Oval, August 23: The Ashes are coming home. If that is the kind of reckless statement designed to invoke a miraculous rearguard action or an act of God to prevent it coming to pass, it can also be said with certainty that it will require both to stop England reclaiming the prize.
After a bizarrely fluctuating series, they unerringly took the Fifth Test away from Australia yesterday. By the time England’s second innings had ended in declaration, just before 5pm, Australia were left either needing 546 to win or to bat some 200 overs to force a draw and thus retain the trophy.
There is still work to do, and a lot of it if the sun shines on a pitch which is no longer a terror track either in reality (which it never was) or in the players’ minds (which it became fairly early on the first morning, at the first sign of a sprinkling of dust). But it is wearing naturally and there is turn and Australia, who had reduced their arrears to 465, will have to defy several facets of cricketing history and logic.
–Agencies