Australia bowled England out for 283 in the first innings of the fifth and final Ashes test at The Oval on Thursday (July 17).
Chris Woakes was the last man out for a run-a-ball 36, caught on the boundary by Travis Head off the bowling of Mitchell Starc who ended up with four for 82.
Harry Brook was England’s top scorer with 85 off 91 balls with opener Ben Duckett the next-highest with 41. However, after Brook was dismissed (he was England’s seventh wicket to fall), the hosts could only manage to add 61 runs to their total and they were bowled out for 283.
England must win the match to avoid a first home series loss to Australia since 2001.
Australia, who lead 2-1, have already retained the Ashes after being saved by the rain at Old Trafford last week.
Earlier, Harry Brook counter-attacked in thrilling style after Australia picked up three early wickets on the first day of the final Ashes Test at The Oval.
Australia captain Pat Cummins won his first toss of the series and opted to field in overcast conditions that promised to assist the fast bowler and his fellow quicks.
Having outfielded England for much of the series, Australia dropped three catches in a morning session during which the hosts were well-placed at 62/0.
Australia, however, managed to reduce England to 73/3 either side of the drinks break before lunch.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett ensured England made a rapid start, scoring at a rate of six an over.
Crawley, fresh from his dazzling 189 in Manchester, drove Josh Hazlewood on the up four.
Left-hander Duckett almost took out non-striker Crawley when he thrashed an 85 miles-per-hour delivery from the fast bowler for another boundary.
Duckett, however, should have been out for 30 when he slashed at first-change Cummins’s opening delivery, only for David Warner to drop a head-high chance in the slips.
Next over, Crawley, on 11, was also given a reprieve when a diving Steve Smith failed to hold a much harder slip chance off all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
Fortunately for Australia, the errors were not too costly,
Duckett fell for a run-a-ball 41, caught behind down the legside off Marsh, although it needed the bowler’s review to confirm the dismissal.
Crawley, the leading run-scorer in the series, was dismissed for 22 by a superb Cummins delivery, the equivalent of a fast leg-break, that the batter could only edge straight to Smith.
England’s collapse continued when Joe Root was out for just five, playing on to an off-cutter from Hazlewood.
Australia should have had a fourth wicket when Brook, on five, edged Cummins, only for diving wicketkeeper Alex Carey to drop a one-handed catch when he might have got both gloves to the ball.
Brook then cashed in on his good fortune with several fine drives and cuts before taking 14 runs off three successive Mitchell Starc deliveries with a cover-drive and a cut for four off the left-arm fast bowler followed by a superb hooked six.
