Sledging Aussies Let ‘Bristol' Stokes Off The Hook

THE urn may be gone, but England are closing in on a victory that will at least deny Australia a first away Ashes series triumph since 2001.

- Chris Stocks

Joe Root’s team dominated this third day at The Oval, reaching the close on 313-8 and with what already appears a match-winning lead of 382.

Joe Denly, two days after the birth of his second child, narrowly missed out on a daddy hundred, falling six runs shy of a first three-figure score at this level.

But it was the Kent opener’s runs that laid the foundation for a second-innings total that has manoeuvred England into a position to level this series at 2-2 and ensure the first drawn Ashes since 1972.

Australia’s victory at Old Trafford last week gave them a 21 lead that means, thanks to their 4-0 win against England in the winter of 2017-18, the Ashes are already retained.

Yet England now have the opportunity to finish a golden summer that also included the remarkable World Cup final triumph against New Zealand at Lord’s in June on a high.

They will first have to bowl Australia out over the remaining two days of this match. But it appears a case of when not if Root’s men win this match.

Their position at the start of the day was strong but at 9-0 in their second innings and a lead of 78 it was not impregnable.

However, a first 50-plus opening stand for England since January moved the dial in the right direction before Nathan Lyon struck twice in quick succession.