CRICKET THE ASHES:ANDREW STRAUSS has described a "perfect storm" of conditions he hopes will inspire Andrew Flintoff to bow out in a blaze of glory in the deciding Ashes Test at The Oval, starting today. The England captain played down suggestions his relationship with Flintoff had suffered after the all-rounder was left out of the fourth Test, but warned that this match is about far more than one man.
“For a big game like this it’s a massive plus to have Flintoff in the side,” said Strauss. “It’s kind of the perfect storm: his last game, so he’s going to be completely motivated to go out on a high, a must-win Ashes Test match at home, a full house – the script’s written perfectly.”
Strauss admitted his players would risk defeat in pursuit of victory as they aim to become the first England side since 1953 to triumph in a must-win Ashes encounter at The Oval.
But he then quickly added: “But you don’t start the game like that. You go out there trying to gain the advantage over the first three days and then push for victory on the final two days. It’s important we realise that, and we need to play smart cricket in the first half of the game.”
Whether England are able to play smart cricket with a batting line-up that has produced one century all series and was blown away twice at Headingley is another matter, but Strauss defended the decision to go in with a middle order of Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood and Jonathan Trott, and talked up the chances of Steve Harmison playing at a venue that has brought him 22 Test wickets at 26 apiece.
“There’s usually a bit of pace and bounce, so he’s definitely one of the guys we’re looking at.”
That could mean bad news for Graham Onions, and would then leave the management needing to decide whether to play two spinners. Monty Panesar has been in miserable form all summer, both with England and Northamptonshire, but a dry Oval surface could yet earn him a recall at the expense of Stuart Broad.
GuardianService
