England win fifth Test to square Ashes series

LONDON: England crushed Australia by 135 runs in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Sunday to level the series at 2-2, ending their historic World Cup-winning season on a high.

Victory for the home side means the Ashes ends in a draw for the first time since 1972, although holders Australia retain the urn. The tourists, chasing an unlikely 399 to win in a shade under two days, were in trouble early in their second innings when England paceman Stuart Broad removed openers Marcus Harris and David Warner cheaply.

While former captain Steve Smith was at the crease, Australia retained a faint hope sealing their first Ashes series win in England since 2001. But when Ben Stokes dived to his left at leg slip to catch Smith for 23, giving Broad his third wicket of the innings, England knew they had removed the biggest obstacle in their victory charge.

Smith, who scored an astonishing 774 runs in just seven innings, was out for a score of less than fifty for the first time in the series. The Oval crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked back to the dressing room in the September sunshine, with Australia in deep trouble at 85-4 in the post-lunch session.

Matthew Wade offered brave resistance, scoring 117 as Jofra Archer cranked his speed up to 95 miles-per-hour in the evening sunlight, eye-balling the Australian batsman in an attempt to intimidate him.

England captain Joe Root finally got his man, luring him forward as Jonny Bairstow whipped off the bails. Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood went in successive balls, meaning England finished their season on a high two months after winning the one-day World Cup for the first time.

Broad and left-arm spinner Jack Leach both finished with four wickets. Earlier, England added 16 runs to their overnight tally, with Archer and Leach the last men out. Broad then pounded in, roared on by a packed crowd, who raised the roof when he demolished Harris’s off-stump in the fifth over of the Australian innings.

In his following over, Broad ended Warner’s miserable series, with the opener edging to Rory Burns in the slips and departing for 11. Warner’s dismissal brought Smith to the crease and he opened his account with a sweet drive through the covers for four off Archer but this time he could not find the magic. The exit of Smith led to one or two isolated boos but they were drowned out by applause from the crowd in appreciation of his run-scoring feats.

Australia won toss

England 1st Innings 294 all out (J Buttler 70; M Marsh 5-46)

Australia 1st Innings 225 all out (S Smith 80; Archer 6-62, Curran 3-46)

England 2nd Innings 329 all out (J Denly 94; Lyon 4-69)

Australia 2nd Innings

M Harris b Broad 9

D Warner c Burns b Broad 11

M Labuschagne st Bairstow b Leach 14

S Smith c Stokes b Broad 23

M Wade st Bairstow b Root 117

M Marsh c Buttler b Root 24

*†T Paine lbw b Leach 21

P Cummins c Bairstow b Broad 9

P Siddle not out 13

N Lyon c Root b Leach 1

J Hazlewood c Root b Leach 0

Extras (nb 2, b 2, lb 12, pen 5) 21

Total (all out; 77 overs) 263

Fall: 1-18, 2-29, 3-56, 4-85, 5-148, 6-200, 7-244, 8-260, 9-263, 10-263

Bowling: Broad 15-1-62-4; Archer 16-2-66-0 (1 nb); Curran 8-3-22-0; Leach 22-8-49-4; Woakes 7-1-19-0 (1 nb); Root 9-1-26-2

Match result: England won by 135 runs

Man of the Match: Jofra Archer (England)

Series result: 5-match series drawn 2-2

Men of the Series: Steven Smith (Australia) and Ben Stokes (England)

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Marais Erasmus (South Africa). TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka). Match referee: Javagal Srinath (India)