England vs Australia - First Test - Day 5

Aus 6 dec / 674, England 435 and 9 / 252 : Match Drawn! Bugger!

Australia average 112 per wicket lost, England 36. Can't we bring in some sort of count back system or something....;-)

For English fans at least, that draw will be another one of those 'where were you when..." moments. Panesaar and Andersen hung on. Australia tried, well, they didn't try that much did they, but at big moments I guess you've got to entrust things to the guys that were picked to do exactly that job which Ponting did. He played the percentages with regards to choice of bowlers but it didn't come off this time. (Katich only 3 overs though? Hmmm?)

Anyway, as has happened plenty of other times in Test Cricket, one side dominated four fifths of th match entirely, but England did enough. Everyone will remember the dieing 10 overs and Monty hung on for dear life and squeezed out enough runs and minutes to frustrate Australia. As with all these draws there was clearly one side elated and one side very very disappointed. Australia certainly dominated enough of the game to have won, but having said that, England battled just enough (or a few of their batsmen did anyway) to deny Australia of their just rewards. That's cricket. There were plenty of other times when Australia could've won it, not just those last 10 overs. I said the game slipped away from Australia on the second morning when the English tail added all those runs. It's probably unfair to say that cost us the game after everything else that transpired - you can't win every minute of the game, but in hind sight, that's what it would've taken to get over the line in this one.

How much solice can Australia take from a "morale victory" - (awful word that) - well not much! We don't have a column for morale vistories in the score line, so as the dust settles, Australia now need to front up and be prepared to do it all again this Thursday. Frustrating, sure, but that's what they're paid for right?! Good batting form is gold in a series like this and Australia certainly have that. England, not so much - but things can change as we saw last time around.

Harmisson will probably play. Flintoff will be better for the match time, although fronting up again in a few days will obviously test him. England haven't won at Lords since 1934 and if that changes this week, Australia will be one sad and sorry lot.

Better get some sleep for the next few nights so we can do it all again next Thursday.

Gotta love the Ashes!