England have huge chance to level Ashes series after dominant exhibition of batting

Australia must defy history as there has only been five successful chases of more than 200 runs to win in the fourth innings in 143 years of Test cricket at The Oval

By Agencies

Published: Sat 29 Jul 2023, 10:49 PM

Last updated: Sat 29 Jul 2023, 11:39 PM

Joe Root scored 91 to give England a fantastic opportunity to level the Ashes series on day three of the fifth Test which saw the hosts take a commanding 377-run lead over Australia at stumps.

England was 389-9 in its second innings at the end of the third day with Anderson (8) and Broad (2) at the crease following key contributions from openers Zac Crawley (73) and Ben Duckett (42), Ben Stokes (42) and Jonny Bairstow (78).

Pacer Mitchell Starc was the most successful bowler with 4-94 while spinner Todd Murphy took 3-110.

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Holder Australia has already retained the Ashes and leads the series 2-1.

England's lead was already significant given there have only been five successful chases of more than 200 runs to win in the fourth innings during 143 years of Test cricket at The Oval.

Earlier, Joe Root looked in splendid form as England stepped up their blistering run-spree.

Root shared a useful stand of 73 for the third wicket with England captain Ben Stokes (42).

Stokes and Harry Brook departed in quick succession to leave the home side 222-4 but Jonny Bairstow kept up the attack as he joined Yorkshire team-mate Root in the middle, with an unbeaten 34 off 35 balls.

Zak Crawley, the leading run-scorer in the series, launched England's innings in style to take the hosts to 130-1 at lunch.

Stokes hooked Josh Hazlewood for six in the first over after lunch, with Mitchell Starc dropping a catch on the fine leg boundary as he tried to stay inside the rope.

Crawley added just two runs to his lunch score of 71 when, going for another off-drive, he edged Australia captain Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at second slip, with England now 140-2.

Root then demonstrated the range of his strokeplay by reverse-scooping Mitchell Marsh for a superbly timed six and next ball gliding the all-rounder down the legside for four.

The former England captain then drove Starc down the ground for four, with even his mishits going for boundaries -- next ball an under-edged cut off the left-arm quick bounced over the head of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

But there was nothing lucky about Root's third four in as many balls off Starc, a deliberate uppercut over the slips.

The sunny overhead conditions, with the ball not swinging in the air or deviating much off the pitch, were ideal for attacking batting.

Stokes, however, gave his wicket away when caught at mid-on off a mistimed drive against spinner Todd Murphy.

England needed only one over to erase their 12-run first-innings deficit at the start of play on Saturday.

Crawley, who had struck a cover-drive for four off the first ball of the series, repeated the shot off the first ball on Saturday in a clear sign of England's intentions before left-hander Ben Duckett ended the over with successive boundaries.

But a stand of 79 ended when Duckett, on 42, edged a full-length Starc delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

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Brief scores

Fifth Ashes Test, The Oval

(day three of five)

England 1st innings: 283 (Brook 85, Duckett 41, Starc 4-82) 2nd Innings: 389-9 (Root 91, Bairstow 78, Starc 4-94)

Australia 1st Innings: 295 (Smith 71, Woakes 3-61)

England lead by 377 runs