England won the series 3-2 but Australia captain Michael Clarke celebrated an emphatic win on a rain-disrupted fourth day of his final Test match. PHOTO: AFP
Australia sent captain Michael Clarke into international retirement with an innings and 46-run victory in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval.
Even so, England, who had already regained the Ashes, won the series 3-2 with Clarke the first Australian in more than a century to be on the losing side in four successive Ashes series in Britain.
When impressive paceman Peter Siddle had Moeen Ali (35) caught behind, England, following-on, had been dismissed for 286 in their second innings.
Siddle, only playing after Josh Hazlewood was injured, bowled with both pace and control on his way to innings figures of four for 35 in 24.4 overs — including 12 maidens.
His return made the experienced 30-year-old seamer’s omission from the previous four Tests all the more surprising.
“This game sums up the series,” Clarke told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special. “Both teams have had a rollercoaster ride. The boys did as I asked, it was a test of our character and we came through it.”
Australia, after losing the toss at The Oval, piled up 481.
This included captain-elect Steven Smith’s 143 — an innings which saw the eventual man-of-the-match become the first Australian to score more than 500 runs in an Ashes series in England since Matthew Elliott in 1997.
“The last four days haven’t quite gone to plan and we’re disappointed, but going into the series no-one gave us a chance, so we can’t let that take the gloss off a special summer,” said England captain Alastair Cook.
England’s poor batting
At The Oval, several England batsmen contributed to their own dismissal with poor strokes as the recalled pair of Siddle and Mitchell Marsh both took wickets in a meagre total of 149 all out.
England started Sunday on 203-6, still 129 runs behind, having suffered the blow of losing captain Alastair Cook late on Saturday for 85 after his marathon innings of more than five-and-a-half hours was ended when the left-handed opener fell to part-time leg-spinner Smith.
Jos Buttler was 33 not out and nightwatchman Mark Wood nought not out.
Australia took the new ball and soon had a breakthrough when Siddle, playing his first match of this series, had Wood lbw for six.
England’s 221 for seven was soon transformed into 223 for eight after Buttler, on 42, tamely chipped all-rounder Marsh low to Mitchell Starc at mid-off.
The wicketkeeper batted for just short of two-and-a-half hours, facing 107 balls with four fours for his highest score of a poor series with the bat.
Rain halted play for more than two hours but merely delayed Australia’s victory.
Five minutes after play re-started, Siddle bowled Broad (11) and then dismissed Ali to ensure Australia opener Chris Rogers, also retiring after this match, ended his Test career on a winning note as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2015.
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