Australia captain-elect Steven Smith ended England skipper Alastair Cook's marathon resistance as the tourists eyed a consolation win in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Saturday. At stumps on the third day, England, following-on, were 203 for six - still 129 runs behind Australia's first innings 481, which featured Smith's 143.
It looked as if left-handed opener Cook would bat until the close. But outgoing Australia captain Michael Clarke's typically inventive decision to bring on Smith in the 77th over yielded a quick dividend when the part-time leg-spinner struck with just his sixth ball as Cook was caught off bat and pad by Adam Voges at short leg. Cook, who has never scored an Ashes hundred in England, was out for 85 having batted for more than five-and-a-half hours while facing 234 balls including 11 fours.
At the close, wicket-keeper Jos Buttler was 33 not out, with nightwatchman Mark Wood unbeaten on nought. England, however, at least had the consolation of having won the Ashes at 3-1 up in the five-match series. "We're up against it, but we've just got to keep fighting and hang in there," Buttler told Sky Sports. "The captain showed that for most of the day. Everyone's very disappointed to come here and play as we have."
England resumed Saturday on 107 for eight in their first innings, a deficit of 374 runs. Moeen Ali, whose 30 was the top score of the first innings and Wood (24), both eight not out overnight, hit out in sunny conditions ideal for batting during a ninth-wicket partnership of 57.
They fell to successive Mitchell Johnson deliveries, with England bowled out for 149. Clarke then became the first Australia captain to enforce the follow-on in a Test since Ricky Ponting did so against New Zealand at Wellington in 2010 - a match Australia eventually won by 10 wickets. Opener Adam Lyth, desperate for a big score to cement his England place, fell for 10 when he edged a good length ball from Peter Siddle that cut away off the pitch to Clarke at second slip. Lyth's dismissal meant he had scored just 115 runs in nine innings this series at an average of 12.77 Siddle, whose recall for this match was deemed a "panic" measure by Australia great Shane Warne had stumps figures of one for 14 in 16 overs - including 10 maidens.
"I've been carrying a few drinks which has been disappointing, I would have liked my chance, but I didn't bowl as well as I could in the tour matches," said paceman Siddle. Ian Bell, on nine, saw a pull off Mitchell Marsh sting the fingers of Chris Rogers at mid-wicket before going for four. But next ball lively seamer Marsh got a delivery to leap off a length and it took Bell's glove before lobbing gently to Clarke, who will retire from international duty after this match. Joe Root, England's leading run-scorer this series, then became the latest home batsman this match to give his wicket away playing a careless cross-bat shot when a top-edged pull off Johnson flew straight to Starc at fine leg.
Root's exit for 11 left England 99 for three. England had lost their last seven first-innings wickets for just 46 runs during Friday's evening session. Another equally steep collapse loomed when off-spinner Nathan Lyon took two wickets for no runs in five balls to leave England 140 for five. Jonny Bairstow (26), fell when an inside edge was caught at the second attempt by Voges at short leg. Replays suggested Bairstow had been unlucky as the ball had hit Voges's protective helmet and so should have been ruled a dead ball.
Scoreboard Australia 1st Innings: 481 (S Smith 143, D Warner 85, A Voges 76, M Starc 58; S Finn 3-90, M Ali 3-102, B Stokes 3-133) England 1st Innings (overnight: 107-8)
==========================================
A. Lyth c Starc b Siddle 19
A. Cook b Lyon 22
I. Bell b Siddle 10
J. Root c Nevill b Marsh 6
J. Bairstow c Lyon b Johnson 13
B. Stokes c Nevill b Marsh 15
J. Buttler b Lyon 1
M. Ali c Nevill b Johnson 30
S. Broad c Voges b Marsh 0
M. Wood c Starc b Johnson 24
S. Finn not out 0
------------------------------------------
Extras: (b1, lb7, nb1) 9
Total: (all out, 48.4 overs, 221 mins) 149
==========================================
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Cook), 2-46 (Lyth), 3-60 (Bell), 4-64 (Root), 5-83 (Bairstow), 6-84 (Buttler), 7-92 (Stokes), 8-92 (Broad), 9-149 (Wood) 10-149 (Ali)
Bowling: Starc 8-3-18-0; Johnson 8.4-4-21-3; Lyon 10-2-40-2; Siddle 13-5-32-2; Marsh 9-2-30-3 (1nb);
==========================================
England 2nd Innings (following-on)
==========================================
A. Lyth c Clarke b Siddle 10
A. Cook c Voges b Smith 85
I. Bell c Clarke b Marsh 13
J. Root c Starc b Johnson 11
J. Bairstow c Voges b Lyon 26
B. Stokes c Clarke b Lyon 0
J. Buttler not out 33
M. Wood not out 0
------------------------------------------
Extras: (b5, lb14, w5, nb1) 25
Total: (6 wkts, 79 overs, 343 mins) 203
==========================================
To bat: M Ali, S Broad, S Finn
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Lyth), 2-62 (Bell), 3-99 (Root), 4-140 (Bairstow, 5-140 (Stokes), 6-199 (Cook)
Bowling: Johnson 13-2-51-1; Starc 14-4-32-0 (1nb); Lyon 25-5-52-2; Siddle 16-10-14-1; Marsh 10-4-28-1 (5w); Smith 1-0-7-1.
Australia: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke (capt), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wkt), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon
Match position: England are 129 runs behind with four wickets standing.
Toss: England
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
TV umpire: S Ravi (IND)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL).
Comments
Comments are closed.