LONDON: Steve Smith again proved England’s nemesis on Friday, passing 700 runs in the Ashes series as the tourists reached 147-4 at tea on the second day of the fifth and final Test at The Oval.

The former captain has been in imperious form during the tour, with a lowest score of 82 in five completed innings so far. He was 59 not out at the break, with Mitchell Marsh on 12, as Australia look to wrap up their first Test series victory in England since 2001.

Smith came to the crease with Australia in trouble at 14-2 in reply to England’s first-innings total of 294 after paceman Jofra Archer had removed struggling openers David Warner and Marcus Harris.

Smith was watchful at the beginning of his innings. But he soon found his touch at the sun-baked ground in London, bringing up his 10th consecutive Ashes fifty with a six over midwicket off left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

Earlier, Warner was again dismissed for single figures, caught behind by wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow, as a feisty Archer made early inroads into Australia’s batting line-up.

The opener was initially given not out but England reviewed. Slow-motion replays suggested there was a gap between bat and ball but the technology picked up a snick and the umpire overturned his initial verdict.

It was the eighth time that Warner had been dismissed in single figures in the series.

Archer then struck again with a 90 miles-per-hour thunderbolt, with Ben Stokes holding onto a sharp chance from Harris at second slip.

That dismissal brought Smith to the crease and he was immediately greeted with a sharp bouncer, much to the delight of the packed crowd.

Smith came into the match with 671 runs under his belt in just five innings at an astonishing average of more than 134. He did not bat in the second innings of the second Test at Lord’s and missed the third Test after being struck by an Archer bouncer.

Smith and Marcus Labuschagne repaired the early damage, putting on 69 for the third wicket before Archer struck again, trapping Labuschagne lbw for 48.

Matthew Wade was leg-before to Sam Curran for 19 as Australia slipped to 118-4 but the unruffled Smith was playing a different game, easing to his half-century in 91 balls.

World Cup winners England, desperate to level the five-match series at 2-2, added just 23 runs to their overnight score of 271-8, with Jos Buttler out for 70.

All-rounder Marsh returned figures of 5-46 on his return to the Test side while Pat Cummins took 3-84.

England’s batting frailties were exposed again in the post-tea session on Thursday as they wasted a solid start. Despite being dropped thrice, England captain Joe Root failed to progress beyond 57 before the hosts averted a complete collapse through Buttler.

Root got to a patient fifty as his side moved on to 169-3 at tea, but any hopes England had of a substantial score disappeared in the final session. The skipper was bowled by a fine Cummins delivery which hit his off stump and Bairstow was trapped lbw for 22 by a Marsh yorker.

Curran hooked Cummins for an audacious six but two deliveries later the young all-rounder was adjudged lbw, only to be recalled to the crease because Cummins had bowled a no ball.

His reprieve was short-lived, however, as Curran edged Marsh to Smith at second slip for 15 and the same bowler snared Chris Woakes lbw to claim his fourth wicket on his recall to the side.

Archer then nicked Hazlewood to Tim Paine before Buttler briefly lifted the crowd by hitting Josh Hazlewood for two sixes in a row.

Buttler pulled Hazlewood over the ropes again to reach his fifty and with Leach providing obdurate support.

Scoreboard

England (1st Innings, overnight 271-8): R.J. Burns c Marsh b Hazlewood 47
J.L. Denly c Smith b Cummins 14
J.E. Root b Cummins 57
B.A. Stokes c Lyon b Marsh 20
J.M. Bairstow lbw b Marsh 22
J.C. Buttler b Cummins 70
S.M. Curran c Smith b Marsh 15
C.R. Woakes lbw b Marsh 2
J.C. Archer c Paine b Hazlewood 9
M.J. Leach b Marsh 21
S.C.J. Broad not out 0 EXTRAS (B-3, LB-7, W-5, NB-2) 17
TOTAL (all out, 87.1 overs) 294
FALL OF WKTS: 1-27, 2-103, 3-130, 4-170, 5-176, 6-199, 7-205, 8-226, 9-294. BOWLING: Cummins 25.5-7-84-3 (1nb, 1w); Hazlewood 21-7-76-2; Siddle 17-1-61-0 (1nb); Marsh 18.2-4-46-5; Lyon 4-0-12-0, Labuschagne 1-0-5-0. AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):
D.A. Warner c Bairstow b Archer 5
M.S. Harris c Stokes b Archer 3 M. Labuschagne lbw b Archer 48 S.P.D. Smith not out 59 M.S. Wade lbw b Curran 19 M.R. Marsh not out 12 EXTRAS (LB-1) 1
TOTAL (for four wkts, 44 overs) 147
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-14, 3-83, 4-118. TO BAT: T.D. Paine, P.J. Cummins, P.M. Siddle, N.M. Lyon, J.R. Hazlewood. BOWLING (to-date): Broad 10-3-34-0; Archer 13-6-30-3; Curran 11-2-40-1; Woakes 7-2-30-0; Leach 3-0-12-0.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2019