LONDON - England defeated Australia by 135 runs in the final Ashes Test at The Oval to draw the series 2-2. Australia took an unassailable lead at Old Trafford last week to retain the urn, but were unable to become the first touring side to win the Ashes on these shore since 2001. England’s victory in south London concludes a memorable summer in which they won their first men’s 50-over World Cup. It is only the second time an Ashes series has ended in a draw and the first time since 1972.
At the start of day four, Stuart Broad hit Pat Cummins for two sixes as England added 16 runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 329, setting Australia a target of 399 to win. Australia’s openers, both enduring dismal runs, then survived for 4.5 overs before Broad knocked over Marcus Harris for nine. In his next over, Broad found Warner’s outside edge to dismiss the Australian for the seventh time this summer. Warner finished the series with just 95 runs at an average of less than ten. Record-breaking batsman Steve Smith and in-form Marnus Labuschange steading the innings for almost ten overs but the latter was stumped off Jack Leach before lunch to leave the tourists wilting on 56-3.
Smith made his tenth consecutive half-century against England in the first innings of this match but fell short in his pursuit of an eleventh after glancing Broad to Ben Stokes at leg gully for 23. Despite a rare failure, Smith still finished the series with 774 runs at an average of over 110. Mitchell Marsh, boosted by his seven wickets in the match, was offered a reprieve when he was caught off a Chris Woakes no-ball. Shortly after, the all-rounder saw another outside edge off Woakes palmed over the slips by Rory Burns, who has emerged as one of England’s safest pair of hands this summer.
Marsh failed to make England pay, however, prodding forward and tamely pushing the ball straight to Jos Buttler at bat pad after Joe Root had brought himself on to bowl before tea. The proactive Matthew Wade reached a fluent fifty in the afternoon session and continued to frustrate England after tea, hooking Jofra Archer for a maximum as he moved into the 70s. Tim Paine also made a bright start to his innings but failed to convert another start into a substantial score when he was trapped lbw to become Leech’s second victim of the day. Wade was still fighting to hold the Australian innings together, however, and survived a thrilling spell from Archer before posting his second century of the series and fourth of his Test career. England then missed two half-chances to remove Wade; first Bairstow failed to complete a difficult stumping and, off the next ball, Stokes put down a tough chance at slip. However, the hosts’ disappointment soon turned to joy with Broad finding Cummins’ outside edge in the next over to reduce Australia to 244-7.
Wade successfully reviewed a caught behind off Root but his resistance was ended shortly after as he was deceived by Root and stumped by Bairstow. England soon clinched a 135-run victory after Wade departed, with Leach dismissing Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood in successive balls as Australia were bowled out for 263.
Scorecard
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS: 294
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS: 225
ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS
(OVERNIGHT: 313-8):
R Burns c Paine b Lyon 20
J Denly c Smith b Siddle 94
J Root c Smith b Lyon 21
B Stokes b Lyon 67
J Bairstow c Smith b Marsh 14
J Buttler c Labuschagne b Siddle 47
S Curran c Paine b Cummins 17
C Woakes c Smith b Marsh 6
J Archer c Paine b Cummins 3
M Leach c Hazlewood b Lyon 9
S Broad not out 12
EXTRAS: (b7, lb11, nb1) 19
TOTAL: (all out, 95.3 overs) 329
FOW: 1-54, 2-87, 3-214, 4-222, 5-249, 6-279, 7-305, 8-305, 9-317, 10-329.
BOWLING: P Cummins 21-5-67-2; J Hazlewood 19-5-57-0; N Lyon 24.3-5-69-4; P Siddle 13-4-52-2; M Marsh 11-1-40-2; M Labuschagne 7-1-26-0.
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: (b2, lb12, nb2, pen5) 21
TOTAL: (all out, 77 overs) 263
FOW: 1-18, 2-29, 3-56, 4-85, 5-148, 6-200, 7-244, 8-260, 9-263, 10-263.
BOWLING: S Broad 15-1-62-4; J Archer 16-2-66-0; S Curran 8-3-22-0; M Leach 22-8-49-4; C Woakes 7-1-19-0; J Root 9-1-26-2.
TOSS: Australia
UMPIRES: K Dharmasena, M Erasmus
TV UMPIRE: Ruchira Palliyaguruge
MATCH REFEREE: Javagal Srinath