Root leads run-spree as England press for Ashes-levelling win
View(s):LONDON, July 29, 2023 (AFP) – Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow combined for a sublime century partnership as England took a giant stride towards levelling the Ashes in the fifth Test at The Oval on Saturday. England, in a match they must win to square the series at 2-2, were 389-9 in their second innings at stumps on the third day — a commanding lead of 377 runs.
Root (91) and Bairstow (78) were both in superb touch during a fifth-wicket stand of 110, with the only sadness for a capacity home crowd the fact that neither Yorkshireman was able to complete an individual hundred. A late flurry of wickets, with Mitchell Starc taking 4-94 after a pounding by England’s top order, gave Australia a glimmer of hope.
But some of the biggest cheers of the day came when last man James Anderson got off the mark by reverse sweeping Todd Murphy for four and then next ball conventionally sweeping the off-spinner for another boundary.
Nevertheless, England’s advantage means Australia already have to achieve what would be the joint eighth-highest total to win in the fourth innings of a Test if they are to pull off an improbable victory. After Zak Crawley, who made a fine 73, and Harry Brook fell in quick succession, England were 222-4.
But Bairstow, one of the stars of the ‘Bazball’ era, maintained the aggressive run-rate with 34 off 35 balls as England reached tea on 265-4. Bairstow went to fifty with a rasping cover-drive off Josh Hazlewood — his seventh boundary in 60 balls faced. Root, 61 not out at tea, moved into the 90s with an elegant cover-driven four off Australia captain Pat Cummins.
But there was no second century of the series for Root following his unbeaten 118 in the first Test at Edgbaston, when he was bowled between bat and pad by a Murphy off-break that kept low. Bairstow, fresh fresh from his blistering 99 not out in last week’s rain-marred drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, also fell short of three figures when he flat-footedly cut at left-arm fast bowler Starc and was caught behind.
Earlier, 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 before left-hander Ben Duckett ended the over with successive boundaries.
England 1st innings 283 all out (54.4) (Harry Brook 85, Ben Duckett 41, Chris Woakes 36, Moeen Ali 34, Mark Wood 28, Mitchell Starc 4/82, Todd Murphy 2/22, Josh Hazlewood 2/54)
Australia 1st innings 295 all out (103.1) (Steven Smith 71, Usman Khawaja 47, Pat Cummins 36, Todd Murphy 34, Chris Woakes 3/61, Joe Root 2/20, Stuart Broad 2/49, Mark Wood 2/62)
England 2nd innings
Zak Crawley c Smith b Cummins 73
Ben Duckett c Carey b Starc 42
Ben Stokes c Cummins b Murphy 42
Joe Root b Murphy 91
Harry Brook c Carey b Hazlewood 07
Jonny Bairstow c Carey b Starc 78
Moeen Ali c Hazlewood b Starc 29
Chris Woakes c Khawaja b Starc 01
Mark Wood c Marsh b Murphy 09
Stuart Broad not out 02
James Anderson not out 08
Extras (lb4, nb3) 07
Total (9 wickets; 80 overs) 389
Fall of wickets: 1-79 (Duckett, 16.6ov), 2-140 (Crawley, 26.3ov), 3-213 (Stokes, 39.3ov), 4-222 (Brook, 40.5ov), 5-332 (Root, 65.3ov), 6-360 (Bairstow, 72.4ov), 7-364 (Woakes, 74.1ov), 8-375 (Ali, 76.6ov), 9-379 (Wood, 77.2ov)
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 19-2-94-4, Josh Hazlewood 15-0-67-1, Pat Cummins 16-0-79-1, Mitchell Marsh 8-0-35-0, Todd Murphy 22-0-110-3