A dominant performance by the England team helped them shrug away Australia in the fifth and final Test at the Oval. The series, was thus drawn, and this happened for the first time since 1972 when honours were shared in an Ashes series. Incidentally, the aforementioned series too was hosted by England. Ever since the start of this century, both England and Australia have managed to win the urn five times each.
After being set a target of 399, Australia was bundled out for 263 runs in the final innings. Matthew Wade was the top-scorer for Aussies as he played a knock of 117 runs whereas Stuart Broad scalped four wickets for England.
Despite losing the Test, Australia managed to retain the Ashes as they had won the last series Down Under in the 2017/18 season.
Archer was given the Man of the Match award for scalping six wickets in the first innings of the match.
Aussie batter Steve Smith was given Australia’s Man of the Series award whereas Ben Stokes was handed England’s Man of the Series award.
Smith had an exceptional series with the bat as he scored 774 runs, scoring the most number of runs in a series this century.
On the other hand, Ben Stokes displayed an all-round performance, scoring 440 runs with the bat and taking eight wickets with the ball.
The first Test of the series was won by Australia by 251 runs at Birmingham.
The second match at Lord’s finished as a draw and Stokes’s heroics in the third Test at Headingley helped England level the series at 1-1.
However, Australia came back strongly in the fourth Test as they won the match by 185 runs to retain the Ashes.
The team from Down Under will next face Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series whereas England will take on New Zealand in a five-match T20I series and two-match Test series.
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