Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich survived a fiery spell from Andrew Flintoff as Australia reached 61 without loss at lunch on Friday's second day of the deciding fifth Ashes Test here at the Oval. Watson was 30 not out and left-hander Katich 26 not out, with Australia 271 runs adrift of England's first innings 332 when rain forced an early lunch.
Australia only had to draw this match to retain the Ashes but England needed a victory to regain, them with the series all square at 1-1. Flintoff, playing his final Test before an injury-induced retirement from the five-day format, was controversially left out of the England team that lost the fourth match of this series by an innings and 80 runs at Headingley because of fears his suspect right knee would not stand the strain of fast bowling.
But the 31-year-old star of England's 2005 Ashes triumph, who only managed seven with the bat on Thursday, showed no discomfort as he charged in after being handed the new ball alongside his Lancashire colleague James Anderson by captain Andrew Strauss.
Flintoff had two appeals for leg before in his first three balls to Watson, then on four, and the second was especially close after the right-hander, aiming across the line, missed an inswinger that hit him on the knee-roll. But, despite Flintoff's prolonged plea, Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was unmoved. And next ball, to add insult to injury, Watson clipped Flintoff through mid-wicket for four.
Anderson, after six overs for 20 runs, was replaced by Graeme Swann - the only specialist spinner on either side. The pitch had taken turn on Thursday and the pressure was on the off-break bowler to produce a match-winning spell. Swann beat Katich's forward prod with a ball that spun sharply past the outside edge but his 4.2 overs before the interval did not yield a wicket. At the other end Stephen Harmison, England's quickest bowler, began with a wayward legside delivery that Watson helped on its way for four.
SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at lunch on the second day of the fifth Ashes Test between England and Australia at the Oval here on Friday:
=================================================
England 1st Innings (overnight: 307-8)
=================================================
A. Strauss c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 55
A. Cook c Ponting b Siddle 10
I. Bell b Siddle 72
P. Collingwood c Hussey b Siddle 24
J. Trott run out (Katich) 41
M. Prior c Watson b Johnson 18
A. Flintoff c Haddin b Johnson 7
S. Broad c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 37
G. Swann c Haddin b Siddle 18
J. Anderson lbw b Hilfenhaus 0
S. Harmison not out 12
-------------------------------------------------
Extras: (b12, lb5, w3, nb18) 38
Total: (all out, 90.5 overs, 418 mins) 332
=================================================
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Cook), 2-114 (Strauss), 3-176 (Collingwood), 4-181 (Bell), 5-229 (Prior), 6-247 (Flintoff), 7-268 (Trott), 8-307 (Swann), 9-308 (Anderson), 10-332 (Broad)
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 21.5-5-71-3 (5nb); Siddle 21-6-75-4 (4nb); Clark 14-5-41-0; Johnson 15-0-69-2 (8nb, 3w); North 14-3-33-0 (1nb); Watson 5-0-26-0
=================================================
Australia 1st Innings
=================================================
S. Watson not out 30
S. Katich not out 26
-------------------------------------------------
Extras: (lb4, nb1) 5
Total: (0 wkts, 20.2 overs, 82 mins) 61
=================================================