitchell Johnson at fine leg.

As wicketkeeper Brad Haddin also zoomed in on the catch, Johnson hesitated and ended up spilling a tough chance and Siddle looked on angrily.

But the end wasn't far away when Hilfenhaus had Broad (37) caught at second slip by skipper Ricky Ponting. After the first innings, Hilfenhaus boasted 21 series wickets at 26 while Siddle had 20 wickets at 27.35.

Australia's bowlers generally performed well but blotted their copybook by sending down 18 no-balls with Johnson (2-69) the worst offender with eight.

Australia will also have to be careful with their over-rates during the Test as they finished the first innings about three overs down. However they can catch up in the second innings, especially with the prospect of part-time spinners Marcus North and Michael Clarke bowling a lot of overs on a crumbling pitch.

Former England skipper Mike Atherton believes Australia has erred by not playing frontline spinner Nathan Hauritz with the pitch likened to a surface from the subcontinent. Atherton also believes England should have played Monty Panesar as the second spinner.

"I think both teams have misread the pitch,'' Atherton said. "I am sure Australia would like to have a spinner. If you are not going to play a second spinner on this pitch, when are you?''

Meanwhile, the dodgy standard of Test umpiring is again under the spotlight with two England wickets falling to front-foot no-balls. England skipper Andrew Strauss (55) had been threatening to make a big score when he was caught behind off a Ben Hilfenhaus no-ball that had been missed by Kiwi umpire Billy Bowden.

Ian Bell (72) had been aiming to reach his first Ashes hundred until he played on off Australian bowling hero Peter Siddle. However replays showed that Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf had missed Siddle overstepping the crease.

Cricket: "Australia Targetting flaws of Collingwood : Hughes"

Trott, in fact, acquitted himself rather well. Coming in just after 3pm following the tame dismissal of Paul Collingwood, Trott marched to the middle with intent and, after taking time to compose himself, leapt into a committed forward defensive stroke to his first ball from Peter Siddle.

He was equally alert to the next couple of deliveries which were fast and aimed into his ribs. Jumping back and across he rose athletically onto his toes to play the ball down and to safety, and though he was almost run-out seeking his first run from the second, as the short-leg retrieved and shied, his method in those first three balls was a deal more reassuring than Ian Bell's or Collingwood's.

It was a day of numbing realism for England supporters watching England flailing in the Oval dust bowl as a fish might flounder in a sandpit. Only one wicket, Trott's as it happens, was not presented to the bowlers.

The rest succumbed in a hail of ill-conceived shots. The pitch was clearly not as flat as it looked but the ease with which Trott dealt with an honest but hardly terrifying Australian attack suggests that a first innings score of 400-plus was essential.

Collingwood's dismissal was especially disappointing. After his double failure at Headingley he elected not to play for Durham. That was his prerogative, and it is well known that players in such demand, like Collingwood, feel the need to mentally relax between Tests.

But Collingwood hasn't contributed a three figure innings in any cricket since the West Indies series in March and you can lose the knack and rhythm to make substantial scores.

His batting looked bereft on Thursday of anything but its admirable grit and determination. The backlift is lower than ever, the shot range increasingly limited. It is sad to see a player who was so adaptable and resourceful a few years ago materialise into an awkward scrapper.

The Australians know his bottom hand is so dominant he finds it very difficult to score on the offside. Ricky Ponting was even provocatively mimicking his ugly, drive-choking method from second slip.

It means they can bowl in a channel outside off stump with no fear of being hurt by him. He is obliged to wait for something on the stumps that he can then chisel for runs on the legside. And the Australians weren't in an obliging mood. They strayed only three times from the plan in an hour and a half of Collingwood doggedness.

There were three nurdled boundaries, but otherwise it was an innings of jerky survival, including an apparent edge to the keeper which the umpire didn't pick up, and occasional wafts at thin air.

One of those wafts was at Peter Siddle, to a ball on a good length a little wide of the stumps. Collingwood, on 24, had only managed two scoring shots in half an hour and went after it with an undignified flail. He missed it and we breathed a sigh of relief and convinced ourselves that it was the bit of luck he needed.

But he attempted the same shot to an identical delivery next ball and sliced to gully. It was a tame end. Significantly, it was the sixth time in eight dismissals in the series that he has been caught behind the wicket.

It is a tale of a struggling batsman running out of time. But, knowing Collingwood's appetite for a fight, you'd be a fool to label this the final chapter.

Cricket: "Ashes: Andrew Flintoff has the opportunity to seal his Legend Status at Oval"

Grand finale: Andrew Flintoff has a chance to secure his place in English cricket history in his final Test against Australia at the Oval, which will decide the Ashes.

Freddie has always regarded himself as a batsman who bowls, often to the point of myopia. Everyone else, and this is something borne out by his Test record too, feels his strength lies as a fast bowler who managed the odd valuable innings, such as the brilliant hundred he made against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2005.

He could prove us all wrong during the Ashes decider that starts at the Oval on Thursday but it would be the exception rather than the rule. If you asked his captain, Andrew Strauss, whether he would prefer his retiring asset to sign off against Australia with a hundred or five wickets, he would plump for the latter without hesitation.

Discovering you are not who you think you are cannot be easy for any player, let alone one of Flintoff's public standing. Fortunately, any frustration is likely to have been tempered by his recovery from a succession of career-threatening injuries.

Overcoming them has been a major achievement in itself and worthy of celebration, as would a second Ashes victory for his team should one come to pass over the next few days.

It is those injuries, beginning with a fractured foot in 2000 right up to his recent knee problem incurred during the Indian Premier League, which probably prevented him from attaining true greatness as a player, but no-one can be certain. Not one driven to the pursuit of excellence, there is a large part of Flintoff that seems content to be good enough, which may be why he does not sit comfortably with the team's current management.

Not that his adoring public ever seemed to notice that his legend mostly exceeded his deeds. Five Test hundreds and three five-wicket hauls in 78 Tests is decent but not devastatingly good. If he had a peak it came between 2003 and 2006, when in more than 41 Tests he averaged 40 with the bat and 27.9 with the ball.

Impressive though that was, it is not Ian Botham-esque, the all-rounder all subsequent pretenders have been compared to. In 102 Tests, Botham made 14 hundreds and took 27 five-wicket and four 10-wicket hauls, the majority of them match-turning efforts. Flintoff has contributed his own match-altering performances, but like Mike Gatting, who will forever dine out on his two victories as England captain because they won the Ashes, they have added cachet for mostly being against Australia.

His all-round deeds against the Aussies in the ding-dong skirmish of 2005 (24 wickets and 402 runs), means he will be forever twinned with that extraordinary series. A player who generally sacrificed flair for power, he proved a revelation in that series, especially with his bowling, which combined the menace of the great West Indies quick's with the skill of Pakistan's great reverse-swinger, Waqar Younis.

If you want the perfect distillation, it was the over in Australia's second innings at Edgbaston in which he dismissed Justin Langer with the second ball and Ricky Ponting for naught with the last.

Unfortunately, his bowling never quite reached those heights of skill again, though his powers as a battering ram, his general modus operandi when the ball is not swinging, was vital at Lord's three weeks ago, where his five for 92 gave England victory. His many injuries may have prevented him from raising his skill levels over the years, but the rehabilitation required ensured he was always strong and fit enough to bowl fast, even if it was without frills.

Flintoff's main asset is that he provided certainty, especially with the ball, something every captain craves. He was not quite so accommodating towards the team effort off the field, as Fredalo and his bad time-keeping on a trip to Belgium honoring Britain's war dead have shown, but then discipline has never been his middle name.

Many feel he has changed of late, from a happy-go-lucky Preston lad to calculating cash cow, gratuitously flashing tins of Red Bull and his Puma kit to the nearest camera. What is plain is that he does not see his duties as a team man extending beyond the cricket pitch.

All will be forgiven and his legend secured should he repeat his Lord's performance here at the Oval. Analyzing the Flintoff phenomenon, Nasser Hussain once said that, "He has something of the village green to which people can relate." Let us hope that something ends with him getting a jug or two in here over the next few days.

Freddie Flintoff’s career highs and lows

v South Africa, The Oval, 2003
A rapid 95 enabled England to declare their first innings on 605 and level the Test series.

v Australia, Edgbaston, 2005
He scored 68 and 73 before dismissing Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting in the space of five balls.

v Australia, Trent Bridge, 2005
Flintoff’s last Test century enabled England to take a 2-1 lead.

v Australia, The Oval, 2005
Flintoff’s spell in the first innings has been described by Ricky Ponting as the best he has ever seen. Flintoff took five for 78.

v Australia, Lord’s, 2009
Five-wicket haul sealed England’s first Ashes win at Lord’s in 75 years.

Cricket: "Clarke Warns England Ahead of Oval Decider"

Clarke gave a warning to England that Australia will go all out for victory in tomorrows crucial Ashes Test at Oval.

Australia defeated England comprehensively with innings and 80 runs at Headingley. Australia just needs a draw to take home the famous urn. But according to clarke Australia will not be playing for a draw instead will be going all out for a victory.

Clarke is expected to shrug off a stomach injury to be fit for the sell-out Test, which begins tomorrow. The 28 year old has had much more success in this series than in the 2005 series when he failed to reach three figures despite playing all five Tests.

The vice captain admits the tourists have been using the 2-1 series defeat four years ago as motivation for this Test. Australia have a selection dilemma with their bowling attack after Brett Lee declared himself fit for the Test. He will face opposition from Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark for a place in the seam attack.

The tourists are expected to stick with their batting line up that amassed 445 runs at Headingley on a pitch where England made just 102 and 263. Their opponents, however, are expected to recall all-rounder Andrew Flintoff while debutant Jonathan Trott will replace the out of form Ravi Bopara.

Australia opener Simon Katich has hinted that Ponting’s team will target the 27-year-old by promising him a “warm welcome” to the international fold, and Clarke believes the Warwickshire batsman faces a hard task adapting to Test cricket.

Cricket: "Oval Test will be one of the greatest Test : Strauss"

England Captain Strauss anticipated that Oval Test will be one of the greatest Test in ashes history. He does know that it is undecided about the destiny of urn.

He said, "I think we're good at being underdogs. We've shown that in the past and I think we can take a lot of confidence from the fact it's 1-1 in the series at the moment."

"It's probably where both teams deserve to be at the moment. There's no reason for us to be negative at all. We got on top of them twice in the series and we need to do that once more." said by Strauss.

He also said that England has learned its lesson from their earlier loss to Australians and raring to beat them at Oval.

Lets see what will happen. But one thing is sure that it will one fascinating match on the cards. Stay tuned for more news on this.

Cricket: "Ashes : Australia Clobber England to level series"

Australia came out of the humiliation which they suffered against England in third test by defeating them by an innings to square the most prestigious Ashes series. England have to win the final test to regain the urn where as Australia has to just draw the match and the series to regain the ashes.

General if cornered Australia backlash and this is what has happened now, they lost the second test and nearly lost the third test too. They were no where when they started the fourth test, but they came back strongly to level series and threatening to take away the series.

England batted first and six of their batsmen where already in pavilion when lunch bell rang. Within no time the other wickets fell and England were allout for just 102 just passing there lowest ever.

Australia too has problems when they lost the first wicket in the second over and Harmison's first but then Ponting and Watson who made a third consecutive fifty in his third consecutive ashes inning made sure they didn't let the England bowlers to settle down. But once Ponting and Watson were back there was a slight hiccup when they lost 3 quick wickets and were 184 for 4 but the most consistent batsmen for Australia Michael Clarke and North came to their rescue and gave Australia a huge lead. Michael Clarke was unlucky to miss his century but North completed his overall third and second ashes century and made sure that Australia had to never bat again in this test.

England started their second inning with more than 300 runs deficit and more than 2 days of plays left. They again collapsed like first innings but Board and Swann made sure that they didn't loose without a fight. Board and Swann counter attacked and scored more than 100 runs in less than 12 overs to provide some pride in a loosing cause. Johnson who was out of form throughout this series came to the party this time and took 5 wickets to shut England out of the contest and leveled the series.

Man of the Match was awarded to North for his superb 110 for Australia.

Cricket: "Puffy Flintoff Blows Australia Away in Second Ashes Test"

Ashes comes alive as England draws the first blood and go up 1-0 in the series. England defeated Austrlia in the second test with 115 runs and improved their chances of grabbing the ashes from Australia.

Flintoff took five wickets in the course of this victory. His previous five wicket haul was against Australia in 2005 that too in a Ashes which they won. That win in 2005 led them to win the ashes, will this Five for do the same, lets see.

Flintoff's spell on the last day first session was deadly, he first removed the set batsmen Hadding and then has Haurtiz and Johnson to clean up Australia. Just before the second test he announced his retirement and made his intensions clear about winning Ashes 2009. Lets see how deadly will be prove in the next three matches.

All the best to flintoff and England.

Cricket: "England Manage to Draw the First Ashes Match"

At last Ashes has arrived and Australia will be defending their Ashes agaisnt England who are more determined to grab it this time. England want to avenge their loss to Australia in 2006 when they lost it 5-0 whitewash. England wants to give flintoff and great farewell to his test career by winning the Ashes.

England escaped with a draw on the final day of the first Ashes test and not letting Australia taking a lead here.

Cricket: "Flintoff Announces Retirement After Ashes"

Andrew Flintoff has announced his retirement from International Test Cricket after the current Ashes. This he announced during the Second Ashes Test 2009. He also said that winning this ashes will be perfect farewell to him. Rightly so he produced a gem of a performance to give England a 1-0 lead in the Ashes afer the second test.