England were left hoping Stuart Broad has “one more fairytale left” after Australia made a dream start to what would be the best run chase in this country in 75 years, in the final Ashes Test.
On the day after Broad announced he is to retire at the end of the game, and on Jimmy Anderson’s 41st birthday, Australia formed a guard of honour as the two veteran bowlers came out to end England’s innings at the start of play.
However, they added only six runs to the overnight total – Broad hitting the final delivery of his Test career into the stands – and then toiled with the ball as David Warner and Usman Khawaja piled on 135 in an unbeaten opening partnership, before rain intervened to push the game into its final day.
But Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, insisted that with Australia needing another 249 runs the match is in “a great position” as a thrilling series edges towards its conclusion.
“It wasn’t going to be 150 all out, that’s for sure,” Trescothick said. “We know statistically the Oval is the best batting pitch in the country.
“I think the game’s in a great position and we’re still pretty positive about the job we’ve got to do. They’ve had a good start, but a couple of early ones in the morning and suddenly we’re right back in the mix again.”
Only once – when Don Bradman’s unbeaten 173 powered Australia to 404 at Headingley in 1948 – has a team chased as many as 384 to win a Test in England. But Australia were always confident they could reach that target, and in so doing secure a first Ashes series win in England since 2001.
“There’s so much time left in the game to chase down a target like that, and in very good batting conditions,” said Michael Di Venuto, Australia’s batting coach. “So it was just a matter of applying ourselves and playing the way we do. The openers went about it in their own different styles and got us off to an excellent start.”
Broad’s final flourish with the bat made him only the second man in Test history to sign off with a six, but England are hoping his final contribution with the ball will be just as eye‑catching.
“We don’t quite see the fairytales that we want to see at times but it would be lovely to dream of it,” Trescothick said. “If there was one more fairytale left it would be ideal if it was Stuart’s last five-fer. Something like that would be brilliant, wouldn’t it?”
