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The man so often referred to as England’s talisman, Andrew Flintoff, is set to play his final Test for England this week at the Oval.

Quite apart from it being Flintoff’s farewell appearance in white clothing – he is still available for one-day internationals and Twenty20 – it is also an Ashes decider, so there is no bigger stage for the Lancashire all-rounder to bow out on.

With the series at 1-1, England must win to regain the Ashes as Australia are the holders following their 5-0 victory in 2006-07. As ever, the presence of Flintoff is vital for the team, if only because his all-round abilities allow them to play five bowlers without having too long a tail.

Speaking about his chances of playing, Flintoff said:

“I’ve been working with (physio) Dave Roberts, had some batting over the weekend, and bowled on Tuesday. I’m confident I’ll come through. I’m probably in a better state than I was going into the third Test at Edgbaston. I think I’m more or less there, I just have to prove it.”

After an innings defeat at Headingley, where Flintoff didn’t play, England will be hoping he will return. Fairy stories are rare in top level sport, but would anyone bet against a man who, like Botham, seems to have his own personal scriptwriter drawing out his career?

England’s generally conservative selection policy would seem to indicate that Mark Ramprakash’s chances of playing in the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval are slim, but England national selector, Geoff Miller, said he wasn’t out of the running when the Surrey batsman’s chances of selection the other day.

For his part, Ramprakash himself says he would be ‘thrilled’ to make an unforeseen comeback in such a crucial match.

Ramprakash last played for England in 2002, but having averaged around 100 for the last three years, his name has repeatedly cropped up in England discussions. The closest he has come is being named as the reserve batsman for England’s cricket tour to Sri Lanka, although he was never called upon to join the squad in the end.

The England selectors generally show faith with players, but a poor run of form for Ravi Bopara batting at three and continuing doubts about Ian Bell’s suitability for Test cricket have meant Ramprakash’s name has been cropping up more and more with the fifth and final Ashes Test a must-win for England.

A Test average of just 27.32 may not do the Surrey batsman justice, but he perhaps justifiably claims that he is not the same batsman as he was then. Regardless of this fact, it would be a brave and uncharacteristic move by the selectors to recall a batsman who is almost 40 and who has long been thought to be lacking the necessary mental resilience for the Test game.

The Test at Headingley which starts at the end of the week is a must win for Australia after the sides settled for a draw at rain soaked Edgbaston. Not too much was said at the time about Australia’s performance but one point to note was the milestone reached by batsman Ricky Ponting, the highest Test run scorer ever for Australia.

With Andrew Flintoff struggling for fitness again, and the Headingley ground being a completely different proposition from the pitch at Edgbaston, England have given a shock call up to uncapped batsman Jonathan Trott. The right hander is included in the 14 man squad which also features seamer Ryan Sidebottom with Monty Panesar dropped.

Trott already has 831 first class runs this season and his average is an amazing 83. And with the hosts needing just one win from the remaining two games his introduction could be the stuff of every cricketer’s dreams. With pace bowling options in the form of Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison the final eleven is yet to be decided.

Another question yet to be answered is whether Australia will include Brett Lee. The paceman has missed the first three Tests with a side strain and there are still some concerns over his fitness.
With the test only a couple of days away and the long range weather forecast looking good, this could be the weekend to watch the cricket.

Despite a ferocious first innings bowling performance and some lusty lower order hitting when they came to bat, England look set to draw at Edgbaston after rain greatly affected the chances of a result in the third Ashes Test.

Graham Onions and James Anderson were the stars with the ball as Australia’s vaunted batting line-up capitulated when faced with the swinging ball. However, they put up a better show second time around and England were left short of time to force a result.

The Test was also significant for Andrew Flintoff’s return to form with the bat as he top scored for England with 74 off just 79 balls, bringing back memories of his sterling performances at this ground in the last Ashes series in this country in 2005.

However, in the end, the weather meant that a positive result was impossible, with rain preventing play before 5pm on the first day and totally washing out the third day.

The third and fourth Ashes Tests are back to back, so the two sides face each other again on Friday at Headingley, where hopefully more play will be possible.

Players’ representatives have been complaining that their clients are playing too much cricket and that as a result international fixtures are in jeopardy. This comes on the back off Kevin Pietersen’s Achilles tendon injury and Andrew Flintoff’s impending retirement from the Test arena.

Cricket tours are arduous and can take their toll on the players’ bodies, but with the correct preparation, many players remain injury free. This is not to cast doubts on KP or Flintoff’s preparations - it merely highlights the fact that players have to choose where and for whom they want to play.

The representatives have said that the top stars will leave international cricket to stay fit to play for lucrative contracts in the IPL. Too much cricket will lead to injury and to an overexposure of the game in the media, which in turn leads to the public looking for something else - something ‘new’.

Twenty20 has revitalised the game of cricket, especially at county level, where four day matches were being watched by very few spectators. The question is whether cricket is becoming like football to the extent where teams become squads in order to cover all the competitions and all the injury worries.

Whatever you think of international cricket and ‘overexposure’ you have to say that the Ashes series creates a tension and interest like no other competition in sport - but then again, they used to say that about the FA cup.

Amazing, absolutely amazing, how can someone step up the mark so confidently and produce what was a magnificent spell of bowling on their last ever test match at Lords?

Needless to say it’s the stuff of legends and boyhood dreams. If you were to write a script like the last day here at Lords people would walk out of the theatre claiming it all too fictional to suspend belief but Freddie Flintoff produced a display that will go down in Ashes history as one of the best.

Let’s not forget Anderson’s four wickets in the first innings or Strauss’ 161 either. Graeme Swann’s variation in pace and direction too; many heroic performances but surely Freddies will be the one remembered.

The Aussies fought hard making the last couple of days a thrilling Test match. That fighting spirit endears the Australians to so many sportsmen and women. Freddie loves playing them because they’re the best in the world. The way they play leaves everyone in awe and it was most noticeable that some thought Australia could win this match in the last two days chasing 522.

It’s been a wonderful cricket tour so far with England putting to bed the 75 year wait to beat Australia at Lords. What next for this Ashes series?

It’s great to see England steaming in and giving the Aussies some ‘chin music’ to consider on this cricket tour. Watching Freddie Flintoff’s determination, line and length and shear persistence just gives everyone a lift and he will be sorely missed.

Flintoff’s dismissal of Mike Hussey was a typical example of the aggression he has shown. The off stump smashed into the middle and leg stumps and then Freddie stood there on the pitch soaking up the admiration. He’s one of those performers in the mould of Botham and Ponting, Wasim Akram and Sir Clive Lloyd. They inspire others and lead by example.

Selecting individuals is perhaps a little unkind to England as it really has been a team effort here and indeed throughout the series. Onions got a couple when it looked like the tail end might hang around embarrassingly.

Strauss led by example in the first innings (not that anyone other than Alastair Cook followed it) with a magnificent 161. Add to that Anderson’s form with bat and ball (an all rounder now?) and things are looking good.

What will happen next is anyone’s guess and that is what’s great about this game, a session, a ball, a bad shot can totally change the momentum at the moment it lies with England but for how long?

Well, it would seem that the England selectors have chosen to go for a seam attack at Lords. Harmison and Onions have been drafted into the squad and it looks as though Monty will be dropped. It’s a shame for the hero of the last Test to be dropped for this one but he just isn’t taking wickets and Lords isn’t exactly a spinner’s paradise.

One spinner should be sufficient at the home of cricket but the main talking point for many will be Flintoff’s fitness. He looked stiff in Cardiff on day three and perhaps his knee isn’t up to an Ashes series, something the selectors must dred. Knowing Freddie though he’ll do everything in his power to be playing at Lords as England hope to capitalise on their stoic and heroic effort in Cardiff.

The timing of an English win couldn’t be better as they’ve not beaten Australia at Lords for 75years. To beat them this time might just dishearten them enough to leave the next three tests easier to win but, there’s a lot of work to be done first.

Winkling out batsmen should be easier at Lords but Australia’s attack looked the more consistent at Cardiff with only Flintoff turning the screw a bit for England. This cricket tour is looking like a classic-if Cardiff is anything to go by and we need the likes of Flintoff, Swann and Pieterson to really show what they can do.

England bowlers Monty Panesar and Jimmy Anderson saw out the final forty minutes of a tense exhilarating match against Australia. It was ‘The Great Escape’ as Collingwood looked to have been shot just before the job was done, brought down by a flick towards gully that was totally out of character with his disciplined innings.

That word ‘discipline’ might apply to many of the top order who seemed at times to be in Twenty20 mode but with the vision of somebody with considerably less than perfect sight. All too often their technique let them down. It’s only because he can be such a great player that Kevin Pieterson gets so much attention and nobody would want to see his flair dampened by public trials but to ‘I won’t change’ is different to ‘I can’t change.’

England batsmen quite rightly need to walk to the crease with a sense of ego, with a positive attitude and a desire to make runs but to be truly considered amongst the ‘greats’ in the game you must be able to change your approach when the situation calls for a different kind of positive attitude. The attitude of Collingwood who stood ‘Gandalfesque’ until 11 overs from the end saying ‘you shall not pass!’

The Australians deserve praise too for playing some beautiful shots, hitting the ball with magnificent timing. The start of their cricket tour over here revealed the fact that their batsmen were in good nick. Ricky Ponting thoroughly deserved the Man of the Match award for his quite brilliant 150. All to play for at Lords then where England haven’t beaten Australia since 1934, perhaps they’ll do it this time.

Well the opening couple of days of the Ashes cricket match is over and, it would seem that honours are fairly even or are they?

Certainly there were frustrations for both cricketing sides with many English batsmen getting ‘in’ and then giving their wickets away cheaply, or rashly shall we say. The prime suspect in this ‘throw away’ society of ours was KP- Kevin Pietersen. Commentators, the public, former players and the like were astonished at how he stretched for a ball which would have been a wide on other day and tried to sweep it, only to dolly it in the air for Kaitch to catch.

What was great was to see was Flintoff smiling, grinning like a cat that knew how to open the can of cream and lap it up. He played a kind of cameo role but some delightful shots which brought the crowds to their feet. He was out eventually rather unluckily ‘playing on’ to his stumps but the attitude, the confidence the ‘Flintoff factor’ was there.

Australia’s attack looks strange without McGrath and Warne but their replacements did a job for the visitors giving the overall feeling that Australia was two wickets better off than they should have been. There’s still a lot to play for though.