Matthew Henry
BBC Sport at The Oval

Australia spinner Todd Murphy has been marking out his run. Cameron Green, meanwhile, is kicking a football around by the boundary edge like a man who does not look like he's playing.

England have named the same team for the final Test - barring any injuries in the warm-up - but Australia still have a decision to make on whether they will pick a specialist spinner having declined to do so at Old Trafford.

You've seen Andy's question, now we want your answers.

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Andy Zaltzman
Cricket statistician on Test Match Special

A couple of questions for you to guess today. No calculators or running to the internet, please. You may use an abacus, or ask your MP.

Q1: England came to The Oval in 1938 in a similar position to their 2023 successors – one Test down, needing to win to draw the series, but with the Ashes already retained by Australia (and after considerable rain in Manchester – the third Test at Old Trafford was completely washed out). In a timeless game, England scored 903 for 7 declared, in 335.2 overs.

If Stokes' England team batted for 335.2 overs, and scored at the rate they have managed since the start of the Pakistan series in December last year, how many runs would they score?

Q2: What is Australia’s average first-innings score when batting first at The Oval, in Tests since the First World War?

Image source, Gett

The Oval is abuzz with the activity of a matchday.

Harry Brook is just getting some throwdowns from Paul Collingwood in the nets, Rob Key is milling about chewing the fat with Brendon McCullum, Moeen Ali is having a chat with Australia spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori.

Eager fans have started to trickle into the ground.

Image source, BBC Weather

Flags are fluttering in the breeze at The Oval.

According to the forecast we could have some interruptions today but it should only be occasional shower so there hopefully will not be any major delays.

We'll have a more forecast from the BBC Weather team shortly after Test Match Special goes on air at 10:25 BST.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport at The Oval

Good morning from a muggy Oval. The ball has hardly swung all series but if it’s going to it feels like it would this morning.

That said, the pitch which was pretty green yesterday has just had a final cut and suddenly looks a lot more brown.

Image source, Getty Images

England Test captain Ben Stokes will use a potential six-month break from cricket to have "serious conversations" about his long-term left-knee problem.

A quirk of the schedule means Stokes may not play any cricket between this week's final Ashes Test and England's first Test in India in January.

The knee issue has restricted Stokes to bowling only 38 overs in Test cricket this year.

"It's something I obviously want to get sorted," said the 32-year-old.

Stokes also confirmed he would not reverse his decision to retire from one-day internationals in order to be part of England's World Cup defence in October and November.

On his upcoming break, Stokes said: "That is a good time to have some serious conversations with medics around what is potentially something I could do to get a role in which I can bowl without having to worry about my knee.

"Those are conversations we will be able to have in that time off."

Full story....

Daily Mirror

The Mirror focus on the same line from Ben Stokes about potentially turning himself into a spinner and cites some iconic all-rounders from the past as examples.

Cricket correspondent Dean Wilson writes: "Stokes was spotted at The Oval trying out his off-spinners, used before on tour against Pakistan. And he will seriously consider following in the footsteps of fellow all-rounders Tony Greig and Garry Sobers, who bowled spin as well as seam."

Image source, Daily Mirror

The Daily Express

The Daily Express focuses on the interesting tale that England skipper Ben Stokes is considering converting himself into a spinner in an attempt to prolong his career as a bowler.

Cricket writer Gideon Brooks writes: "Stokes is set to consult England medics after the game about whether surgery might allow him to reinvent himself as an off-spinner."

Image source, Daily Express

I can confirm mobile covers have been off at pitch at The Oval for an hour or so and the last of the large white ground sheets covering the bowlers' run-ups have also just been dragged off.

The practice nets have been setup on the edge of the square for England and Australia's players to do some final limbering up before play starts at 11:00 BST.

The I

The i take the line that Stokes will do everything he can to ensure he will still be able to bowl as an all-rounder in the next Ashes series in Australia.

England are next scheduled to be down under in the winter of 2025-26 by which time Stokes will be 34.

Chris Stocks writes: "Ben Stokes says he wants to lead England on their next Ashes tour - and has revealed he may have surgery on his problematic left knee in the coming weeks to ensure he gets there."

Image source, i Sport

The Daily Mail focus on England denying Australia the chance of winning the Ashes 3-1 outright and their opportunity to become 'moral victors' of the series if they can win at The Oval.

Cricket reporter and Wisden editor Lawrence Booth writes that England and Stokes are "determined to level the series against Australia 2-2" before noting "with the home team dominating the rain-ruined Test at Old Trafford, it would mean a moral victory - albeit not one where they grab back the urn - if England could draw level."

Image source, Daily Mail

We might not have an Ashes decider but the back pages of the national newspapers are still giving the final Test match of the series plenty of prominence.

Let's take a quick look.

Geoff Lemon
BBC Test Match Special commentator

You don't see a five-match series going to 2-2 with one to play very often. It's happened six times in the history of Test cricket. There were a couple in the 1970s and in the 19th century, then one apiece in the 1930s and 1950s. Part of the reason it is so rare is because the weather is likely to affect it at some point. Most Ashes series have a draw somewhere. We came foul of probability, and probability is a ruthless and relentless thing.

England have lost only two of their last 13 Tests against Australia at The Oval in London. They have won five and drawn six and beat the Aussies in their last meeting at the venue in September 2019.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport chief cricket writer at Old Trafford

After Old Trafford I still don't know how I feel. I'm a bit disappointed, a bit tired, a bit like I need a hug. You are thinking what this week might have been. Possibly the biggest celebration of Test cricket this country has ever seen? That doesn't mean it won't be brilliant Test, because there is so much on the line. It's a bit like when you are hoping for that Christmas present you always wanted as a kid, then your grandma gives you a sewing kit.

Harry Brook chuckled as he responded to claims by the Aussie media that England were sore losers after their reaction to the rain-affected drawn Test at Old Trafford.

"We haven't lost yet! They have only retained it. It would have been class coming to here 2-2, but we can't think too much about that," Brook said.

"We have to move on and there's a Test match to win here. We're fully concentrated on that now."

Image source, Getty Images

Buenos dias, guten morgen, bonjour, good morning...

There's no escaping that we'd all have jumped out of bed today in an excitable frenzy if the weather hadn't intervened at Old Trafford, denying us the chance of Ashes decider at The Oval.

Nevertheless, Australia will be desperate for a first Ashes series win on these shores since 2001. England will be doing their damnedest to make it 2-2.

There's still plenty on the line over the next five days.

Welcome to coverage of the first day of the fifth and final Ashes Test from The Oval.