Battered England strays into Waugh zone

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, AUG. 24. Mark Waugh went on batting until at 120 he grew bored with such easy pickings, his twin Steve made a century and top score on one leg and the Australian score stretched skywards as the fifth and final Ashes Test took a surreal turn at the Oval today.

James Ormond, the new quick, bowled more off breaks, Mark Ramprakash tried his spinners in tandem with Ormond and Osman Afzaal, No.6 batsman turned slow left-arm bowler, teased out a wicket with his third ball in Tests.

The Australian run mountain hit 641 for four and declared, with Steve Waugh unbeaten on 157 and Damien Martyn on 64 not out.

It was difficult to understand why Steve Waugh went on batting after lunch. No, we are not talking declarations here. Would it not have been better for Waugh to join Justin Langer in the home for limping wounded and leave the rest of the match to his fully- fit team mates? By going into the Test less than 100 per cent fit Waugh sacrificed any chance of either a runner or a substitute fielder. Did a sense of guilt keep him at the crease? There is a Test against New Zealand in November and his act of defiance means he could miss that game.

The brothers had 32 on the board when play restarted with three of the most dramatic incidents of the day. England immediately took the new ball, Mark Waugh went to his fifty off the second ball and off the third was badly dropped by Mark Butcher at second slip from Andrew Caddick's bowling. The consequences became clearer as the day wore on.

The Waughs matched shot for shot as they put on another 116 by lunch although Steve, naturally a more utilitarian batsman, never came close to a cover drive by Mark that seared through the grass on its way to the boundary.

Just before lunch Steve's calf had obviously seized up; bringing no pleasure to one who warned him ``Don't do it, Steve'' in a preview to the match. He began to turn down singles, an all-run four was turned into a two, he and Mark spent longer and longer in discussion. At the same time as he was risking everything, including the 27th century of his Test life and his tenth as captain, Steve scored 33 runs off 20 balls just before the interval.

He resumed in the same mode afterwards while Mark pottered towards his hundred and seemed likely to come second in the race until Steve's calf got worse. While Mark reached his century, played half a dozen flashy shots and was bowled by Darren Gough, Steve stayed rooted on 98 for 17 balls and finally ran and dived for a short single off his 190th ball. He was in the nineties for 52 minutes. For all the final part was a drag he was at the wicket less than four hours before acknowleding the cheers with the half wave of those accustomed to such landmarks. The Chappell brothers Greg and Ian scored hundreds at the Oval in 1972; today the Waughs put on 197 for the third wicket. The best anyone can say of the England bowlers is that no-one shirked; even when hurricane Adam Gilchrist joined the limping Waugh and 500 came off 129 overs. Tufnell tried both ends but his runs conceded column crept past 160 in his 38th over.

Still Waugh went on. Afzaal was England's seventh bowler 25 minutes before tea - the four regulars had already gone for 100 apiece - when he got Gilchrist to drive a low full toss to extra cover at 534 for four.

Justin Langer did not return to the crease but Damien Martyn scored runs as he pleased and Afzaal managed to turn the ball far enough to suggest that Shane Warne might be the Aussie match- winner on the last two days.

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