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Ashes 2019: England on top despite late wickets as Tim Paine’s DRS woes continue

Smith catch lifted Australia but Paine’s DRS nightmare has England on coursefor victory | WATCH

Tom Crystal and Agencies
9 min read
4:08AMSeptember 15, 2019.
Updated 11:12AMSeptember 15, 2019
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Steve Smith takes a superb catch off Chris Woakes late on day three. Picture: Getty Images
Steve Smith takes a superb catch off Chris Woakes late on day three. Picture: Getty Images

Australia vs England, day three of the 5th Ashes Test from The Oval. England are 8-313 in their second innings, a lead of 382 runs.

4am: England eye victory despite late wickets

England seized control on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test, building a likely match-winning lead of 382 as they look to square the series, AFP reports.

With two full days of play to come and the weather in London looking good, the home side, on 8-313 in their second innings, appear certain to pull level at 2-2 barring a miraculous fightback from Australia.

Smith’s diving effort in slips. Picture: Getty Images
Smith’s diving effort in slips. Picture: Getty Images

Opener Joe Denly (94) and Ben Stokes (67), playing as a specialist batsman, put on 127 for the third wicket as a tiring Australia attack ran out of steam in the September sunshine.

Tim Paine’s horrible record with the Decision Review System (DRS) also continued when he opted against reviewing lbw shouts from Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon.

Ball-tracking replays revealed Paine would have dismissed Denly on 54 and Jos Buttler on 19 if he’d sent those not-out verdicts upstairs.

Buttler scored 47 as he and Jonny Bairstow took the lead past 300.

Wickets fell at regular intervals in the final session, with Smith pulling of a phenomenal diving catch at second slip to remove Chris Woakes off the bowling of Marsh.

And the next ball Buttler was brilliantly caught by Marnus Labuschagne, who raced in from behind square to take the catch just above the ground.

Tim Paine just couldn’t get his reviews right on day three. Picture: Getty Images
Tim Paine just couldn’t get his reviews right on day three. Picture: Getty Images

Match blog below — how day three unfolded:

3.30am: Stumps

Jack Leach survives a couple of close calls against Pat Cummins to finish the day on five. Jofra Archer has three and England are 8-313 — a lead of 382. A late flurry in the field can’t mask the fact that the home team are on course for victory.

Floodlights take over late on day three. Picture: AP
Floodlights take over late on day three. Picture: AP

3.15am: WICKET!

This time Marnus Labuschagne comes up with a gem, diving full length to haul in a skied Jos Buttler pull shot in front of square leg. Peter Siddle has his second wicket. Australia have produced the goods late on, after a lacklustre day in the field.

Marnus Labuschagne dives for a brilliant catch to remove Jos Buttler. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne dives for a brilliant catch to remove Jos Buttler. Picture: Getty Images

3.10am: WICKET!

Steve Smith takes a screamer at second slip, hauling in a spectacular one-handed grab as Chris Woakes slashes at a wide Mitchell Marsh delivery. Smith nonchalantly tosses the ball to the umpire and shrugs his shoulders as though it’s nothing special. It is.

3am: Bowling change

Peter Siddle (1-51 off 11 overs) gets another chance, replacing Josh Hazlewood. If Siddle’s job in this Test was to tie up an end then he’s failed. Bowled a good spell with the old ball but generally has leaked too many runs. England’s lead is over 370. It looks more than enough against Australia’s batting line-up.

Tim Paine consoles Peter Siddle. Picture: AFP
Tim Paine consoles Peter Siddle. Picture: AFP

2.40am: WICKET!

A great catch down the leg side from wicketkeeper Tim Paine takes care of Sam Curran and hands Pat Cummins his first scalp of the second innings. Curran’s leg glance was just a little too fine; not far enough away from the keeper.

2.35am: New ball taken

Last roll of the dice for Australia. They’re already 346 runs behind, so something special is needed from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Cummins is wicketless so far — he hasn’t missed out in any innings in this series.

Marnus Labuschagne has a word to the umpires. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne has a word to the umpires. Picture: Getty Images

2.05am: More DRS drama!

Tim Paine has gone from trigger happy to gun shy with his reviews. Nathan Lyon hits Jos Buttler in front as the batsman plays back and across his stumps. Paine declines to ask for a review — if anything it looked high; ball tracker shows the ball going on to hit the top of middle and leg.

2am: WICKET!

Mitchell Marsh makes an immediate impact, removing Jonny Bairstow with the third ball of a new spell. A well-taken catch by Steve Smith, centimetres off the ground at first slip. The TV umpire confirms it hasn’t hit the ground. England lose their third wicket in the first hour after tea.

1.50am: England up the tempo

Two quick wickets bring Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow together, and Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood back into the attack. Bairstow isn’t fazed, collecting two boundaries off Cummins square of the wicket. The big quick is withdrawn from the firing line — the second new ball is eight overs away.

Joe Denly trudges off after being dismissed for 94. Picture: Getty Images
Joe Denly trudges off after being dismissed for 94. Picture: Getty Images

1.32am: WICKET!

Out of nowhere Peter Siddle is swinging the old ball dangerously. He gets a beauty to leave Joe Denly, who edges to Steve Smith at first slip. Denly falls six runs short of a maiden Test century. That ends over number 67 with the old ball.

1.18am: WICKET!

A ripper from Nathan Lyon, drifting one into Ben Stokes and fizzing it past the outside edge into the stumps. The off spinner has all three second-innings wickets. Stokes departs for 67, ending a 127-run stand. Jonny Bairstow joins Joe Denly, who’sin the nervous 90s.

1.05am: Final session begins

Australia have 33 overs to bowl to complete day three. Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon take up the attack. Lyon revealed after the fourth Test that his spinning finger had been cut open and he had little feeling in it. Tim Paine will be banking on a big push here.

Marnus Labuschagne hits the turf. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne hits the turf. Picture: Getty Images

12.40am: Tea

Joe Denly drives Marnus Labuschagne down the ground for four to bring up the 100 partnership with Ben Stokes just before the end of the second session. Both batsmen are on track for centuries, Australia are deflated and this Test is England’s to win.

12.30am: 50 to Stokes!

England’s new No.4 gets a gift from part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, in the form of a full toss, and smashes it over deep mid-wicket for six. It brings up 50 for the left-hander, with three boundaries and two sixes.

Mitchell Marsh pleads for lbw after lunch on day three. Picture: Getty Images
Mitchell Marsh pleads for lbw after lunch on day three. Picture: Getty Images

12.10am: What might have been

Just to recap, Australia dropped Joe Denly on nought in this innings and then missed a review when the batsman was 54. Ben Stokes was put down at first slip by Steve Smith when he’d made just seven. Those reprieves are proving costly as England build an imposing lead.

11.40pm: Another miss!

This time it’s a DRS call that Tim Paine doesn’t ask for. Mitchell Marsh hits Joe Denly on the pad and goes up for a big appeal, which is knocked back by umpire Marais Erasmus. The skipper decides against a challenge. Ball tracker shows it hitting Denly’s back pad and would have clattered into leg stump. In Paine’s defence, it wasn’t immediately obvious that Marsh had, crucially, hit the back pad.

11.15pm: 50 to Denly!

The right-hander clips Josh Hazlewood off his pads to the mid-wicket boundary, producing a roar from the crowd as he brings up a fourth Test half-century. It’s come from 127 balls, amid a mixture of stout defence and freewheeling aggression, particularly off Nathan Lyon’s offerings.

Joe Denly reaches his half-century. Picture: Getty Images
Joe Denly reaches his half-century. Picture: Getty Images

11.10pm: Stokes dropped!

Another grassed chance from the Australians, the culprit Steve Smith at first slip off the bowling of Nathan Lyon. The ball flew to — at — the fieldsman but it should have been taken. The visiting team have not been at all sharp in this Test. Several drops in the first innings and another two in the second.

10.45pm: Testing times

The second session begins with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon operating for Australia. They’ll need to make some inroads in a hurry if Australia hope to chase anything less than a monster fourth-innings total.

The sun shines on a packed crowd at The Oval. Picture: Getty Images
The sun shines on a packed crowd at The Oval. Picture: Getty Images

10pm: Lunch

England are in a good position, with a handy lead on a pitch that looks like hard work for the bowlers. Joe Denly has 37, with five boundaries and a six. Ben Stokes is yet to score.

9.50pm: WICKET!

Nathan Lyon gets another: Joe Root (21) caught by Steve Smith at slip prodding at a wide ball that goes on with the arm. No evidence of turn there. Ben Stokes is the new batsman, 10 minutes out from lunch.The lead is 156.

9.30pm: Marsh swings in

Australia’s first-innings hero will see if he can recreate some of the magic he produced on the way to a career-best 5-46. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have tidy figures, without a wicket, but Peter Siddle hasn’t seriously threatened. Nathan Lyon has 1-20 from three overs.

Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh in the field. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh in the field. Picture: Getty Images

9.05pm: Too chirpy

Matthew Wade doesn’t mind having a chat in the field but he appears to have annoyed someone out there. Umpire Marais Erasmus is forced to intervene, approaching Tim Paine to ensure a little bit of quiet.

8.55pm: WICKET!

Out of nowhere, a desperately needed breakthrough. Rory Burns tries to cut a wide ball from Nathan Lyon but gets an edge through to wicketkeeper Tim Paine. Well held by the skipper. The 54-run opening stand is the best by either team in the series.

8.45pm: Lead builds

Off spinner Nathan Lyon bowled only four overs in England’s first innings. His first two in this innings go for 15 runs as Joe Denly takes him on and belts a pair of fours and a six down the ground. The lead is now over 100.

Joe Denly smashes Nathan Lyon for six. Picture: Getty Images
Joe Denly smashes Nathan Lyon for six. Picture: Getty Images

8.30pm: Bowlers battling

Pat Cummins looks to be running on fumes on day three. He hasn’t had much of a break due to his batting mates, who generally haven’t been too worried about occupying the crease. He starts the day with a four-over spell. Nathan Lyon is brought on.

Pat Cummins moves the fielders around on day three. Picture: AFP
Pat Cummins moves the fielders around on day three. Picture: AFP

8.05pm: Man down

Marcus Harris is off the field as plays starts after splitting the webbing between his fingers while spilling a catch in slips late on day two. He’s got seven stitches in the wound, and won’t field but will bat in the second innings.

8pm: Early wickets vital

Australia will be banking on Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood making inroads in the first session in a bid to keep England’s lead to a realistic fourth-innings victory target.

Nathan Lyon reaches for the Australian flag at the start of day three. Picture: Getty Images
Nathan Lyon reaches for the Australian flag at the start of day three. Picture: Getty Images

Gideon Haigh 7.30pm: The Reality of Warner dismissals

This English summer has featured two remarkable batting streaks. One is Steve Smith’s; the other, David Warner’s. Read more here

7pm: DRS accuracy in the spotlight

Debate over the accuracy and use of technology in cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS) has been reignited by a couple of contentious incidents on day two of the fifth Ashes Test, AAP reports.

David Warner’s dismissal and an unsuccessful review from Joe Root later in Australia’s first innings both raised eyebrows at the Oval on Friday.

• Live coverage: How day two unfolded

Warner, struggling terribly for form, was given not out by umpire Marais Erasmus when he played at a wide delivery from Jofra Archer in the third over of the innings.

But he was sent on his way for just five when Ultra Edge technology detected a spike from the end of his bat, despite replays suggesting there was a gap between bat and ball.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was among those who criticised the decision although Ricky Ponting later revealed Warner had told the Australian dressing room that he felt he may have got a slight touch.

But there was confusion later in Australia’s disappointing first innings total of 225 when England reviewed a not out decision against Matthew Wade. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena said Wade got a big inside edge on to his pad but fourth umpire Ruchira Palliyagurug e appeared not to detect it when he reviewed the footage, opting to check the ball tracking technology to see if the ball would have hit the stumps.

Ex-Australia skipper Ponting failed to hide his surprise at Palliyaguruge’s decision before Wade was eventually reprieved on seven and then falling shortly after to Sam Curran for 19.

“This shouldn’t have gone to ball tracking,” Ponting said on Sky Sports.

“It’s as plain as day, it’s hit the inside edge of Matthew Wade’s bat. The reaction from Wade was ‘hang on, why has this gone to ball tracker!?’”

Steve Smith maintained players still had faith in the ultra edge technology despite the confusion on Friday.

“Anything you’ve got there that can help umpires ultimately get the right decision I think that’s beneficial,” Smith said.

“In regards to this (Warner) instance, I don’t really know what happened there.

“It looked from the eye there was bit of a gap between bat and ball. But the spike comes up, that’s it.

“It was unfortunate but it is what it is.”

— AAP

6.30pm: Smith’s vigil ends with a surprise

England got one over on Steve Smith for almost the first time this series, Mike Atherton writes. Read more here

Steve Smith looks dejected after being dismissed by Chris Woakes. Picture: Getty Images
Steve Smith looks dejected after being dismissed by Chris Woakes. Picture: Getty Images

Additional reporting: Agencies

Read related topics:Ashes

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/ashes-2019-fifth-test-day-3-live-coverage-scores-from-the-oval/news-story/ef680e7a619c32693782049d159f33e6