England are hoping that retiring seamer Stuart Broad has “one more fairytale left” as they look to salvage a 2-2 draw on the final day of the Ashes.
Australia offered Broad a guard of honour on Sunday morning but went all out to ruin his farewell appearance at the Kia Oval.
Long-time foe David Warner joined series top-scorer Usman Khawaja to put on 135 without loss on day four before rain arrived to wipe out play midway through the afternoon session.
That left the tourists needing another 249 on day five to reel in their target of 384 – a chase that would go down as the second highest by any Australia side and eighth highest in Test history.
England need another 10 wickets to claim victory and take a deserved share of the spoils but failed to generate a clear-cut chance in their first 38 overs, with Broad wicketless from six.
He had already signed off his batting career in perfect fashion, smashing his last ball for six during a brief cameo, and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick is pulling for the 37-year-old to depart in romantic fashion.
“We don’t quite see the fairytales that we want to see at times but it would be lovely to dream of it,” he said.
“If there was one more fairytale left it would be ideal if it was Stuart’s last five-for. One or two wickets to win and he runs in and gets his last five-for…something like that would be brilliant wouldn’t it?
“He’s going out right on top, isn’t he? To think you could hit your last ball for six, it was great. Most people finish when their stumps are knocked over or they’ve nicked one to slip.
“He got a great reception, it was really nice. For Stuart to get a just reward for the hard work and dedication he’s put in for such a long time was really nice to see.”
Trescothick insisted England were always expecting a tough finish despite the size of their lead and brushed aside the idea that the emotion around Broad’s departure had contributed to their tricky time in the field.
“We go about the business in the same way. We’re trying to win an Ashes Test match,” he said.
“We want to win the game for the team but you’ve got that something extra with it being Stuart’s last game. Let’s go out and win it.
“It’s been great watching the tributes that they’ve put on the TV and some of the footage they’ve put out but these guys are very professional about what they’ve got to do and and that will be no different on the last day.
“The game is in a great position and we’re still pretty positive about the job we’ve got to do. A couple of early ones in the morning and suddenly we’re right back on and right in the mix again.”
Trescothick confirmed that Mark Wood was passed fit, despite England holding their fastest bowler back until the 33rd over of the innings, but accepted both he and spinner Moeen Ali (groin) were struggling through after a draining summer.
“Woody’s fit to bowl, but like pretty much everybody else there are little aches and pains off the back of a big five-Test series,” he said.
“Moeen obviously had the little niggle but it’s been easier over the last couple of days. It’s not 100 per cent, of course it’s not. It probably won’t be for two or three weeks now but we’ve got a little bit out of him and will continue to try to do that again.”
Windies A end Nepal tour with six wicket defeat; top five-match series 3-2
West Indies A concluded their tour of South Asia on a losing note, as they were handed a six-wicket beating by Nepal in the final encounter of a five-match T20 series at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on Saturday.
Despite the loss, the Caribbean side topped the series 3-2, but had very little to celebrate, as they failed to really put together a dominant collective display. Instead, the series win was lined with individual performances, namely from captain Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze, as well as stellar efforts from Gudakesh Motie and Obed McCoy with the ball.
It was more of the same in the curtain call contest, where Athanaze’s unbeaten 29-ball 42 and Chase’s 33 off 23 balls, were the highlight of the West Indies A innings, which ended at 172-7, after they opted to take first strike.
Sagar Dhakal (3-17) and Sompal Kami (3-16) did the damage for Nepal with the ball.
In reply, Nepal, courtesy of half-centuries from Aasif Sheikh (51) and Anil Sah (58), easily got to their target with seven balls to spare.
McCoy led West Indies A bowlers with 3-36.
Scores: West Indies A 172-7 (20 overs); Nepal 173-4 (18.5 overs)
After losing opener Kushal Bhurtel (13) to McCoy in the second over, Nepal had very little trouble fending off West Indies A’s bowling attack, as Sheikh and Sah put together a 96-run second wicket stand, which laid the platform for the victory.
Wicketkeeper Sheikh smashed two fours and five sixes in his 35-ball knock, while Sah had four fours and four sixes in his 58 off 45 balls.
Even when that partnership was eventually broken by McCoy, who removed Sheikh in the 14th over, the host remained in firm control, and the win was inevitably wrapped up by Kushal Malla, who struck three fours and three sixes in a brisk unbeaten 18-ball 37.
Earlier, West Indies A lost their top order in the eighth over with just 60 runs on the board, as Johnson Charles (24), Kadeem Alleyne (11) and Mark Deyal (11), all failed to repel the attack of Dhakal’s slow left-arm orthodox spin.
Chase, who struck five boundaries in his 23-ball 33, and Athanaze, who had one four and three maximums, tried to repair the damage with a 40-run fourth wicket stand, before the former fell in the 14th over.
Matthew Forde, with a 12-ball cameo of 23, including three sixes, added some impetus to the innings, but when he fell to Kami, West Indies A lucked out, as the right had medium fast bowler also removed Fabian Allen (three) and Motie (one) in quick succession.
Athanaze and Hayden Walsh (seven) were left not out.
Pep Guardiola backs England for Euro 2024 success
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes it is only a matter of time before England get over the line at a major international tournament and gives them every chance of triumphing at Euro 2024.
England are among the favourites to win this summer's Euros in Germany along with the host nation, France, Spain and Portugal.
The Three Lions were runners-up at Euro 2020 after losing in heart-breaking fashion on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley.
They have also come close in the last two World Cup tournaments, making the semi-finals in 2018 and the last eight in 2022.
Guardiola, who has England stars like Phil Foden, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish in his Man City squad, drew comparisons his side knocking on the door in the Champions League for many years before their eventual continental success in 2023.
He would also have closely watched many of his former Barcelona players play a key role in the Spain team at Euro 2008, which would prove to be the first of three straight major tournament successes after many years of near misses for La Roja before that.
With Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham among England's options for the tournament, Guardiola likes what he sees.
"The national team? Really good. But it's not just the talent of the strikers, it's the whole package, the whole group. Gareth [Southgate] knows perfectly what he has to do," Guardiola told reporters.
"I have the feeling, everyone has the feeling, that the England national team, in the last events, the World Cup and European Championships, they made steps.
"They are on the verge, they are really close. They lost a final and got to a semi-final.
"When you arrive at these stages every two years, it's going to happen.
"It's quite similar to us – we were close and, in the end, we lifted it. Just believe it. If they believe it they can do it, believe it and they can do it."
The Euros begin on June 14 and England will be expected to top a group that also contains Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia.
West Indies win fifth T20I by eight wickets to secure 4-1 series victory
The West Indies Women defeated hosts Pakistan by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Friday to complete a 4-1 series victory.
Pakistan, after being put in to bat by the West Indies, had an excellent start to their innings with Ayesha Zafar and Sidra Ameen putting on 38 for the first wicket before Zafar fell in the fifth over for 22.
Ameen and Muneeba Ali then put on a further 46 before the latter fell for 25 in the 13th over.
That same over saw Pakistan reduced to 86-3 when Nida Dar fell for two.
What proceeded that can only be described as a collapse as the hosts then lost their next five wickets for just 35 runs in five overs.
They eventually ended their 20 overs 134-8. Ameen was the final person out for a top score of 48 as Afy Fletcher was excellent with the ball for the Windies with 3-17 from her four overs.
Qiana Joseph also bowled well with 2-26 from four overs.
The successful chase was then anchored by superstar batter Hayley Matthews.
The skipper faced 59 balls and hit 11 fours on her way to a top score of 78 as the West Indies needed just 18.2 overs to reach 136-2.
Shemaine Campbelle provided good support with 33.
Matthews was named player of the series thanks to her 205 runs and seven wickets.
Full scores: Pakistan 134-8 off 20 overs (Sidra Ameen 48, Muneeba Ali 25, Ayesha Zafar 22, Afy Fletcher 3-17, Qiana Joseph 2-26)
West Indies 136-2 off 18.2 overs (Hayley Matthews 78, Shemaine Campbelle 33)
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