The day in words
Sunday 12 July 2009 21:42, UK
Find out how an incredible final day in Cardiff panned out through the words of the Sky Sports team.
The best bits from the Sky Sports commentary box
So all the Ashes talk has finally stopped... for the players at least. But the legendary Sky Sports commentary team now come into their own - and we will be bringing you the best bits from the box every day throughout the Ashes. That means the wisdom and wit of Messrs Lloyd, Atherton, Hussain, Holding, Gower and Botham - and maybe the occasional special guest - will be here every day. Scroll down to see how day five unfolded through their expert eyes...Morning session
10.09: "What I was perturbed about this morning was our executive producer reading an article by one of the England batsman saying that the quicker people realises that is the way he bats the better. That is absolute rubbish.Is Kevin Pietersen one of Fleet Street's finest? Michael Holding thinks not. 11.00: "Captain to captain. Ponting's about two yards away from Strauss just to let him know he's got two men out on the hook and is going to test him out."
Nasser Hussain sees nothing wrong with getting up close and personal. 11.08: "Is he going to wind you up in the commentary box like he did in the middle?"
"Absolutely!"
Nass doesn't doubt Michael Atherton's suggestion that things could get prickly with Shane Warne on the team at Lord's. 11.14: "Look at little Mushy, hanging in the background - I'm not sure I'd want him on my side in a fight!"
"He was walking in the other direction; suddenly he had a cunning plan for Monty!"
Athers and Nass query Mushtaq Ahmed's courage as they review a pre-play confrontation between Pietersen and Mitchell Johnson.
11.16: "What a misjudgement by Pietersen! He was criticised for playing too many shots in the first innings - he plays no shot at all in the second!"The irony isn't lost on Athers as the ball smashes into Pietersen's off-stump. FoW: 31-3
11.47: "He's a cheeky-faced chap, isn't he?!"Hauritz's thrilled-look doesn't escape Bumble after the spinner sends Andrew Strauss back. FoW: 46-4 12.09: "He's a Sunderland fan and he needed that right foot!"
Forget Fraizer Campbell, says Nass, as Collingwood expertly traps the ball to stop it trickling onto the stumps. 12.21: "It's been 40 years since he was an umpire."
Nass helps to put things in context as Bumble dismisses a flood of emails suggesting Brad Haddin's gloves were in front of the stumps before he caught Strauss. 12.25: "The off-spinner that couldn't bowl before the Test match is spinning England out."
Nass continues to chart Hauritz's up-turn. FoW: 70-5 12.30 "That's an absolute beauty! Where's that come from on a flat pitch?"
Siddle surprises Flintoff with one that beats the bat - and Nass too. 12.38: "Nothing wrong with limitations if you are well aware of them and are willing to accept them."
Mikey dishes out some life advice for one and all, but especially Paul Collingwood.
12.43: "I thought you were only supposed to hit the ball once!"Athers realises where he's been going wrong all these years as Hotspot shows Collingwood collecting an usual four. Lunch - England 102-5: "Four on the point of lunch to bring up England's 100 but it's been Australia's session. England must hope that Collingwood and Flintoff can bat out another session at least to give them hope."
Athers leaves us with no doubt as to where the balance of power lies.
Afternoon session
13.47: "I'm not very happy with seagulls these days. I had to send the car to the car wash twice after Worcester."Some feathered foes have got Mikey all in a flutter. 14.02: "Play straight. Hit mid-on, mid-off if you can."
Athers makes the rules of bat and mouse sound easy as Ponting encourages Flintoff to play squarer. 14.11 "I think I have heard of one bowler ever, Athers, who has said he knows exactly what the ball does whenever he releases it. He shall remain nameless."
Who is Mikey's mystery man? The inbox resoundingly suggests McGrath...
14.35: "A look of semi-anguish from Andrew Flintoff. He can't really believe what he's done, from the look of that." Him and the rest of England, Mr Gower! FoW: 127-6
14.41: "It's hitting the outside of leg stump. You can see why it's an excellent appeal but you can also see why Billy Doctrove has hesitated. There's a bit of doubt there."Bumble does his best to defend the umpire as replays suggest Broad would have lost leg stump to a Johnson inswinger but for his pad. 14.49: "A lone resistance it seems."
"He's running out of partners now."
Gower and Bumble pity Collingwood's plight. 14.51: "His lines are all over the place."
Johnson wouldn't have made a very good telephone operator in the old days. Worryingly though, Gower's observation suggests there is plenty of room for improvement. 15.00: "It's fine if he gets that front foot outside of the line, it's the back foot that's all important."
North goes very East at the crease but Nass says it's not a no-ball. 15.01: "That's the long hop. Collingwood jumps out of his bunker and hits it for four."
He may be under siege but Colly is still capable of the odd Steven Seagal moment, says Nass. 15.33: "Edged! Short of Ponting! Once again no pace in the pitch for the seamers. The slips step up a yard."
Broad's near miss adds fuel to Nass' campaign for two-tone pitches.
15.34: "Siddle not amused. A bit of a shoulder barge with Stuart Broad and again."Nass spots the stirrings of some rough and tumble in the middle after a streaky four. 15.45: "Well, an unsung hero is Hauritz."
The spinner's stock continues to rise as he traps Broad as lbw as they come. FoW: 159-7 15.50: "Thank heavens for Brigadier Block!"
Athers is all admiration for half-centurion Collingwood and his spades of stoicism. 15.53: "It's the slowest half century since Nasser Hussain, Port of Spain, 2004. Nasser was on the charge then!"
Athers digs one into Nasser's ribs. 16.01: "Does it hurt there, does it hurt here, you'll watch him jump through the roof at any second."
"Do you remember when Laurie Brown did that to Graham Gooch in Trinidad in 1990? Wow, watch him jump!"
Bumble and Athers prove one man's pain is another man's pleasure after Siddle strikes Swann on the finger. 16.07: "Everyone's rattling out there in the middle. Great Ashes cricket this! Yes, get in there!
Bumble's out of his chair as Siddle launches into Swann after hitting him three times in an over. TEA - England 169-7: "We've had a great Test match down here in Cardiff and it's going into the last session. England, still battling like mad, are still 70 behind."
Bumble hasn't given up hope of a home draw yet!
Evening session
16.41: "He wears one! He takes his eye off it! A glancing blow! Siddle's roughing Swann up but he's still there Swann! Siddles stomps off."Bumble's bubbling over as the temperature in the middle rises. 16.51: "One comment in a dressing room can still be going 70-odd years later? You've got to be careful what you say!"
Nass fears his past may come back to haunt him after Bumble explains the origin of the bowling term 'chinaman'. 17.12: "There is encouragement for Johnson but he himself must be disappointed with the way he has not controlled his lines in this match.
Gower risks the commentator's curse as he assesses the world's No 3 Test bowler. 17.21: "You don't get that pattern with a shotgun!"
Beefy takes a look at Johnson's grouping with the new ball and agrees - there IS plenty of ammunition to suggest Johnson can do better.
17.30: "That is the breakthrough! That is what Australia needed! And that will expose Anderson and Panesar!"Gower fears one end is opened up as Swann falls lbw. FoW: 221-8 17.52: "He's watched years and years of the great S Warne bowling Australia to victory. It's now his turn. Can he deliver?"
Nass does his bit to pile the pressure on Hauritz. 18.01: "It has been a monumental effort from Collingwood and you can say that has pretty much been his first mistake."
Gower feels for Brigadier Blocker but Siddle has the crucial breakthrough. FoW: 233-9
18.09: "What a cheer! No runs, a defensive shot, middle of the bat. The crowd is ecstatic! Who says Test cricket is boring?"T20 champion Bumble successfully readjusts his sights! 18.18: "The lead's precarious! What a noise around this ground. Everyone's stood up. We've got a great battle on here! Go on my son!
A streaky four? Yes, but Bumble doesn't care as England grab the lead! 18.34: "Get on with the game, This is to the finish!"
England's delay tactics - change of gloves, physio consultations - may be understandable but they have no place in Test cricket says Bumble! This is for Queen and Country after all! 18.41: "Unlikely heroes these two. I wouldn't have given them thruppence - Monty Panesar and Jimmy Anderson have had a partnership of 69 deliveries. Jimmy Anderson - 'Cool hand Luke' if you like. Monty Panesar would have loved the situation! Did Australia need Shane Warne in this game? RIP Shane Warne! It's been an epic game of cricket. We go to Lord's on Thursday level pegging. What a game, what an atmosphere, what a Test match!"
Need we say more? Ta Bumble! Go and have a lie down!
