Ashes 2021-22 fourth Test, day five: Australia v England – live!

14th over: England 36-0 (Hameed 9, Crawley 26)

Boland gets the first three at Crawley before the opener finds a single to fine leg, then Hameed defends the final three confidently.

Judging from this tweet on my timeline, Australia has a few final day demons themselves…

13th over: England 35-0 (Hameed 9, Crawley 25)

Crawley works Cummins’ first around the corner for one, a leg bye. A conventional field for Australia. Two slips, a gully, a forward short leg. There’s a short mid wicket, all of which points to some variable bounce. Cummins is straight to Crawley again and he works him for three. His next to Hameed seams back in a fair way, but it’s comfortably left. Hameed plays and misses at the next, and Carey collects it on the bounce. That ball died a quick death.

12th over: England 30-0 (Hameed 8, Crawley 22)

Boland kicks things off and there’s a bat-pad appeal straight away, but it’s non-committal. Hameed leaves the next and Carey takes it in front of his face. Continuing the theme, Boland gets another to jump as Hameed comes forward and it raps him on the gloves and chest. The next is much the same, but Hameed deals with it. Good signs for Boland. A maiden.

The players are heading out onto the field. It’s overcast, there’s a smattering of people, The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition” is playing for the 4000th time this summer, and we’re nearly there. Australia needs 10 wickets. England needs 358 runs.

Andrew Jolly on Khawaja: “I know that Harris scores loads of runs in the Sheffield Shield, Burns and Sibley are the dominant openers in the county championship and still average in the mid 20s after however many chances in tests. I’d probably have given Harris another go for Hobart if Khawaja hadn’t done what he’d done, but to me its an absolute no brainer.

To keep him in the side would be a very English move.”

That settles it, he must be picked!

Andrew Benton with a prediction: “Whatever the result, England need to look as though they’ve been learning. It’s all a learning process, after all. So I predict no whack and thwack batting, nothing risky at all in fact, just a desperate attempt to stave off defeat and bat out the day. But my predictions are usually wrong, and they’ll be giving away those wickets all over the place. They’ll need the rain to save them.”

From Kim Thonger: “Top of the time of day there to you Sam. Intrigued by your use of just first names when posting emails. Would Don Bradman, emailing you, be just Don? How would we compare his opinion with, say, that of Donald Duck? The former would, in the cricketing world at least, carry more weight? Ian Botham would, I think, not wish to be confused with Ian McKellen, and vice-versa. No names no pack-drill has its place, but is that place on the OBO? Asking for a friend called Isaac.”

Hi Kim Thonger! Look, most people are merely signing off with their first name and I’m taking their lead. To those whose surnames I’ve omitted against their wishes, I apologise! Please email me directly with your full names and I will publish them one by one, line by line.

Here’s Matthew via email on Khawaja: I think the Aussie selectors are hoping someone tests positive for COVID in the next week or so (not implausible given the current situation), so they can slot Khawaja in the vacant slot and save a load of grief.

This is a very sensible analysis and likely scenario

Katich on Khawaja: “I thought the case should have been closed for him to stay in the team for Hobart after the first innings, let alone a second innings. I think he’d done enough in that first innings given the way that he compiled the hundred and then to back it up yesterday, he was on autopilot. We know he’s done the aviation degree but he was certainly batting on autopilot yesterday. It was muscle memory. He was carving the ball through covers, extra point, you name it, he hit it there. He’s just in imperious form. There’s no way they can leave him out for Hobart. No way.”

Simon Katich on SEN Radio this morning

Khawaja: what to do now?

He’s 35 and actualised. His rivals are … not that. Geoff Lemon explores it all, here.

For the sake of argument, I’d love to hear views – especially from the UK – on whether or not Khawaja should continue in the side. My view is that he should. While Australian teams deeply value incumbency when they’re winning, they’re also allowed to improve. Travis Head is a lock, so Marcus Harris looks precarious. So far missing from the conversation is Will Pucovski, who has his eye on the Pakistan tour. What do you think? Is there a case for retaining Harris?

© Provided by The Guardian
Khawaja celebrates his second century of the match at the SCG. Photograph: Kevin Manning/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock

In the meantime we have an email from Finbar: “Good evening Sam, just wondered if there could be any other approach for England today other than guns blazing? Seems obvious doesn’t it? Nothing to lose and all that.”

Graham Thorpe made comments last night setting sights on a draw, so while the suggestion titillates, I think we’re in for a day of dogged defence. Can England do it? I actually think they can. The wicket appears to improve as the day goes on, and Australia do historically struggle to remove the opposition once set. The alternative is they lose a few early and the rest go in a hurry.

Hello all. Here we go: a fifth day, a docile-enough pitch, 10 wickets in play, and 98 overs to decide whether a whitewash is on or not.

At 30-0, England have reason to believe they can – to use footballing parlance – “get something” from the Test. Though it came from an admittedly low base, last night Crawley and Hameed looked as assured as they have all series, and will be keen to continue on in the day’s opening exchanges.

As the day wears on and wickets inevitably fall, the visitors, of course, will be relying on a number of guys carrying injury. Each of Stokes, Bairstow and Butler are walking wounded but are expected to bat.

It’s a day for close-in fields, strange plans, and digging in. The weather, as ever, is dubious. The morning is meant to be OK, but it’s meant to get worse as the day goes on. Then again, they’ve said that for the last three days and rain has barely intervened.

Hit me at [email protected] or on Twitter: @sjjperry.