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Catch up with the action from the fourth day of the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford
England are staring down the barrel of an Ashes series loss after another chastening day at Old Trafford that leaves them on the brink of defeat heading into the fifth and final day…
The Report
Pat Cummins took two wickets in two balls to leave Australia needing eight wickets to win the fourth Test and retain the Ashes following another remarkable knock from Steve Smith at Old Trafford, writes Sam Drury.
SCORECARD | AS IT HAPPENED
The world No 1 Test batsman made 82 before holing out off Jack Leach as the visitors declared on 186-6 to set Joe Root’s side a victory target of 383.
Cummins then removed Rory Burns and Root in the first over as England’s chances of saving the game plummeted in the closing stages of an eventful day in Manchester, with the hosts closing on 18-2.
England vs Australia
September 8, 2019, 10:00am
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Stats of the Day
0:45 Root goes first ball to a jaffa!
England’s hopes of holding out for a draw to save the Test and take the series into a decider at The Oval next week surely rested with their skipper but, put in to face a tricky half-hour session before stumps, the hosts lost their two top-scorers from the first innings to consecutive deliveries.
Cummins first removed Rory Burns third ball to a leading edge, before cleaning up Root with the next. He’s the world’s No 1 Test bowler for a reason.
Talking Point
The same one that has dominated the series so far: how do you get Steve Smith out? After five innings, 671 runs, a 134.20 average, five scores of at least fifty, three of which hundreds, England are still very much none the wiser.
Stuart Broad bowled another brilliant opening spell, while Jofra Archer was back to bowling at blistering pace but, bar the odd play and miss, Smith survived through to tea and then rocketed through the gears in the evening before perishing for 82, holing out in the deep off Jack Leach, in helping set up Australia’s declaration.
0:50 England finally get Smith!
Tweets of the Day
5:09 Nasser Hussain and Ricky Ponting analyse why Joe Root has struggled to recapture his best batting form in this Ashes series
Nasser Hussain on England’s afternoon fightback: “You see the character of a side when they’re down, and that hour and a half [before tea], England showed that. They were done and dusted, out of the game, with only one result possible and they fought their way back in. Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, in particular, were excellent.”
Michael Holding on a legside plan to Smith: “Six men on the on-side bowling to Smith? You’re only allowed nine fielders and if the line you’d be bowling is the top of off-stump, you’d have to have a slip and a third man, leaving you just one man to patrol the entire area from point to mid-off. He’d better be Usain Bolt to be able to cover that area, but also a marathon runner to have enough energy to do so. That’s why I say ridiculous.”
Watch day five of the fourth Ashes Test live on Sky Sports The Ashes and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Sunday.
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Sourse: skysports.com
