For the better part of the morning session, Australia appeared in complete control. However,the mayhem after tea put England in firm command of the Ashes.
Australia lost both openers, Simon Katich and Shane Watson, in the after hour since resumption of the day’s play on the fourth day of the fifth Test at the Oval. Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad effected a double lbw blow successively to leave Australia t ninety for two.
But it brought the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, and Mike Hussey to the crease. The duo forged a partnership that, for a while, put England’s victory on the backburner and taking Australia inching towards the massive 545 target to regain the Ashes.
However, with the score on 217, England’s and Australia’s fortunes changed hands again. Andrew Flintoff has not really made the impact he would have liked in the final Test of his cricket career before retirement. However, no one would challenge how important it was for England’s morale and Australia’s dampening interests to eliminate Ponting. He did so with a brilliant direct hit that had the captain stunned and reluctant to leave the crease on sixty-six runs.
One disaster followed another as Michael Clarke was run out, having briefly stepped out of the crease without a run to his name. The situation’s grim reality hit Australia when Graeme Swann picked up the key wicket of Marcus North stumped by Matt Prior to leave Australia at 265 for five, with England needing five more wickets, on the easier side of the line up to complete a successive Ashes series victory at home.
Ashes T 5 Day 3 Stumps: Trott Propels England, Australia Hang On
Ashes T 5: Lily Allen Steals a Bit of England Attention
Ashes T 5 Day 3 Lunch and Tea: England Taking Oval into Realm of Impossible for Australia
Stuart Broad Wants Ashes win for his Five-fer Effort to Emulate Dad
Ashes T 5 Day 2 Stumps: England Have the Edge
Bilal Shafayat Wins Race Row Against Journos, Donates Damages
Ashes T 5 Day 2 Lunch and Tea: Broad Brings England Back into the Game
Flintoff’s Knee Surgery To Keep Him Out for a Year
Ashes T 5 Day 1 Stumps: England Hand Over Initiative After Bell, Trott
Ricky Ponting: No Date for the Sunset Yet
Ashes T 5 Day 1: England Put Up Good Batting Front With Strauss
No Evidence for ICC, Betting Prevalent
Strauss Wants Flintoff in Team, Vaughan Calls Freddie Unprofessional
Leak: England Team selection Found in Dustbin?
