Headingley, Leeds
ENG: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, DI Gower, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, H Larwood, FS Trueman, AV Bedser, DL Underwood.
AUS: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, AR Border, SJ McCabe, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, RR Lindwall, TM Alderman.
Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & D Sang Hue (WI)
Toss: Australia
Crunch time for England. Anything less than victory would allow Australia to retain the Ashes, and although the pitch prepared at Headingley looked as though it would favour the bowlers, flecked as it was with plenty of live, green grass, the weather forecast issued for the five days did not look encouraging for the home fans. Australia again named an unchanged XI despite the return to fitness of Dennis Lillee, whilst England made one change, with the troubled Fred Trueman retained on his home ground and Derek Underwood recalled in place of Fred Titmus.
Richie Benaud won his first toss of the series and inserted his opponents, but some positive batting from England's top order propelled them to a comfortable looking 191-3 shortly after tea, at which point the wheels fell off once again. The authoritative looking Barrington left one that seamed back to be bowled by Alderman for 46, then a beamer from the same bowler clearly unsettled Gower, who mistimed a drive later in the same over and holed out to Bradman for 27. Alderman was adamant that his indiscretion had been accidental, but with Trueman guilty of the same misdemeanour at Trent Bridge, beamers are rapidly becoming the talking point of the summer.
An incensed Botham was bowled by Benaud in the next over for 9, and with Miller mopping up the tail on the second morning England collapsed to 259 all out, guilty of a huge loss of collective concentration. With the Ashes on the line, Len Hutton now needed a response from his bowlers, and with Larwood simply roaring in, Australia had been reduced to 155-7 by the time bad light brought an early end to the second day's play. Australia were 19-3 at one stage, with neither Woodfull, Lawry nor Bradman reaching double figures, but the middle order dug in, and with Ian Healy marshalling the tail to excellent effect with his highest ATG score, the tourists managed to get to within 24 runs of England's total before Alderman was last man out on the third afternoon, having been involved in a fifty run partnership for the second match in succession.
With the game now effectively reduced to a one innings shoot-out, England needed a sound start to their second effort, but they lost Hutton for 0, gloving a vicious Miller bouncer through to Healy. Hobbs' second fifty of the match helped guide England to 84-1, but his dismissal via a brilliant slip catch by Benaud off Lindwall triggered yet another English collapse, with both Hammond and Gower departing for a single apiece as the innings slid to 92-4 on the fourth morning. Barrington and Botham rallied briefly, but Botham was harshly given lbw against Benaud for 37 by umpire Sang Hue, and when Ames (1) followed in Benaud's next over England were 152-6, their lead of 176 surely not yet enough to stretch Australia.
Barrington was still there though, and with the tail more resolute than in the first innings and Alderman only able to bowl five overs before being sidelined by a finger injury, he was able to battle his way to his second century of the series, an innings full of patriotic intent and one that perhaps gave England a chance of staying in the Ashes hunt on the final day. Bedser and Underwood batted gamely for over an hour on the fourth evening to add an unbroken partnership of 29 for the last wicket, and Hutton's overnight declaration at 262-9 set Australia a target of 287 off 90 overs, weather permitting.
Rain and bad light had afflicted all but the first day's play, and with this in mind early wickets were crucial for England. Woodfull and Lawry put on an untroubled 86 for the first wicket though, and it took a run out courtesy of Hobbs' fine throw from cover to finally remove Lawry for 33. Woodfull fell for 53 immediately upon resumption after a mid-afternoon rain break, and at tea Australia sat at 119-2, still requiring a further 168 runs from 36 overs. The Ashes seemed to be slipping through England's fingers, and with none of the bowlers able to exert any pressure, Bradman and Border started to press the accelerator. Both passed fifty as the stand swelled beyond a hundred, and the run rate remained steady as the tourists closed in on victory. Rain started to fall though, and although play went on for some time a downpour of Biblical proportions finally forced the players from the field with 42 still required from 44 balls.
With puddles forming rapidly on the outfield it was clear that the game was over, and so it was that the fate of the Ashes was decided with the players sitting in the pavilion. The draw meant that the Ashes had been retained by Richie Benaud's team, and after all Australia's recent travails the champagne must have tasted that much sweeter. Len Hutton was magnanimous in what seemed like defeat (the match itself had been drawn remember, not lost), and although he was quick to point out that there was still one Test to play and the result of the series was still to be decided, the huge sense of disappointment felt by England's skipper was almost tangible. The Oval Test will now serve as a valedictory send off for the Australians, but England must endeavour to find the fortitude to crash the party and at least emerge with a share of the series, if not the Ashes.
ScoresENG 1st Inns 259 (Hobbs 58, Barrington 46, Hammond 41)
AUS 1st Inns 235 (Healy 93*; Larwood 4-55)
ENG 2nd Inns 262-9 dec (Barrington 106, Hobbs 51; Lindwall 4-50)
AUS 2nd Inns 245-2 (Bradman 95*, Border 56*, Woodfull 53)
MATCH DRAWN
Man of the Match: KF Barrington
