third test: day five commentary

By Dave Tickner

0513: Australia, 244 and 527 for five declared, beat England, 210 and 350, by 206 runs and regain the Ashes

0513: WICKET!
MS Panesar b Warne 1 Two balls is all it needs after lunch as Pietersen takes a single. Panesar misses an attempted sweep and is bowled. England held the Ashes for 463 days, but Australia have them back now.

0511: Inevitably it's Warne to bowl the first over.

0510: The players are back on the field for what promises to be a brief session.

0432: LUNCH
England, 2nd Innings 349 for nine, need 208 more runs to win
Four wickets for 10 runs have clinched the Ashes for Australia after England had enjoyed a fine first hour. Flintoff slogged an entertaining 51 before missing a straight one from Warne, and it's been an embarrassing procession from there, with Jones falling to the most embarrassing dismissal in Test cricket. And I mean ever. It was a million times more humiliating than the Chris Cairns slower ball Chris Read is still apparently being punished for ducking seven years ago.

0432: Over 122 Pietersen again takes the single from the first ball of the over, but Panesar is able to get off the mark and off strike after fending a short ball into the legside. Pietersen again takes a single from the next delivery. Panesar blocks out the over, so England at least reach lunch.
England 2nd Inns, 349/9: Pietersen 59*, Panesar 1*

0428: Over 121 "One for the Ashes" is Gilchrist's call from behind the stumps, but Panesar makes them wait, diligently blocking out the over.
England 2nd Inns, 346/9: Pietersen 57*, Panesar 0*

0426: Monty Panesar is in at number 11.

0425: WICKET!
SJ Harmison lbw b Warne 0 Golden duck for Harmison. Probably a bad decision as he tries to sweep. Massive stride, and the ball was turning to miss off stump. Doesn't matter much, but another in a long line of dodgy decisions from Koertzen in this match. Another question is why did Pietersen take a single off the first ball of the over?

0421: Over 120 Harmison is the new batsman. Will England even reach lunch?
England 2nd Inns, 345/8: Pietersen 56*, Harmison 0*

0421: WICKET!
SI Mahmood lbw b Clark 4 Pietersen flicks behind square on the legside and runs hard to get back for two as McGrath goes to his right to field. Pietersen works the third delivery to leg for a single, and it proves costly as Mahmood fails to survive the over. Clark traps him with a textbook inswinging yorker that would have smashed into the base of the leg stump.

0416: Over 119 Mahmood guides the ball behind point for two runs. Warne drops short next ball, and Mahmood hammers a cut shot straight into Langer at gully. It hits him on the left arm and away for a single, and the Australian opening batsman seems unimpressed with the legspinner. Pietersen sweeps hard for a single. The last ball of Warne's over is a wrong 'un that Mahmood kicks away. Warne appeals optimistically for lbw, perhaps with the intention of getting Mahmood to give a run-out chance. Mahmood shows himself to be slightly less imbecilic than his keeper.
England 2nd Inns, 342/7: Pietersen 53*, Mahmood 4*

0412: Over 118 Pietersen works the ball to leg for a single, and Mahmood gets off the mark with a Caribbean-style pull off one leg to deep backward-square. Pietersen tries and fails to engineer a single from the remaining two deliveries, meaning Mahmood is exposed to Warne.
England 2nd Inns, 338/6: Pietersen 52*, Mahmood 1*

0407: Over 117 Saj Mahmood is the new batsman with England now fading fast.
England 2nd Inns, 336/6: Pietersen 51*, Mahmood 0*

0405: WICKET!
GO Jones run out (Ponting) 0 Humiliation for Jones, and that will surely be his last act as a Test cricketer. He tries to sweep, misses and is concerned about a big appeal from Warne. Koertzen turns it down, but Ponting swoops on the ball and removes the bails with Jones still on one knee with his back foot on the line. The most astonishing run out, and Jones looks a broken man as he returns to the pavilion having recorded one of the most embarrassing pairs in Test history.

0401: Over 116 Sudeenly there's life in the pitch for McGrath, hitting the splice of Pietersen's bat with a ball that pops from a good length. Maiden over from McGrath, giving Warne another chance to go after Jones.
England 2nd Inns, 336/6: Pietersen 51*, Jones 0*

0357: Over 115 Jones does his first job, surviving the over. But Warne, for the umpteenth time, has done the trick for Australia, foxing Flintoff in the flight and getting the ball under the bat.
England 2nd Inns, 336/6: Pietersen 51*, Jones 0*

0355: Jones is the new batsman, on a pair and under enormous pressure from all sides.

0354: WICKET!
A Flintoff b Warne 51 Warne does the job for Australia, getting Flintoff with a full abll that the England captain plays right over the top of. Huge wicket for Australia, and England's fun has been nipped in the bud. Should be a formality now.

0352: Over 114 Flintoff guides the ball perfectly between second slip and gully for four. Not sure whether that was perfect judgement or dumb luck for Flintoff, but there's no doubt about his next boundary; it's all luck as an inside edge flashes just past the off stump and down to the rope for four runs to bring up an entertaining if slightly streaky 50.
England 2nd Inns, 335/5: Pietersen 50*, Flintoff 51*

0350: Flintoff 50: 64 balls, 8 x 4s, 1 x 6

0348: Over 113 Pietersen uses his feet to get to the pitch and whip Warne through midwicket for four runs to bring up a second half-century in the match. Great batting, and he's done well to just carry on with his own batting while Flintoff does his thing at the other end. As you'd expect Warne comes back, ripping the ball sharply past Pietersen's outside edge from the final ball of the over.
England 2nd Inns, 327/5: Pietersen 50*, Flintoff 43*

0344: Pietersen 50: 123 balls, 6 x 4s

0344: Over 112 Good stuff from McGrath, twice beating Flintoff outside the off stump with balls that bounce more than England's captain expects. Maiden over, and he's applied the brakes after Lee's expensive three-over spell.
England 2nd Inns, 323/5: Pietersen 46*, Flintoff 43*

0340: Over 111 Flintoff tries to pull the first ball of the over, but it flicks his back leg and runs away for four leg-byes. Flintoff tries to sweep, misses and Gilchrist can't gather and the result is three byes. Then a huge moment as Pietersen comes down the wicket and pads into the legside. Hussey brilliantly flicks the ball into the stumps from short-leg as Pietersen scrambles to get back. It's a desperately close clal for the TV umpire, as once again the decision splits the frames. One shot has the ball resting on the stumps with the bat on the line. Next frame has the bail way up in the air and the bat just over. The third umpire gives Pietersen the benefit of the doubt, as he has to do. Better cameras, and Pietersen would probably be back in the pavilion.
England 2nd Inns, 323/5: Pietersen 46*, Flintoff 43*

0330: Drinks. A tale of two Flintoffs. For the first half-hour, he could hardly lay a bat on it. He decided to try and whack his way into form and so far it seems to be working. Astonishingly, Flintoff is close to overtaking Pietersen, who started the day with a 35-run start on his captain. Another wicketless hour, especially if Flintoff continues to be this aggressive, and things might yet get interesting again...

0330: Over 110 Flintoff pushes into the covers for a single, and McGrath then cuts Pietersen in half with a beautiful delivery that jags past the inside edge after pitching outside off stump.
England 2nd Inns, 316/5: Pietersen 46*, Flintoff 43*

0326: McGrath is back into the attack as Ponting looks to stem the flow of runs.

0326: Over 109 Pietersen uses his feet to Warne and, looking to work to leg, gets a single as a leading edge goes through mid-off. Flintoff eases the next ball out to deep cover for another simple single, and I can't work out these field placings. No pressure being applied with England so far behind.
England 2nd Inns, 315/5: Pietersen 46*, Flintoff 42*

0322: Over 108 Lee beats Flintoff outside off stump, before a low-flying seagull flashes across the pitch and forces Lee to abort in his delivery stride. There's a man at deep midwicket, but Flintoff isn't fazed by him, and launches the next ball over Mike Hussey's head for an astonishing six to bring up the 50 partnership. Brave or foolhardy? I'll let you make your own minds up, but he certainly isn't playing for the draw. A bunt down the ground gets Flintoff a single. Pietersen finds himself in an unfamiliar anchor role, easing the ball to deep point for a single.
England 2nd Inns, 313/5: Pietersen 45*, Flintoff 41*

0316: Over 107 Plenty of boundary riders, so Pietersen is able to work Warne's first delivery into the legside for a single. Flintoff eases into the covers for another single to end the over, and a strangely defensive field means Warne hasn't really put pressure on the batsmen in that over.
England 2nd Inns, 305/5: Pietersen 44*, Flintoff 34*

0312: After Flintoff's astonishing assault, it's no surprise to see Shane Warne brought into the attack.

0312: Over 106 There are men in the deep now, so Pietersen gets just a single from a drive to deep cover-point. Flintoff is determined to at least go down fighting, bringing up England's 300 with a dismissive pull shot high over mid-on for a two-bounce four. Flintoff misses another pull shot from the final ball, so just the five runs from that Lee over.
England 2nd Inns, 303/5: Pietersen 43*, Flintoff 33*

0308: Over 105 Short ball from Clark, and Flintoff whacks it behind point for four. The next ball is a good length and wide of the off stump and is absolutely murdered through extra-cover for another boundary. The next ball is full again, and Flintoff plays an even better shot through extra-cover for a third consecutive boundary, and undoubtedly the best of the lot. Flintoff has scored 25 runs in the last two overs, and is starting to look a bit like the Freddie of old.
England 2nd Inns, 298/5: Pietersen 42*, Flintoff 29*

0303: Over 104 Flintoff hits in the air past Lee's outstretched right hand from the paceman's very first delivery of the day. It hurries to the boundary, but a lazy-looking stroke from Flintoff. The next ball is full again, but wide of the off stump. Flintoff goes after it, but doesn't time it. Flintoff does get two as the ball lobs over cover, and it looks like the batsman is trying to hit his way into some form. Two balls later Flintoff confirms the suspicion bysmashing the ball from outside off stump over midwicket for four runs. Flintoff cuts hard into the covers nexst ball and gets three. Astonishing counter-attack from Flintoff, and he's just turned the pressure onto the Australians briefly. Pietersen lashes the final ball of the over straight to Langer at cover, but 13 have come from Lee's first over of the day.
England 2nd Inns, 286/5: Pietersen 42*, Flintoff 17*

0258: First bowling change of the day, with Ponting turning to the extreme pace of Brett Lee. These are the two bowlers that should have started this morning.

0258: Over 103 Late movement from Clark, swinging the ball away from Pietersen and beating the outside edge. It's a very full delivery, drawing the batsman into a drive. Great bowling, but no reward. Another good over from Clark.
England 2nd Inns, 273/5: Pietersen 42*, Flintoff 4*

0254: Over 102 Flintoff forces into the gap at extra-cover off the back foot and collects a single. Better-looking shot from the England captain. Pietersen drives uppishly into the covers, but the ball bounces well short of the fielder. Pietersen needs to be careful playing that shot, as that ball was well short of half-volley length. The next ball is a touch fuller, and Pietersen drives again. Justin Langer can only parry this time, and Pietersen is able to get through for a single.
England 2nd Inns, 273/5: Pietersen 42*, Flintoff 4*

0250: Over 101 Clark tests Flintoff with a short ball, but the England captain plays it pretty well, helping the ball round the corner to long-leg for a single.
England 2nd Inns, 271/5: Pietersen 41*, Flintoff 3*

0245: Over 100 Flintoff is hit on the thigh attempting a pull, and England get a leg-bye. Second maiden this morning for McGrath as the tourists make a slow start in Perth.
England 2nd Inns, 270/5: Pietersen 41*, Flintoff 2*

0241: Over 99 First runs of the morning as Pietersen hammers a fairly wide delivery through point for four. Just that boundary from the over, but the contrast between Pietersen and Flintoff is amazing. Pietersen, full of confidence, is all crisp footwork and looks aggressive even when playing defensively. Flintoff's footwork is non-existent, and he looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
England 2nd Inns, 269/5: Pietersen 41*, Flintoff 2*

0237: Over 98 McGrath twice beats a leaden-footed Flintoff as the horribly out-of-form England captain fences outside the off stump. Flintoff gets through the over somehow, but Australia are right on it this morning.
England 2nd Inns, 265/5: Pietersen 37*, Flintoff 2*

0233: Glenn McGrath will be the other bowler first up for Australia. He of course struck those two killer blows yesterday evening that completely snuffed out and lingering hopes England may have had.

0233: Over 97 Clark starts with a maiden over, as is his wont, and it incudes one cracking ball that goes away and beats Pietersen as he looks to play through cover rather than straight down the ground.
England 2nd Inns, 265/5: Pietersen 37*, Flintoff 2*

0228: Stuart Clark is the first man Ricky Ponting turns to on the final day.

0227: The Australia players charge out for the final day's play. Flintoff and Pietersen trudge out behind them like condemned men.

0200: We were wrong when we said yesterday would be the final competitive day of the Ashes series, but I'll confidently predict this one will be. England will do unbelievably well to get through to tea. If Andrew Flintoff was in the form of 2005, then maybe the tourists would consider themselves stillin the game, but he's been a shadow of that player and looks like getting out to every ball he faces. Then of course there's Geraint Jones.

So Australia will be confident of wrapping up victory sometime around lunch, with the only real question mark over whether Shane Warne can somehow conjure the four wickets he needs to reach an unprecedented 700 Test wickets. Might have been a bit dfifferent if England hadn't lost those two wickets late on day four...