Australia openers start strongly in pursuit of Ashes glory

AFP | London                            

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja hit unbeaten fifties as the tourists reached 135-0 on a rain-shortened yesterday in pursuit of a mammoth target of 384 runs to win the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

They kept Stuart Broad waiting for a farewell wicket after the England fast-bowling great made a shock announcement on Saturday that he was retiring after the match. Warner was 58 not out and fellow left-hander Khawaja unbeaten on 69 when rain at 2:41 pm (1341 GMT) ended play on the fourth day.

Australia need 249 more runs to complete a 3-1 series win and the first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001. If Australia do manage to reach that target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia’s 404-3 at Headingley in 1948 when Arthur Morris made 182 and batting great Don Bradman an unbeaten 173.

It would also be a new ground record -- the highest successful fourth-innings chase in a Test at The Oval is England’s 263-9 against their arch-rivals in 1902. Fast-medium bowler Broad has dismissed Warner 17 times in Test cricket.

Neither he, nor the rest of England’s pace attack were able to break through, however, before rain sent the players hurrying from the field, with a persistent downpour then ruling out any hope of a resumption later yesterday.

Warner, 30 not out at lunch, lofted England veteran James Anderson, who turned 41 yesterday, straight back over the paceman’s head for a resounding boundary. Two balls later Anderson, struggling to produce swing, shook Warner up with an accidental head high full-toss, or beamer, the bowler immediately apologising as the ball sped away to the boundary for four.

Khawaja, the leading run scorer in the series, went to fifty with his fifth four in 110 balls when he edged express quick Mark Wood.