Ashes 2019: England vs Australia, 5th Test – Smith's record streak, a rare drawn Ashes series and more stats

England registered a 135-run win in the Oval Test match after Australia retained the Ashes taking a 2-1 lead in Manchester. Australia couldn’t make most of their decision to bowl first as the hosts finished with 294 in the first innings. Steve Smith’s 80 was the only fifty for Australia in their first-innings as Jofra Archer’s 6-wicket haul reduced the visitors to 225/10. They returned to batting for a 399-run chase after the hosts were restricted to 329 in the 2nd essay. Matthew Wade scored a 166-ball 117 but could only push their total to 263.

All the statistical highlights from England’s convincing win over Australia at The Oval:

A drawn Ashes:

1972 – This series is the first Ashes series to end in a draw since the 5-match series in England in 1972 which also ended with a scoreline of 2-2. England were the previous holders of the Ashes at that time and hence retained the Ashes. Overall, the current series is only the 6th Ashes series to end in a draw.

A rare defeat for the Aussies:

2 – Only the 2nd time Australia lost a Test match against England in England after electing to bowl first. Ricky Ponting elected to bowl first in the 2005 Birmingham Test match which the Australian team lost by 2 runs.

Smith’s record streak:

6 – Steve Smith has scored in excess of 75 runs in each of the first six innings of this series. He thus became only the 2nd player in the history of Test cricket with six consecutive 75+ scores. Sir Everton Weekes also had six such scores in a row between 1948 and 1949.

774 – Steve Smith’s 774 runs in this series are the most by any player in a Test series in the last 25 years. Smith’s 769 runs during the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar series at home were the previous most runs by any player in a Test series in this period.

Ashes 2019: Steve Smith’s superlative series with the bat in numbers

Broad and Archer set England records:

1 – Stuart Broad became the first England player to bag 20+ wickets in four different Ashes series. Overall, he is the 5th bowler to take 20+ wickets in four or more Ashes series. Only Shane Warne (6) has taken 20+ wickets in five or more different series in the Ashes.

1981 – Jofra Archer is the first England bowler with two 6-wicket hauls in an Ashes series since Ian Botham in the 1981 home series. He is also the first player with two 6-fers in an Ashes since Peter Siddle in 2010/11 and the first since Shane Warne in 2005 during an Ashes in England.

Root @ 7000:

6y 273d – Joe Root completed 7000 runs in Test cricket in 6 years and 273 days from his debut. He is the quickest to 7000 Test runs in terms of time taken from the debut. The previous fastest was Sir Alastair Cook in 6 years and 280 days.

Stats: Joe Root completes 7000 runs in Test cricket

A drought of opening stands:

54 – The 54-run opening stand between Rory Burns and Joe Denly in the 2nd innings was England’s first 50-run opening stand in Test cricket in 16 innings. The streak of 15 innings is the longest for England without a 50+ opening stand in Test cricket.