My picks of the fifth day:
The Great Escape was completed by the most unlikeliest of heroes for England at the end of the last day in Cardiff. Looking doomed, down and out at 70 for 5 just over half an hour before lunch, Australia somehow lost the grip on the match and win they had numerous times throughout the day.
Run oy Play: Advantage to...
1st session, England 102 for 5 (137 behind) at lunch: Australia for getting three crucial wickets and erasing any hopes for England's clumsy batsmen.
2nd session, England 169 for 7 (70 behind) at tea: England for annoying Australia, getting and keeping partnerships and the innings going.
3rd session, England 252 for 9 (13 ahead), match drawn: England for making the most unlikeliest of all partnerships hold through and the Australians' nightmare come true.
Partnerships:
- 57 runs between Paul Collingwood (74) and Andrew Flintoff (26): They kept the hopes up and going at crucial points before and after lunch, that it still was not impossible for England to hold through until the end of the day. With all the opening and main batsmen out clumsily at only 70 for 5, most of the spectators were not realistically expecting much cricket after lunch - if England would have even made it up until then without knocking themselves out beforehand. Kevin Pietersen stupidly left a ball that knocked off the top of off stump after he got away with a couple of good lbw shouts, 31 for 3. Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior were both fooled and caught out by the variation of turn and bounce from Nathan Hauritz. England looked down and out but Collingwood and Flintoff showed very much needed persistence.
- 32 runs between Paul Collingwood (74) and Stuart Broad (32): England were served another crucial blow with Flintoff being caught 127 for 6 when Australia were looking more and more worried after not taking their chances to finish England off. But Stuart Broad did not let go of the match that easily and clumsily and held through and kept Collingwood company very well.
- 62 runs between Paul Collingwood (74) and Graeme Swann (62): Another crucial partnership when Australia thought they had the grip back on the match at 159 for 7. The bowlers tried their best to torment and make Collingwood and especially Swann crumble and had enough blows and chances to do so. But the batsmen knew how to take and when to leave it, unlike the top order. Ricky Ponting grew more and more sour the longer time went on, England took their time (with injuries, physios, gloves, drinks et al) and the more wicket chances were not given or taken.
- 19 runs between James Anderson (21) and Monty Panesar (7): No one could watch from the England balcony (and most of the rest of the ground I suspect, too) when Collingwood left the field after being nervously caught at gully which ended his crucially stubborn innings, 233 for 9. With at least 11.3 overs of play left and 6 runs behind, Monty Panesar came on to join James Anderson and looked surprisingly confident showing thumbs up to his captain upstairs. Every ball they survived was over-cheered by the crowd and even bigger and louder the surprise and cheering crowd got when boundaries were scored. A true nail-biter for everyone and somehow England took the lead and batted it out for the draw, past 6.40pm. Unbelievable.
Bowling: Ben Hilfenhaus will be wondering what he has done wrong, getting three crucial wickets but given only 15 overs, and Marcus North aching why he was selected at the end of the day, tired and not half the wicket-taker the other bowler has been. Nathan Hauritz and Peter Siddle will have silenced most of their critics though. The captian kept most of his faith in the prior whilst the latter tormented the batsmen when it was the most crucial and painful for them - especially Graeme Swann who got a few cruel cracks and wacks. The question lying in the air is, was the retired Shane Warne the missing key for the Aussies to get England all out? Or could the couple of questionable bowling decisions and selections Ponting took have been the crucial difference in the end?
Ups: Having not lost the match and somehow stumbled through the afternoon and evening session to stumps with a draw, England will be the much happier, as Monty showed, and Australia the more wondering and sour like Ponting's reactions throughout the day reflected it.
Downs: Australia should have strolled to a win but were somehow denied after it looked a dead cert at lunch. That should not distract from the point though that England were outplayed in every way, four days out of five. They will have to change their attitude, especially the batsmen, pronto.
Hero to zero: England were 70 for 5 in 26 overs. In the next 77 overs, they lost just 4 wickets. Australia will wonder where they lost it. They had their grip on the match on numerous occasions but somehow let it slip. The more dangerous and on fire they will be at Lord's. England learn and beware!
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