2009 Ashes Series - Matches - Fifth Test

Fifth Test

With a 10-day break between the 4th and 5th Tests, England looked at their squad following their batting performances at Headingley. Many names were thrown up as possible replacements for the failing middle order of Bopara, Bell and Collingwood, including Jonathan Trott and Robert Key, as well as Mark Ramprakash, whose last test came in 2002, and Marcus Trescothick, who then ruled himself out of the running. The fitness of Andrew Flintoff was also questioned, as many commentators said that he would have to play if England were to win the Test. Flintoff remained in the squad, the only change being the introduction of Trott for Bopara, with the confirmation that the South African-born batsman would make his Test debut at The Oval.

England won the toss and captain Andrew Strauss chose to bat on a pitch quite uncharacteristic of what would be considered normal at The Oval. Although they lost Alastair Cook to an outside edge off Peter Siddle early in the innings, England recovered to reach 108/1 at lunch, with Strauss making his fifty in just 89 balls. However, the captain put on just five more after the break before being caught behind by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. The next two wickets fell to Siddle in relatively quick succession: Paul Collingwood was caught at mid-on by Michael Hussey, before Ian Bell – who had reached his half-century off 73 balls – inside-edged onto his own stumps for 72. In came debutant Jonathan Trott, who took 12 balls to open his Test scoring tally, and continued to score slowly as he lost partners in Matt Prior and Andrew Flintoff, who made just seven runs in the first innings of his final Test match to take England to 247/6. Trott himself was next to fall, run out by Simon Katich: Trott clipped the ball to the leg side, but Katich made a smart stop and, with just one to aim at, threw the ball at the stumps, catching Trott well out of his ground. The eighth wicket stood for another 39 runs, when Graeme Swann was caught behind off Siddle for the Australian's fourth wicket of the innings, and with that play was closed for the day with England at 307/8.

England added just 25 more runs for their last two wickets at the start of Day 2, Hilfenhaus trapping Anderson LBW for 0 in the second over of the day (ending his 54 innings sequence without a duck), before dismissing Broad for 37. Shane Watson and Simon Katich took Australia to 66/0 before rain forced lunch to be taken three minutes early, with the resumption of play delayed until almost 14:30. After lunch the Australian openers lasted just two overs before the start of a massive Broad-inspired batting collapse. First to fall was Watson, LBW on 34, then Ricky Ponting was deceived by a cutter from Broad and played onto his own stumps for just eight runs. Michaels Hussey and Clarke were next to go, Hussey LBW for a duck, before Clarke was caught low at short extra cover by Jonathan Trott. After a spell in which Broad took four wickets for just eight runs, Swann returned to the attack and immediately took the wicket of Marcus North, although replays subsequently showed that the Australian number 6 got an inside edge to the ball before it struck his pad. Katich reached his half-century in the 37th over of the innings, but was out the very next ball, caught by Alastair Cook at short leg. Broad completed his five-wicket haul in the 39th over, bowling Brad Haddin to give him wicket-to-wicket figures of 5/19 and leave only the Australian bowlers to dismiss. Swann took the next two wickets – albeit that of Stuart Clark was given incorrectly – leaving it to Flintoff to bowl Hilfenhaus and end the Australian innings for 160 runs. The English openers returned to the crease and put on 27 before Cook edged North to first slip for just nine. Mitchell Johnson then combined well with Simon Katich at short leg for the next two wickets, Katich catching Bell low before Johnson thumped a bouncer into Collingwood, looping the ball up for Katich to catch easily, leaving the home side at 39/3. Nevertheless, Strauss and Trott recovered well to take England into the third day at 58/3.

Strauss and Trott built a partnership of 118 before the England captain edged to Michael Clarke at first slip just before the lunch break on day three. With the final ball of the morning session, Prior drove a ball from North to the off side and hit Ricky Ponting at silly point square in the jaw. The Australian captain, looked nonplussed, simply spat out some blood. After lunch, Prior was run out while attempting to sneak a run, despite hitting the ball straight to Katich, who threw down the stumps at the bowler's end. The next man in was Andrew Flintoff, playing in his final Test innings, and he added 22 off 18 before being caught on the long-on boundary. A lofted straight drive from England's most promising all-round prospect, Stuart Broad, brought up the 400 lead, but an attempted slog found his top edge and he was caught by Ponting off North for 29. Meanwhile, Trott progressed towards his maiden Test century, ably supported by Graeme Swann, who reached his half-century in just 44 balls. However, the England spinner was eventually caught behind, top-edging a pull shot off a bouncer from Hilfenhaus. Trott then became the 18th England cricketer to make a century on debut with a four off Hilfenhaus's next over, but he and Anderson only managed to add another 31 before Trott was caught by North at point off Stuart Clark, prompting a declaration from Andrew Strauss. England's score of 373/9 declared meant that in order to win the match Australia would need to make 546 runs in just over two days on a pitch that had not yet produced more than 400 over the course of the match. England, on the other hand, needed only to take 10 Australian wickets. The Australian openers managed to get to 80 without loss by the end of play.

Starting the day at 80/0, Australia lost both Simon Katich and Shane Watson LBW in quick succession within the first five overs. Ponting and Hussey then built an impressive partnership, sharing a stand of 127 runs before Ponting was run out by a direct hit from Andrew Flintoff fielding at mid-off, which marked an important turning point in the match. Michael Clarke was then run out in the very next over following some sharp fielding from Andrew Strauss at slip, while Marcus North was stumped by Matt Prior. Hussey and Haddin steadied the innings as Hussey reached his first century in 28 Test innings after earlier being dropped by Paul Collingwood on 55, but Haddin was eventually out for 34 attempting a big shot over mid-wicket, where he was caught in the deep by Strauss. Harmison took the wicket of Mitchell Johnson for a duck in the next over, and then removed Siddle and Clark in consecutive balls. Hilfenhaus survived the hat-trick ball, but the match only lasted another two overs as Hussey was caught by Cook at short leg off the bowling of Swann. England won the match by 197 runs, to claim a 2–1 series win.