England must go into the fifth Test - the match that will decide whether or not the Ashes goes to Oval and the wire - without their leading bowler Darren Gough. The Yorkshire Dazzler, whose 16 wickets in the series so far is exceeded only by the 22 taken by Glenn McGrath, injured his left knee during Yorkshire's last championship match against Northamptonshire.
He failed an early morning fitness test yesterday and immediately packed his bags.
Gough's injury throws into disarray England's last ditch efforts to salvage something from the series. "It's certainly a blow, but these things happen," commented Mike Atherton philosophically. He then went on to agree that there were plenty of choices left open to them. Two spinners, Athers? "It's an option." How about two spinners plus Devon and no Ben? "That's an option as well." How about two spinners, Sporty Spice and Julian Clary? "It's another . . ."
Well, it's a tough time for the lad. On a collective basis, he has seen England's most promising start to an international summer in years fizzle out like a duff Roman Candle on bonfire night.
But from a personal viewpoint, his career as captain is very much at the crossroads. Win the match, and he could be back on track: lose, or even draw, either of which results would mean Australia retaining the Ashes, and, as they say in politics, he might be considering his position.
This will be Atherton's 45th Test in charge, and even for a fellow as sanguine as he, it is starting to show.
Until Gough's injury Atherton would have been pleased enough with the make-up of his side, content, for better or worse, to be opening with Alec Stewart once more, and not displeased by the injection of charisma in the form of the Hollioakes.
On the face of it, it would not pay to expect too much from the fraternal pair, for their county form has been sketchy. Even the rise to prominence of Hollioake the Younger in one-day games is a world away from playing Test match innings, while his bowling is unsophisticated.
A flat pitch, as this looks, could find that out, and he can expect few deliveries in the driving zone now there is no ban on short pitched deliveries as in one-day internationals. England are backing potential and temperament.
Unless England are to go into the game with a crocodile tail (and what greater incentive could there be for a batsman to stay in than the notion of Croft, Caddick, Tufnell, Headley and Malcolm fighting it out for the number seven berth), both Hollioakes must play, and the decision will then be made on whether Ben can act as third seamer to Andy Caddick and Dean Headley - a risky venture given their joint fitness record - or whether Malcolm - whose Test record on this ground stands at five wickets for 320 - should be kept at the expense, probably, of Tufnell.
It may be that England's best chance of winning on a ground that tends to favour the draw more than most, is to bat first, amass a competitive total, and rely on the spin of the bardic twirler and Tufnell.
To do so, of course, Atherton must first win the toss, which as Mark Taylor has done so on all four occasions this series, is not as straightforward as the law of averages would suggest. The England captain is putting it down to the 50 pence coin he has been using and Taylor's not unnatural habit of calling "Tayls". One solution of course might be to send Headley out to toss in the hope that it might change things.
