Pitch report

Dave Tickner runs the rule over Edgbaston - the venue for the third Test and one where England often go well.

Dave Tickner runs the rule over the venue for the third Test, one where England generally go well and the scene of some thrilling contests over the years

Before the Riverside's promotion to Test status, Warwickshire's Edgbaston was the baby of the grounds on the regular rotation. Test cricket was first staged at Edgbaston in 1902, but was an infrequent visitor in the ground's early years: only four Tests were played there in the next quarter-century. But it's now very much a regular, and probably has the best atmosphere of any English ground. When the 'Bullring' gets going it can be tough for visiting teams, reflected in the fact that England have a better record here than at any other major venue. A period of significant renovation at the end of the 1990s produced the new Cricket Centre and the £2million Hollies Stand, while planning permission has been granted for further improvements. Some of the most memorable moments of recent cricketing history have taken place here. In 1994, Brian Lara amassed his world record 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham, while in 1999 the ground hosted the famous tied World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Australia. Then there was a Test match in 2005 that was apparently quite good too.

Last time out

South Africa won a curious Test match by five wickets to take a series-clinching 2-0 lead almost exactly 12 months ago. The fun started early, with Andrew Strauss treading on his stumps, and got stranger. A combination of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and two comedy tailend run outs saw England shot out for just 231 on the first evening, with time enough left for Andrew Flintoff to dismiss Graeme Smith before stumps. That wicket was the first in another trademark four-wicket haul for Flintoff, who had the added advantage of bowling the ball from above the small sightscreens. Despite that, South Africa secured a useful first-innings lead with 314 all out. England soon slumped to 104-4 second time around before Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood (who was, as usual, batting for his place again) steadied the ship. Their partnership had gone past 100 and KP to 94 when he tried to hit Paul Harris for six to bring up his century. He miscued it to mid-on, and South Africa were back in the game. Tim Ambrose and Ryan Sidebottom hung around while Paul Collingwood (135) dragged England to 263 leaving South Africa a ticklish 281 for victory. At 93-4 and 171-5, the game was anyone's. Then something else strange happened. Smith, who was calmly leading his team through the tricky waters, gloved the ball to short-leg. Monty Panesar, whose desperate, pleading appeals are so routine they almost form part of his followthrough, inexplicably produced barely a whimper. Smith survived, and ended 154 not out as he and Mark Boucher saw their side home.

Australia's last visit

Really? Okay. For those of you who've recently come out of a coma, here's what happened when Australia last played at Edgbaston. It was quite good. England won by two runs. Yet however great the match was, the most important moment happened before play begun. Glenn McGrath trod on a cricket ball during the warm-up and did his ankle in. Ricky Ponting decided to bowl first anyway after winning the toss. There followed an extraordinary day's cricket. Marcus Trescothick hammered 90, Kevin Pietersen 71 and Andrew Flintoff 68 as England were bowled out for 407 in just the 80th over. Ten sixes were hit on that day alone. Australia replied with a slightly more orthodox 308, Justin Langer leading the way with 82, Ponting slapping 61 and Adam Gilchrist 49 not out (his highest score of the series). There was still time on the second evening for Shane Warne to spin the ball an impossible amount and make Andrew Strauss look silly. Miraculously, on day three the match got even better. Australia hit back hard. In a flash England were 131 for nine and leading by only 230. But Flintoff was still there. With Simon Jones keeping him company, a crucial 51 runs were added as Freddie took his match six count to nine. He was eventually out, bowled Shane Warne, for 73. Warne applauded him off the field. But Flintoff wasn't finished. After Australia made a solid start to their pursuit of 282, Flintoff produced a quite staggering over. First Langer was bowled off an inside edge before Ponting was given a fearful working over. Finally, with the final ball of the over, came the knockout blow. Ponting was caught behind, and England were in. Wickets fell regularly throughout the evening and, when Steve Harmison deceived Michael Clarke with a slower ball that no-one knew he could bowl to leave Australia 175 for eight and over 100 short overnight, the result appeared a formality. It wasn't. Warne and Brett Lee batted sensibly but aggressively to reduce the target to 62 before the great legspinner flicked out a leg and kicked his own stumps. Flintoff had got him, apparently by sheer force of personality. A nation breathed again. But then Mike Kasprowicz joined Lee, and carried on where Warne had left off. Slowly but surely, the target came down. Geraint Jones let through five wides and four byes. Simon Jones dropped a catch at third-man with 15 still needed. With four runs required, Lee smashed a square drive off Harmison. But there was still a man out in the deep, and Lee hit it straight to him. Five yards either side, and the story of 2005 would have been very different. Instead, two balls later, Kasprowicz gloved a short ball, Geraint Jones held on, and a legend was born. The closest and greatest Ashes Test match ever.

They said...

"It's a nightmare. Out of the last ten days, there have been two actual dry days, and the wicket is a bit like a jelly. I've got to dry that out between now and next Wednesday, because the wicket has to be ready roughly a day in advance, and the chances of getting that solid three or four inches down, there's no chance, not with the weather coming in."
A panicked Steve Rouse tells all about the perils of the English summer. "With the conditions like this, Hauritz could be a waste. Australia should play four seamers I would think. You wouldn't see a spinner doing an awful lot of work here unless he was good enough to tie an end down and not get carted for five or six an over. It doesn't spin much here at all this year. Our spinners are going at 60 or 70 a wicket. You have to be a brave person to bowl first, it can always backfire on you can't it? The forecast isn't great, we have got showers right the way through the week and for at least the first three days of the Test. With the rain and the bad weather we've had, and we haven't had any warm sunshine. There is a lot of moisture underneath. It will be a typical old-fashioned English seaming wicket. But good batters can adjust to the conditions and you don't get to play for Australia or England if you can't bat."
Rouse to The Australian, this time. "It's generally quite slow and low and I'm guessing it will be similar to Cardiff, which isn't great from an entertainment point of view or a bowler's point of view."
Jimmy Anderson predicts more hard yakka for the bowlers."We'll have a look at the conditions when we get to Edgbaston and work it out. We're hearing that the wicket isn't very progressed in its preparation. We'll have a look at what the weather is doing."
Aussie coach Tim Neilsen offers a verbal shrug of the shoulders. "The wicket did less than I expected on the first day, I guess I was wrong there. I expected a little bit of moisture under the pitch, and the overhead conditions came into it too - if it had been a bright sunny morning it might have been different."
Ricky Ponting admits bowling first may have been an error in 2005. "I really didn't think it was going to get that close."
Michael Vaughan after the same game. "This pitch wasn't my type of pitch; it suited Matthew Hoggard and Liam Plunkett better, those bowlers who hit the surface and move the ball around."
Stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff after the 2006 victory over Sri Lanka. "He (Flintoff) bowled a fantastic spell and it brought England back into the games There's still a bit in the wicket and he got it in the area more often than not."
Jacques Kallis after Andrew Flintoff produced one of those spells on day two in 2008.

Happy Hunting Ground

England might have an excellent record here, but their current crop of batsmen don't. Captain Andrew Strauss and the recalled Ian Bell average in the low 20s, while Kevin Pietersen (Birmingham average 57) is clearly a major loss. Only Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood of England's top six average over 40 in Birmingham, and both have played here only twice before. But the big man loves it here. In seven Tests at Edgbaston, Andrew Flintoff has 476 runs at 47 (including his highest Test score of 167 against West Indies) and 22 wickets at 29s. He was man of the match here in both 2004 and 2005.

Weather forecast

It may be more relevant to look at the weather that's already happened. Two weeks of wet weather have put groundsman Steve Rouse into a rare old flap, doubling the number of lines on his already extravagantly creased face. Last week he described the pitch as "like jelly" and he's barely had a dry day since. There will be more rain before Thursday as well, although once the match actually gets under way the weather should improve. At this stage, only Saturday's play looks likely to be significantly curtailed by the elements.

Conclusion

Like Tim Neilsen, we're not too sure what to expect. Test history tells you to expect a result, with only two draws in the last 14 matches and none in the last four (which have all been wrapped up inside four days). But 16 of the last 20 first-class matches have ended in stalemate here, including six of the last seven County Championship fixtures. The pitch is generally on the slow side, something that seems unlikely to change this time around given the much-publicised wet weather. And, unless the sightscreen at the Pavilion End has got even smaller and the committee room windows above even darker, it's hard to see either of these bowling line-ups picking up 20 wickets against either of these batting line-ups.