The Ashes 2023 | Australia fights back through Smith and Head in bid for series-clinching win in fifth Test

Australa tour of England: England vs Australia fifth Ashes Test in London on July 31

Australia recovered from losing three quick wickets and was mounting a recovery through Steve Smith and Travis Head in its bid for a series-clinching win over England on the final day of the fifth Ashes test on July 31.

Chasing 384 for the victory and a 3-1 win in the series, the Australians were 238-3 and needing 146 more runs over the last two sessions of Day 5 at The Oval.

Smith was unbeaten on 40 and Head was 31 not out, with their partnership up to 69 runs.

The English thought they had got Smith in the final over of the session but captain Ben Stokes, who took a fine, leaping, one-handed catch off the batter’s glove, lost control of the ball as he brought his arm down and brushed his thigh. He was adjudged to have dropped the ball before having complete control.

England resumed with Australia on 135-0 and finally found some seam movement and swing with a new ball — and it accounted for David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne in an 11-over spell in which the tourists hit just 34 runs.

Warner went for 60 in his final innings on English soil, edging Chris Woakes behind. The left-handed opener intends to retire from test cricket after the Sydney test against Pakistan in January and there was some applause from spectators for a player English crowds have enjoyed giving some friendly abuse down the years.

Woakes then removed Khawaja for 72, trapping him lbw, and a review by the batter proved to be a waste with replays showing it was plumb.