Australia only need four wickets to win

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia are teetering on the brink of earning a consolation victory that will see the Ashes end 3-2 in favour of England as they only required four more wickets to win at the end of the third day of the fifth Test at The Oval.

Starting out the day on 107/8, England added 42 runs to their score before Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson dismissed Mark Wood and Moeen Ali in successive deliveries.

Johnson and Mitchell Marsh picked up three wickets apiece, while Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle chipped in with two wickets each as England were bowled out for 149, giving Australia a 332-run lead.

With a mammoth lead in hand, Australia captain Michael Clarke, who is playing in his final Test, had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.

However, all of England’s batsmen, with the exception of skipper Alastair Cook, failed to rise to the occasion as they were dismissed early on in their innings or after making a positive start.

Cook on the other hand stood firm and put up a fight as he scored 85 off 234 balls, which included 11 boundaries, before he was caught by Adam Voges off the bowling of Steven Smith.

Cook made a gutsy 85

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

With Cook being dismissed right at the end of the day, Jos Buttler and Wood only managed to amass an unbeaten four-run partnership before stumps was called.

Buttler finished on 33 off  80 balls, which included three boundaries, while Wood has yet to get off the mark.

Lyon was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Siddle, Marsh, Johnson and Smith claimed one wicket each.

England ended day three on 203/6 and will continue batting tomorrow at 11:00 local time or 10:00 GMT.