Life is a Rollercoaster - England Story

[Chasjs]

On a more personal note the current Series award standings are currently pretty close going into the final Test, well in the batting anyway.

Golden Bat (runs)

Pietersen 591
Hughes 591
Clarke 531

Golden Ball (wickets)

Anderson 29
Johnson 21
Swann 19

[Chasjs]

Fifth Test
So here it is. The final Test. The equation is even simpler this time round. Win or draw. Reclaim the Ashes. But this time there will be a change. Bell hasn't had the best of series. His half century at the start of the Series gave him a good start but he has been poor in the last three Tests. With it also not making sense to play a spin specialist against a team with no dedicated spinner, he was dropped. Who to replace him with then. Trott has had some decent form of late but not quite as good as earlier in the season. Plus he is also a spin specialist. That leaves Vaughan. An experienced campaigner on pretty good form, plus he prefers pace. I did think about bringing someone else in, the main temptation being Cobb. He looks like a good young very defensive batsman who could have a spot in the team in the future. However, he's only 19 maybe throwing him in to make his debut in this Test would be unwise.

Collingwood again avoids the drop but hopefully he'll notice Bell being dropped and realise he has to perform. I saw no reason to change the make-up of the bowling attack.

I did change the batting line-up, however. With Bopara not in the best of form I felt it best to drop him down to 6 and bring Vaughan up to add his experience in at 3. I also hope this'll balance add more balance to the side with the aggressive batsmen Pietersen, Bopara and Flintoff batting at 4, 6 and 8 respectively.

[Chasjs]

England won the toss and decided to bat. This combined with the last day looking to be a washout improved the chances on England clinching the Series. They just had to get off to a good start.
They did just that with a 122 run opening partnership. Cook went for 55 and Strauss reached exactly 100 before being dismissed.

England finished the day 243/2 with Vaughan on 55 and Pietersen on 22 batting out the last session in poor conditions. The next day started well, the only wicket to fall before lunch being Pietersen for 56. Vaughan edged one to the slips on 87 shortly after lunch. Bopara continued his poor form following him for a duck 2 balls later. England collapsed to 9 down at tea. Anderson and Flintoff put on 66 together before Anderson was caught and bowled by Watson leaving Flintoff on 72. England 450 all out.
Australia made it to the end of the day with all their wickets still intact. Australia played well the next day. Hughes went on to 88, Hussey got 108 and Ponting was still there on 135, Australia 413/4. Watson went early the next day. Haddin followed for 0. Ponting went on to his double Century.

Australia declared at on day 4 at lunch for 578/9. 128 ahead. Ponting was still their on 228.
England lost Cook(13), Vaughan(25) and Pietersen(9) in the next session. Collingwood had an opportunity to prove himself. He didn't take it, falling for 23. Bopara received a huge slice of luck being dropped next ball. With everyone falling around him a captains innings was needed from Strauss. He delivered, still their on 55 at the close of play with the struggling Bopara. Half the morning session was lost to rain. With heavy cloud cover, conditions were not good in the slightest for batting on this fifth day pitch. Even so, Strauss and Bopara made it to lunch. Another hour was lost to rain, Strauss and Bopara again making it till lunch.

Bopara went for 52 shortly after. 3 Balls later, so did Ambrose. Strauss found a good partner in Flintoff as he passed the 100 mark for the second time this game and his 3rd consecutive century. With half an hour to go the Umpires offered England the light. They took it. Strauss left the field to a standing ovation after a battling 126, batting through the innings. 38 minutes later England officially regained the Ashes.

England Man of the Match - Strauss, a real Captains performance when his team needed it.
Other Notable Mentions:
Vaughan, Flintoff, Broad, Anderson, Cook, Pietersen, Bopara
Poor Game:
Ambrose, Collingwood, Swann

[GrahamB]

England officially regained the Ashes.

Well done. These two sides seem to be fairly evenly matched, so a tough series for you.

[Chasjs]

Yeah, in truth, they were probably better than us. You could say they would've won it 3-2 on points. But points are nothing, it's all about victories.

Yeah, and they were both evenly match. Both 5 Star apparently.

[Chasjs]

Ashes Reaction

England win the Ashes 1-0

It's been a very good series. Possibly as good as 2005. It even had a similar anticlimatic ending that everyone seems to have forgotten about. All said and done, I think we deserved to win after putting up a good fight in every game. Everytime things began to go wrong someone stepped up and took responsibility. Australia performed exceptionally and made it hard to get anything past them. They've shown why their the best team in the world. But only one team can hold the Ashes, and now, it's England.



Golden Bat

1) Hughes - 679
2) Pietersen - 656
3) Strauss - 613
4) Clarke) - 557
5) Hussey - 528



Golden Ball

1) Anderson - 33
2) Johnson - 26
3) Swann - 19
4) Siddle - 15
5) Broad - 14



Collingwood and Bell were dissapointing. As was Onions until he got injured. Broad replaced him well though with some good performances and Vaughan had a great comeback. Strauss was quite average until he found some amazing form in the last two Tests. I did expect better from Cook though. He had just one bright moment. Flintoff, while quite disappointing with the ball was amzing with the bat down at 8. From their he scored alot of important late runs very quickly. He got 4 half centuries, though he usually didn't have the time to push onto three figures. Anderson and Swann were the real stand-out bowlers taking a shedload of wickets including a few 5 wicket hauls. Although Bopara started well he didn't do aswell as I had hoped. Hopefully his performance on the last day of the last Test will spur him on. Ambrose also did very well and has a good chance of keeping the gloves. But the real rock in the side was Pietersen, a truely world class player.

England Man of the Series - Pietersen, scored 656 runs, narrowly missing out on the Golden Bat, at an average of 82.00. Scores include 150, 173* and 172.

[Chasjs]

Ashes Highlights

4 - Pieterson's 173 not out in the Second Test. Wickets were falling all around him, England looked to be falling to a really low score, but his knock propelled England to a decent total, one they could defend.


3 - Anderson getting 10 wickets in a match. After Pieterson's batting display someone needed to ram home the advantage. Anderson stepped up and delivered. He finished the match with Test career best figures of 12-176 and England won the game.


2 - Cook's defient 146 unbeaten in the Third Test. He batted through the whole innings. England saved the game with one wicket left. Without Cook, it would surely have been lost.


1 - Strauss' Ashes winning 126 unbeaten. With England five session to bat out he stepped up and batted till the end of play the next day. A captains innings.

[Johnyboy]

Great wicket haul from anderson good ashes win.keep it up im following your story

[patrickF690]

great story mate i like the way you are doin the story



keep goin bacause most stories fall apart

[Chasjs]

Great wicket haul from anderson good ashes win.keep it up im following your story

great story mate i like the way you are doin the story



keep goin bacause most stories fall apart

Thanks, don't worry, I'm enjoying it too much.

[Chasjs]

The ECB Selection Committee announced a 15 man squad for the ODI Series at home to Australia:

ECB Selection Committee
A Strauss*
J Anderson
R Bopara
S Broad
A Flintoff
S Harmison
D Malan
E Morgan
K Pietersen
M Prior^
A Rashid
O Shah
G Swann
M Vaughan
L Wright

After impressing in the last Test Vaughan stays in the squad for the ODIs. Rashid is called up as backup spinner ahead of Patel, while Harmison has a chance to impress before the South Africa tour. Morgan and Malan come into the ODI squad after impressing in the T20WC. Prior gets a chance aswell as I would like to look at a few more keeping options.

Strauss captains the ODI side while Flintoff will stand in for the T20s.

[Johnyboy]

David malwan a great player for middlesex in my game...excited to see how he performs

[Chasjs]

Averaged 20.00 in the T20WC. High score 33* and had a strike rate of 173.90. in 4 games. He seems like a prospect.

And it's Dawid Malan . He'll get a run in the T20s at the very least.

[Chasjs]

First T20

The team was chosen pretty much based on the T20WC team. The top four are the same while Flintoff moves up to 5. Malan slots in behind him with Shah at 7. The risk is in the bowling. With only 4 other bowlers Wright has to bowl, hopefully he'll do better than his record suggests. Bopara or Pietersen are alternatives though. Rashid is given a chance to impress, he is prefered to Swann for this game.

England lose the toss and are put in to bat. To be fair, I'm not disappointed, I would've batted anyway.
England start poorly and never really got going. Wickets were lost pretty constistenly.

Malan and Shah put together a good partnership but wasn't really quick enough. Despite a slow start England get to a respectable 141. Still it probably isn't enough on this wicket.

Australia got off to a good start but lost a few wickets after the powerplay. Hughes though, carried his good Test form through to see his team home and regain some lost pride.

Australia win by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Hughes
England Man of the Match - Shah
Other Notable Mentions:
Malan
Poor Game:
Anderson, Bopara, Pietersen, Prior

[Chasjs]

Second T20

The only change in this side was Shah was dropped for Swann. I felt the bowling needed adding to. Unfortunatly for Shah he was the man to go, despite his performance in the last game.

England win the toss and choose to bowl.
The Aussies started well. They looked on course for a big score but some good bowling from Flintoff, Anderson and Swann plus two run outs kept them to 168. Broad, while being disappointingly expensive did remove Hughes, who again was in top form.

It looks like it could be a big ask for the batters against the Australian bowling attack but hopefully we'll do better than last time.

Morgan went quickly but not before making 12 runs. Bopara had a shaky start but Wright was great from the other end. He was given out in the eight over for 30. Pietersen and Bopara did well but were dismissed late in the innings leaving the job of finishing up to the lower order. They disappointed. The margin of victory, probably undeserved.

Australia win by 22 runs
Man of the Match - Ponting
England Man of the Match - Pietersen for his 46 off 34
Other Notable Mentions:
Flintoff, Anderson, Swann, Bopara, Wright
Poor Game:
Malan, Broad