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Australia and England are set to fight it out on the final day of the 5th Test of The Ashes 2023 at The Oval. The battle is also set to be Stuart Broad’s final Test match.
These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing.
- England vs Australia, Ashes Final Test, Day 5
- July 31, 2023 – 10.00 am GMT
- The Oval, London
Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
Contents
With a large chunk of Day 4 being washed out, all eyes are on the mood of mother nature. The weather is set to be better in the morning of day 5 with a slim chance of rain till afternoon. However, some drizzle is expected, especially in the post lunch session. The sky should be clear enough in the evening session for play to continue.
As is the case with a final day test match pitch, some wear and tear is expected. However, going along the theme of the series, outlandish rough patches like subcontinent pitches are unlikely to be present. The pitch however, has variable bounce, which can cause trouble to the batters.
Due to the duke ball and the expected cloudy sky, swing will be expected, and seam movement of the pitch will probably persist due to the unpredictable nature of the duke ball. The English seamers should enjoy the grass coverings and damp nature due to the pitch being undercover for large periods.
England vs Australia – Match Predictions
The eternal enemies have been locked in a thrilling battle of skill, grit and even luck over the entire summer. The Absolute barest of margins have decided, passage of plays, sessions and ultimately test matches. While Australia leads the series 2-1, England would argue that they had just been denied a victory by mother nature in Manchester.
Australia are in a strong position, but 350+ scores have only been chased 13 times in the history of test cricket. With the potentially cloudy sky aiding the swinging ball, England are still the favourites and we expect them to win the test as we already suggested in our top prediction – weather permitting, of course.
Prediction 1
Khawaja Top Run Scorer
1/2 (1.50)
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Odds from
Prediction 2
Warner to Scoree 100+ - No
1/2 (1.50)
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Odds from
Highest Run Scorer – Usman Khawaja
David Warner is well set and looks ominous, however with the Broad threat looming large, he can get out anytime. Under pressure but forever the anchor, Usman Khawaja could likely boast the highest score.
Our Prediction: Usman Khawaja to score the most runs
DA Warner to Score 100 or More – No
David Warner’s at the tail end of his illustrious career, but we doubt he can go out with what would be an iconic century. He has already done his part, and we believe his stint at the crease will end shortly after play resumes tomorrow.
Our Prediction: David Warner will not be reaching 100 runs.
England vs Australia Preview
Following the trend of the whole series, a nail biting finish with several rollercoaster moments is what we are expecting from the day.
England
With all the noise around the bazzball throughout the summer, this ashes was the litmus test for England’s new philosophy. Going down 0-2 in the first two tests dealt them a hammer blow. However, they doubled down on their approach and almost made it 2-2. Though ashes is lost, the series can still be saved.
The limelight is inevitably on Stuart Broad, playing his final test and he would like to bow out with a bang. But Zack Crawley should also be lauded for his brilliant effort of 480 runs at the top. Mark Wood, the man who turned the tide in the series, could be the key to England’s plans on day 5.
Squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Australia
After starting the series brilliantly, sweeping aside the talk of bazzball with their cold, calculative cricket, Australia somewhat faded away. While some of it is down to the unfortunate injury of their premier spinner Nathan Lyon, it also felt like Australia were caught reacting to England’s all guns blazing approach. They need this test win to vindicate their ashes retention.
The talks around being broad’s bunny has certainly affected Warner, but he has an ultimate chance of thwarting his nemesis at their final battle. Steve Smith has been short of his Bradmanic best, but needs to stand up in the final hour. But it could be Travis Head, all out attacking, who could take down this mammoth score.
Squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Todd Murphy
How to Watch The Ashes Day 5 in the UK: Live Streaming & Channel List
For those living in the UK, you can catch all the live action of the Ashes on Sky Sports Cricket on television. For those who prefer online streaming, you can watch the game on the SkyGo application.
- Sky Sports Cricket (TV)
- SkyGo app (Streaming)
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