Steve Smith and Travis Head led Australia’s counter-attack after England made vital early inroads on the final day of the Fifth Ashes Test at the Oval.
Australia are chasing 384 for the win that would give them a first outright series success on English soil since 2001 and made a superb start on day four, reaching 135 without loss before rain brought an early stumps.
Chris Woakes struck twice in a superb spell at the start of day five to dismiss openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja, before Mark Wood had Marnus Labuschagne caught in a brilliant first hour for the home side, but a fifty partnership between Head and Smith steadied the tourists to 238 for three at lunch, 147 runs from victory.
However, England missed a golden opportunity to break the partnership on the brink of lunch, Ben Stokes initially grabbing onto a glove from Smith but then failing to complete the catch as his thigh dislodged the ball in his follow-through.
Warner and Khawaja had laid on the series’s highest opening partnership as England toiled on the fourth afternoon but the pair fell in successive Woakes overs this morning, the former feathering behind for 60 and then Khawaja - who is set to finish as the series’ leading run-scorer - trapped leg-before on 72.
Labuschagne survived an lbw review after being struck on the pad by the retiring Stuart Broad but went on to make only 13 before edging Wood to Zak Crawley at slip, the opener continuing his fine series in the cordon with a sharp grab .
A change of ball late on day four aided England’s cause, with movement on offer for the seamers today, but Smith and Head played nicely to put the pressure back on Ben Stokes side.
