Key posts
Poll: Who wins today?
And we’re under way
Players are out in the middle and Khawaja is on strike after a 10-minute delay to our start time. Stuart Broad with the first over of the day.
First ball: Solid defence from Warner, just a bit of tail-in but he presents the full face of the bat.
Second ball: Wide outside off and left alone.
Third ball: Warner gets a long way across and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads as he overbalances trying to defend. Broad goes up with the appeal but it’s one of his more optimistic ones. Warner takes the single.
Fourth ball: Khawaja squares up to a mid-length ball coming in at middle and offers a stout defence back down the pitch.
Fifth ball: Drifting into Khawaja’s pads at 134 km/hr and bunted down to the fielder at short mid-wicket.
Sixth ball: And then Khawaja’s beaten all ends up outside off stump. A bit of outswing and maybe some seam off the deck too. Good finish from Broad.
Chris Woakes from the other end after getting five overs yesterday.
Australia: 0-136 (Khawaja 69* Warner 59*), Australia need 248 runs to win.
Stats: Usman leads all runscorers this series
Brettig: Covers are coming off and England’s swing plans
State of play: the weather
We lost two full sessions yesterday, and after a bit of drizzle just before the scheduled start of play we’re on for an 11.10 start, only a slight delay. Hopes are still high for a lot of cricket.
Official playing times (local time) of course.
11.10 – 13.15: Morning session
13.15 – 13.55: Lunch
13.55 – 16.10: Afternoon session
16.10 – 16.30: Tea
16.30 – 18.30: Evening session
The last hour will start at 17.30 or 83 overs, whichever is later provided there is no further rain. We’re looking to get 98 overs in for the day, and that’s surely enough for Australia to get the 249 runs needed unless they have to stonewall for the draw. I’m seeing a result one way or the other.
Poll: Who wins today?
Brettig: How Aussies crashed the Stuart Broad show
By Daniel Brettig
London: “Present your tickets for the Stuart Broad show,” barked an Oval gatekeeper, as seated spectators filed past numerous unfortunates holding up signs requesting tickets to day four of the fifth Ashes Test.
At that point, the sun was shining, the crowd expectant and the vibes for England almost universally positive. They got better when Broad, his stage presence impeccable as ever, hoisted what turned out to be his last ball faced in Test cricket for a mighty six off Mitchell Starc.
David Warner launched James Anderson over mid-off.Credit: Getty
And during the innings changeover, previously blue skies were replaced by an obliging cloak of grey clouds. Broad, James Anderson and company have a career-long habit of creating mayhem in opposition batting line-ups on such days.
Everything, then, was set for a pageant. Broad to take some final wickets, Australia’s batting to fold, and England to finish the series with pretty much everything gained but the Ashes urn itself. Even the scoreboard listed wickets required for England, rather than runs for Australia.
Few present at the Oval, however, counted on the cussed Australian tourists having other ideas.
Watch: Day 4 highlights
Watch: Australia has a chance
Re-cap: Khawaja and Warner lay foundation for Ashes history
By Malcolm Conn
Australia dare to dream of a famous Ashes Test and series victory. With David Warner playing for his future, and Usman Khawaja the most productive batsman on tour, they have laid the foundation to chase down what has been a historically unobtainable target.
Set 384 to win the fifth and final Test at the Oval for a 3-1 series triumph, Australia’s veteran opening pair had taken the score to 0-135 when steady rain washed out play midway through the fourth day. Khawaja was unbeaten on 69 and Warner 58.
Usman Khawaja plays a cut shot during Australia’s second innings.Credit: Getty
This has left Australia needing 249 to win. It’s less than the 282 they chased to win the first Test at Edgbaston by two wickets, and less than the 251 England ran down to win the third Test at Headingley by three wickets, which appeared to turn the series.
While Monday’s forecast looks better, either a victory or draw, which would leave Australia 2-1 ahead, is enough to claim their first Ashes series victory in England for 22 years.
Evening Richie, evening all
Evening sports fans, we really do have to stop meeting like this. Just once more, and there’s a chance we’ll see a bit of history tonight as Australia continue chasing England’s almighty fourth-innings target of 384.
If Australia knock off the 249 remaining runs, it will be the highest last innings chase by a long, long way. England of course need 10 wickets to level the series at 2-2. Otherwise, it’s just that dubiously claimed moral victory Piers Morgan keeps banging on about for them.
Should be a cracking day’s play. I’ll be with you the whole way, and then I’ll be sleeping for several weeks.
Mal Conn and Dan Brettig are in a similar state on the ground at The Oval, saddling up for one last day in a phenomenal tour. First ball as always is due at 8pm AEST – pending the weather, and we’ll have more on that shortly. Look lively folks, it’s day five.
