Ashes Fifth Test: Stuart Broad smiles all around

LONDON, July 31

England’s Stuart Broad claimed the last two Australia wickets to secure a dramatic 49-run victory for his team in the final Ashes Test at The Oval today and leave the series locked at 2-2 after five gripping matches.

604 Wickets in Broad’s Test career. Only four players — Muttiah muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708), James Anderson (690) and Anil Kumble (619) — have more wickets

Broad, playing his final Test, removed Todd Murphy and Alex Carey, both caught by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, to dismiss Australia for 334 and deny them their first Ashes win in England since 2001.

When you make that decision (to retire) you wonder what your last ball will be so to take a wicket to win an Ashes Test match is pretty cool. Stuart Broad

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Australia, who won the first two Tests and had already retained the urn, moved to 238/3 chasing 384 to win before a two-hour rain delay halted their progress and England took the last seven wickets in just over two hours for a famous victory.

Chris Woakes was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/50 and Moeen Ali took three wickets before the 37-year-old Broad completed the job in a perfect swansong two days after announcing his retirement.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” Broad said. “I thought Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali set the tone absolutely unbelievably. Once we got a couple we really started to believe. The crowd were unbelievable. It was so loud and we just jumped on the back of that. To contribute to the team with two wickets is very special,” he added.

Australia had started the day with high hopes of victory after Usman Khawaja and David Warner’s unbroken opening partnership of 135 on Sunday. The pair looked to bat with positive intent but under grey skies the ball moved around for the England bowlers from the start.

Brief scores: England: 283 and 395; Australia: 295 and 334 in 94.4 overs (Khawaja 72, Warner 60, Smith 54; Woakes 4/50, Ali 3/76) . — Reuters