Live Report: England vs Australia, 5th Test, The Oval

Stuart Broad conjured one last burst of magic, signing off from his professional career with the last two Australian wickets to square the Ashes series two-all at The Oval. England’s all-time leading Ashes wicket-taker claimed his 603rd and 604th Test wickets, Todd Murphy and Alex Carey edging behind, to complete a comeback from two-nil down. Australia retained the urn when rain washed England’s victory hopes away in Manchester but they squandered another opportunity to win a first overseas Ashes series since 2001. They made significant inroads into a steep target of 384 to win, but collapsed dramatically after tea on the fifth day.

When rain arrived just as the players returned after the lunch break, Australia needed 146 more runs to win with seven wickets remaining, with Steven Smith and Travis Head both set. They chipped a further 26 runs off the target after tea, before a dramatic collapse of 4 for 11 in 19 balls.

Moeen Ali, bowling despite a groin strain in what was almost certain to be his final Test match, got one to turn sharply out of the rough as Head edged to slip, then Chris Woakes found Smith’s outside edge as the old ball nipped away just a fraction off the seam.

Mitchell Marsh inside-edged onto his pad and Jonny Bairstow clung onto a sharp chance, sprawling low to his right, and when Mitchell Starc nicked his second ball to second slip, The Oval erupted in celebration. Pat Cummins fell shortly after, inside-edging Moeen to leg slip via his thigh pad.

That brought Murphy to the crease with 90 runs still required, but he held firm alongside Carey to whittle away at the target. After beating Murphy on the outside edge with successive balls, Broad switched the bails at the non-striker’s end – as he had in the first innings – then wheeled away in trademark celebration as his next delivery was nicked behind.

England declined to take the second new ball with a hint of movement still on offer, and Broad had Carey edging to second slip only for Zak Crawley to spill a tricky chance. But Bairstow clung on when Carey feathered behind once more, and Broad basked in the glow of one final flourish to sign off from his epic career.

There it is. Another perfect delivery in the channel outside off, angling into the left-hander, another hint of bounce and movement and a thin but audible snick through to the keeper. England have squared the series at 2-2.

Broad and Moeen Ali lead the team off, Moeen has put in one hell of a shift - busted finger in the early series, dodgy groin in this game - but his exceptional spell in conjunction with Chris Woakes broke open the contest and set up the incredible scenes of farewell we are now witnessing. Moeen only came out of retirement for this series, he's surely headed back there now... but never say never with India looming in the new year.

Broad does his black magic again! After a lack of success, and a hint of anxiety creeping into England's game, out comes the dark arts that did for Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings. A switch of the bails at the non-striker's end, followed by a perfect-length cutter that skims Todd Murphy's edge. England are one away, and the ground has gone BALLISTIC! Broad veered away in the trademark airplane celebration. He then walked back and tapped the bails in thanks.

As if on cue, Stuart Broad returns to the attack, charged with closing out this contest with the final two wickets of his Test career. But so far, there's been no way through the resolute blades of Alex Carey and Todd Murphy, whose tekkers were on display in his six-hitting cameo in the first innings too. England have persevered with the old ball, with Moeen still finding some purchase in a fine (valedictory?) spell of his own. But Australia still have time and overs to whittle down these runs... less than three an over needed from here.

It's a long-hop from Moeen Ali, but it's done the trick for England! Pat Cummins' eyes light up, he winds into a massive whoosh to leg, but the ball spins and he under-edges onto his pads. Ben Stokes at leg gully rushes round, clings on, then sprints a full ten metres before daring to release it from his grip! Moeen has his third, England's delayed new ball has been vindicated, and the hero of Edgbaston has been undone!

"Broady... get loose..."

England are quite content with the replacement ball that the umpires picked out for them yesterday... and with Woakes in a metronomic groove at the moment, and Moeen doing a fine job at the other end, there's reason to persevere for a while yet.

A word for Chris Woakes, a man who has arguably been the second-best seamer in English conditions behind James Anderson, and the second-best England allrounder behind Ben Stokes, and as a consequence has spent his entire career in their shadows. And now, on the occasion of the retirement of Stuart Broad, and in his own tenth anniversary Test to boot, he's putting in the shift that could yet defend England's 22-year unbeaten record in home Ashes Tests. That said, we are back where this daft series all began... with Australia's captain Pat Cummins marshalling his team's rearguard. And we know how that turned out at Edgbaston...

Australia are collapsing in a heap with an outright series win on the line! 264 for 3 has become 274 for 6 in the blink of an eye. It's an extraordinary catch from Bairstow, diving to his right as Moeen induces an edge from Marsh. His keeping has come in for plenty of criticism in the last two months, much of it perfectly reasonable, but has grown into the series with the gloves and takes his second screamer in as many Tests.

Wow, a huge moment in this Test match! It's Woakes again, who gets his third of the day and his 18th in just three Tests this series. It's a fraction short of a good length, nips away off the seam to take the outside edge as Smith defends with a straight bat, and Crawley pouches it at second slip.

Sharp turn for Moeen to induce the edge, and he gets Head out for the third time in the series. England need six wickets, Australia need 120...

The umpires have miscaluclated the number of overs remaining: the umpires told the players that they were 52 overs remaining in the day at the restart, but in fact, it was 47. Joel Wilson has just informed Stokes, Smith and Head of the change. Given Australia's scoring rate, I doubt their approach will change much.

52 overs remaining for the day, say the ECB. The last hour will begin after 37 overs or at 6pm - whichever is later.

Who is your Compton-Miller medallist?

Ricky Ponting believes the choice of replacement ball during Australia’s second innings in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval was a “huge blunder” which “needs to be investigated”.

“The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace the one [that had gone out of shape],” Ponting said on Sky Sports. “There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable.

“At the end of the day, if you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so [you make it] as close as you possibly can to the one that you’re changing it from. Now if you have a look in that box, there weren’t too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at that and threw them back.

“I just cannot fathom how two international umpires that have done that a lot of times before can get that so wrong. That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated: whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just, blasé, picked one out of there that they think will be OK to use.”

Full story.

The players are out there after lunch... and then straight off again, since it has started raining. It's relatively light at the moment.

Smith survives a chance in the over before lunch. He lunges forward to defend and the ball strikes the glove. It pops up to Stokes at leg stump who grabs onto it at full stretch - but as he goes to throw it up in celebration, it bangs against his thigh or his knee. He is talked into a review but doesn't look convinced, and clearly isn't in total control.

Stokes has a long chat with umpires Wilson and Dharmasena on his way off the field at the lunch interval, but the fact is that Smith is still there, unbeaten on 40. Australia need 146; England need seven wickets.

Here's the relevant law:
33.3 Making a catch
The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement.

There are some reports of Mark Wood battling through a heel injury. He is still bowling but his pace is a little down. An England spokesperson tells us that it is "sore, like most of his body" and points out that Wood briefly left the field before the rain on Sunday. But he is still out there toiling away.

Moeen Ali comes on from the Vauxhall End and there is turn on offer for him. He is threaded through cover for four by Steven Smith, but also gets a couple to go sharply, towards the right-hander's inside edge. He's stretching out his groin between balls - and using hand-warmers, on a chilly day.

Ben Stokes marked Travis Head out as a player who he would find difficult to make plans for ahead of this series and he is proving why, with 23 off his first 30 balls. Broad has repeatedly beaten him on the outside edge, going full to start rather than full, but he has also struck four early boundaries.

There's been plenty of talk in the broadcast media about that ball change last night, with the replacement moving so much more through the air. Ricky Ponting, on Sky Sports, said there was a "complete contrast" between Sunday and Monday's conditions, adding: "It has got to be this change of ball. There was absolutely nothing happening. Australia dominated."

Callum Ferguson, who played a Test and 33 white-ball internationals for Australia, went a step further on Channel 9 in Australia. "I think it is actually disgraceful they have allowed a ball this new into the game at the stage they did," he said. "It made it very difficult."

Marnus Labuschagne was the only frontline Australia batter not to have been dismissed by Mark Wood in this series heading into this Test, and has now fallen to him twice in as many innings. Another excellent catch by Zak Crawley at second slip - his seventh of the series - sends Labuschagne back, and England have three early wickets in the morning.

Chris Woakes has his 17th wicket for the series, trapping Khawaja on the knee roll. Joel Wilson gives him out on-field and for the fourth innings in a row, Khawaja reviews unsuccessfully. Woakes wasn't picked for the first two Tests but is now the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the series - only three behind Stuart Broad's tally.

England have the breakthrough they wanted, and it's a beauty from Chris Woakes. He angles one across Warner from over the wicket and induces a thin edge through to Bairstow. The usual boos for Warner turn into a standing ovation as The Oval crowd realise that he has faced his final ball in international cricket in this country.

The ball was changed 11 deliveries before the rain brought an early finish on Sunday, and the replacement looks a lot harder and newer than the old one. Marcus Trescothick said last night that England's players believed it sounded significantly different off the bat:

Joe Root, standing at first slip, is wearing a black armband on his left sleeve today in memory of Richard Ibbotson, who has passed away suddenly. Ibbotson was the chair of Sheffield Collegiate CC, the club that Root grew up playing for. "Mr Ibbotson is someone who has a done a lot for Joe and his cricket club in Sheffield," an England spokesperson said.

11.10 - 13.25 Morning session
13.25- 14.05 Lunch
14.05 - 16.20 Afternoon session
16.20 - 16.40 Tea
16.40- 18.40 Evening session

98 overs for the day

Last hour will start at 17.40 or 83 overs, whichever is later - provided there is no further rain.

A brief shower has pushed the start back by 10 minutes. England's players are lurking on the boundary edge with the sun now bursting through the clouds, and a rope being run around the outfield to remove any remaining moisture.

It's been a long tour for Australia, whose touring party arrived by the start of June to prepare for the World Test Championship final against India. They had their best day in weeks on Sunday, chipping away at the first 135 runs of their 384 target, and if they can pull off an epic chase today then they will secure their status as one of the great teams of the modern era.

That's all, folks. The rain has hammered down and the umpires have called it. What a final day of the series we have in prospect. Australia need 249 runs. England need 10 wickets. The forecast is decent. Who is taking this?

There's still a bit to play out here, but as it tips down I've asked colleague to pick out there favourite or key moment of the series:

For all of the hype around Bazball and the expectation that this series would be different, no moment could have better subverted the accepted terms of Ashes engagement than Zak Crawley’s first-ball four off Pat Cummins at Edgbaston. Not only was it a blazing stroke in its own right, and one that ignited a cauldron-like atmosphere within a ramped-up stadium, but it took a special level of guts and belief from Crawley – a player whose place in the England line-up had been under perpetual scrutiny, but who had been retained precisely on the promise of this level of bravado. At the time, it felt as portentous as Michael Slater’s drill for four off Phil DeFreitas in 1994-95, and the utter inverse of Steve Harmison’s infamous wide in 2006-07 – evidence of a team with unwavering faith in its methods. And if it did not turn out to be the scene-setter that England had envisaged for their Ashes hopes, the on-field action barely took a backwards step from that point onwards.

At lunch on day two at Headingley England were 2-0 down in the series and 121 runs behind Australia with only three first innings wickets in hand. Instead of eating lunch, Mark Wood went to the nets to practice his pull and hook shots against the short ball. Australia, having nicked off five of England's top six to leave them perilously placed at 141 for 7, proved Wood's instincts right and inexplicably bounced him exclusively after lunch. He made 24 off 8 balls including three hooked sixes. England made 95 in 10.2 overs with Ben Stokes compiling another miraculous 80 at Headingley as Australia dropped him twice and dropped their bundle. England have dominated the series from that moment on and are in a position to draw it 2-2.

Jonny Bairstow's dismissal at Lord's, controversially stumped by Alex Carey, may nearly have prompted an international incident - but its most significant impact was the transformative effect it had on Ben Stokes, who responded by peppering the Mound and Tavern Stands with a flurry of sixes after lunch. Stokes' 155 was an instant Ashes classic, and despite Australia managing to regain their composure just enough to close out a tight win, his innings turned the tide of the series.

Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow on the final day at Lord’s: specifically as a seismic cultural moment. I don’t think we realised how big a s***storm a legal dismissal could create, and we’ll probably only realise the true scale when Charlie Brooker parodies it on Netflix later this year. Players past and present, celebrities past and present, heads of state, morons of state – all wading into a sport that suddenly became the most important thing in the world. England’s fortunes on the field seemed to turn from that point on, but, even for the well-versed, it was eye-opening to see just how much more important an Ashes series is. Dimuth Karunaratne could get a hoard of feral cats to attack Harry Brook at Old Trafford next year and it would probably only get a couple of pars on the Chorley FM website.

The early tea has now finished, but no movement in the middle. Still steady drizzle and the radar isn't promising.

It had been approaching for a while, and now the rain has arrived just as the players took drinks. Australia very much on top at the moment. It's been a superb opening stand. England have looked flat today. Question marks over why Mark Wood wasn't used earlier and Moeen Ali is obviously not fully fit. A lot of miles in the legs of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Still plenty needed for Australia, but it would be a remarkable end to a remarkable series if they chased it. Tomorrow's forecast has improved.

For now, it's not great. Miller has dangled his seaweed. Meanwhile, tea will be taken at 3.10pm.

Usman Khawaja, who is now all-but certain to end the series as the leading run-scorer, has taken a blow on the helmet against Mark Wood, and he's needed a helmet change. The opening pair remain steadfast, though. Joe Root's last over cost 13. All of a sudden, the runs required is much less daunting. The radar suggests rain may not be far away.

A reminder of Australia's highest successful run chases.

David Warner has played very well, and did very well to deflect a beaming from James Anderson down to deep third for a boundary. Anderson apologised straightaway. Warner and Khawaja have now brought up their century, Australia's first in England for the opening stand since Warner and Chris Rogers at The Oval in 2015. Mark Wood is finally into the attack and thick edge from Khawaja takes him to his fifty. It's a been an excellent series from him.

Various theories being floated as to why Mark Wood hasn't bowled yet, among them that England are waiting for reverse swing before unleashing him. The problem with that plan will be the rain that is approach and a damp outfield. But the way this is going, they will need him tomorrow as well.

Lunch Australia 295 and 75 for 0 need 309 more runs to beat England 283 and 395

That's been a terrific session for Australia. It didn't take them long to claim the final wicket and then David Warner and Usman Khawaja have set about laying a very solid foundation. There haven't really been many alarms on a surface that appears to be dying. England's quicks, especially Stuart Broad and James Anderson, have used a lot of cutters while the keeper and slips have been stood close. One curious aspect has been the lack of Mark Wood with the ball. It's clouded over during the morning and there is some rain forecast this afternoon.

It's been a fair effort by Australia's opening pair in this series. Except Headingley, they've contributed a partnership of some value every time. Certainly an improvement on 2019 where the best the various opening pairs managed was 18.

Amid all the focus on Stuart Broad, this is a good morning for Australia. David Warner and Usman Khawaja have been largely solid, although Warner nearly clothed a Moeen Ali full toss to midwicket. Moeen was on in the 10th over and has also spun one past Khawaja's edge. England have plenty of runs to play with but could do with a spark from somewhere

No major early alarms for David Warner and Usman Khawaja against the new ball. Two overs apiece from Stuart Broad and James Anderson so far. There was huge applause as Broad came in for his first delivery to Warner. Amid everything, it's worth remembering this pitch is still pretty good for batting. Moeen Ali is on the field. The official word is that he's fit to bowl.

Carol, Stuart Broad's mum, has been speaking on BBC Test Match Special:

"Today is right, everything about today is right. We want to win it today, everything about it is right. We knew for certain yesterday morning; so yesterday I was a fidget because our lips were sealed but yesterday was a great batting day, so I had something to focus on. Of course, you have conversations, you do, but Stuart is a master of making the right decision, so it's always his decision and he's done it again. It's the perfect time, isn't it. It's his story to tell which is why I won't talk about him, but he's got it right and this is right and beating Australia is perfect.

"He is feisty in everything but not feisty at home. In anything, he is competitive, and he doesn't like coming second. I don't know what it is about the Ashes, it's just something extra special about it because playing any match is the same and I've always said to him you know you can carry on if you tingle when you step on the grass, that's all it's about.

"When he was tiny. For years, you'd ask what he wants for his birthday and he'd say a ball. He was ever so cheap. That's all he wanted. He's played all sports, as sportsmen should in my opinion and that's great because you get that passion, for doing it and he has something extra like they all do, every person in this field has, they have something extra."

"He never broke a window and we never had any ornaments because if it rained he played inside. We had a floodlight put on at the back of the house so he could play at night and they had to make do, Stumps were a bucket. His bat was precious possesion. Gemma could bowl better than Stuart and could catch better than him so she trained him.

"I haven't been pushy. They can be what they want to be and if you want to, you're going to do it. You don't need your mum to say go play three hours of cricket today, he'd go out and play seven hours. I'd always say to him: 'Did you enjoy it?' Same words every time. I won't say what he said sometimes.

"He was like me, I was tiny as a teenager and then shot up and the same happened to Stuart, he grew six inches in a year. He was so little when he was born it took him so long to catch up."

That all lasted 11 balls in the end. A bizarre few minutes in many ways. Stuart Broad farmed the strike against Mitchell Starc, then pulled the last ball of the over for a mighty six over deep midwicket. James Anderson, on his 41st birthday, faced up to Todd Murphy. He nailed one reverse sweep but didn't take the run. They was lbw playing another. In all, England's last six wickets fell for 63. Australia need 384 to win.

The Australians lined up to provide Stuart Broad a guard of honour as he came out to the middle. A long standing ovation from the crowd, too. Quite some scenes at The Oval. How long will this last?

There has been some plunder handed out to Australia's attack over the last few weeks. They've have been unable to curb England's scoring. They found enough success to take the first two Tests which gave them breathing space, and now they've needed it. Here's some thoughts on how they've gone.

Hello everyone and welcome to day four from The Oval. Things have been given added meaning today following Stuart Broad's retirement announcement. Can he finish in style? We await to see what England do first thing, whether they bat on or not. There is rain forecast later in the day. Or is there chance Australia can spoil things. As it stands, they would need their second-highest successful chase ever. You wonder how much they have left in the tank.

If you want to read Broad's full retirement press conference from last night, it's all here.

And that ends a day of batting dominance from England, although Australia chipped away in the last session. The closing moments were dominated by the scenes around James Anderson's appearance at No. 11. Firstly, Australia took an age to set the field to ensure they wouldn't have to face an over, then they reviewed for an edge from a reverse sweep which Anderson hadn't hit. Mitchell Starc then struck Anderson with a short ball that smashed into his right glove to raise questions about whether it was sensible him even batting. But, to huge cheers, he got a reverse sweep away against Todd Murphy. That was followed by a slog-swept four, then he reversed an lbw (or arm before wicket) decision given by Joel Wilson. It was a heady finish to the day.

Another 10 overs lost from the match. There is rain forecast over the next two days, but it feels as though there will be time for a result.

Moeen Ali's fun has come to an end with a upper cut that was well held by Josh Hazlewood running around the deep third rope. Handy runs from him, especially considering the injury. Warm applause as he heads off, and a fist-bump from the incoming Stuart Broad. Another wicket for Mitchell Starc who has again kept going impressively. It's been a very good series for him

After being stranded one short at Old Trafford, Jonny Bairstow has missed out on an Ashes hundred after edging behind against Mitchell Starc. It was in a period of some fun byplay between the pair after Australia had reviewed for an lbw that Bairstow nicked then produced a mock appeal next ball. Then Bairstow had a flash outside off and it was a regulation catch for Alex Carey. Chris Woakes has now bunted a drive to mid-off. Doesn't look like England will declare tonight.

Some effort to hit "shot of the day" with half a groin

It's a cracking delivery from Todd Murphy, his third after returning to the attack from the Vauxhall End, drifting before turning through Joe Root's gate. It got a thick bit of inside edge before hitting his stumps, but a well-executed piece of off spin bowling nonetheless.

There was, however, a distinct lack of bounce with this one. Root wasn't necessarily done by it, but it hit low on his bat - just above the toe - and suggests a fourth innings will not be straightforward.

Just as Todd Murphy was getting into the groove, Jonny Bairstow, destructor of off spin, cracked him twice through cover for boundaries. Murphy was hooked the next over, with 23 of his 77 conceded coming from the Blade of Bairstow.

Will England pull out tonight as they did at Edgbaston to try and prise a couple out before Sunday? One imagines Jonny will dictate any moves like that. If he can reach a century, the carnage will come and thoughts of a declaration will fast track in the minds of Stokes and McCullum.

It does feel like we've had the same (pulsating) day over and over again this series...

Solid start from Australia after the break. Todd Murphy has continued at the Vauxhall End while Mitchell Starc has taken the Pavilion, and between them they have kept a lid on the runs. Murphy has a broadly traditional off-spinners field, while Starc has two men behind square on the leg side for a short ball, and just the one slip. Neither Joe Root nor Jonny Bairstow have indulged in anything particularly full-blooded after the break, aside from in the 54th over when Murphy dropped short and was pumped to the cover fence by Bairstow to open the evening session's boundary county 29 balls in.

Might we be watching an England team looking to bat on into tomorrow? Looks like it so far...

There was an interesting moment of captaincy from Pat Cummins during that afternoon session, which further emphasised how big of a loss Nathan Lyon was from Australia’s attack. Todd Murphy had removed Ben Stokes for the second time in the series, when the England captain clothed to mid-on, but he was immediately withdrawn from the attack. You could understand what Cummins was thinking as he brought himself on at Vauxhall End – target Jonny Bairstow with pace early on – but it felt like a moment to show faith in Murphy. He hasn’t had an extended spell yet in the two matches he has played. His economy has been high, but that’s the case for all the bowlers. As it transpired it was only a two-over spell from Cummins before Murphy was brought back on, and produced a nice delivery that beat Bairstow’s edge. He is now continuing on after tea.

That's a joke, by the way. Although...

Most traditional batter going strikes three boundaries in a row. The captain then drags the spinner to wide mid on. The new kid on the block comes out and hits the straightest six you've seen, then feathers an edge behind. Could you be anymore Bazball? [/Chandler Bing]

He was 36 off 36 before three successful fours off Mitchell Starc - the second bouncing over Alex Carey via an under-edged, the third guided deliberately over the keeper's head - which also happened to take England to a crisp 200 lead.

Oh and now Ben Stokes is out, chipping Todd Murphy to Pat Cummins. Silly Ben, you're no Joe...

At the time, it looked like bat and pad were close together when Root pressed forward, jamming the ball between both to keep out a delivery which nipped into the right-hander. Australia reviewed, pad was clearly struck before bat, but the impact of "umpire's call" on line meant the decision could not be overturned.

Root went on to take Hazlewood for two consecutive fours in the seamer's next over, and has pulled out the reverse-ramp-scoop for six against Mitchell Marsh. He is currently flying on 36 off 35, as England's lead approaches 200. What might have been for Australia...

A sharp edge, well-taken by Steve Smith at second slip brings an end to Zak Crawley's Test summer. The impact up top, the average of 53.33, has been far better than anyone could have predicted, aside from Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key who have constantly backed him since the start of last summer. They promised these were the series he would really make a difference. England won't win the Ashes, but Crawley - currently top of the run charts across both sets of batters - has excelled.

Another session where Australia’s bowlers have been under huge pressure. They started poorly and only occasionally were able to drag it back. Mitchell Marsh did a decent job and Mitchell Starc found the breakthrough with some late swing. As has been the pattern throughout the series there have been plenty of easy singles on offer for England’s top order – so while the boundaries have obviously been the eye-catching element of their batting (and Zak Crawley has produced some gems this morning) the tip-and-run cricket they have been able to play is also significant. It was also noticeable how hard they went at Todd Murphy. Pat Cummins would ideally like to be able to lock his spinner in for a long spell, but that may not be possible.

A pretty special series for England's most derided player in the Bazball era takes a new historic turn as Zak Crawley moves up to 6th for runs scored by an England opener in a home Ashes. He is currently on 478*, just 76 behind the clubhouse leader John Edrich, who scored 554 during the 1968 series.

Wouldn't be the maddest thing in the world if he tops that list by stumps...

... for the first time since November 2018.

That was the era of Total Cricket - essentially, back your team with allrounders. Moeen Ali batted at first drop in the first Sri Lanka Test, before Jonny Bairstow came in and did it in the third.

There are many ways to skin a cat. Though if you were said cat, would you rather be skinned by Zak or Usman?

Things have quietened up a bit, but the levels are still high in the stands. The early crash and bangs have made way for singles out to those boundary riders who are putting in a shift. Cummins has got Crawley and Duckett to play and miss, while the introduction of Mitchell Marsh to Crawley - who has dismissed him twice this series, both at Headingley - has kept the Kent man in check. England's last boundary was the slice over the keeper that took them past fifty, 26 balls ago, which with this England side feels like an age...

Enjoyably peculiar fields here. Pat Cummins with the slips in - first, second, fourth and gully - wide mid on and mid off, before you zoom out and catch square leg and point on the fence. At the Vauxhall End, though, Hazlewood had two square legs to Ben Duckett, with a man further behind on the fence at fine leg. It's muddled, per se. But it doesn't quite make sense, because it does not seem to be affecting the flow of runs. And now he is being replaced by Mitchell Marsh...

England were motivated to give people one last performance in this final Test. Yes, square the series as well, but the rains of Manchester left players and fans feeling sombre. What might have been. Nevertheless, they arrived here full of beans, gagging to go out all guns blazing. So it was no surprise to see Crawley pump the first ball of the final Bazball innings of the summer through cover, sending everyone at the Kia Oval wild. In doing so, he became the first batter to have started his team's innings with a boundary on three occasions in a series.

With Moeen Ali not permitted to bat until 120 minutes have elapsed, or the fall of the fifth wicket (whichever is sooner) after spending all of Australia's innings off the field, England need to find a new No. 3. There are a few candidates - Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow - but there's another name in the England XI who has done the job before in international cricket...

Underpinned by Steven Smith, Australia’s tortoises eked out a slender first-innings lead over England’s hares at The Oval. England had thrashed 283 in 54.4 overs on the first day, but Australia responded at a different tempo altogether.

They edged ahead after exactly 99 overs of their innings, thanks in no small part to their captain, Pat Cummins. Cummins came in at 185 for 7, with Australia still 98 behind, but shared partnerships worth 54 with Smith, and then 49 with Todd Murphy in making 36.

Each of England’s four seamers bowled at least 20 overs with Moeen Ali – who sustained a groin injury while batting on the first day – spending the entirety of the second in the dressing room. Chris Woakes finished with 3 for 61, but Stuart Broad was the pick of the attack.

Australia went nowhere for much of the morning session, adding 13 runs off the bat in the first hour of play, but Smith’s arrival at the crease – after Marnus Labuschagne was brilliantly caught by Joe Root at slip – changed the rhythm of the game.

He crashed consecutive early boundaries through mid-off off James Anderson, breaking Don Bradman’s record for the most runs by an overseas batter at The Oval with the first of them, and held Australia’s innings together after lunch as five wickets fell at the far end.

Broad broke the game open, taking two wickets in his first two overs after the interval to remove Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, while none of Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc reached 20 as England sensed the possibility of a substantial lead.

But after Smith survived a narrow judgement call from TV umpire Nitin Menon on a run-out chance and Cummins overturned an lbw decision, Australia chipped away at the deficit. Murphy played his shots from No. 10, hooking Mark Wood for the first, second and third sixes of his professional career, and flicked a single off his pads to long leg to bring them into the lead.

After Woakes trapped Murphy lbw, Cummins swiped Joe Root down the ground only for Ben Stokes to take a sharp catch on the boundary at long-on. It meant a first-innings lead of just 12 runs, with the fifth Test effectively becoming a one-innings shoot-out.

Stokes brings on Joe Root, with just a few minutes left in the day... and he strikes first ball, via a fine bit of work on the rope from the England captain! Cummins slogged the spinner hard towards long-on but couldn't quite clear the man back, as Stokes took the catch inside the rope and then tossed it up to himself as he stepped out of bounds and the back in. Australia all out for 295, a lead of 12 - and that is the close, England's second innings will begin in the morning.

Murphy's handy knock comes to an end as Woakes wobbles one back to hit the pads. Kumar Dharmasena raises his finger and it's umpire's call on hitting leg stump, despite Murphy's review! Ends a stand worth 49 for the ninth wicket. One more for England to get, with just a few runs separating the team right now.

It seemed a long way off at 185 for 7, but Australia are ahead on first innings. England took 54.4 overs to reach 283 all out after being asked to bat first on Thursday morning, while Australia have crept in front after 99, with Todd Murphy's flick to long leg getting them there.

20 minutes ago Todd Murphy hadn't hit a single six in his professional career. He's now hit three, all of them off Mark Wood.

Todd Murphy, Australia's No. 10, is being targeted with some short stuff by England's seamers but has decided to take the short ball on. He top-edges a hook down towards Joe Root at long leg on the boundary... who can only watch it sail into the 10th row behind him!

Steve Smith looks to heave a straight ball from Chris Woakes into the leg side - over Harry Brook, who has just been brought up from the boundary at square leg - but is through the shot early, and gets a thick leading edge on it which balloons up towards the vacant short third region.

Jonny Bairstow scampers back, settles underneath it and takes the catch, and Smith wanders off for a well-made 71 at drinks, the second-highest individual score of the match.

Cummins and Smith have added 50 in 15.4 overs, the first 50-run stand of this innings. Cummins hasn't been in control for much of his innings, scoring three boundaries down to fine leg including two via the inside edge - but crucially for Australia, he's still there, keeping one of the best batters in the world company.

England's seamers haven't gone past the bat much since taking the new ball - but perhaps once the lacquer is off, it'll start to deviate more.

Stuart Broad hits Cummins on the pad, and the ball deflects to Joe Root at slip who pouches it. Joel Wilson gives it out after a long think about his decision, and UltraEdge confirms that Cummins hasn't hit it after he chooses to review - so Root's catch is immaterial.

Ball-tracking then predicts that the ball is doing too much and sliding past leg stump - though one England fast bowler isn't convinced...

Smith reaches a 98-ball half-century, pounding Broad back down the ground for four through mid-on to reach the landmark. He's only the second batter to reach 50 in the match after Harry Brook yesterday, and has held Australia together on a challenging day for them. Will he shift gears now, with the tail for company?

TV umpire Nitin Menon has a very difficult decision to make and decides that Steven Smith is not out, after an extremely tight run-out call. Smith knocked the ball into the leg side where George Ealham, the substitute fielder, runs in and flings it at the keeper’s end.

Smith dives at full strength onto his front and is just short of his crease… but Menon notices that Jonny Bairstow has started to dislodge one of the bails while preparing to collect the ball, and decides that enough of the bail is out of the groove to reprieve Smith – who was marching back off to the dressing rooms.

Andrew McGlashan: What a curious day it’s been from Australia. You could understand what they were trying to do early on, weather tricky conditions with heavy cloud and put miles in the legs of an England attack missing a bowler.

But were they too defensive? While they only lost one wicket before lunch the scoreboard barely moved, which meant when further inroads were made this afternoon – starting with Stuart Broad’s double strike which lifted the mood of the crowd - the deficit was still significant.

Some of the shot selection was questionable, too, with Alex Carey falling for the trap against Joe Root and driving straight short cover, while Mitchell Starc was suckered in by Mark Wood’s short ball leaving Steve Smith watching from the non-striker’s end.

England have a seventh wicket: Mark Wood bangs one in halfway down at 88mph/142kph and Mitchell Starc is cramped for room on the pull shot, top-edging into the leg side. It loops a long way up in the air as Ben Duckett initially misjudges it, before running in and settling underneath a straightforward catch. Australia trail by 98 and out walks Pat Cummins at No. 9.

This is a shocker from Alex Carey. He gets down on one knee to melt Root over mid-on for six, but is then suckered into a loose drive outside his off stump by a loopy, 49mph offbreak which he slaps straight to Stokes at short cover. Another start for an Australian batter without pushing on.

Another vital breakthrough for England as Mitchell Marsh falls for 16, pushing forwards at an in-ducker from Anderson in the off-stump channel. He chops onto his own stumps and The Oval stands to celebrate a long-awaited wicket for England's all-time leading-wicket taker.

After surviving a tight lbw appeal - which ball-tracking suggests would have trimmed the bails - Mitchell Marsh decides there's no point just hanging in there, and swipes Broad back over his head for a towering six towards the press box!