Chris Woakes removed Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja to revive England`s hopes of a series-levelling win on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Monday.
The left-handed batsmen had both made fine fifties to take Australia to 140-0 in pursuit of a mammoth target of 384 runs. But Woakes, on an overcast morning and with a pitch freshened by rain — classic English conditions for swing and seam bowling — removed both batsmen in a burst of two wickets for one run in seven balls to reduce the tourists to 141-2.
Australia, as the holders, are already assured of retaining the Ashes at 2-1 up in the series. They resumed on 135-0, with Warner 58 not and Khawaja unbeaten on 69, looking marginal favourites to complete a 3-1 series win and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001.
England pace great Stuart Broad, who on Saturday made a shock announcement he would retire after the match, took up the attack as the 37-year-old sought to dismiss Warner for the 18th time in Tests.
But it was Woakes who made the breakthrough that England so desperately needed when a good-length ball, angled across Warner, nipped off the seam and took the outside edge to give wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow a simple catch.
Warner was out for a well-made 60 and it was not long before Khawaja, the leading run-scorer in the series, followed him. Khawaja was lbw to Woakes for 72 after being caught on the crease in front of middle and leg stumps by a full-length delivery.
He reviewed in the hope the ball had pitched outside leg stump, but replays upheld umpire Joel Wilson`s initial decision. For all the fine start to their run-chase, history is against Australia.
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If they reach their target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia`s 404-3 at Headingley in 1948. It would also be a new ground record — the highest successful fourth-innings chase in a Test at The Oval is England`s 263-9 against Australia way back in 1902.
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