England leads Australia by 253 runs with 6 wickets left in fifth Ashes check

LONDON (AP) – England elevated its lead over Australia to 253 runs by tea Saturday on the third day of the fifth Ashes check in a match the hosts should win to degree the sequence.

England is 265-4 after 49 overs in its second innings on the Oval with Joe Root 61 not out and Jonny Bairstow on 34 in a fifth-wicket partnership value 43 to date. Both batters are scoring at round a run-a-ball.

Australia claimed three wickets within the afternoon for 135 runs off 24 overs after England resumed after lunch on 130-1. Ben Duckett (42) was the batter out within the morning.

Zak Crawley was solely in a position so as to add two runs to his tally after lunch earlier than he departed for 73. An tried drive off Pat Cummins (1-64) produced an edge and Steve Smith took the catch within the slips. It ended a terrific Ashes sequence for Crawley, who finishes with 480 runs from 9 innings.

Three consecutive boundaries noticed Root race into the 40s and he introduced up his fifty with a single off Todd Murphy earlier than the Aussie spinner hit again with the wicket of Ben Stokes (42). England’s captain had performed with the right combination of aggression and persistence in an unorthodox place at No. 3 due to Moeen Ali’s damage, however fell with a half-century in sight. Stokes tried to hit Murphy over mid-on however picked out reverse quantity Cummins to go away England on 213-3, a lead of 201.

England’s lead handed the 250-mark by tea regardless of Harry Brook being out for seven.

Brook’s dismissal, edging Josh Hazlewood behind to Alex Carey, introduced Bairstow to the crease and he crunched 34 not out in fast time alongside Root, who had dropped anchor by this level.

Earlier, after Australia was all out for 295 from the final ball of the second day, Crawley and Duckett walked out Saturday to wonderful sunshine in south London with a 12-run deficit to wipe out.

England took solely six balls to assert the lead with Crawley starting his remaining innings of the sequence in the identical vein he began this Ashes at Edgbaston, crunching his first supply by means of cowl for 4.

Mitchell Starc was on the receiving finish this time and his opening two overs went for 22 runs, greater than the 21 Australia had floor out throughout the first hour on Friday.

Australia made the breakthrough after practically 90 minutes of play Saturday. It was Starc who struck within the first over of his second spell when Duckett’s drive bought the faintest of edges and regardless of umpire Kumar Dharmasena saying not out, Cummins’ overview confirmed a spike on UltraEdge and the England opener departed for 42.

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