It's child's play for Ponting as Australia level

Published on Sunday 9 August 2009 23:13

AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting is looking forward to a new career highlight after his team set up an Ashes decider by humbling England in the fourth Test yesterday.

"This is the chance we have been waiting for all tour," Ponting said after Australia completed a convincing victory by an innings and 80 runs at Headingley. He said: "We are all very excited about it. It is going to be one of the best moments of my career and it's what cricket is all about."

The teams will go into the final match of the series at the Oval starting on 20 August level at 1-1. Australia only need to draw the series to retain the Ashes, leaving the onus on England to force a win.

Ponting was delighted with the way Australia played at Headingley. "The last couple of days have been our best cricket," he said.

"That has given us a blue-print of how we want to play. Everything is heading in the right direction for us now and it will be difficult for England to bounce back."

But Ponting said it was vital thy didn't get too carried away. "It is important to keep a lid on what we have done but we will have a spring in our step at the Oval and a lot of confidence behind us," he said.

Ponting didn't have anything to say to the section of partisan home fans who have been booing him throughout his time in England. "Not really," he said. "There are a few Aussie supporters here that have cheered us on a little bit over the last few days."

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss on Friday and chose to bat, with Ponting saying at the time he would have made the same decision.

"I would have liked to have thought we would have batted better in those conditions, " he told the BBC. "It swung a little bit but it swung right through the game, I don't think the wicket played too much of a part for too many dismissals on that first day, it was really high-class seam bowling from our four quicks.

"I've said right from the start that if we expose their middle order to a newish swinging ball then I felt we would be in the game and I think that's the way it has panned out this game.

"We knew this was a big game for us, I knew England would be under some pressure going into this game but we played really well and we can take that into the next game."

Ponting added: "We've been trying to find our best cricket over the last three or four weeks and I said to the boys right the way through that I know if we play our best we are going to win."