England v Australia, 5th Test, The Oval, 27-31 July, 2023

Clashes of styles tend to provide the best spectacle and contest in any sport. If you take on Pep’s Man City trying to emulate their approach, you’ll lose 6-0. Give them a bit of old-school Wimbledon/Stoke, on the other hand…

Not every team will switch to pure Bazball going forwards, teams have to play to their own strengths, but I do expect the pace of scoring globally to increase.

One over needed to wipe out the lead, thanks Ned…

First three overs from pavilion end: 13, 9, 10. Pretty handy in a T20…

All I can say is "Ugh".

Still work to do, pretty much anything looks chaseable here… remains to be seen what batting shape Mo’s in, and the Woakes/Wood backup engine room can’t fire every time!

Long day for the bowlers in excellent batting conditions. Don’t expect they will last on days 4-5!

Broad retiring. Thought Jimmy would go first.

Yeah, took me by surprise for that very reason. In terms of form he looked the one with a few more years left in him. But he lives for the Ashes, and unlike his new-ball partner he won’t be motivated by racking up easy wickets against WI and SL next summer, and 25/26 is a long way off.

Time to focus on the growing pub empire, and perhaps follow Dad as a match referee? He will take some replacing, anyway…

who will take up the headband cause in the English XI now?

seriously, our bowlers and tactics are rubbish.

Warner's asked him to bring his departure forward by a couple of days.

Would actually be appropriate if they retired together.

Although I dislike him as a hooman bean, I rate his bowling skills and longevity very highly.

Congrats on a remarkable career, Sturat .

To the cricket. All to do for Aus. Best part of 400 in nearly 2 days would seem gettable, but given Aus’s propensity for poor shots and concentration lapses, a successful chase would seem highly unlikely.

And the weather forecast suggests Eng will be bowling under leaden skies. 2-2.

It's a shame for Broad that he finishes just short of 600 Test wickets ...may want to unvoid a series

384 to win.

May not get within 200.

england batting on? must be playing for a draw. acc to forecast rain all afternoon from about 2pm.

Moeen Ali - another in his last Test?

10%

Or at drinks, 8.33% of the way to a draw

Maybe better with the rain apparently about.

No Wood yet - strange.

Anderson back for seconds and still no Wood except Warner's head.....Root also got a bowl before him. Has he got one decent spell before doing a Lyon and they're waiting for some rain to juice the pitch up to maximise it?

Injured? So surprising that he hasn’t bowled at all. He bowled a lot of overs in the first innings.

Good start by oz. pitch doing nothing, if only the rain will stay away, could be a cracker.

mind games ...keeping wood fresh for marnus and smudge

20% at lunch - and rain