Lord of Lord's

Lord's. Second Ashes Test - day five

Preview

I hope you are feeling strong this morning because I have a shock for you. I think Australia deserve to win. They have overcome the absence of Brett Lee, the retirement of so many former stars, the presence of Mitchell Johnson, a new ball bowler who performed as if he had never played cricket before, several rotten umpiring decisions and the cat-calls of a crowd bent in reducing Ricky Ponting to a quivering wreck.

Yet they still have an outside chance of winning with a world record score and with style. In more than 300 Tests I have rarely seen a better backs-to-the-wall innings than Michael Clarke's stylish century nor a more punchy knock than Brad Haddin's.

To victory

Andrew Flintoff, pushing his dodgy knee to one side, bowled all the morning, snapped up three more wickets to give England their first victory over Australia at Lord's since 1934. It took a big man to grab such a moment and, of course, Freddie did it in style.

He finished the innings and his final appearance in a Test at Lord's with five wickets in the innings - only his third at that - and promised us all that he would be back for the third Test at Edgbaston in nine days time.

He had Haddin beautifully caught in the slips by Paul Collingwood, and bowled Nathan Hauritz and Peter Siddle and, as the crowd rose to its feet to salute him, stood with his arms stretched out as if to embrace them all, his admirers.

Graham Swann lured Clarke down the pitch and bowled him and took the final wicket by bowling Mitchell Johnson who had played a fine cameo innings.

But make no mistake it was Flintoff's day. And to think there have been suggestions since he announced his retirement that England would be just as strong without him. "Magnificent" said Strauss and of course Freddie was man of the match.

Australia didn't win but on this form they can be expected to put up another big fight at Edgbaston starting July 30. By the way Greg Orr, presently weeping into a plastic bucket, will be here tomorrow to explain it all away. (It's a very nice plastic bucket with an Australian flag the bottom.)

Bit like Greg really!