Rain came to England’s aid with Australia on the brink of an innings victory on the fourth day of the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval yesterday.
England, following on, were 258-8 in their second innings when rain led to an early lunch. Moeen Ali was 17 not out and Stuart Broad 10 not out, with England still 74 runs behind Australia’s first innings 481, which featured captain-elect Steven Smith’s 143.
Play resumed yesterday beneath grey skies and it was not long before the floodlights were switched on.
Photo: AP
The question was, could England, who had already won the Ashes at 3-1 up in the five-match series, hold on long enough with the bat for the forecast bad weather to help them in their quest for a draw, which would deny Australia captain Michael Clarke a victory in his final match before retirement.
England started yesterday on 203-6, still 129 runs behind, having suffered the blow of losing captain Alastair Cook late on Saturday for 85 after his marathon innings of more than five-and-a-half hours was ended when the left-handed opener fell to part-time leg-spinner Smith.
Jos Buttler was 33 not out and nightwatchman Mark Wood naught not out.
Australia, an over away from the new ball, took it as soon as they could and almost immediately had a breakthrough when the impressive Peter Siddle, playing his first match of this series, had Wood LBW for six — although it needed a review of umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s initial decision to confirm the dismissal.
The way Siddle — only playing this match after Josh Hazlewood was injured — bowled with both pace and control on his way to lunch figures of two for 25 in 22 overs, including 12 maidens, made the experienced seamer’s omission from the previous four Tests all the more surprising, even if Australia great Shane Warne labeled his selection at The Oval a “panic” measure.
England’s 221-7 was soon transformed into 223-8 after Buttler, on 42, tamely chipped all-rounder Mitchell Marsh low to Mitchell Starc at mid-off.
The wicketkeeper batted for just short of two-and-a-half hours, facing 107 balls with four fours.
It was Buttler’s best score of the series, but England needed more from their gloveman yesterday.
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