The Ashes: England frustrated by Australia openers and rain as visitors set up prospect of series win on final day

Australia have given themselves a great chance of winning the Ashes outright in England for the first time in 22 years as they sit 135-0 in pursuit of 384 to win the fifth and final Test at The Kia Oval.

A superb century stand between Usman Khawaja (69no) and David Warner (58no), as well as further intervention from the weather, combined to frustrate England’s own advances for a series-levelling victory.

There was an emotional guard of honour reserved for Stuart Broad as he made his way out to the middle on the fourth morning, following his decision to retire from cricket at the end of the series.

Broad (8no) provided one final flourish with the bat, firing the final ball of Mitchell Starc’s first over, and what would prove to be his last ball faced in cricket, for six over deep square-leg – the shot greeted by a huge, guttural roar from the full house packed into the stands to witness his farewell.

But the fun was ended five balls later as Broad’s great mate and long-time bowling partner James Anderson – on his 41st birthday – was picked up lbw for eight by Todd Murphy (4-110) to see England bowled out for 395.

Broad and the fervent home support in attendance would get their wish as Warner – dismissed 17 times by the England great in Tests – would face the first ball of the innings, but the bowler (0-15) couldn’t produce any trademark Ashes heroics in his six overs, Warner drilling the final delivery of his first through the covers for four to nod to the Australian dominance to come.

There was encouraging turn on offer for the hosts but, with Moeen Ali’s groin injury limiting him to just three overs, Joe Root (0-39) was required to bowl nine and, despite the part-time spinner’s best efforts, he too went wicketless.

One of the biggest surprises was the late introduction of Mark Wood (0-16) into the attack. The genuine fast bowler was not thrown the ball until the 33rd over, just in time for Australia’s openers to bring up their century stand off his first ball and Khawaja to reach his 24th Test fifty off the second.

Warner went through to what could prove a career-saving half-century in Wood’s next over. The 36-year-old opener has mentioned how he’d like to retire with a hometown swansong in the Sydney Test during the upcoming Australian summer but he has struggled for runs in this series, with this just his second fifty in 10 innings.

As Khawaja pushed past 57 with the first of three boundaries in one Root over that hit him out of the attack, he moved beyond Zak Crawley as the leading run-scorer for the series.

When rain called the players off at 2.40pm and ultimately ended the day early, Khawaja’s stellar series tally reads 493 runs at an average of 54.77.

With no relent in the dismal weather, the day’s play was officially abandoned shortly after 4.45pm. Further rain is forecast for Monday, meaning it might be a race to the finish for England to take the 10 wickets they require to level the series.

For Australia, while they will be keen to end on a winning note, they have already retained the Ashes and even were the rain to prevent them from knocking off the further 249 runs they require, a draw would be good enough to clinch a 2-1 series win.

Watch day five of the fifth Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket on Monday. Build-up starts at 10.15am with the first ball at 11am. Stream The Ashes and more with NOW.