Freddie's Last Hurrah

Well game on then. For England the equation is simple. 1 Test match. 1 Win needed. 1 Ashes series. For Australia, the equation is equally simple. Despite the fact that they need only a draw, I can guarantee that Ricky Ponting’s men will be all guns blazing. They will want to leave England 2-1 winners. So what a game we have in store. I only hope that the game proves to be the nail biting finish that this series deserves, and that we are not robbed of a good contest by the weather or a placid pitch.

England head into this test low on confidence and middle order ability, and it would be an astonishing turn around were they to upset the odds and win this week. But in order to do so, they must display the determination and aggression that will be needed to wrestle the urn from under the number 1 ranked team in the world. And if they have the will, they can certainly do it. After all, aside from the 1st test and the 4th Test debacle, England have been on top in this series, and must take heart in the fact that, if they bowl in the right places, and don’t give their wickets away, they have every chance.

There was a lot of um-ing and ah-ing about the side England would pick for this “one off” test, and although not the side I would have gone with (what do I know?), it still represents a staggering gamble to select Jon Trott for his test debut. Rest assured he will receive a stirring welcome by the Aussies when he eventually takes his guard, but as a sudo South African, I’m sure he will be up for the challenge. England’s glaring weakness remains the middle order, but here’s hoping they can muster more then 16 runs this time!

A lot may depend on the toss. This series I have maintained that the side which wins the toss will generally do well, however, on 3 occasions now this has proved not to be the case (1st, 3rd and 4th tests). So to be honest, who knows! What appears to be batting friendly conditions may turn the other way in a blink of an eye.

Australia look set to name an unchanged side, with Lee probably coming in for Stuart Clark. With their bowling attack now sorted, they look a very good outfit indeed, much more like the side that won in South Africa. I don’t think they will miss a spinner too much, since both North and Clarke are equally as able with the ball as Hauritz is. They of course are entering this game with the traditional Aussie confidence, but should they make a poor start, they may be forced back into their shell and will no doubt start thinking of the draw. A dangerous game.

Finally, the underlining story that has been running through this test match is that it will be Freddie Flintoff’s last test match for England, and I am sure he will be giving 150%. No doubt, the Australian public will delight in any failure on his part, but it will be sad to see the end of a fantastic test career of a fantastic player. He has been England’s talisman for several years now, and helped England to start to believe in themselves as a side. Although Australian public may think that his performance in 2005 was all he had, you must remember that going into that series, he was the number 1 ranked all rounder in the world already, and it was his performances in the lead up to that series (in South Africa and West Indies) that helped build the momentum. Sadly his career has been cut short by injury, but I’m sure he will want to leave his mark on test cricket before he goes.

Let the fight begin.