An unrelentingly dramatic Ashes series with enough plot twists to satisfy the most demanding sports devotee reaches an appropriate climax at the Oval Thursday. At a time when attendances for five-day matches are plunging worldwide, the fifth and final Test between England and Australia is a sellout and public interest in both countries is high. England, for only the third time in cricket's oldest and most cherished rivalry, goes into the final Test needing to win to regain the Ashes. The home side scraped an unlikely draw in the first Test in Cardiff, then recorded an emphatic victory at Lord's for the first time in an Ashes Test since 1934. It took control at Edgbaston before a final-day rally by Australia secured an honorable draw and was then totally outplayed by the visitors at Headingley. As a result of the fourth Test, Australia feels it can atone handsomely for its 2-1 defeat in the 2005 series and return home with a series victory on an Oval pitch which promises plenty of runs. “You can guarantee it's going to be a very good surface, particularly early,” Australia captain Ricky Ponting told reporters. “It's reasonably dry so it might spin a little bit late, all in all it's a really good wicket. “If you look at the results over the last couple of years there have been big innings. Teams have made 600, 580 and I'd expect at some stage in this test there will be those sorts of innings as well.” Ponting said last week how much defeat had hurt in 2005 and he will be fully aware that only one Australian captain has lost two Ashes series in England. Ponting now has the luxury of choosing between Stuart Clark, whose nagging accuracy brought overdue control to the attack at Headingley, Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz. England's top-order batsmen failed twice at Headingley, highlighting just how important the injured Kevin Pietersen has been since making his debut in the 2005 series. Jonathan Trott, another South African-born batsman, will make his debut at the Oval in place of Ravi Bopara with Ian Bell moving up to number three. The last test of the English summer has provided a stage for the great players to make their farewells and this week Andrew Flintoff will play his final Test before concentrating on one-day cricket. If Flintoff's fragile right knee holds up, he could provide a final twist to the series with a repetition of the furious fast bowling which ensured an epic victory at Lord's. “Momentum is a word everyone seems to use but it keeps swinging according to who you speak to. I think this test match is more of a one-off,” he said. “It's how the teams react to the pressure on such a big occasion. I think the team that does that best will take the honours at the end of it.”
