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Sussex Sport Weekly podcast - Ashes Fourth Test special. Mark Dunford, Frankie Elliott, Steve Bone and Sam Pole discuss the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Australia retaining the Ashes and ask: Could England have done more to win? Should spare days be intoduced for all Test matches? Was Zak Crawley's ton one of the best Ashes knocks? Who should play - and what will happen - at The Oval?
Transcript
00:00 Hi and welcome to this special Ashes episode of the Sussex Sport Weekly Podcast. I'm Mark
00:07 Dunford and I'm joined by Sussex World journalists Frankie Elliott, Steve Bone and Sam Pohl.
00:12 Sam was lucky enough to be there on Thursday at Old Trafford to see Zach Crawley's tremendous
00:17 innings of 189 from 182 balls. The sad news is Australia have retained the Ashes thanks
00:24 to the rain, meaning only 30 odd overs were able to be bowled in the last two days after
00:29 England dominated the first three days. Zach Crawley was man of the match for his brilliant
00:33 innings and there was great contribution from Johnny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Harry
00:37 Brooke, Moeen Ali with the bat and Mark Walden with the strokes of the ball. England can
00:41 still draw the series at the Oval this week but the urn has gone. Steve, it's a rubbish
00:46 way to retain the Ashes for the Aussies isn't it? What's your feeling after that draw and
00:49 forth test? Yeah, it's just one of deflation really I think isn't it? The first three days
00:56 of that test were so good and it was just what we needed to do. We went to Old Trafford
01:00 knowing we needed to win, we had to be attacking, we had to go for the jugular, did all that,
01:06 got a big lead and then two days of rain. It actually wouldn't have mattered if there
01:12 had been one day of rain, if we could have had one full day to try to take those final
01:17 wickets and maybe get a few runs if they got a lead. But for rain to rule out all but the
01:24 last two days was just heartbreaking for everybody. Really a real sort of downer on what's been
01:30 a great series.
01:31 Did England miss an opportunity? Firstly batting for maybe too long and secondly not being
01:40 on it enough in those 30 odd unexpected overs on Saturday. They just seemed a bit slower,
01:45 maybe they just weren't expecting to play on Saturday. Do you think there were some
01:48 missed opportunities there?
01:49 No, no, no I don't. I think if you looked at where England were, particularly after
01:55 lunch on that third day, you were looking at the fact that they needed to get a commanding
01:59 position to really stake a claim in that match. At the end of the day they batted for about
02:05 100 or so overs and were going at nearly six and over. So they've done pretty well to even
02:09 get into that position as it is. When they did eventually we were all out, as Steve pointed
02:16 out, they only really needed two sessions from the last two days to win the game. You
02:22 were looking at that evening session when they took four wickets and on Saturday and
02:25 Sunday you were looking at, hopefully, just the two full sessions and you'd probably come
02:29 away with the win. They only had one and barely even won. So I don't really put any fault
02:35 down to England because that was one of the most dominant displays of an English team
02:38 I've seen against Australia. I know there have been bigger margins of victory but in
02:43 regards to how they bullied and dominated a brilliant Australian team, they're the best
02:48 test team in the world currently, absolutely from day one. Like I say, I've never seen
02:54 an Australian team look so frazzled, so weak, so on the back foot and that's all down to
02:59 England's tactics and how they played. So it is bitterly, bitterly disappointing because
03:03 as I said, I don't think they even needed that much time in those last two days to carry
03:08 out the victory but they didn't even get that. So I can't fault the England team for what
03:12 they did.
03:13 Yeah, interesting point about them looking so frazzled. It was only on day two when Pat
03:17 Cummings ran out of ideas, wasn't it? Like you said, I've never seen anything like it
03:23 either. But there you go. And that was mainly down to Zach Crawley. Sam, you were there
03:27 on Thursday. How impressive was it in the flesh watching that and what was the day like
03:33 overall? It seemed pretty exhilarating from where I was on my sofa.
03:37 Yeah, Zach Crawley's innings was probably more impressive in person than it was on the
03:41 television to be honest. He kind of knuckled down to begin with, especially after when
03:45 Ben Duckett fell quite early. Him and Moe and Ali kind of steadied that innings, got
03:51 to a 50 each way and then after that it was just the most exhilarating piece of cricket
03:56 I think I've seen anywhere to be honest. I think he got his next 50 from 30-something
04:03 balls. So he really, really took it to the Aussies after that. And yeah, especially Moe
04:08 and Ali helped out as well. You've got Brooke and Stokes as well, helped pull their way
04:12 and Root as well, hit an impressive 80-odd. So yeah, really impressive. And on the day
04:17 as a whole, it all kicked off superbly with Anderson picking up Cummings off that first
04:21 ball of the day. Really, really set things on the way. So yeah, it was possibly one of
04:26 the greatest days I've seen in my cricketing experiences and as well in Ash's cricket as
04:33 well, to be honest.
04:34 Yeah. I mean, it was a shame Joe Root didn't get his 100 because he thoroughly deserved
04:39 it. I mean, that's possibly the most fluent I've seen Joe Root bat on that day. I don't
04:44 know what anyone else thinks.
04:46 I think that was, like I said, the most impressive batting display England have ever put in.
04:50 I think it's the first time most of England's top seven have got over 50 runs each.
04:56 I think it was since 1930, the first time six of the top seven.
04:59 Six of the top seven. So I mean, that's an incredible display as it is. But the way they
05:04 went about it, Zach Crawley scoring well more than a runner ball. Joe Root looked incredibly
05:10 fluent. Moen Alley looked in great touch for his 50. That was a massively important partnership.
05:16 And then Johnny Bairstow as well. I mean, how incredible was that? Very unlucky not
05:19 to get 100, but really looked back to his best after what would have been a difficult
05:23 leg break injury and a difficult series so far. He looked like the man he was last summer.
05:28 So I've never seen so many players bat so well and so aggressively. It was really, really,
05:34 really great to watch.
05:35 Yeah, I loved Ben Stokes' reaction when Bairstow hit that huge six. It was great.
05:42 Sticking with that, Steve, we talked about Topash's innings after Ben Stokes' effort
05:46 at Lord's. Where do you reckon Crawley's innings ranks for you?
05:50 Well, it is up there, isn't it? Among the best we've seen. But I suppose the unfortunate
05:56 thing for him is it's not resulted in a win. Because I think in longer term, people will
06:03 always remember the innings that helped their team win more clearly than innings that didn't
06:10 quite get the team over the line. So I'm not saying Zach Crawley thought that we didn't
06:15 win. It would have been great for him for that innings to have been part of a win. But
06:21 yeah, it was excellent, wasn't it? People have had question marks over Crawley. I've
06:24 certainly doubted him at different times in his England career. He's had a lot of chances
06:28 and people say he's not got enough runs, he's not got enough big scores. But he's silenced
06:36 a lot of those critics with that innings. He's probably nailed down that place now for
06:40 some time to come in that England team. But I think in years to come, will we regard it
06:45 in the same way as we think about Ben Stokes at Headingley 2019, Ian Botham at Headingley
06:52 '81, Kevin Peterson at The Oval 2005? Because those innings led to either series wins or
07:01 test wins, individual match wins, I think they tend to stick in the memory a little
07:06 bit longer, which is a great shame for Zach.
07:09 Yeah, you agree with that. Frankie?
07:11 I do. If you look at it solely from the perspective of the innings without the context of the
07:17 game, I think it's the best ever. 189 off 181 balls against, like I say, the best testing
07:22 in the world in a situation where England have to win against one of the best, well,
07:27 the best bowling attack in the world as well. It's incredible. But as Steve rightly says,
07:33 it doesn't come along with a victory or a series win and therefore it just knocks down
07:39 those ratings. Because like I say, I remember the Peterson one at The Oval, that made him
07:42 a superstar because if he didn't have that innings, Australia might have won that test
07:46 in 2005, may not have been as famous as it was. Same with Ben Stokes at Headingley, Ian
07:51 Bowtham, Alistair Cook at the Gabba as well. All those iconic innings as a from memorable
07:58 series wins or test wins. But I hope in the same way that it worked for Peterson back
08:03 in 2005, I hope as Steve said, this is the start of Zach Crawford becoming one of the
08:07 best opening batsmen in the world because there's been lots of question marks about
08:10 him, but no one's ever doubted his talent and no one's ever doubted that he is good
08:13 enough to play for England. Now he's shown he is capable of putting in a big score like
08:18 that. It's about doing that again. Obviously, maybe not 189 of 181 balls, but playing to
08:24 that level every test match and not giving away his wicket so cheaply or making silly
08:29 decisions, being aggressive, being on the front foot and setting off England on some
08:35 really good innings performances. So, yeah, while it may not go down as one of the best
08:41 memorable Ashes innings of all time, it should be the start of something great for Zach Crawley.
08:46 Yeah, absolutely agree. Speaking of you, Frankie, is for the Aussies,
08:50 is a bit bittersweet. Pat Cummings said there won't be any huge celebrations, just a few
08:54 pats on the back after retaining the urn. Did they deserve to take the urn back home?
08:58 I'd say this. I always I'm a firm believer, whether it's in league tables or series,
09:05 that the best team always wins and the results or league table doesn't lie. I think this
09:09 is the first time I've ever can say, and this sounds very bitter coming from an English
09:13 person. I don't I don't feel the best team have have won the urn. We don't know how the
09:18 series is going to end up, but I feel England throughout the four tests have played the
09:22 better cricket. I think they've played they've they've they've they've been more entertaining.
09:26 I think they've been we've shown more courage and greater quality in both their bowling
09:32 and their batting. Obviously, there have been some moments where that hasn't happened, but
09:35 I feel that what's probably got Australia over their line is the experience, the big
09:40 game experience of players who have been there and done it. I think Baswell, as we say, is still
09:46 still quite in its early formations, and maybe that's what we saw. There were some
09:50 slight cracks in this what has been such a glorious last year of the McCullen-Stokes era.
09:56 We probably saw that in the first two test matches, but I feel that Australia have got
10:01 away with the weather because I feel that England were kind of comfortably win this
10:04 one and take that momentum into the fifth test. But yeah, it also sounds bitter because
10:11 Australia will argue that they made the better decisions in those first two test matches.
10:14 England didn't cope very well with the short, short bowling game at Lord's. They didn't bowl
10:20 very well in the first innings of that game and gave Australia a chance to get ahead.
10:23 The early declaration at Edgbaston, there are a number of the poor fielding in those
10:28 first test matches. There are a number of things that England didn't do well, but there's also
10:31 so many things they did. I think Australia were very timid in this fourth test and really
10:36 got away with it because they deserve to be beaten in this fourth test 100%.
10:40 It's the only time when neither can ever say that I don't think the best team have won.
10:44 Sam, do you agree with that?
10:46 Yeah, most definitely. I think England have been the better team in the series overall.
10:52 It's just those big moments. I think that Australia have been the better side and really
10:59 taken it away from England in those moments. We've been close in all three tests and I think,
11:03 especially this one, could have been the one that broke the Australian spirit, to be honest.
11:09 It's just the weather has saved them for this one. Then that momentum, hopefully,
11:15 well, it probably would have seen England through to that fifth test. But yeah, as Frankie said,
11:20 it's those moments, those little things that make the difference ultimately in a five-match series.
11:26 I agree. England are definitely the better team, but Australia, at the end of the day, retained.
11:31 It's an interesting point Frankie says about the first time he's
11:35 thought that the best team haven't won. Steve, do you agree with that as well?
11:39 I do agree with what's been said. The Australians won't care one bit, will they?
11:45 No.
11:47 They won't care one bit if I'm saying it or anybody's saying it. The fact is, they came here
11:53 as ashes holders. They knew that drawing the series was enough. They're always going to want
12:00 to win a series, as are England, but at the same time, their job was to come here and over the five
12:06 tests, make sure they didn't lose the series and they can't lose the series now. What England have
12:11 to do now, and I'm sure we'll go on to this, is make sure they continue the momentum they've built
12:17 up and get it back to 2-2 with a win at the Oval. I think it's 2001, isn't it, since the Australians
12:24 last won a series here. Obviously, we had the 2-2 in 2019. England won the four, I think, before
12:32 that. I still think that's important, although it's not going to bring the ashes into our
12:37 possession. I think that's got to be the next aim for England now.
12:44 Yeah, there's been a lot of talk as well, and we've just touched on this for England fans,
12:47 like you've said, but mainly from their England fans, about weather rules, length of tests and
12:53 that, should they be changed to allow rain-hit games more time to finish. My view is, I think
13:01 there's a full day rained off, then maybe look at a reserve day, but it'll be a lot to change it.
13:10 What do you think, Steve? Do you think there should be any changes to the way
13:13 we handle rain in England? I don't think there should be any change to the number of days
13:20 set aside for a test match. I think if you set aside too many days, if you set aside six days,
13:26 for example, what are you going to do about a game that has gone five days but hasn't had any
13:31 interruptions and is still heading for a draw? Unlikely to happen with England these days,
13:35 of course, but there will be matches that are drifting on like that. Do you give them a six
13:42 day as well? I'm certainly not in favour of a four-day test, and never have been,
13:48 but equally I don't think you want to extend it from five days. I think what they could look at
13:52 is making up for lost time within the five days. I think there were times during this test where
14:00 they could have been on the field playing and could have played for longer. I certainly think
14:06 teams should be made to get the 90 overs in in a day. I think it's ridiculous that you stop at
14:10 half six or whenever if you've only bowled 83 overs. Play on till 80 o'clock if you have to.
14:15 It's 90 overs in a day, you should be able to bowl them. So I think there are things you can do
14:19 within the rules and within the things we do to make up for the weather, but I personally don't
14:29 think you should be looking at reserved days. I can understand why it's done for a one-off test
14:35 like the World Test Championship final, because that is a one-off, but in a series I don't think
14:40 you need to do it. No. Frankie? Yeah, I think Steve's right. I think there's more you can do
14:46 within the five days rather than extending days. I mean, the overrate thing is a disgrace at the
14:51 moment. I don't know why there are no rules in place to look at that. There was one session,
14:56 I think, on the second day that had 25 overs or even maybe even 24. Ridiculous. It's absolutely
15:02 and it's not the Australians' fault. I mean, there's nothing to stop them from doing it. So
15:05 there's that issue. I think there's also the things you can be more flexible. If you lose a
15:09 day, like Steve said, you can start early, you can finish later. There are ways and means of
15:15 getting the overs back in within the five days. I think there is a lot to be, like Joe Root said,
15:21 I believe yesterday, that it's light until 10 o'clock. Why can't we finally? And he's not
15:25 wrong. He's not wrong. They've spoken before about if you lose sessions or overs to light
15:31 to start early the next day, that can work the other way by extending the time if the light's
15:36 still there. So obviously, you're going to look for reasons as to how you can stop this from
15:41 happening again, and rightly so, because it's such a dismal way for a test match and vital test
15:47 match to end because of rain washing out two days. But there are certain things that cricket needs to
15:52 do anyway to make it sure that they can get the overs in that are very much quick fixes, rather
15:57 than these complex ideas that are coming out afterwards. So yeah, no to extra days, but
16:04 certainly to changes within the days can definitely be made. - Yeah, Sam, any different views?
16:10 - Yeah, no, I wholeheartedly agree with Frankie and Steve. Yeah, just keep it within the five-day
16:16 session. And especially, I mean, what else could be changed is that if you know that rain's coming
16:21 potentially, that's going to wash out a day that you do extend the day before and the day previous,
16:28 if you know what I mean, just to keep, to try and ensure a result at the end of the day. Test
16:34 match doesn't end like this. But yeah, as Frankie and Steve have said, yeah, just within the rules,
16:39 don't bother with an extra day. It doesn't really help out and sort anything out. So yeah.
16:44 - Well, that's something I would like... - Sorry, Steve, carry on.
16:47 - Yeah, one thing I would say on that is it's quite rare for rain to have such a sort of certain
16:55 bearing on a game where you know who's going to win. Normally, if you lose a day of a test match
17:04 to rain, it kind of doesn't affect the result in that, you know, it probably may have been heading
17:10 for a draw or either team could have won. For a game to be going one way after three days and then
17:16 hardly have any play for two is very unusual. - Yeah. And I think that's the only reason we're
17:23 talking about it as well because it's decided... - It's so extreme.
17:26 - Yeah, exactly. But an interesting point you made, Sam, about knowing that the rain's coming
17:32 and extending days before on a completely different level on Saturday in the Sussex
17:38 Cricket League when I was umpiring, I was at Roffey versus Preston Nomads. Everybody knew the rain was
17:43 coming and there were people saying, "What's the point of even starting?" And it's like, "Well,
17:47 can we make it like a five-over game?" Because we know the rain's coming at this point. Just so
17:53 we can get a result, Roffey are trying to escape relegation, Preston Nomads are trying to win the
17:57 league. Both teams wanted a game, wanted a result, but they knew they were going to end up with 10
18:02 points kind of thing because of the ban. So, but if the rain hadn't... If you'd done that and then
18:07 the rain doesn't come, you'd look a bit stupid. So, I don't know. It's an interesting point you
18:11 raised whether... Because I mean, it was forecast for about a week in advance that it was going to
18:15 be raining all day Saturday, all day Sunday, wasn't it? So could they have done something
18:19 like that? But it's... Yeah, if it doesn't rain, it's not... - Yeah, the difficult thing is forecasting
18:24 the weather because as you say, you don't know... You just can't plan, can you? You don't know...
18:29 You can't say for sure it's going to rain all day in this town on this day. So...
18:33 - Yeah. - Sometimes...
18:34 - Oh, no. - Some things you just have to put up with.
18:36 - It's a good discussion. It's a good discussion. On to the Oval now. That starts, I think,
18:42 it's Thursday this week, isn't it? England will have the bit between their teeth, won't they,
18:47 Steve? Can't see them not winning this test, can we? It's got to be 2-2.
18:50 - I think so. Yeah, I mean, I think it'll be... I don't think it'll be as one-sided as Old Trafford.
18:56 I think Australia will come back a little bit from that. But yeah, the momentum is with England
19:01 and they are going to be desperate to draw the series 2-2 now and not lose it, either 3-1 or
19:09 2-1 if it's another draw. It might need to be a draw, isn't it, over five days? So yeah, you would
19:16 think they'd be up for it even more than some of the earlier tests, really. It'd be interesting to
19:23 see what sort of atmosphere we get in the Oval. You know, will it start off a little bit flat
19:29 because the crowd know we can't win the Ashes? I don't know. The Oval has seen some classic Ashes
19:34 decided over the years, hasn't it? 2005 being the big one. But yeah, I'd say England are strong
19:41 favourites to win this. Australia, not that they've got nothing to play for, obviously they've got
19:47 a series win to play for, but I think England will have the edge for that reason. - Yeah.
19:52 Is there a fear, Frankie, that the wind has been knocked out of England now they've lost the urn?
19:57 Or do you think they'll be fine? - There could be. I think the one thing I would say about,
20:03 what we talked about, just the rain that had been there, I think one of the things that
20:06 maybe Ben Stoke kept England batting in for so long in that test was to set a precedent to the
20:12 Australian team to be like, 'You need this rain to come because we are dominating you so much.'
20:17 It really sets a thing in the back of the Australian players' mind where they are literally
20:20 praying for rain. And that's not an Australian or any elite sporting team's mentality, whether
20:25 they're hoping for rain because they can't compete against the side they're facing. So,
20:30 I think that's why part of the tactic was like, 'If this inevitable draw comes,
20:37 we're still in the ascendancy.' And that's what England technically are, obviously,
20:40 without having the prospect of regaining the urn. So, they need to keep that momentum because
20:46 they're playing really well. They've been the best side for certainly the last two test matches.
20:50 They're bowling brilliantly. Chris Wokes is on fire, so is Mark Wood. So, from that standpoint,
20:57 in regards to how they're playing, they should be favourites. But it'd be very difficult to
21:02 motivate themselves to do so because Australia will be incredibly motivated, I would say,
21:06 not only off the back of what's been a poor performance, but also in 2019, I think they
21:12 kicked themselves because they didn't win that fifth test when in 2019 they were far the better
21:16 team. They were much better than England. They should have won that series quite comfortably.
21:20 So, I think they will speak in that dressing room before the over being like, 'We haven't won a
21:25 series here since 2001. We've done our first job, but we need to make sure we do the second job
21:29 because we didn't do it in 2019.' And most of this team were there in 2019. So, I think it'd be very,
21:34 very difficult for England. But if they continue to play the way they have done, they should win,
21:40 but they'll find it a lot more difficult. And I just want to point out quickly as well,
21:43 this, as although Australia have not been the best team this series, they've shown
21:48 that why they are the best team, best test team in the world, because even when things are going
21:53 against them, they still managed to pick out a result. Marnus Labuschagne has not been playing
21:58 well this series, but in the deciding innings when England had just knocked 591, he gets 100,
22:06 a really gritty 100 a century abroad, which he hasn't done for a while. So,
22:10 it shows the quality this team have that even when things are going against them, even when they're
22:14 not playing well, they can still pick out performances like that. So, we have to give
22:18 credit where it's due. Yeah, absolutely. And with Labuschagne, obviously, yeah, if England had got
22:23 him in the first couple of overs on Saturday, England would probably have been the net best.
22:27 So, yeah, absolutely. No, it's a really good point. So, Sam, can we start with you? Can we
22:33 see any changes for this one for either side, do you think, with the lineups?
22:38 For an England perspective, I think the only one off the top of my head was maybe dropping
22:42 Anderson for Tong. I mean, Anderson, in particular, is looking at his best in the Old Trafford test.
22:48 So, there's been kind of question marks over if he'll be selected. I know he's just come back
22:52 from a fitness issue as well. So, that can be the only one. I mean, there have been question marks
22:58 over Berstow, but that innings that he took part in, yeah, he's bound to have a place in for the
23:07 fifth test. From an Australian perspective, I don't think so, to be honest. I think they just
23:12 keep on keeping on to see, I mean, you've retained, so why change things now, to be honest? I know
23:19 they looked in disarray in that fourth test. Maybe bringing a spinner, but apart from that,
23:27 I can't see maybe any changes from the Aussies. Yeah, Frankie?
23:32 Yeah, from the England perspective, I can't imagine many changes because they played so well.
23:37 The Anderson one would possibly be the final, the only change, but I would imagine this
23:42 might be his last ever Ashes test. I'd say it's, sorry.
23:46 Sorry, it'd just be a massive shame if that test just happened, was Jimmy Anderson's last test,
23:51 wouldn't it? Yeah, I don't think they'll allow that to happen. He doesn't deserve that to be
23:56 the case. So, I think Ben Stokes will give him the oval test match, as I meant. I mean,
24:01 you can never predict with Anderson, because I said five years ago that would be his last test,
24:04 but here he is still running in. So, yeah, this could be his last test match, so I think they
24:11 will give him the opportunity to play in that one. But other than that, you keep as it is,
24:14 because everyone played so well. For the Aussies, I don't think they'll go with two all-rounders
24:18 again. Cameron Green, as great as he is in the field, he has not looked particularly great,
24:24 but certainly with the bat. So, maybe I would say a spinner, especially at the oval, would be
24:28 needed. I know the spinner they have as reserve is not to the same level as Nathan Lyon, but it just
24:34 gives them a better balance and attack as well and takes the pressure off Cummings, Hazelwood and
24:37 Starr, because fair play to them. They look knackered by day three, because they were having
24:41 to continuously run in. But in the batting line-up, I think they'll stay as they were. But
24:47 yeah, the Cameron Green change I can see happening. Yeah, I thought they looked really imbalanced with
24:51 Mitch Marsh. Hugely. Yeah. But what was good to see as well was how Zach Crawley in particular,
24:59 Travis Head came on as the spinner, and they just took him apart. And then just
25:02 ignored your straight parts of time to rest, which was great to see. Steve, any changes for you?
25:09 Yeah, like Sam, I think Tongue for Anderson is one they should consider, but I don't think they will
25:18 leave Anderson out. I wonder if they might bring Tongue back in place of Wood for this one. I know
25:24 Wood's been playing very well, but now the ashes can't be won. Might they think that he needs
25:29 another rest? He's bowled quite a lot in these couple of tests, so I'd like to see Tongue give
25:35 another go somehow. Or even might they decide that Broad needs a rest? I don't know, I've
25:42 literally just thought that off the top of my head. I haven't put any thought into that at all.
25:46 Not going to make any other change. They're not going to change that batting line-up, are they,
25:52 if six out of the top seven have got fifties behind them? Bairstow wasn't dropped when he
25:58 wasn't playing well, so he's certainly not going to be dropped or rested now.
26:01 Alley at number three came off as a batsman. He hasn't been great with the bowling, but I think
26:07 they'll stick with that for lack of other options. With Australia, I just wonder if they might
26:12 experiment. There's been some talk of whether they bring back the spinner and move somebody
26:17 like Marsh up to open with Kawaja in place of Warner and just give Warner a rest. I don't
26:24 think Warner would want a rest, but they might just have a look at that. They'll probably want
26:29 to give the spinner a little bit more experience of playing against England in case he needs to
26:34 again in the future. So I don't know. But there's not going to be too many changes on either side,
26:39 I wouldn't think. I think we all know the answers to this from all three of you, but what are your
26:44 predictions for it? Starting with you, Sam. It's a final test. England win all the way.
26:49 Yeah, as simple as that. Frankie? Yeah, I'm going to go for an England win,
26:55 but I think it'll be a lot tighter. Yeah, Steve?
26:59 Yeah, I think England bat first, get a big score on the first day as they did. I don't know,
27:05 keep going on about 2005 because it was the best series ever. But I think they'll look to do that
27:11 again, put the pressure on Australia and I think they will. It could be close again,
27:15 could be a nervy final day, but I think England will win.
27:17 Yeah, I'd like to see England bat first at the over. It'll be great to see them get four or
27:22 500 on that first day. It'd be amazing. Yeah, I'm going for a win as well. Thanks for your time,
27:28 guys. What will be an interesting discussion next week after when we do our Ashes fifth tests or
27:33 review, I won't be on that, but whoever will be on it, is how different the squads will look in
27:38 the next Ashes series in Australia, because there are a lot of players playing now that will not be
27:44 playing in that series. We know for a fact, so be good. Yeah, that'll be a good discussion point.
27:48 But thanks for your time. We'll be back with the Sussex Sport Weekly podcast on Thursday,
27:54 talking all things Brighton and Crawley Town, and you can check out all the latest sports stories
27:58 on sussexworld.co.uk. Cheers, guys.

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