What a tense affair the final Ashes Test has been at the Oval. England brought back the game in their favour after the heroics of Stuart Broad to be followed by Graeme Swann. England have the lead and if they hold their nerve on day three, the Ashes.
swann happy
Post tea, it was a matter of time before England completed the job against Australia, bowling them all out for 160. Graeme Swann picked up four to Stuart Broad's five before tea while Andrew Flintoff completed the rites with the final wicket of Ben Hilfenhaus.
johnson departs
With 172 runs in the lead, England were expected to make a more aggressive start. However, perhaps it was the number of wickets that fell earlier in the day that put them on guard and approach the match with more caution, not wanting to let Australia wrest the initiative back.
It meant that runs came at a crawl, England barely got a move on and worse still, ended up losing three wickets. Realising their folly, Australia did not lose time pressing part time spinners, Marcus North and Simon Katich, into action. While North got the better of an out of touch Alastair Cook, Mitchell Johnson plucked two key wickets in Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood for Australians to cheer up, leaving debutant Jonathan Trott once again holding up the line.
The England captain, Andrew Strauss, though was on a resolute mission, batting on thirty-two as England reached fifty-eight for three at stumps, a lead of 230 but not near comfort yet.
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