It all comes down to this, the fifth and final Test of The Ashes for 2023! Thanks to a fifth day wash out in the fourth Test, the Aussies have officially retained The Ashes. We want to win the series outright though, so the Aussies will be gearing up for one last push to win the fifth Test.
England were all over the Aussies like a bad rash in the fourth Test. No Aussie batsman really got going in the first innings, with both Labuschagne and March scoring an Aussie-high 51. For the English bowlers, it was Woakes who dominated in the first innings with five wickets.
The English batsmen were on fire in the first innings – led by Crawley who scored 189, from 182 balls. Bairstow was also 99 not out, and Root contributed with 84 runs. Thanks to the rain, they weren't able to bat again in the second innings, but if they did, they would have likely only been chasing a small total for victory.
The second innings saw Labuschagne give the Aussies a glimmer of hope, scoring 111 from 173 balls. At the start of the fifth day, we had Marsh and Green not out for 31 and three, respectively. Wood, for the English bowlers, had already taken three wickets.
Who will come out on top in the fifth and final Test match? Our cricket experts here at Dabble preview all the important details of this match and provide their best cricket tips:
Match Winner
Australia. Great opportunity for the older players to achieve something they haven't. Win an Ashes series in England, it hasn’t happened since 2001. Not going to be easy though. England building some good momentum in the fourth Test. But the finishing line is close. One last big effort from the Aussies should do it.
Top Australian Run Scorer (First Innings)
Underwhelming series for Smithy besides that classic 100 at Lords. Possibly his last innings in England, so he will want to go out on a bang. The great Smith already has three Test 100’s at the Oval. One more would be very satisfying.
Top English Run Scorer (First Innings)
Looked back to his best at Old Trafford with 84 runs from a total of 95 balls. Joe Root batted superbly and only was dismissed by a ball that shot along the ground. Might go big at The Oval. That's why you can't look past him to be the top English run scorer.
Top Australian Wicket Taker (First Innings)
The Aussie quicks looked tired at Old Trafford. But the big Hoff took a 5-wicket haul. Looked the freshest of the Aussie quicks and only bowled in one innings so he should be fresh and ready to bowl without hesitation here.
Top English Wicket Taker (First Innings)
Mark Wood’s pace has been exceptional and a turning point of the series along with Nathan Lyon’s injury. More wickets are expected at The Oval. Looks like he is due as well, only taking one wicket in the first innings at Old Trafford.
We told you our cricket tips were on point! If reading our The Ashes Test 5 preview has got you all fired up, make sure you head on over to the Dabble app, get all your bets sorted and share your thoughts in the Banter channel.
