England International Summer including the World Cup

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Apologies bit late withthis

5th Test The Ovel



England 271-8: Buttler 64*, Root 57, M Marsh 4-35
Australia: Yet to bat
Scorecard
Jos Buttler's late hitting went some way towards rescuing England after a familiarly disappointing batting performance on the opening day of the final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval.

Buttler crunched three sixes in his 64 not out to take England to 271-8 in an unbroken stand of 45 with reliable tailender Jack Leach.

The home side had earlier lost five wickets for 56 runs to slide from 170-3 to 226-8.

That position could have been worse for England had Joe Root, who made 57, not been dropped three times, while Rory Burns overturned an lbw decision on the way to 47.

When they were together, Australia captain Tim Paine's decision to field first after winning the toss looked like backfiring.

The tourists were given the ascendancy by 4-35 from Mitchell Marsh, only for Buttler to launch his sensational counter-attack.

By the end, there was the feeling that England are still short of par on what looks to be a true batting surface, but they have been kept in the game by Buttler.

And the pitch may dry out enough for a fourth-innings chase to be tricky for Australia, though that would require England to first find a way to dismiss the prolific Steve Smith, then post a challenging target.

With Australia having already retained the Ashes, there were times when this day had an end-of-term feeling, and both sides showed signs of limping towards the end of an intense summer.

The surprise of Paine opting to field because of a green tinge to the pitch was matched by the decision to omit Mitchell Starc in favour of fellow pace bowler Peter Siddle. There were times when both calls seemed like mistakes.

Catches went down, Siddle was the most lacklustre of the Australian bowlers and, as the sun shone in the afternoon, batting conditions were ideal.

However, England's deficiencies, their inability to occupy the crease and not throw wickets away, meant they could not take full advantage.

And as Australia improved, they took the upper hand thanks to a combination of Marsh's bowling and the gifts from a number of England's batsmen.

Then came Buttler, who switched into one-day mode with some brutal striking. Even with every fielder on the boundary, Australia could not contain him, to the delight of a previously deflated Oval.

England had a real opportunity to punish Paine when Burns and Root were adding 76 for the second wicket either side of lunch.

Burns scored off his toes and through the covers. Root, after a difficult series, was willing himself on to the front foot.

He was put down at long leg on 24 and by wicketkeeper Paine on 25, both off Cummins, then by second slip Smith off Siddle on 30.

They were parted when Burns needlessly shovelled a pull at Josh Hazlewood to mid-on, but it was the wicket of Root that started the slide.

The skipper has attracted wonderful deliveries all series and this one that nipped away to take the off bail from Pat Cummins was another beauty, albeit Root was in no position to play it.

Buttler saw most of the collapse from the other end, but finally found a willing ally in Leach, who supported Ben Stokes at Headingley and survived for an hour as England battled to save the fourth Test.

Even before he upped the ante, Buttler had played some sumptuous cover drives, yet they were overshadowed by consecutive handsome straight sixes off Hazlewood and a meaty blow over the leg-side rope off the same man.

There were times when he protected Leach from the strike, but by the end the number 10 had faced 31 deliveries for his 10 not out, including fending off the second new ball.


All-rounder Marsh came in for batsman Travis Head to play his first Test since December and support the Australia pace attack.

There were times when he outshone the rest of the bowlers by swinging the ball on a full length.

He first had Stokes miscue a pull into the hands of point then, after Root fell, was the architect of England's collapse.

Both Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes played across inswingers to be lbw either side of Sam Curran, who had already survived being leg-before to a Cummins no-ball, slashing to second slip.

Into his 16th over, and just as Buttler was beginning to tick, Marsh pulled up with cramp and had to leave the field.

He returned and managed one more over, but by that point, Buttler was into his clean-hitting stride.

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England 294 & 9-0: Burns 4*, Denly 1*
Australia 225: Smith 80, Archer 6-62
England lead by 78 runs
Jofra Archer took 6-62 to give England the upper hand in the fifth Ashes Test, despite yet more runs from Australia's Steve Smith on day two at The Oval.

Pace bowler Archer was supported by three wickets from left-armer Sam Curran - including two in two balls - as the tourists were bowled out for 225.

Through it all, Smith stood firm, and it was his wicket - lbw to Chris Woakes for 80 - that England and their supporters celebrated the most.

It says much about Smith's stellar summer that this was his lowest score of the series and the inability to reach a century felt like a relative failure.

England batted twice in the day. In the morning they went from 271-8 to 294 all out, a total that looked short of par on a flat pitch.

However, that was to discount the incisiveness of Archer and Curran, and the brittleness - bar Smith - of the Australian batting. England were in again 20 minutes before the close.

They were taken to 9-0 - 78 ahead - by Rory Burns and Joe Denly. In a dramatic final over of the day from Josh Hazelwood, Denly was dropped by Marcus Harris at gully and Burns overturned being given lbw off the very last ball.

At 2-1 down, England's chances of regaining the Ashes have gone, but they are well placed to avoid their first home series defeat since 2014 and first to Australia in 18 years.

They have the opportunity to force Australia out of the game, especially with the surface likely to be deteriorating by the time the tourists come to bat again.

Before this Test, England captain Joe Root said that his team must use this match as the beginning of their building towards the next Ashes in Australia in 2021-22.

It may be that the pace of Archer and the skiddy swing of Curran are the pillars of England's attack in the future, especially when James Anderson and Stuart Broad retire.

They were the standout performers on a sun-kissed day at The Oval, when a collectively strong England performance was only mildly marred by three missed catches.

Friday began with the news that Denly's wife had given birth overnight and progressed with steady excitement from a crowd that exploded with noise when Smith was sent on his way.

And, if the likes of Archer and Curran really are England's future, then so too is the problem of how to dismiss Smith, who gave another reminder that he will remain the biggest obstacle to them regaining the Ashes in two and a half years.

That, though, is for another day. For now, England must pounce on the chance to end this storied summer with a series-levelling victory.

Archer and Curran lead England attack

If Curran was England's find of 2018, when he was man of the series against India, then Archer has been the most important addition of 2019, not only starring in the World Cup win, but becoming the first England bowler to take 20 wickets in his debut series since Dominic Cork in 1995.

With pace up around 90mph, Archer constantly asked questions of the batsmen, who were challenged with the accuracy of his full deliveries and hostility of the short ones.

David Warner was given caught behind on review, opening partner Marcus Harris edged to second slip and Labuschagne played across a straight one to be lbw. Just as England were going flat after tea, Archer had Mitchell Marsh pull to Jack Leach at fine leg.

By that time, Curran - playing in his first Test of the series - had already pinned Matthew Wade lbw, but it was the right-handers that he really troubled either by swinging the ball in or angling it across.

That was typified by the dual strike. First Tim Paine edged behind, then Pat Cummins was trapped leg-before by a hooping in-ducker.

Smith was the last of four wickets for 37 runs, after which England were held up by Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle.

In the space of eight deliveries, Archer had Lyon put down by a diving Leach, bowled the same man with a searing yorker, saw Root fail to move when Hazlewood edged his first ball and had Siddle push to gully, where Burns took a sensational one-handed grab.


With the pitch flat and the sun shining, nothing seemed more certain than Smith torturing England's bowlers again. Despite some early problems against Curran and the resumption of his compelling series-long battle with Archer, he did just that.

Smith arrived at 14-2 - Warner's five was his eighth single-figure score of the series - and received support from Labuschagne but not much else.

He batted as he does; never still and with comical flamboyance. He nurdled off the pads, hit the same part of the cover boundary with drives off front and back foot, and hit spinner Leach for six over mid-wicket.

Slowly, though, Archer and Curran restricted his scoring. He was dropped on 66 by a leaping Root at first slip off the bowling of Curran.

When Curran was replaced, Woakes got one to keep a touch low and a deceived Smith was plumb in front. Such was his disappointment, he could barely drag himself from the crease.

That signalled the start of a swiping stand of 37 between Siddle and Lyon, before Archer had the final word.

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England 294 & 313-8: Denly 94, Stokes 67, Lyon 3-65
Australia 225: Smith 80, Archer 6-62
England lead by 382 runs
Denly narrowly missed out on a maiden century but still helped England into a match-winning position on the third day of the final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval.

Two days after his wife gave birth to their second child, opener Denly made 94 to all but secure his place on England's winter tours.

After being dropped on nought on the second evening, the Kent man also should have been given lbw on 54 to Mitchell Marsh, only for Australia to opt against a review.

He was eventually caught at slip off Peter Siddle after sharing a third-wicket stand of 127 with Ben Stokes, who oozed class for his 67.

Jos Buttler sparkled in his 47 before a late Australia improvement left England 313-8, 382 ahead.

With two days remaining and the pitch beginning to show signs of turn, England are primed to level the series at 2-2.

Though Australia have already retained the Ashes, defeat here would deny them a first series win in England since 2001.

The home side are also looking to avoid a first home loss to anyone in five years.

On a glorious day in south London, England took advantage of the benign conditions to put together one of their best batting displays of the Test summer.

They have, though, been helped by some uncharacteristic Australian generosity.

Tim Paine's decision to field first is looking increasingly baffling, so too the selection of Siddle over Mitchell Starc. The tourists have dropped five catches and continually failed in their use of the review system.

But that is to take nothing away from Denly, who had already batted at number three and four this summer before being asked to open.

By making his third successive half-century, he has suggested he has a future at this level.

There were fractious moments throughout the day. Matthew Wade and Joe Root exchanged words, as did David Warner and Ben Stokes, who was goaded by the close fielders. Nathan Lyon chatted constantly.

The home supporters responded on their team's behalf, especially to any Australian fielder who ventured towards the boundary.

The England batting, Aussie baiting and late arrival of cult hero Jack Leach gave the crowd one more enjoyable day in a memorable summer that is almost at an end.



Denly's wife Stacy was in the early stages of labour as he was making 14 on the first morning. He left the ground that night and returned just after lunch on Friday as the father to a second child, a baby girl.

Australia helped him celebrate with a pair of let-offs, which Denly accepted by playing sweet strokes down the ground and square of the wicket on the off side for his third half-century in as many Tests.

He nimbly used his feet against off-spinner Lyon, including lofting a straight six, and was dogged enough to survive some painful blows from the fast bowlers.

Denly set the tone for Rory Burns and Joe Root to play freely in the morning, but after both fell to Lyon, Stokes arrived to continue his fine form.

The Durham all-rounder also benefited from being dropped - by slip Steve Smith off Lyon on seven - and went on to sweep the same bowler for six and swat another savage maximum off Marnus Labuschagne's leg-spin.

Stokes was bowled by a beauty from Lyon that turned sharply, while Denly got an equally good one from Siddle that nipped away and resulted in an edge to Smith.

He departed with his head bowed, eventually bringing himself to raise his bat in acknowledgement of the standing ovation.

Australia will leave the UK with the urn for the first time in 18 years, but skipper Paine said the series win meant so much to them that this match was a "grand final". This was the day it slipped away.

On top of the toss, selection, drops and failed reviews, their superb new-ball pairing of Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had a rare ineffective day.

Lyon is struggling with damage to his spinning finger - not that he will get sympathy from England supporters. He did have Burns caught behind, Root held at slip and, later, produced the ripper to account for Stokes.

He was also the bowler when the tourists missed another opportunity to use the review system. Buttler could have been lbw on 19.

It took until the dying embers of the day for Australia to sparkle. First Smith leapt full length to take Chris Woakes one-handed at second slip then, next ball, deep square leg Labuschagne ran and dived forward to hold a pulling Buttler millimetres above the turf.

[apm51054]

One wicket to level the series hats off to Wade excellent century