England and Australia locked in intense battle for Ashes supremacy

England and Australia Battle in Ashes Fifth Test

England and Australia are locked in a tight battle on the third day of the Ashes fifth Test at The Oval. England had a fast start in the morning session, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett sharing a rapid opening stand of 79 runs. Crawley played fluently and reached his fifty before falling straight after lunch to a wide ball from Pat Cummins. Joe Root, who looked in excellent touch, joined Ben Stokes and they added 63 runs for the third wicket. However, Stokes was dismissed after attempting to loft spinner Todd Murphy over long on. Harry Brook came and went quickly, hitting a six before being dismissed by a fine lifting ball from Josh Hazlewood. At tea, England had reached 265-4, with Root unbeaten on 61 and Jonny Bairstow on 34. The hosts have been batting positively and have a lead of 253 runs. If they continue at this rate, they could be over 400 runs ahead by the close of play.

England's Positive Batting and Australia's Difficult Task

The match equation is simple for England: if Bairstow is still at the crease at the end of the day, Australia will have a difficult task ahead of them to chase down the record score. The series has been closely contested, with both teams having their moments of luck and missed opportunities. It has been an entertaining and unpredictable series, with England showing resilience and determination to level the series. The final session of the day will be crucial, as Australia will need to take quick wickets to prevent England from building a commanding lead.

Crucial Final Session

The final session of the day will be crucial, as Australia will need to take quick wickets to prevent England from building a commanding lead. If England continues to bat positively, they could be over 400 runs ahead by the close of play. The hosts have shown resilience and determination throughout the series, and if they maintain their current form, Australia will face a challenging task in chasing down the record score.