Australia must beat history to claim unlikely Ashes victory
A fading Australia will need to create history for a most unlikely Test and series victory as England continued to take the fifth and final Test away from the tourists at the Oval on Saturday.
England were 9/389 from 80 overs at stumps on day three. They lead by 377, more than any team has scored batting last to win during 143 years of Test cricket at the famous south London ground, with two days to play.
England’s Mark Wood plays a ball bowled by Australia’s Todd Murphy and is caught out by Mitchell Marsh. Credit:
If there is one tiny consolation for the Australians it’s that no England player managed a century, and young spinner Todd Murphy (3/110) snared England’s two best batsmen. Murphy bowled top scorer Joe Root for 91 with a ball that turned and deceiving skipper Ben Stokes (42) in the air to have him caught at mid-on.
The best run chase at the Oval was England’s 9/263 to scramble home by one wicket against Australia in 1902, and Australia’s most successful fourth innings at the ground was 5/242 when Paul Sheahan and Rod Marsh guided the visitors home to level the series 2-2.
Australia’s best chase in England is 3/404 at Headingley in 1948, when Arthur Morris made 182 and Don Bradman was unbeaten on 173. Next is the 8/282 Australia ran down at Edgbaston in the first Test of this series, thanks to an unbeaten 55-run partnership between captain Pat Cummins and the now invalided Nathan Lyon.
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The most likely result of this series is also 2-2, which would be a remarkable comeback from England given they went 2-0 after narrow losses in the first two Tests before scrambling home by three wickets at Headingley.
Australia may yet produce a batting miracle against current trends to secure a 3-1 series victory, or it may rain for two days despite a reasonable forecast, which would leave the series 2-1. Either way it would be Australia’s first series victory in England for 22 years, but both scenarios appear remote.
As the holder of the Ashes Australia will retain them following the washout in Manchester, but England have played the better cricket for much of the time, particularly since Nathan Lyon went down during the second Test with a serious calf injury and was ruled out of the series.
A fading Australia will need to create history for a most unlikely Test and series victory as England continued to take the fifth and final Test away from the tourists at the Oval on Saturday.
England were 9/389 from 80 overs at stumps on day three. They lead by 377, more than any team has scored batting last to win during 143 years of Test cricket at the famous south London ground, with two days to play.
England’s Mark Wood plays a ball bowled by Australia’s Todd Murphy and is caught out by Mitchell Marsh. Credit:
If there is one tiny consolation for the Australians it’s that no England player managed a century, and young spinner Todd Murphy (3/110) snared England’s two best batsmen. Murphy bowled top scorer Joe Root for 91 with a ball that turned and deceiving skipper Ben Stokes (42) in the air to have him caught at mid-on.
The best run chase at the Oval was England’s 9/263 to scramble home by one wicket against Australia in 1902, and Australia’s most successful fourth innings at the ground was 5/242 when Paul Sheahan and Rod Marsh guided the visitors home to level the series 2-2.
Australia’s best chase in England is 3/404 at Headingley in 1948, when Arthur Morris made 182 and Don Bradman was unbeaten on 173. Next is the 8/282 Australia ran down at Edgbaston in the first Test of this series, thanks to an unbeaten 55-run partnership between captain Pat Cummins and the now invalided Nathan Lyon.
Loading
The most likely result of this series is also 2-2, which would be a remarkable comeback from England given they went 2-0 after narrow losses in the first two Tests before scrambling home by three wickets at Headingley.
Australia may yet produce a batting miracle against current trends to secure a 3-1 series victory, or it may rain for two days despite a reasonable forecast, which would leave the series 2-1. Either way it would be Australia’s first series victory in England for 22 years, but both scenarios appear remote.
As the holder of the Ashes Australia will retain them following the washout in Manchester, but England have played the better cricket for much of the time, particularly since Nathan Lyon went down during the second Test with a serious calf injury and was ruled out of the series.
