England win fifth Test to draw Ashes 2-2

By AFP

August 01, 2023

LONDON: England beat Australia by 49 runs to win the fifth Test at The Oval on Monday and end the Ashes series all square at 2-2.

Australia, chasing 384 to win, collapsed from 264-3 to 334 all out, with England´s retiring paceman Stuart Broad taking the final wicket. Australia suffered a dramatic collapse in the last session of the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday, reduced to 294-8 as England´s Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes ripped through their batting order at The Oval.

Rain kept the players off the field for about two hours before Australia, who as the holders have already retained the Ashes at 2-1 up, resumed on 238-3.

Steve Smith, dropped at leg gully by England captain Ben Stokes just before the interval, was 40 not out and left-hander Travis Head 31 not out.

The pair had extended their fourth-wicket stand to 95 when off-spinner Moeen, in what could be his last Test appearance, turned a ball out of the rough.

Head, on 43, tried to drive, with Joe Root holding a routine catch at first slip. Australia then lost their star batsman when Smith, having completed an 89-ball fifty, fell for 54 when he edged an excellent full-length delivery from paceman Woakes to Zak Crawley at second slip.

And Australia fell to 274-6 when Moeen had all-rounder Mitchell Marsh brilliantly caught by diving wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

Australia´s collapse continued when Woakes and Crawley combined again to dismiss Mitchell Starc for a duck and captain Pat Cummins was next to go, caught by Stokes off Moeen for nine.

Earlier, Woakes removed Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja in a dramatic burst of two wickets for one run in seven balls on an overcast morning and with a pitch freshened by rain.

Express quick Mark Wood then had Marnus Labuschagne caught in the slips for 13 to leave Australia 169-3. England pace great Stuart Broad, who on Saturday made a shock announcement he would retire after the match, took up the attack as the 37-year-old sought to dismiss Warner for the 18th time in Tests.

But it was Woakes who made the breakthrough England desperately needed when a good-length ball, angled across Warner, nipped off the seam and took the outside edge to give Bairstow a simple catch.

Australia won the toss

England 1st Innings 283

Australia 1st Innings 295

England 2nd Innings 395

Australia 2nd Innings

Warner c Bairstow b Woakes 60

Khawaja lbw b Woakes 72

Labuschagne c Crawley b Wood 13

Smith c Crawley b Woakes 54

Head c Root b Ali 43

Marsh c Bairstow b Ali 6

Carey c Bairstow b Broad 28