Ashes suffers end-of-term-itis as England and Australia labour through first day of final Test

SAM MORSHEAD AT THE OVAL: The intensity had disappeared, the application seemed to have thinned, the quality of their output was low and, frankly, you could feel minds wandering towards Thursday-morning lie-ins and the chance to be out of uniform

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Let's face it, the summer has just gone on way too long.

On the first day of the fifth Test of this exhausting Ashes series, and the last installment of a relentless international season, the atmosphere around The Oval very much felt like the final day of term.

The intensity had disappeared, the players' application seemed to have thinned, the quality of their output was low and, frankly, you could feel minds wandering towards Thursday-morning lie-ins and the chance to be out of uniform.

It would not have been that much of a surprise to discover England's analysts showing their batsmen a Robot Wars DVD instead of taking them through replays of their dismissals.

England were given every chance to finally make a major impression with the bat in this series, sent in as they were on a firm and flat deck at a ground that guarantees runs better than backstreet bhuna. Yet still they found a way to stuff it up.

With the exception of Rory Burns - who batted terrifically for a session and looked every bit the Test opener his country have been craving for so long - and later Jos Buttler, the home side batted feebly.

Joe Root was dropped three times before he had made 40, Joe Denly looked agitated and uncomfortable before nicking off cheaply, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes were pinned on their toes playing all around the ball and Ben Stokes top-edged a pull to point.

It was not so much half-baked as a pile of eggs and flour.

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Jos Buttler added plenty of late runs with some excellent power hitting

Australia were not that much better. Catches were spilled in the first session and lengths largely missed by the bowlers as England managed, somehow, to reach lunch at 86 for 1.

The over rate echoed the laboursome, lethargic nature of the day as a whole - just 25 overs were managed in the first session and 27 in the second, not through interruptions or injury. A classic case of end-of-term-itis.

And at the end of it all, you were left wondering 'what's the point?'.

Because this summer, as brilliant as it has been, as magical as it has been, as dramatic as it has been, is now at risk of taking one curtain call too many.

Yes, there are still World Test Championship points at stake. And yes, a 2-2 draw would at least offer England's supporters meagre consolation.

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But, let's be honest, this series doesn't really need another ending. This summer does not need another ending. We have had our fill, and we loved every second of it. To expect more would just be greedy.

Yet here we are. Playing on. Hoping for another standing ovation, as if stuck in the final episode in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and those 27 minutes between the destruction of the ring and credits finally rolling.

Here was Mitchell Marsh, playing some sort of super-pumped, bulging-biceped Frodo, running through England's middle order for no particular reason, when we would all have been much better served emptying our bladders of extra large Diet Cokes and making our way home to bed.

Marsh had been parachuted in to offer a few extra overs as a fourth bowler at the end of Australia's long tour, so of course he finished with career-best figures of 4-34 from 15 overs.

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Mitchell Marsh ran through England's middle order

England could not deal with the swing generated by the allrounder, but most surrendered their wickets all too softly. You could call it batsman's block if you wanted to be generous. In reality, the problem is much more endemic. And it has sadly been documented and analysed all too many times before.

From 86 for 1, seven wickets fell for 123 before Buttler took it on himself to flick into white-ball mode. Lamentable but predictable, such collapses have become so commonplace that The Oval crowd reacted no more angrily than calmly rising to their feet and going in search of another pint of craft ale.

England have become that Test team, now. The team that is expected to fail, at least with bat in hand. It is going to be mighty hard for Trevor Bayliss's successor to haul them out of this funk.

Buttler combined with his great mate Jack Leach to save some face in fading light - two straight-ish sixes and a gigantic hook into the crowd, all off Josh Hazlewood, hauling his side to 271 for 8 at the close.

But this was not a 271 for 8 pitch. And these were not 271 for 8 conditions.

The problem is, England are a 271 for 8 team.

We knew that already, though. We are learning nothing new. It really is time to roll the credits.

Comments

Posted by Mike Kunz on 12/09/2019 at 20:01

you are bang on with your article its just been a very long summer and after the world cup some of the players look tired ( but still give everything to the game ) some good rest before the winter games

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