Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

JE Root
JE Root
91(106) 11x4 - 1x6
Control %80%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 25 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
20 20 12 10 6 1 8 14
HC Brook
HC Brook
85(91) 11x4 - 2x6
Control %72%
  • Productive Shot
  • cover drive
  • 23 runs
  • 4x4 - 0x6
16 9 1 12 24 5 4 10

Best performances - Bowlers

CR Woakes
CR Woakes
O19
M4
R50
W4
Eco2.63
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
2W
MA Starc
MA Starc
O14.4
M1
R82
W4
Eco5.59
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W

Match Details

Toss

Australia , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

5-match series drawn 2-2

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

11.00 start, Lunch 13.15-13.55, Tea 14.10-16.30, Close 18.30

Match days

27,28,29,30,31 July 2023 (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

England 7, Australia 0

Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: Alan Gardner

7.10pm: Joint presentation for the captains, followed by a low-key celebration with the urn for Australia, and the curtain comes down. Hot diggidy damn, what a series it's been. The Bazball Ashes didn't go the way of Baz's ballers, but you can't argue with what both teams served up. It was a clash of styles that will live long in the memory, the only regret being that we didn't get the ultimate decider to finish off. Anyway, it should keep the pot boiling for another two-and-a-half years... time to turn to our attention to [checks notes] the Hundred. Woot! That's us done, thanks for all your comments as ever. From myself, Alex and Miller, Thilak and the scorers, the team at the ground and everyone else who has contributed, it's cheerio for now. Go get on a headband and finish the day off in style. Bye!

6.45pm: Time for the presentations at T'Oval. The Bashes have delivered on multiple levels, and a 2-2 scoreline seems pretty fair all told (with an English fist brandished at the Manchester weather). The Moral Ashes don't exist, of course, but you might not have heard the last of them... Anyway, time to hand out the gongs. Joe Root is named England's Player of the Summer, which is not one I've heard of before

Australia's Player of the Series is Mitchell Starc: "Been incredible fived Tests, sure it was a treat to watch. Exciting, ebbs and blow throughout. The way it finished today spoke to the quality of the cricket and the emotions involved. [Final session] Happened quickly, much like the whole series. It's come right down to the last session on day 25. Congrats to Stuart, he probably couldn't have written that any better. [Personal success] Been a fantastic tour to come and express myself, had the backing from the group. Fantastic group to be a part of for a long time. Been a successful tour, from the six matches we played including the WTC final. We've got a great support staff, resilient group. A busy eight weeks for both teams but the quality of cricket has been fantastic. [Bazball] We saw two different brands, both teams stuck to it and ultimately we sit here at 2-2. Great that Test cricket is thriving the way it is. We felt at different stages it looked different to traditional Test cricket. It's been enthralling and I'm sure both teams have enjoyed the whole experience."

"The Wizard" Chris Woakes is England's Player of the Series and awarded the Compton-Miller medal: "It's been an amazing few games. Nice to come into the side and contribute. The belief was there at 2-0 down that we could still in the series. Great experience in the dressing room. I think 2-2 is quite fitting. Absolutely, not been a part of the team for over 12 months, so excited to get back in. You want to perform and contribute, couldn't have asked for it to go much batter. Five Tests with the schedule it is, felt I might get an opportunity. Tried to be ready, didn't feel in great rhythm but to perform at Headingley was the most pleasing part. Got an early wicket and that settled the nerves. Found a bit of rhythm, need a bit of luck, too, and it went all right. [Best moment] That today is up there, up there with my best moments in Test cricket. For Broady to go out that way is fitting. Incredible for him, delighted to get it all square like that. They're pretty good, aren't they. The most pleasing thing is I've managed to get big players out. This is the pinnacle of cricket, so amazing. [Ball change] We were happy, not sure the Aussies were. We made the most of the conditions, when you get a ball change you hope it works for you and it did. [Tests overseas?] We'll see, leave that to Stokesy and Baz. I'll enjoy what I've done this series, I know what I can do at home. Want to play as much cricket for England as possible, that's the main aim. You don't get this feeling anywhere else in the world."

England's Ben Stokes "Actually [feeling] really good, 2-2 I think it a fair reflection of two teams going toe to toe. Australia, WTC champions, quality team. But going 2-0 down, I don't think many teams would have responded the way we did. Standing here pretty content with what we've achieved. Having played a lot of cricket, we know what it's like in a fourth-innings chase. Usman and Warner, they played incredible well to walk off with the runs they did [yesterday], but turning up with 250 needed, you should never underestimate how hard that is. Wickets came in clusters, it was do or die, but it's been that way since the second Test. [Woakes and Wood impact] The way Woakesy has come in and operated and added runs down the order has been really good. Woody has been brilliant, but yesterday and today, he could hardly walk. Huge amount of effort to get out there. To have people like that, who run in and run in, it's great to have. [Broad and Moeen] I've played with Broady for a long, long time. He's been unbelievable. To watch him come in and bowl the way he did, it was written in the stars that he would take the final wicket. Mo came in for Jack Leach, a few things were said about him. I chose him because I knew what he could do on his best days. To come out of retirement and perform, he's a great servant for England. [India tour?] We'll let him reflect on the last six weeks and make that decision. [Regrets?] Hindsight never loses, does it. Coming into this series, to bounce back from 2-0 down, it would have been tough for any team. I said to Pat, what a series to be a part of. I think it's what Test cricket needed. We've been very vocal about our objectives, and I think this series has done that, it's attracted a new audience. Test cricket is the purest form of the game. [Ashes in 2025-26?] Hard to lose that appetite when you love it as much as I do."

Australia captain Pat Cummins: [Fair result?] "Think so, two really high-quality teams, every session was shared so I think 2-2 was fair, wonderful series to be part of. [Going for win] Of course, it didn't enter the conversation. We said we were over here to win the Ashes. Unfortunately not to be, but a great day. [Sadness at not winning series] We can be hugely proud of retaining the Ashes, but of course we wanted to come over here and win. Similar group to 2019 and it felt a little bit more. Not to be but a great series. [Felt pressure as captain?] So many moments throughout this series, that's what makes playing an away Ashes so difficult. The crowd, the media, you get everything thrown at you. Proud of how consistent we've been. There's no point in looking back, 2-2 is the score. [Broad] Great competitor, always seemed to save his best for Australia. I've played a third of the amount of matches he's played, can't fathom it. Great player, competitor, wish him all the best."

6.34pm: Oh my Broad... It's been an epic series, hasn't it? Let's hear from the man himself it: "It was absolutely wonderful, Woakes and Moeen set the tone unbelievably after the rain break. Once we got a couple we really began to believe. The crowd was so loud, we really jumped on the back of it. To take a couple of wickets to contribute to the team and win the Test match, it's really special. [Six to finish with bat, wicket with final delivery] It's the only ball I've middled all year. Enjoyed bowling to left-handers, so for my last spell to be moving it away, the ball zipped through for us after rain. A word for Moeen as well, he's not officially announced he's moving on but to put in that performance and help England win will be a dream come true for him. I like data and facts, when I decided to come around the wicket in 2015, it was because my stats weren't very good. I did a lot of research into bowling to David Warner. When you get to the top level it's about knowing your weaknesses but also knowing your strengths and sticking to them. [Bail switch] If I'd learnt that ten years ago I'd have been away. The Marnus one really made me smile. I had a couple of play and misses [this time], was get frustrating, so thought I'd change them, not the batter's ones, and it worked. [Regrets for series?] Probably wouldn't have taken the second new ball at Edgbaston. Hard to bowl with all series. Once we took it, the ball skidded on and made it easier for them to find the boundary. When you lose to a great team like Australia, you hold your head up high. [Headbands] When I looked around I saw them in the crowd, it's a nice gesture. It ended up being a superstition, I wore it in Covid and then took it off, then didn't take a wicket. So stuck with it to the end, made me smile to see people wearing them."

6.26pm England win by 49 runs. Broad finishes with a win. So too does Moeen Ali. They are arm-in-arm as they walk off to a standing ovation. That might be Moeen's final Test as well. He was sensational today. England level the series 2-2. An amazing series finishes drawn.

Richard : "Scenes! Tho expect some ppl may be a bit too misty eyed to really see them. Thrilled for broad!!"

Stefan Stern: "Tortoise 2, Hare 2 - it's a tie between Bruceball and Bazball. Honour(s) even. Fair."

Oishik : "As a neutral fan, who's been a die hard fan of the game since 2010. This is one of the best series I've seen. Period. Two goat teams. Thank you England and Australia. Neither deserved to lose the series."

Alan will step in for the presentation.

94.4
W
Broad to Carey, OUT, Caught behind! Broad gets the final fairytale! England win. Good length fourth stump, hint of wobble away, he pushes forward and nicks it to Bairstow and Broad wheels away to cover and celebrates his final Test wicket as the Oval roars!

AT Carey c †Bairstow b Broad 28 (83m 50b 1x4 1x6) SR: 56.00

Aquib Mohammed : "Alex Carey crossed 1000 test runs!"

94.3
0
Broad to Carey, no run, bouncer, over middle, well bowled, he ducks under it

Two slips still and everyone else back

94.2
0
Broad to Carey, no run, shorter on the hip, he tucks it behind square but they don't run

Khan: "Wood would be a better option than Moeen, having Hazlewood to face full over."

94.1
0
Broad to Carey, no run, good length, fifth stump line, he defends to cover-point and thinks about two but decides it isn't there

END OF OVER:
94 | 4 Runs | AUS: 334/9

  • Josh Hazlewood4 (8b)
  • Alex Carey28 (46b)
  • Moeen Ali23-2-76-3
  • Stuart Broad20-4-62-1

Hazlewood not only survives but he gets the target down to an even 50.

93.6
0
Ali to Hazlewood, no run, tossed up, drifting into off, he defends on the front foot
93.5
0
Ali to Hazlewood, no run, drifting into off, he leans out to defend

Australia 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st140UT KhawajaDA Warner
2nd1UT KhawajaM Labuschagne
3rd28SPD SmithM Labuschagne
4th95SPD SmithTM Head
5th10SPD SmithMR Marsh
6th0MR MarshAT Carey
7th1MA StarcAT Carey
8th19AT CareyPJ Cummins
9th35AT CareyT Murphy
10th5JR HazlewoodAT Carey