Ashes 2023: England Creates Opportunity to Even Series with Australia

The fifth LV= Insurance Ashes Test at The Kia Oval (on the third of five days)
England with 283 (Brook 85, Duckett 41, Starc 4-82) & 389-9 (Root 91, Bairstow 78, Starc 4-94)
Australia with 295 (Smith 71, Woakes 3-61)
England leads by 377 runs
Scorecard

On the third day of the fifth Test, England has laid the groundwork to potentially even the Ashes series against Australia, moments before Stuart Broad confirmed his imminent retirement.

England closed the day with 389-9, commanding a lead of 377 against Australia at The Oval. Broad was undefeated at two when he announced that this would be his final cricket match.

The majority of England’s top order made substantial contributions. Zak Crawley started the day confidently by driving the first ball from Mitchell Starc for a four, setting the scene for an opening partnership of 79 with Ben Duckett.

Crawley and Duckett scored 73 and 42 respectively, the same score as the stand-in captain, Ben Stokes, who was promoted to third place in the absence of the injured Moeen Ali.

England hit a minor hiccup, losing two wickets for nine runs, but Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow quickly steadied the ship with a fifth-wicket partnership of 110. Root narrowly missed out on a well-earned century by nine runs, and Bairstow was dismissed at 78.

Batting at number seven, Moeen contributed a brisk 29 but was among a series of England wickets falling towards the end of the day. Starc secured 4-94 and off-spinner Todd Murphy took 3-110 as England lost 4-19.

Despite this, England’s commanding position means Australia would need to make the highest successful chase in a Test at this ground to win.

There is a possibility of rain on Sunday, though not severe enough to replicate the soggy conclusion to the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford or overshadow Broad’s emotional farewell, who is England’s second-highest wicket-taker of all time.

England hopes to tie the series 2-2, while Australia is aiming for a 3-1 victory, which would mark their first success in this country in over two decades.

The situation of the match was delicately balanced after two days, with both teams finishing their first innings and Australia leading by just 12 runs, turning the focus to England’s batting performance on Saturday.

What unfolded was a dazzling display of England’s assertive playing style, delivering a final thumping to the Australians, a flawless demonstration of controlled aggression, positive mindset, and clean hitting.

England wiped off the deficit in the first over and never looked back. Australia seemed to pull back and were unable to stop England from building their lead on a perfect pitch.

In a stark contrast to Australia’s slow progress on the second day, England matched their morning session’s score within just 10 overs. A historic record was set when Root reverse-scooped Mitchell Marsh for a six, marking England’s 41st maximum of the series.

The end-of-the-day collapse dampened the spirit a bit, but England’s overall performance has placed them in a strong position.

James Anderson, the last man, entered the pitch, Australia deliberately slowed down the play to avoid batting that evening. As a result, Broad will receive a hero’s welcome on Sunday morning when he comes out to bat.

Crawley and Duckett laid a solid foundation, eliminating any doubts about England’s opening partnership. Both players end this series with an enhanced reputation.

Any thoughts of early pressure on England were swiftly removed by Crawley’s brilliant boundary hit on the first ball. With Duckett’s busy approach and Crawley’s elegance, England was able to set a strong tone for the rest to follow. Australia’s bowlers seemed to lose their grip, with fielders dispersed all around The Oval.

Crawley and Stokes scored 61 for the second wicket before Crawley’s drive at Cummins resulted in an edge to second slip. Stokes was frustrated when he dragged Murphy to mid-on, ending a partnership of 73 with Root.

Root and Bairstow continued the momentum. Root displayed his classic skill, control, and urgency, falling just short of a deserved hundred. Bairstow provided the needed stability, with most of the scoring in his partnership with Root coming from his bat.

After being left on 99 at Old Trafford, he was on the cusp of his first Test century in over a year, only to edge behind off Starc.

Moeen, battling with a groin injury, received a roaring applause likely for his last Test. His top-edged hook off Starc missed a diving Hazlewood at fine leg, symbolizing Australia’s day.

The lower order players took some risk, and Moeen, Chris Woakes, and Mark Wood were all caught out, leaving Anderson fending off Starc bouncers alongside Broad.

The crowd’s loudest cheers came when Anderson reverse-swept Murphy in the final over for consecutive boundaries, and he successfully overturned a lbw dismissal decision, promising an exciting start for the next day.

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More about Ashes 2023

• Ashes 2023 Schedule and Results
• Stuart Broad’s Career Stats
• England Cricket Team News
• Australia Cricket Team News
• Ashes Series History
• Moeen Ali’s Test Career