Left-handed opener Cook was 54 not out and Jonny Bairstow 20 not out
England's Alastair Cook grimaces as he leaves the pitch after being given out caught off the bowling of Australia's Steven Smith on the third day of the fifth Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Oval cricket ground. (Photo: AP)
London: England captain Alastair Cook led his side’s resistance as they battled to avoid an innings defeat by Australia in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Saturday. At tea on the third day, England, following-on, were 123 for three in their second innings — still 209 runs behind Australia’s first innings 481, which featured captain-elect Steven Smith’s 143.
Left-handed opener Cook was 54 not out and Jonny Bairstow 20 not out. England at least had the consolation of having won the Ashes at 3-1 up in the five-match series. Opener Adam Lyth, desperate for a big score to cement his England place, saw his miserable Ashes continue when, on 10, he edged a good length ball from Peter Siddle that cut away off the pitch to Australia captain Michael Clarke at second slip.
Lyth’s dismissal meant he had scored just 115 runs in nine innings this series at an average of 12.77 Ian Bell, on nine, saw a pull off Mitchell Marsh sting the fingers of Chris Rogers at mid-wicket before going for four. But next ball lively seamer Marsh got a delivery to leap off a length and it took Bell’s glove before lobbing gently to Clarke.
Brief scores (at tea)
England 149 in 48.4 overs (A. Cook 22, M. Ali 30, M. Wood 24, Johnson 3/21, Siddle 2/32, Marsh 3/30) & 123/3 in 43 overs (A. Cook (batting) 54, J. Bairstow (batting) 20, Johnson 1/46, Siddle 7/7, Marsh 1/23).
( Source : AFP )
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