English onslaught frustrates Aussies as final Test drifts away

A topsy-turvy second day at The Oval has this test hanging in the balance and a result well and truly in play.

Can Australia get on the front foot and take control?

SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE KEY MOMENTS FROM DAY THREE

11:35PM: DANGEROUS TIMES FOR AUSTRALIA

After struggling early on, Joe Root now looks in serious touch for the hosts, playing his trademark lap shot for six.

As per, Root and Stokes have been able to keep the scoreboard ticking over with relative ease, stretching the lead for the hosts ever closer to 200.

With the potential of rain over the past two days, England will surely look to press home this advantage as best they can and leave Australia in a no-win scenario.

Pat Cummins has turned to Todd Murphy, now this will get interesting, you would doubt Stokes will allow the young spinner to settle in, as the England skipper closes in on 50.

A wicket would be extremely timely here …

11:10PM: ROOT SURVIVES CLOSE SHOUT

Australia have started well to Joe Root, with the English star surviving an LBW review by the barest of margins.

A good length ball from Hazlewood nipped back, but after being given not out replay showed it hit the pad first.

However, the good news ended there for the Aussies with the impact being umpire’s call.

The visitors reacted in clear frustration, given how valuable a wicket the England no. 4 is.

It’s been a bright start to this session for Australia, a complete contrast to their limp start to the day’s proceedings.

10:50PM: LUNCH DOES THE TRICK ONCE AGAIN

And yet again in this game, a break brings a wicket for the bowling side, and Crawley has to go.

A full ball outside off from Pat Cummins and the English opener could not resist, throwing his hands at one that landed straight in the hands of Steve Smith at second slip.

The fifth stump line to Crawley does the job as it so often has this series.

How badly did the Aussies need that!

Joe Root will join Ben Stokes at the crease now, with England holding a 128-run lead with eight wickets in hand.

10:45PM: CAN AUSTRALIA GET BACK IN THE GAME?

This session could decide the Test and series result, with England firmly in the driver’s seat, Australia will need to hit back to have a chance of victory.

The only way to do so? Wickets, according to Mark Taylor.

The former Aussie captain says while England are scoring so freely the only way to minimise it is wickets.

“It’s not easy to stem the flow of runs. Somehow we have to find some wickets to do that. “So, yes, we’ve got to slow them down in their scoring but at the same time we need to take wickets.

“It’s not easy for Pat Cummins. He will have to use Todd Murphy sparingly but strategically and hope to take a lot of wickets with his quick men.”

It does seem either way Todd Murphy will play a big role in this session.

And right away a chance goes begging for Australia, with a Stokes top-edge flying down to Mitch Starc on the boundary.

But the fast bowler could not control the ball as he balanced on the boundary.

10:00PM: LUNCH: AUSSIES LIMP TO FIRST BREAK

Mitchell Starc delivered a crucial breakthrough for Australia as the Aussies scrambled to curb England’s surge on day three at The Oval.

An elusive away Ashes series win had been quickly slipping from the tourists’ grasp as England’s openers made the errant Aussies pay in the first session on Saturday.

Having eradicated Australia’s slender first-innings lead inside an over, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley took advantage of beautiful batting conditions to leave the Aussies increasingly desperate.

Starc had been as culpable as any of the Australian bowlers in the first hour, dragged after just two overs with the new ball in which he went for 22.

But brought back on after drinks, Starc looked considerably more threatening cloud again covered the ground.

Having drawn Duckett into a play and miss, the left-armer found an edge with Duckett on 42. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the Aussies’ appeal, but Pat Cummins wisely reviewed to end a 79-first wicket stand.

With Moeen Ali still sidelined with the groin injury he suffered batting on day one, England captain Ben Stokes promoted himself up the order to first drop.

Duckett’s departure did not slow down the home side, who had reached a triple-figure lead before lunch.

There had been some early rain in London on Saturday, and ahead of play things looked reasonably tasty for the Aussies given overcast conditions. But the weather cleared in time for Duckett and Crawley to enjoy sunny conditions from the outset.

Australia had taken a 12-run lead into the second innings after a wagging tail took the tourists to 295 in their first innings in response to England’s 283.

Emblematic of the hosts’ batting philosophy, England wasted no time in taking it to a wayward Aussie attack.

Crawley drove the first ball of the day from Starc, a wide loosener, for four through cover, one of three boundaries Starc coughed up in the opening over.

While tighter than Starc, Josh Hazlewood didn’t look particularly potent with the new ball either.

Cummins kept frontline spinner Todd Murphy out of the attack until midway through the second hour, by which point Duckett had departed.

A Cummins misfield allowed Crawley – the series’ leading runscorer – to reach his 50.

Former Australian selector Jamie Cox took to Twitter to question some of the Aussies’ tactics.

“Anyone else been willing Aust to move their bowling lines a foot outside off for the past month? They won’t leave it, Crawley nicks that line and Duckett will have to reach for it?” Cox wrote.

Australia had failed to take advantage of good batting conditions on Friday afternoon, leaving them with a substantial second innings task to secure a first away Ashes series win since 2001.

Having been saved by rain in Manchester last weekend, a similar outcome did not look out of the question in this match, with rain forecast for parts of both Sunday and Monday in London.

9:45PM: CRAWLEY DOES WHAT DUCKETT COULD NOT

Another lovely cover drive from Zak Crawley and that will be 50 for the England opener, what a series he has had.

Crawley is the leading run-scorer this series now ahead of Usman Khawaja, but has done so in considerably less time at the crease.

Which is more impressive? I’m not sure.

Crawley and Stokes have quickly put together a partnership to put the pressure back on the bowlers.

The former looking increasingly more comfortable in throwing his hands hard at any width.

9:30PM: DELAYED REVIEW ENDS THE PARTNERSHIP

A full, swinging delivery from Mitch Starc goes past Duckett and through to Alex Carey, but the Aussies will send it upstairs after a discussion.

Replay shows the ball flicking the back of Duckett’s bat and the opener must go for 42.

A very much needed breakthrough has come for the Aussies.

The review almost seemed out of desperation but it has paid off for Australia.

Ben Stokes will bat at no. 3 for the hosts, how will he approach the game?

And Pat Cummins has turned to Todd Murphy immediately, who draws an inside edge off Ben Stokes that flies past Marnus Labuschagne under the helmet.

9:20PM: TIME FOR ANOTHER BOUNCER-FEST?

It’s a tactic that’s been loathed by myself at times this series, but will Australia need to revisit the short-pitched bowling to change the pace of this game?

Mitch Marsh has been able to get a little bit of shape away from the right-handed Crawley, but the two look very comfortable at the crease.

Mark Taylor says it has to be something the Aussies consider.

“The problem for mine is they haven’t bowled enough short ones at the right time to Zak Crawley.

“I would loved to see Australia, particularly after first couple of Test matches when they have seen the way Crawley was going to bat, to set him on the back foot a little more.

“As I said, at times I have been critical in the series of Australia getting carried away with the short ball,” he said.

Marsh has quickly come off the ground, replaced by Cam Green.

9:00PM: HOSTS DOMINATE OPENING HOUR

All the pressure seems to have come off the home side, with both openers happy to slow the pace down a tick and knock it around, grabbing runs when they can.

Australia have certainly changed their approach to Ben Duckett, getting the ball on that fifth and sixth stump line, forcing him to make tougher decisions.

Duckett has not looked as comfortable when put on the back foot, particularly to the short ball.

Do the Aussies need to make a further change and bring spin into the equation, simply to see how both batsmen play Todd Murphy?

The hosts have had a tendency to get after the slower bowlers from the start this series.

8:45PM: CAPTAIN CUMMINS WRESTLES BACK SOME CONTROL

The onslaught has been stopped to a degree, with Pat Cummins looking far more dangerous than the other quicks.

England have already scored more runs this morning than Australia did in the first session yesterday.

The Aussie skipper has drawn some false strokes from the English, and a top edge from Duckett from a short ball that raced down to fine leg for four, followed by another swing and a miss through to Carey.

Cummins will now turn to Mitch Marsh to try and exert some influence on proceedings.

The bleeding has been stopped by the visitors, but England are still well on top to start the day.

8:30PM: A LIMP START TO DAY THREE FROM AUSTRALIA

Well, I’m not sure this was the start Pat Cummins and his side envisaged when they gathered in that huddle before the day’s play.

England have put 40 runs on the board in the first five overs of the day.

Australia’s bowlers have really struggled to bowl the right line based on the fields set, and Ben Duckett already looks set at the crease.

The diminutive opener has not left one ball since the Lord’s Test so we know he will throw his hands at what he can.

It’s looking far too easy for Crawley and Duckett.

This could be a long day in the field.

8:15PM: AUSTRALIA’S LEAD LASTS ONE OVER

A signal of intent from the English? Or a real loosener for Mitch Starc?

It’s been a red-hot start to day two, with England taking the lead through three first-over boundaries off the bowling of Mitch Starc.

With the sun shining and the hosts off to a flyer, they will be looking to set up the game and still have enough time to bowl the tourists out.

Starc did trap Duckett on the crease in his second over, with replay showing the opener hit the ball into his pads.

Australia declined to review the not out decision, a wise choice.

8:00PM: ENGLISH PLAYERS GET BEHIND SPECIAL CAUSE

As part of the Fifth Test Match, supporting Alzheimer’s Society, England cricketers are wearing their teammates names in the pre-match line up, to draw attention to confusion often experienced by people living with dementia and how people with dementia lose precious memories.

7:30: AUSSIES PREPARE FOR BATTLE BUT WHO WILL POMS SEND IN AT 3?

It what may be a deciding first hour in this Test match, what seems like the whole Aussie contingent have gathered on The Oval before play, including former Suns coach Stuart Dew.

What may have been of discussion is who exactly will be batting at three for the hosts?

Moeen Ali cannot bat for two hours after sitting out the entirety of Australia’s first innings.

Some eagle-eyed observers have noted Chris Woakes having a long net session before play.

Woakes is handy with the bat and would allow England’s middle order to remain the same.

The hosts have been reluctant to throw Harry Brook up the order.

‘WHAT ARE THE RULES?’: CONFUSION REIGNS OVER FAILED SMITH RUN-OUT

Stuart Broad joked he does not know the rules after the TV umpire ruled Australia’s Steve Smith was not run out in the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Friday.

Substitute fielder George Ealham, son of former England international Mark, sprinted in from the rope as Smith sought to complete a risky two and hurled in a hard, flat throw that left the diving batsman short of his ground.

It brought back memories of the 2005 Ashes, when the unknown Gary Pratt ran out Ricky Ponting, but a careful review of the replays appeared to show England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow nudging one of the bails out of its groove a fraction of a second before taking the ball.

Smith had been on his way to the pavilion when he turned on his heels, with TV umpire Nitin Menon ruling in his favour.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), cricket’s lawmakers, posted a clarification of the rules on its social media channels.

Paceman Broad, who took 2-49, admitted he was nonplussed.

“I honestly don’t know the rules,” he said. “I think there was enough grey area to give that not out.

“What are the rules? Was it the right decision? It looked sort of benefit-of-the-doubt-type stuff.

“First angle I saw I thought ‘out’ and the side angle looked like the bail was probably dislodged.” Smith went on to make 71 as Australia reached 295 at the end of the second day, 12 runs ahead of England’s first-innings total of 283.

Australia’s star batsman said initially he thought he might be out but a second angle put doubt into his mind.

He was asked whether he knew the rules.

“Don’t the bails have to come out off the stumps, out of the grooves or something as far as I know?,” Smith replied.

“But you’ve just got to go off the umpire and what he says and fortunately for me he said ‘not out’.” The MCC said in its post: “The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps is removed from the ground.

“Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC’s official interpretation of the laws of cricket, adds: “For the purposes of dismissal — a bail has been removed at the moment that both ends of it leave their grooves.” England, trailing 2-1 after the rain-affected draw at Old Trafford, must win this match to level the series.

Holders Australia, seeking their first Ashes series win in England since 2001, have already retained the urn.

STEVE SMITH’S NOT THE RETIRING TYPE

Steve Smith has joined David Warner in publicly laughing off rumours that he may retire following the Oval Test.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had floated on Fox Cricket during the week that Smith and Warner could both bid farewell to the format at the end of the Ashes series.

Warner – who has already flagged his planned retirement in January – quashed the discussion ahead of the Test.

And Smith, who has been vague on his long-term plans, said he had no immediate plans to draw curtains on his career either.

“I’m not retiring,” Smith said,

“No idea (where it came from), because I haven’t said it to anyone, so nobody not going anywhere yet.”

Smith made 71 on Friday to help Australia to a 12-run first innings lead. Smith lamented a lack of help from his fellow bitters.

“I think we’ve probably had the better of the conditions to bat in I think for this game, we won the toss,” Smith said.

“We had an opportunity to bowl when there was a bit in it yesterday. Bowled them out and overnight 1 for 60 going along nicely. And the wicket playing the way it did today. There wasn’t a great deal of sideways off the wicket, swung around most of the day to be fair, and they are obviously very good swing bowlers.

“But yeah, I think a lot of us got starts. The scorecards are actually very similar, I suppose in a way. But yeah, a lot of us got starts and weren’t able to capitalise and go and put one of those partnerships that were 40 or 50 into 100 150 and that gives us a decent lead I suppose. So a bit disappointing from that aspect.”

Smith ultimately fell trying to up the ante with the tail, departing via a miscued pull off Chris Woakes.

“Did I pull the trigger too early, maybe? But then had I not got out Murph (Todd Murphy) might not have come in and smacked 30 like he did.

“I would have liked a few more partners. Maybe to stick around and able to sort of just play normally for a while. I suppose. But yeah, I would have liked more runs of course.”

Originally published as Ashes cricket 2023: Follow the action live from day three of the fifth Test