England battle to keep Ashes alive
If England can survive the last session of the day it would leave everything to play for in London
MANCHESTER (Reuters) - Jos Buttler led a defiant England attempt to keep the Ashes fight alive as Australia searched for victory in the final session of the fourth test at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Buttler (30) and Craig Overton (12) went in for tea with England on 166-6 after an excellent spell from Australia seamer Pat Cummins, who has four wickets in the innings, had pushed the tourists close to victory.
An Australia win would put them 2-1 up in the series ahead of the final test at The Oval and secure of retaining the Ashes.
If England can survive the last session of the day it would leave everything to play for in London next week.
It would also be a bitter blow to Australia, after they failed to finish off England in the last test at Headingley, won by England in a remarkable comeback.
Australia can take the new ball 11 overs after tea and will hope their pace attack, which has been so effective, will be able to mop up England’s lower order.
England had lost Jason Roy and Ben Stokes before lunch after resuming on 18-2 hoping for another miracle and chasing a distant target of 383.
Joe Denly and Roy provided initial resistance before Cummins bowled Roy (31) with a beautiful delivery that cut back off the seam to leave England.
The crowd rose to welcome Stokes, the hero of England’s memorable last day comeback victory in the third test at Headingley, but there was to be no repeat performance from the all-rounder this time.
Another fine delivery from Cummins clipped the inside edge of Stokes’s bat and was well taken by wicketkeeper Tim Paine, the England batsman not waiting for the umpire’s verdict as he walked off.
Denly had been the pick of England’s batsmen, making 53 from 123 balls before he was outdone by sharp turn and bounce from spinner Nathan Lyon, the ball striking his glove and being snaffled up by Marnus Labuschagne at short leg.
Jonny Bairstow (25) was lbw to Mitchell Starc before Overton came in and took up nearly 16 overs at the crease with Buttler.
