DAY FIVE
DAY FOUR
At stumps on day two there were a few raised eyebrows, and even some heavy criticism for our decision to accept the light offered to us by the umpires.
Like all decisions made within the Australian team, these judgements are never made lightly and there is always consultation between the senior players and coaches before any conclusions are made.
With this in mind, I was a little shaken by the criticism of a select few because I felt that winning this Test would be about much more than just how much time may or may not be lost to bad weather.
On that occasion it was felt that we needed to consolidate our good start and in a sense guard any incoming batsmen from having to face the likes of Andrew Flintoff and co in less than ideal lighting conditions. Unfortunately, today we witnessed the trap of having to play such top-class bowling in very dull and grey conditions.
Without taking a single thing away from the brilliance of Flintoff, batting today proved to be a nightmare in the fading light.
Having taken the new ball it was quickly evident how different the conditions were today compared to the previous three days in this Test. Not only was it gloomy, but the new ball was swinging and bouncing and generally making life very tough for our batsmen.
 |  This series has had a way of producing extraordinary battles, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if tomorrow turns out to be another Ashes thriller |
The fact that we were unable to use our fast bowlers in similar light proved what a menace the contest had become with the overhead surroundings. Within two hours we had lost our advantage in this game thanks mainly to another superhuman effort from England's current favourite son. Freddie Flintoff bowled like a man possessed, as he again wrestled back the initiative of this series.
Frankly, we watched in awe as he charged in for the entire first session, throwing everything he had at our batsmen.
Before the start of play our plan was to bat as well as we could for as much of today as the weather would allow. By lunch these plans had been blown to pieces by Flintoff and Hoggard, and now we will have to win this match by chasing a total - if we have the capacity to bowl out England tomorrow.
On paper this may seem a monumental task but as we all know this series has had a way of producing extraordinary battles, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if tomorrow turns out to be another Ashes thriller. Time will tell.
DAY THREE
In 1987 I was fortunate enough to tour England for the first time with a schoolboy team as a very raw 16-year-old.
Back then the highlight of the tour was the chance to play at The Oval, where I was also lucky to score an unbeaten half century.
Considering my first opportunity as an opening batsman was here in Surrey, and after today's innings, it would be fair to say I really enjoy batting here at The Oval. With a lightning fast outfield and flat but bouncy wicket, The Oval provides one of the most enjoyable places to bat in the world.
Personal glory aside, the most pleasing part of today was my partnership with my very good friend and opening batting partner Matthew Hayden.
Over the last couple of weeks he has been under increasing pressure from various critics who have questioned his form and subsequent place in the side. Watching him fight his way back into form was a joy to watch.
For four years we have enjoyed a very fruitful partnership and I feel I know him as well as anyone in the team. While he hasn't been at his best in terms of runs, I was confident that a big score wasn't far away.
Champions always fight through the toughest times and as he showed today that Matthew Hayden is a champion of the highest degree.
| Contrary to some opinion there is still plenty of time for a result |
With him still at the crease we are in a fantastic position to put ourselves in a strong position to win this Test. Admittedly, we are praying for two full days of play, but in the event of welcome weather conditions, we feel confident to make the most of the momentum we have built up over the last two days.
With the new ball only two overs way, there is still a lot of hard work to be done with the bat, but if we can keep wickets in hand until lunch then I am sure there will be plenty of aggressive and entertaining batting to be done later in the day.
There are 196 overs left in this match, which means there is a lot of cricket to be played. Contrary to some opinion there is still plenty of time for a result, and even though time has been lost we are aware that we can still win this Test and retain the Ashes.
With only two days left in this incredible series, only time will tell who will hold the Ashes but I do know the pressure will be as intense as ever until the last ball is bowled.
DAY TWO
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and if we had known the light wouldn't lift in the afternoon then Matty Hayden and myself may have thought differently about taking the light offer from the umpires.
After stumps it became quickly apparent that there had been a high degree of criticism for our decision to leave the ground straight after the tea break.
While it will be easy for the critics to spread their wings, our decision was made by senior members of our team before we went back onto the field.
When weighing up the options of staying on the ground or coming off it for bad light, the people who have to be considered are the next batsmen in.
As it was, Freddie Flintoff was getting the ball to reverse swing the over before tea and it was felt that while we were in such a strong batting position it may be tough for the next batsmen to play this bowling in such bad light.
Every time this situation comes up - which is more common in England than other countries - the discussion is usually centred on the state of the game and how it may affect the next players if they were to come in and start afresh in conditions which are less than ideal.
While people may be critical, the basic fact was that regardless of the state of affairs in the series, the light was appalling when we came back after tea.
| The rain started falling about half an hour after we left for bad light so time would have been lost regardless |
At that very instance it was felt that the best thing to do was to come off and wait for the light to improve as we knew there is always time to be made up in the game.
In this day and age time can be made up, and as it was the rain started falling about half an hour after we left for bad light so time would have been lost regardless.
As it now stands we can still make up most of the time lost and in the meantime we can also hope and pray that the weather will be kind to us over the next three days.
One thing I have learned over 15 years of first-class cricket is that there is absolutely nothing you can do about the weather. It is totally out of your control.
Therefore it is mentally taxing trying to play the game according to what the weather may or may not do.
One journalist asked me on Friday night whether I would make the same decision again if the situation came up again on Saturday.
This is hypothetical, of course, but what I do know is that with the benefit of hindsight our choice may have been different.
Unfortunately, there is nothing we can change now. What we can do, though, is look forward to building on a good opening partnership in our quest to post as big a first-inning total as we possibly can.
The more runs we can score, the more pressure England will be under when it comes to crunch time in this Test match.
DAY ONE
Thursday was yet another tug of war day in this enthralling series of Test match cricket.
Shane Warne was brilliant, Andrew Strauss dogged and outstanding, and Michael Vaughan's coin tossing ability a joy for the home team.
Considering England won the toss and batted first, we are not unhappy with the stumps score.
On a very good batting surface, it would be fair to conclude that this game again hangs in the balance.
With seven wickets in our bank and 318 runs in England's, the balance sheet looks pretty even.
Leading from the front, Andrew Strauss continued his fairytale start to Test cricket.
Composure under fire is a fantastic trait for any top order batsman to have, and Straussy showed yet again that he has an abundance of poise at the crease.
His ability to adapt to the brilliance of Shane Warne over the last five Tests will be a massive stepping stone to his already blossoming career.
I have no doubt that he would consider today as one of his finest hours in his England helmet.
He played beautifully all day, helping set up his team for a respectable first-innings lead.
As good as Straussy was, Shane Warne showed yet again why he is the greatest of all time.
| With Friday promising so much again, it will be interesting to see whether England's gamble to play seven batsmen pays off for them |
Over this series he has been our dominant player and, like Andrew Flintoff for England, he has bowled as well as I have ever seen him bowl.
Whenever our great leg spinner has the ball in his hand you feel like something could happen every ball.
The day I retire from the game there is no doubt one of the highlights of my career will be the fact that I spent much of it alongside the great Warne.
With Friday promising so much again, it will be interesting to see whether England's gamble to play seven batsmen pays off for them.
Whispers have it that England has booked Trafalgar Square to celebrate an Ashes win next Tuesday.
And with their decision to play one less bowler on a flat Oval track, we are hoping the champagne and cigars might have been unwrapped a little early by our opponents.
MMIX
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