Ashes 2023 [WATCH]: Mitchell Starc bowls an absolute snorter to dismiss Ben Duckett in the Oval Test

During the morning session of day three of the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval, England dominated the proceedings. After bundling out Australia for 295 on day two and trailing by 12 runs, England’s opening pair, Ben Duckett (42) and Zak Crawley (73) came out with a positive approach. Crawley wasted no time and smashed the first ball of England’s second innings for a boundary off Mitchell Starc’s bowling. Duckett followed suit and struck consecutive fours on the last two balls of the same over, starting the day with 13 runs in the first over.

This aggressive intent set the tone for the first five overs of the morning, with England reaching a score of 40 without losing a wicket, at an impressive run rate of eight runs per over. Throughout the session, England hit a total of 17 boundaries.

Crawley’s strokeplay was particularly impressive, with a beautiful cover drive off Todd Murphy and back-to-back sweep shots against the spinner just before the break. Australia’s bowlers were criticized for being too straight to the England openers, similar to the previous Test at Old Trafford, where Crawley had scored a brilliant 191 out of England’s total of 592 in a drawn match.

Also Read: Ashes 2023: MCC gives verdict over Steve Smith’s run-out controversy on Day 2 of the Oval Test

England’s scoring rate in the early part of the morning session was so high that they scored more runs in the first 10 overs on Saturday than Australia had managed in their entire first session on Friday.

Starc provided a much-needed breakthrough to the Aussies:

However, in the 17th over of England’s second innings, Starc found his rhythm and bowled some well-directed out-swingers to unsettle Duckett. The pressure built by Starc eventually led to the 28-year-old dismissal when he edged an off-swing delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Initially, the on-field umpire, Kumar Dharmasena, didn’t raise his finger, and Duckett was given not-out. However, the Australian team decided to use their referral, challenging the decision and sending it to the third umpire for review.

Upon reviewing the footage, the third umpire saw conclusive evidence of the thick edge, and the original decision was overturned. As a result, the Farnborough-born cricketer had to walk back to the pavilion.

Here’s the video: 

Mitchell Starc gets the breakthrough for Australia 🤩

Ben Duckett falls prey to an incredible outswing for a well-made 42 💥#SonySportsNetwork #ENGvAUS #RivalsForever #TheAshes #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/H28N5lORv7

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 29, 2023

Moeen Ali was unable to bat at number three due to spending too much time off the field the previous day. As a result, Ben Stokes (42) came in to join the opening batter at the crease. Stokes played a supporting role while Crawley continued his fine form, reaching his fifty off just 61 deliveries. Both batters safely guided England to lunch with a score of 1/130.

After lunch, Crawley’s excellent innings came to an end as he got out Australian skipper Pat Cummins. Joe Root then joined Stokes at the crease, and the two batters formed a formidable partnership, adding 73 runs in just 13 overs without compromising the run rate. This partnership allowed England to build a significant lead over Australia.

However, when it seemed that things were turning bad for Australia, Murphy provided some relief by removing the England skipper. Despite the wicket, the partnership had successfully guided England to a lead of more than 200 runs, putting them in a commanding position in the match. Harry Brook (6) couldn’t do much and got out to Josh Hazlewood. Now Johnny Bairstow has joined the former England skipper in the centre.

The match is finely poised with both teams looking to gain an advantage as the day progressed. Root’s presence at the crease ensured that England continued to be in a strong position, and Australia would be eager to take more wickets to claw their way back into the game.

Also Read: Ashes 2023: Here’s why England players sported each other’s jersey on Day 3 at The Oval