England hold on in thrilling finish for Ashes draw

England’s walking wounded defied the Australia bowling attack to bat out a dramatic final day of the fourth Ashes test for a morale-boosting thriller of a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson steered England to 270/9 at the close of play in the evening gloom, well short of the victory target of 388 but a huge turnaround after heavy losses in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins was unable to use pace in a tense final three overs because of the fading light and his predecessor Steve Smith took his first test wicket in almost six years to dismiss Jack Leach for 26 with his leg-spin.

That left Australia needing one wicket in the last two overs but Broad and Anderson, despite as many as eight fielders crowding around them, stood firm to frustrate the home side.
Australia had dominated the majority of the match, declaring twice and turning every apparent setback they faced into an advantage.

Despite some gritty resistance from Bairstow and Stokes, Australia were able to dismiss England for 294 in reply to their first inning 416-8 declared.

Usman Khawaja’s second century and a 179-run fifth-wicket partnership with Cameron Green on day four put the hosts in a position for a second declaration on 265-6.

Cummins defended his decision to leave the second declaration until quite so late on Saturday, blaming in part the weather forecast. “I thought the wicket was still not playing too many tricks,” he said. “I thought if they batted really well, 350 was achievable out there.”

Reuters

Chief scores

England 294 (J. Bairstow 113, B. Stokes 66; S. Boland 4/36) and 270/9 (Z. Crawley 77, B. Stokes 60; S. Boland 3/30) 
Australia 416/8 dec. (U. Khawaja 137, S. Smith 67; S. Broad 5/101) and 265/6 dec. (U. Khawaja 101 n.o., C. Green 74; J. Leach 4/84)