England v South Africa, 3rd Test, The Oval, 8-12 September, 2022

So, what will happen in the decider?

Well, we’ve had two one-sided, three-day innings victories. But given they went opposite ways, it’s all to play for and anyone’s guess!

Spin at the Oval, or more easy pickings for the seamers? At least one batting vacancy in the SA side with Golden Razzie ruled out.

I'm tipping a high-scoring and boring draw after two brief and massively one sided games with different winners ...

Is the Oval still the flattest wicket in England?

skully wrote:Is the Oval still the flattest wicket in England?

Well, Ollie Pope has a Bradmanesque average there… last drawn Test was in 2013, though.

Anyway, breaking news that Bairstow has been ruled out due to a freak injury playing golf. So Brook gets his chance I guess, one match to nail down a spot, as has been the case for a few Oval call-ups in years gone by, some of whom never got another mention.

beamer wrote:

skully wrote:Is the Oval still the flattest wicket in England?

Well, Ollie Pope has a Bradmanesque average there… last drawn Test was in 2013, though.

Anyway, breaking news that Bairstow has been ruled out due to a freak injury playing golf. So Brook gets his chance I guess, one match to nail down a spot, as has been the case for a few Oval call-ups in years gone by, some of whom never got another mention.

Duckett has been called into the squad, presumably in case someone else trips over a five-iron, but it would be a travesty if Brook did not play.

Basil wrote:

beamer wrote:

skully wrote:Is the Oval still the flattest wicket in England?

Well, Ollie Pope has a Bradmanesque average there… last drawn Test was in 2013, though.

Anyway, breaking news that Bairstow has been ruled out due to a freak injury playing golf. So Brook gets his chance I guess, one match to nail down a spot, as has been the case for a few Oval call-ups in years gone by, some of whom never got another mention.

Duckett has been called into the squad, presumably in case someone else trips over a five-iron, but it would be a travesty if Brook did not play.

Yeah, he’s carried the drinks all summer, some were saying he should even get a shot at opening. Duckett wouldn’t have been in the top 10 names that came to mind, will he manage not to pour a drink over Jimmy this time?

Joe Clarke was the official standby for the Windies tour, but his star has fallen, not least because of his lack of runs , but also his "apology" for previous misdemeanours earlier in the season fell short of what was required.

Another curious fact… other than the drawn dead rubber with Australia in 2013, every Oval Test since 2011 has been won by a margin of more than 100 runs, or by 10 wickets or an innings.

Toss delayed, though Brook gets his cap. Weather forecast dodgy for today but seemingly better for the next few days.

Well, that's a bit shit.

They could have played in the half hour or so between the delayed toss and the then-scheduled start…

At least we had time to win the toss and put them in.

Raining again. Events at Balmoral could also intervene…

Still, apparently* the UK needs the rain.

Well yeah, we had virtually none in July and most of August. Crazy thunderstorms the last week or so but it will mostly have just run off the dry ground. Things starting to look green again anyway.

Day 1 washed out. If this is abandoned with no play (which now appears possible for non-weather-related reasons), will caps be awarded given there was a toss and teams were named? Will Harry Brook be credited with a Test career if he never appears again?

So, I guess this match will be abandoned then, and either the series left 1-1, or squeezed into next summer as per the recent India Test.

Tomorrow’s play cancelled but the match may continue. These two teams only need three days anyway.

Ridiculous decision IMHO by the ECB. On a par with the BBC suspending its programs on every channel to have endless reruns of QE2 memories. Plus unfair on the players becos if you won the toss and knew you wouldnt be playing for at least 48 hours you might make a different decision. Well i might, maybe not stokes And disrespectful to the people whove bought tickets. This is 2022 not 1952, the world has moved on, we're not all cringeing royal toadies.

King Charles screwing up already. Should have intervened and said 'play, chaps'.

Too bad if England lead by 200 at Stumps on Day 5 with South Africa at 9-115 in the 4th innings.

Are they not extending to a 6th day though?

JGK wrote:Are they not extending to a 6th day though?

It’s possible, but equally possible the match will be abandoned altogether (and maybe played next summer, now there’s a precedent…)

Would be a shame given it’s the last traditional season-ending Oval Test, for the foreseeable future at least.

Still no announcement on whether the match will continue. I know this is the ECB we’re talking about, but this truly is astonishing. People will have begun their journeys to London for tomorrow’s play…

Resuming tomorrow, but no decision yet on an extra day. You couldn’t make it up…