Aussies only need a draw to win the fifth Test
By Vic Mills
NOTTINGHAM, England (JP): With a 2-1 series lead following their convincing victory at Headingley, Australia need just a draw in the fifth Test starting at Trent Bridge tomorrow (BST) to retain the Ashes and extend their eight-year hold on the coveted urn for another 18 months.
This is not to suggest that Australian captain, Mark Taylor, will play for a draw. With his side in such sparkling form, the bookmakers have already made them short priced favorites to chalk up another victory.
After the Headingley celebrations, the tourists travel south- west to Taunton for a four-day game against Somerset. Taylor missed the match due to back trouble and Matthew Elliot, Ricky Ponting and Jason Gillespie -- the heroes of Headingley -- were all rested.
The unpredictable English climate restricted the game to just two days. In what play was possible, Shane Warne took five for 57 in the Somerset first innings and Steve Waugh (62) and Brendon Julian (71) took liberty with the bat. Andrew Caddick did his chances of playing in the fifth Test no harm by taking five for 54 in the tourists only trip to the wicket.
With happy memories of Nottingham and the Trent Bridge ground, Australia will look to play England out of both the game and Ashes contest with another uncompromising display of all-round cricket.
As expected, the same 11 that won so handsomely at Headingley will take the field at Trent Bridge. While the young guns will again be under the spotlight, Taylor will look to improve his performance and that of Mark Waugh, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
The most stylish batsman of his generation, Mark Waugh has yet to make a significant contribution with the bat. While his slip catching has been breathtaking, he has failed to make runs by falling to loose shots early in his innings. The predicted flat track and fast outfield at Trent Bridge should be to his liking.
A victim of the underprepared pitches this summer, Mark Taylor would also appreciate a more controllable pitch. Inspired captaincy alone will not keep him in the side after the Ashes series. He will need to score runs and soon if he entertains ambitions of leading Australia against New Zealand in November.
Generous
After the victory at Old Trafford, Taylor said Australia was playing at 90 per cent capacity. The scorecard at Headingley, and the modest performances of McGrath and Warne in particular, would suggest he was a little generous in his assessment.
The early moisture and extra bounce in the Trent Bridge wicket should suit McGrath if England win the toss and elect to bat. A decision that Mike Atherton is likely to favor rather than face the prospect of Shane Warne on a dusty fourth innings pitch.
Never far from the action, the blond-haired spinner is guaranteed a higher profile in this Test by the very nature of the wicket and will benefit from the extra bounce just as much as the faster bowlers.
As in all the Tests this summer, the toss will be vital. If Taylor calls correctly -- he has won all four to date -- then Australia will bat irrespective of conditions. Thereafter, the task will be to bat England out of both the game and series and then unleash Warne on a wearing pitch.
A measure of the Australians confidence going into the fifth Test can be gained from the fact that a friendly game in Ireland, scheduled for Aug. 14 and shelved in case the series was still in balance, has been rescheduled. The tourists see no danger in accepting a few gallons of Irish hospitality.
The Australian eleven for Trent Bridge: Taylor (capt), Elliot, Blewet, Waugh M, Waugh S, Ponting, Healy, Warne, Reiffel, Gillespie and McGrath.