Australia beat England by an innings and 46 runs to win the fifth and final Ashes Test on the fourth day at The Oval on Sunday.
England, made to follow-on, were bowled out for 286 in their second innings after initially being skittled out for 149 in reply to Australia’s first innings 481, which featured captain-elect Steven Smith’s 143.
However, England — who had already regained the Ashes – won the five-match series 3-2.
This match saw Australia captain Michael Clarke and opening batsman Chris Rogers, who will now both retire from international cricket, bow out of the Test arena as winners.
Congrats to @stevesmith49, Man of the Match at The Oval for his superb 143: http://t.co/qMQFQjDGrn #Ashes pic.twitter.com/0LglxwS5CV
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) August 23, 2015
Australia, after losing the toss, produced a far more resolute first-innings batting display than in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge where they collapsed to 60 all out, with Stuart Broad taking eight for 15 to set up England’s Ashes-clinching innings and 78-run victory.
As well as Smith’s second hundred of the series, which saw him become the first Australian to score more than 500 runs in an Ashes series in England since Matthew Elliott in 1997, David Warner (85), Adam Voges (76) and Mitchell Starc (58) all score fifties.
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In reply, several England batsmen contributed to their own dismissal with poor strokes away as the recalled pair of Peter Siddle and Mitchell Marsh both took wickets in a meagre total of 149 all out.
Made to follow-on, England saw captain Alastair Cook make a gutsy 85 in more than five-and-a-half hours before he fell late on Saturday’s third day.
That’s it! Congratulations to Australia on the win. Final score – 3-2 to England. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/LK9QzYDVw3
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 23, 2015
Sunday’s play was halted by rain shortly before lunch which kept the players off the field for just over two hours, with England 258 for eight.
But it wasn’t long before Siddle ended the match by having Moeen Ali caught behind for 35.
Victoria paceman Siddle finished with fine innings figures of four for 35 in 24.4 overs – including 12 maidens.
