Ben Stokes gave Australia’s Steve Smith a doubtlessly match-changing reprieve after early wickets revived England’s hopes of a series-levelling win on the final day of the ultimate Ashes Check at The Oval on Monday. Australia had been 238-3 at lunch, needing 146 extra runs to succeed in a mammoth goal of 384 runs, with rain threatening to intervene. Smith, then on 39, gloved off-spinner Moeen Ali onto his thigh within the final over earlier than lunch.  The ball looped to England captain Stokes at leg gully, who grabbed it one-handed above his head. However as his arm got here down, his hand clipped his leg and he dropped the ball. Star batsman Smith was initially given not out and an England evaluation confirmed Stokes’s error.

At lunch Smith, averaging over 93 at The Oval, was 40 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 31.

Earlier, Chris Woakes eliminated Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja in a dramatic burst of two wickets for one run in seven balls on an overcast morning and with a pitch freshened by rain — basic English situations for swing and seam bowling.

Categorical fast Mark Wooden then had Marnus Labuschagne caught within the slips for 13 to go away Australia, who’ve already retained the Ashes at 2-1 up, 169-3.

Australia, bidding for a primary Ashes collection win in England since 2001, resumed on 135-0. Warner was 58 not and Khawaja 69 not out.

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England tempo nice Stuart Broad, who on Saturday made a shock announcement he would retire after the match, took up the assault because the 37-year-old sought to dismiss Warner for the 18th time in Checks.

However it was Woakes who made the breakthrough England desperately wanted when a good-length ball, angled throughout Warner, nipped off the seam and took the skin edge to offer wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow a easy catch.

Warner was out for 60 and it was not lengthy earlier than Khawaja, the main run-scorer within the collection, adopted him.

Khawaja was lbw to Woakes for 72 after being caught on the crease in entrance of center and leg stumps by a full-length supply.

Wooden then squared up Labuschagne with an 86 mph (139 kph) supply that angled in and swung away to take the sting, with Zak Crawley, shifting neatly to his left, holding a effective low catch at second slip.

Smith drove Woakes commandingly by means of the covers for 4 earlier than left-hander Head clipped Broad, who repeatedly beat the skin edge, by means of midwicket for a well-timed boundary.

If Australia attain their goal it will likely be the eighth-highest fourth-innings whole to win any Check and the second-highest in England, behind Australia’s 404-3 at Headingley in 1948.

It could even be a brand new floor document — the very best profitable fourth-innings chase in a Check at The Oval is England’s 263-9 in opposition to Australia method again in 1902.

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