Stuart Broad was content to give Steve Smith “the benefit of the doubt” after his run-out reprieve left England and Australia neck and neck after day two of the fifth Ashes Test.

Substitute fielder George Ealham, the 21-year-old son of former England all-rounder Mark, came close to swinging things decisively in the home side’s favour when he produced a lightning fast gather and throw to leave Smith scrambling.

Memories of former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting having his stumps thrown down by Gary Pratt 18 years ago came flooding back, but Smith was spared that fate as replays cast doubt over the role of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

He appeared to nudge a bail loose with his arm before gathering the ball and completing the run out, leading TV umpire Nitin Menon to spare Smith on 44. Australia added exactly 100 runs for three wickets after the incident, finishing 295 all out and 12 runs in front.

The decision did not go down well with the majority of the sold-out Kia Oval crowd, but Broad admitted his own grasp of the technicalities was imperfect and accepted the verdict.

“I don’t know the rules to be honest. I think there was enough grey area to give that not out,” he said.

“What are the rules? Was it the right decision? It looked like benefit of the doubt sort of stuff. The first angle I saw I thought ‘out’ and then with the side angle it looked like the bails probably dislodged.”

Broad’s bowling partner James Anderson also sought to take any heat out of the umpires’ call, telling BBC Sport: “It felt like one of those where Australia think it’s not out and we thought it was out.

“I’ve not had a proper look on the TV, but it felt like a very close decision. We have to trust that the third umpire knows what he’s doing and got the decision right.”

Smith, who top-scored with 71, accepted his near miss but doffed his cap in Ealham’s direction after admitting the Surrey second teamer had caught him unawares with his rapid response.

“It was pretty tight, but when I looked the second time it looked like Jonny might have knocked the bail before the ball came in,” he said.

“It looked a close one but it got given not out, didn’t it? He was quick! I know now he’s very quick.

“The next one we hit out there we kind of pushed and he was haring round the boundary, coming in at pace. Had I known that previously, I might have just stayed there for the single.”

England will begin their second innings on Saturday morning, with barely anything to separate the sides as an enthralling series enters its final chapter.

There have been two distinct styles on show, with England scoring at a rampant rate 5.17 across less than 55 overs and Australia taking almost twice as long to get their runs at 2.85.

The tourists have already retained the urn with a 2-1 lead, but both teams have a viable route to victory as they look to finish the series on a high.

“It’s going to be another cracker, I think. Both teams played pretty different on it but pretty successfully,” Broad said.

“At one stage when Smith was nearly run out we thought we could get a pretty decent lead, but the Aussies battled pretty hard there and I think it’s just set up to be a cracking game again. That is the way the Aussies play, they try to see off the new ball, grind you down, and see off a huge number of overs.”

Smith added: “It’s ebbed and flowed the whole way…a few of us got good starts but couldn’t go and get a big score.

“We’re 12 runs in front so it’s pretty much a one-innings game from here. One positive out of the game so far is we have put more overs into their bowlers than the 50-odd ours bowled.”

Kent dropped into the bottom two of LV= Insurance County Championship Division One as they crashed to a heavy defeat against Nottinghamshire on Friday.

Dane Patterson took five for 41 and Brett Hutton four for 44 as Kent, set a notional target of 407, were skittled for just 85 in their second innings at Trent Bridge.

The hosts had declared on 372 for six after Will Young and Ben Slater both scored 87 and Joe Clarke a blistering 73 from 40 balls.

Bottom side Northamptonshire batted out for a draw against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Red Rose finally declared in their first innings with a lead of 202, having reached 544 for seven with overnight pair George Balderson and Tom Hartley unbeaten on 49 and 24 respectively.

Northamptonshire were 213 for five, with captain Luke Procter and James Sales having shared an unbroken stand of 51, when the players shook hands. Emilio Gay had top-scored with 61.

Derbyshire openers Luis Reece and Harry Came shared in a county record first-wicket stand to earn a remarkable draw against Glamorgan at Derby.

The pair put on 360 as they batted throughout the final day, with Reece hitting 201 and Came 141.

Glamorgan, who had begun the day 125 ahead and hoping to force victory, failed to take a single wicket despite trying nine bowlers.

Worcestershire are in a dominant position after three days of their game against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Joe Leach, Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch all finished with three wickets apiece as the hosts were bowled out for 301 in their first innings, to concede a deficit of 105, despite 115 from Oliver Price.

Jake Libby then top-scored with 117 and Matthew Waite added 62 as Worcestershire built up a commanding lead of 421 by reaching 316 for eight before the close.

Yorkshire’s clash with Durham at Scarborough was abandoned as a draw as play was washed out for a second successive day.

England’s hopes of squaring the Ashes might have turned on the tiniest of margins at the Kia Oval as Australia’s Steve Smith came desperately close to being run out by substitute fielder George Ealham in a pivotal moment in the fifth Test.

Australia were 295 all out off the final ball of the second day, 12 runs ahead, as Smith rode his luck to top-score with 71 following a scare just after tea.

The 21-year-old son of former England all-rounder Mark Ealham looked to have replicated Ricky Ponting’s famous 2005 dismissal by the unknown Gary Pratt, combining with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to leave Smith diving for the line.

Smith initially looked bang to rights but, instead of departing for 44 and leaving his side 195 for eight, he was reprieved by TV umpire Nitin Menon.

Replays suggested Bairstow had begun to nudge one of the bails loose with his arm before collecting the ball cleanly and there was some debate over whether either bail was fully dislodged before Smith’s bat slid home.

What mattered most was the ‘not out’ decision that appeared on the big screen and the 100 runs which followed.

That was easily Australia’s most productive period of a day that had seen them embark on pedestrian go-slow in the morning session and a jittery collapse in the afternoon.

Having watched England blaze 283 in 54.5 overs, Australia crept just above that mark in 103.1, Ben Stokes taking an excellent two-stage boundary catch to end the innings in the closing moments.

England were one bowler down due to Moeen Ali’s groin strain, but Australia came out with nothing but survival on their mind, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne scoring just 13 runs off the bat in a first hour that tested English patience in the field and in stands.

Labuschagne was completely bereft of intent, scratching out nine off 82 deliveries before Mark Wood finally drew the outside edge England had spent almost 90 minutes probing for.

It looked a regulation catch for Bairstow but he froze on the spot, leaving Joe Root to hurl himself into action at first slip and claim a brilliant one-handed grab. That was the height of the pre-lunch entertainment, with the scoreboard trudging to 115 for two by the break.

Australia had put miles in the English legs and taken time out of a game their rivals need to win, but they had barely moved the dial in real terms.

The limitations of that approach were exposed in the afternoon, with England taking five for 71 to take control of proceedings. Stuart Broad played the role of ringleader, dismissing Khawaja and Travis Head in successive overs to inject some electricity into a game that had gone to sleep.

Khawaja had spent more than four-and-a-half hours in defiance when Broad speared one in from round the wicket and trapped the left-hander in front of leg. Five balls later the seamer was celebrating again, challenging Head outside off stump and getting the nick.

England continued burrowing through the middle order as James Anderson belatedly opened his account for the match in the 16th over, bowling Mitch Marsh off a hefty inside edge and cracking a long overdue smile in the process.

The mistakes kept coming, Alex Carey chipping Root’s tempter to short cover and Mitchell Starc flapping Wood straight up in the air.

Smith was shaping up to be the key figure as he reached tea on 40, but he came desperately close to a self-inflicted dismissal.

Turning back for a second as Ealham sprinted in from the deep and flung a flat throw to the keeper, he looked to be struggling as he dived for his ground.

Replays initially seemed to seal his fate, with his bat short of the crease line as the stumps were broken. He was halfway to the pavilion when he sensed something might be amiss, with the slow-motion footage suggesting Bairstow had nudged one bail loose before gathering the ball in and parting the stumps.

The images were scrutinised for a couple of minutes, analysing when and where the bails left their grooves, before Menon ruled in Smith’s favour. His decision was met with frustration among the home supporters and a healthy dose of confusion elsewhere, as the assembled pundits tried in vain to bring some clarity.

Smith added another 44 before skying Chris Woakes over his shoulder to Bairstow, who did his work well this time.

England should still have taken a lead into day three but struggled to mop up the tail. Pat Cummins made an assured 36 and Todd Murphy landed three sixes on his way to 34.

Woakes had the skipper lbw late on and Root finished things off when Stokes affected a smart catch-and-release take on the boundary to dismiss Murphy.

England will bat again on day three, with barely an inch to separate the sides.

England substitute fielder George Ealham came agonisingly close to his own Gary Pratt moment during the evening session on day two of the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval.

Ealham, the son of former England international Mark, found himself in the thick of the action from the third ball of the 78th over of Australia’s innings.

Steve Smith looked to complete a risky two against the bowling of Chris Woakes, but Ealham sprinted in from the rope and hurled in a hard, flat throw that forced the Aussie batter to dive to make his ground.

It instantly provoked memories of former Durham staffer Pratt, who memorably ran out Ricky Ponting during the fourth Test of the 2005 Ashes.

Ealham was denied a similar place in Ashes history after TV umpire Nitin Menon eventually ruled Smith remained not out owing to the uncertainty over what was an extremely marginal call.

Australia were on 193 for seven when Smith dropped the ball towards the midwicket region and set off for two runs with captain Pat Cummins.

Smith stumbled briefly on his way to completing the second run and saw England substitute fielder Ealham throw in brilliantly with Jonny Bairstow dislodging the bails.

Before a decision had been made Smith started his walk back to the pavilion having seen that he was short of his ground, but replays showed that Bairstow appeared to nudge one of the bails out of its groove a fraction of a second before taking the ball from Ealham’s throw.

Further replays also demonstrated enough uncertainty over whether both ends of the bail had left their grooves before Smith made his ground with a dive.

It sparked debate and confusion amongst broadcasters but the cold reality was Smith remained at the crease.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the lawmakers of the game, later published a statement about the decision and referenced Law 29.1.

“The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps is removed from the ground,” the MCC tweeted.

“Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC’s Official Interpretation of the Laws of Cricket, adds: ‘For the purposes of dismissal – a bail has been removed at the moment that both ends of it leave their grooves’.”

Smith was able to add a further 27 runs before he was eventually out for 71 after he top-edged Woakes high into the air with Bairstow taking an impressive catch on the run.

Yorkshire have been fined and docked points in two formats over the club’s “extremely serious” misconduct in relation to the racism experienced by former player Azeem Rafiq.

The club were fined £400,000 – £300,000 of which is suspended for two years – and docked 48 County Championship points and four in the T20 Blast from this season’s competitions by an independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) panel after admitting four charges.

Yorkshire released a statement accepting the sanctions. The punishment means Yorkshire drop from sixth to bottom of Division Two in the Championship, all but ending their promotion chances, while they go from fifth to eighth in the North Group of the already-completed 2023 Blast, a competition where they failed to qualify for the knockout stages.

Rafiq initially spoke out in 2020 about the racism and bullying he experienced across two spells at the county, between 2008 and 2014 and between 2016 and 2018. He also gave harrowing testimony about his experiences to the Culture, Media and Sport parliamentary committee in November 2021.

The first charge the county admitted was the mishandling of their response to an independent report prompted by Rafiq’s allegations.

The second related to what the panel found to be the “deliberate” deletion of emails relevant to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigation into Yorkshire, the third to their handling of racism complaints more widely and the fourth to a failure to address the “systemic use” of racist and or discriminatory language over a prolonged period, set in the panel findings as being between 2004 and 2021.

“The overall misconduct in this case must be regarded as extremely serious within both the sporting and wider societal contexts,” the CDC panel’s written reasons confirming the sanctions stated.

“The latter of course is not our concern – but the cricketing context is. The gravity lies not just within the nature of the discrimination itself, but because the message must be made clear to all who administer and who play the professional game, and to all those who administer cricket and who play elsewhere, that such conduct is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Complaint is made by Yorkshire that the sanctions which the ECB has asked the panel to consider are more severe than any sanction the CDC has imposed before. Yorkshire are right – in this panel’s experience this is the most serious case in respect of a first-class county which has been brought before the CDC.”

At a sanctions hearing on June 27, Yorkshire had called for any punishments imposed to be suspended. The ECB had called at the same hearing for the CDC to impose a £500,000 fine on Yorkshire, with £350,000 of it suspended.

ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy said it would be “wholly unproductive” to try to put Yorkshire out of business, with the club having highlighted a £3.5million cash shortfall to members at their annual general meeting back in March, and the need to repay £14.9m to their creditors the Graves Trust.

The panel recognised the “fragile” nature of the club’s finances, but said it would be an “affront” to those who had suffered as a consequence of the breaches Yorkshire had admitted if there was no financial penalty.

On the same day as the sanctions hearing took place, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published its damning report which found racism was “entrenched” in the sport.

Regarding the second charge concerning the mass deletion of emails and documents, the panel said it was satisfied the deletions “were both deliberate and were of emails relevant to the investigations being undertaken by both the ECB and internally”.

Yorkshire issued an apology to Rafiq in September 2021, accepting he had been the victim of racial harassment and bullying, but the following month the club said no individual would face disciplinary action over the report’s findings.

The club’s handling of the case led to sponsors deserting in their droves, calls for “heads to roll” at Yorkshire from the then Health Secretary Sajid Javid, and to the ECB withdrawing Yorkshire’s right to host lucrative international matches at Headingley until governance changes were made.

The panel and the ECB recognised the work done to make Yorkshire more inclusive, first by Lord Kamlesh Patel during his time as chair between November 2021 and March of this year, and subsequently by the current leadership.

The panel gave “significant weight” to efforts to remedy past failings but said those changes did not mean sanctions should not be imposed.

“If a company could avoid penalties simply by changing their employees after any wrongdoing, that would undermine the whole premise of corporate responsibility,” the written reasons stated.

“The internal upheavals may amount to some mitigation, albeit brought by the club upon itself, but it cannot render past misconduct incapable of sanction.”

The panel ordered the £100,000 to be paid in equal instalments on January 1, March 1, June 1 and September 1 next year.

Yorkshire accepted the sanctions but said in a statement: “We are disappointed to receive the points deductions which affects players and staff at the club, who were not responsible for the situation.

“They have worked tirelessly on and off the field to rebuild Yorkshire into an inclusive and welcoming club that reflects the communities it serves. Greater clarity over our situation will allow us all now to look ahead.

“There remains much to do, but we have made significant investments to put in place best practice processes and procedures, as well as driving equity, diversity and inclusion through a new framework and taking important steps to improve the matchday experience to encourage greater inclusivity and tackle discrimination.

“We look forward to continued dialogue with the ECB to ensure the financial penalty does not hinder our ongoing commitment to build on the strong foundations that have been laid.”

ECB chief executive Richard Gould added: “These were serious charges relating to racism over a prolonged period.

“There can be no place for racism in our game, and the penalties announced by the Cricket Discipline Commission mark the end of a thorough disciplinary process.

“No one should have to experience what Azeem Rafiq went through in cricket, and we once again thank him for his courage in speaking out.”

Rafiq has been approached for comment.

Stuart Broad kickstarted England’s resurgence as a Australia backed themselves into a corner on day two of the final Ashes Test.

The tourists produced a thoroughly passive batting performance, attempting to grind their opponents down but coming unstuck as they coughed up five wickets in the afternoon session.

At tea they had lurched to 186 for seven, a colourless innings that gave England the upper hand and struck a stark contrast to the hosts’ thrill-a-minute 283 on the first day.

At the break, the Baggy Greens were 97 behind with Steve Smith unbeaten on 40 and carrying the bulk of his side’s hopes.

While England burned out in less than 55 overs and scored at a rampant rate of 5.17, Australia slammed the brakes on as they eked out their runs at 2.48.

With the scoreboard moving at glacial pace in the morning, Australia scoring 54 in two hours of stoic defence, Broad grabbed the initiative after lunch as he removed Usman Khawaja and Travis Head in successive overs.

England kept charging in and chipped away at a side who have retained the urn but lost their mojo. James Anderson claimed his first breakthrough of the match when Mitch Marsh dragged down his stumps, an out-of-sorts Alex Carey lobbed Joe Root to short cover and Mark Wood bounced out Mitchell Starc.

Root, who was only pressed into bowling action due to first-choice spinner Moeen Ali’s groin injury, had earlier got England on the board with a super reaction catch at first slip.

After almost 90 minutes of blocking in difficult batting conditions the ultra-defensive Marnus Labuschagne, who scraped together nine runs off 82 deliveries, eventually nicked Wood for what should have been a regulation caught behind.

But Jonny Bairstow failed to make a move a move and the ball would have raced away for four had Root not flung himself into action, diving to his left to pull off a remarkable one-handed grab.

Australia still appeared to be in control at the interval, going in at 115 for two as Khawaja produced a watchful opener’s knock, but the limited ambition came home to roost in the middle session.

They added just 71 between lunch and tea as they lost control of the narrative. Broad was the primary reason for the change in tone.

He found a way through Khawaja’s well-rehearsed defences after nearly five hours of occupation, angling in from round the wicket and hitting him in front of leg stump for 47.

He then followed by making short work of the dangerous Travis Head, the man most likely to energise a quiet day.

Head got off the mark with a boundary but that was the start and the end of his scoring, as he felt for contact in the channel and nicked through to Bairstow.

Broad had two in six balls, the crowd’s pulses had raised and Australia had seen their hard work come undone.

The Seattle Orcas became the first finalists in Major League Cricket history after a dominant nine-wicket win over the Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 1 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday.

The Super Kings managed to post just 126-9 in their 20 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

Daniel Sams hit 26* while Devon Conway and Cody Chetty each hit 24. Those were the only Super Kings batsmen to reach double figures as Andrew Tye took 3-32 and Imad Wasim grabbed 2-23 for the Orcas.

Quinton De Kock then led the successful chase for the Orcas with an unbeaten 50-ball 88 including 10 fours and four sixes.

He was well supported by Shehan Jayasuriya who hit 31* as Seattle needed just 15 overs to reach 127-1 and secure a spot in the final.

Their opponents will be determined when the Super Kings face MI New York, who beat the Washington Freedom by 16 runs in the Eliminator on the same day, on Friday.

MI New York made 141-7 off their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Freedom.

Dewald Brevis, who played because of an injury sustained by Captain, Kieron Pollard, in their last game, led the way with 57 off 41 balls including four fours and three sixes.

Saurabh Netravalkar took 2-25 for the Freedom.

Washington were then restricted to 125-9 from their 20 overs despite 28 from Marco Jansen and 24 from Andries Gous.

Trent Boult led the charge with 4-20 while Nosthush Kenjige took 2-19 for MI New York.

Yorkshire have been hit with points deductions in two formats and fined £400,000 over the racism scandal linked to their former player Azeem Rafiq.

A Cricket Discipline Commission panel said £300,000 of the fine imposed had been suspended for a period of two years.

The club have also immediately been docked 48 points from their County Championship total, and a further four from their tally in the T20 Blast.

Yorkshire, who had admitted four charges following the conclusion of an England and Wales Cricket Board investigation, released a statement confirming they accepted the sanctions.

Australia slammed on the brakes on the second morning of the final Ashes Test, shutting England’s bowlers out before a stunning catch from Joe Root lifted spirits at the Kia Oval.

The home side were bowled out for a thrill-a-minute 283 on day one, scoring at a frantic pace but burning out in less than 55 overs, with the tourists grinding their way to 115 for two in reply.

Australia, 2-1 up and with the urn already retained, were more than happy to block their way through the first session and shored their position up with some low-risk cricket which takes them one step closer to a first series win on these shores since 2001.

Resuming on 61 for one, they scraped together just 54 runs in 26 overs. Usman Khawaja was still in place at lunch, moving to 47 not out off 152 deliveries, but Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for nine after chewing through 82 balls.

England had been probing away without success until the pace of Mark Wood finally drew a mistake, Labuschagne edging behind for what should have been a regulation take for wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

But he remained static, leaving Root to fling himself into action at first slip and snap up a brilliant one-handed take to his left.

Labuschagne appeared to be unhappy at the fading light levels as he skulked towards the pavilion, but Root’s reactions suggested the thick, grey clouds that lingered over the ground were not too bad.

The arrival of Steve Smith, who reached 13 not out at lunch, picked up Australia’s rate, as he drove James Anderson for consecutive fours to ease past Labuschagne’s score in a fraction of the time.

Anderson endured another demoralising session, wheeling away through a couple of tidy but joyless spells in handy conditions.

The seamer, who turns 41 on Sunday, has picked up just four wickets in four matches this summer and cannot seem to find the edge of the bat despite building up a steady rhythm.

Stuart Broad was the pick of the attack in a first hour that saw just 13 runs off the bat as well as eight byes.

He had Labuschagne playing and missing, went up for an lbw appeal and saw a flick round the corner land a yard in front of leg gully, but ultimately found himself frustrated by the policy of calculated defence.

Khawaja played his role with aplomb, relentlessly eating up time at the crease in bowler-friendly conditions and ending the morning’s play with a rare flourish as he pinged Wood off his pads to the square-leg boundary.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has paid tribute to Raphick Jumadeen, the former West Indies spin bowler who passed away in his homeland Trinidad on Tuesday. He was 75.

As a left-arm spinner, Jumadeen played 12 Test matches between 1972 and 1979 taking 29 wickets. His best figures of 4-72 came against Australia at Sabina Park, Jamaica in 1978.

He was also one of the leading bowlers for Trinidad and Tobago and played 99 first-class matches in which he took 347 wickets at an average of 27.9.

Following retirement from the game, Jumadeen was a coach and selector in Trinidad and was a member of the West Indies senior men’s selection panel.

“Raphick Jumadeen was an outstanding servant of the game and gave his all on and off the field. He was a stand-out performer for Trinidad and Tobago in the Shell Shield and was one of the most successful wicket-takers at the regional level,” CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow said in tribute to the fallen former West Indies bowler. 

 “He returned to serve West Indies cricket as a senior selector. Raphick made an invaluable contribution to the game as a coach in his country, where he played a hand in the development of many young players. He has left behind a legacy of service, commitment, and giving back to the game he loved. CWI extends our condolences to his wife and other family members, loved ones, and the cricket family in Trinidad and Tobago.”

The West Indies team paid respect to Jumadeen by wearing black armbands during the first match of the CG United ODI Series powered by YES BANK against India at Kensington Oval on Thursday.

Harry Brook insisted England were happy with their work after being bowled out for 283 on day one of the concluding Ashes Test.

The hosts were dismissed in less than 55 overs after being sent in at the Kia Oval, in a game they need to win to salvage a drawn series, but tackled bowler-friendly conditions with their usual aggression to score at more than five-an-over.

They lost wickets in clusters, with a sequence of three for 11 hampering their progress in the morning session and another mini-collapse of four 28 clearing out their middle-order engine room.

Australia chose a different method, grinding their way to 61 for one in 25 overs to take the upper hand by stumps, but Brook was content with how things finished.

He top-scored with 85, striking 11 fours and two audacious sixes along the way, and felt England had marginally over-achieved given the gloomy skies and green-tinged surface.

“We feel pretty happy. We’ve had decent day in the end,” he said.

“We were all talking about 250 being a decent score at lunch time and got 33 more than that. We were happy with the way we scored our runs. We ended up scoring at a decent rate but they bowled well.

“When you put a team in you want to bowl them out, especially in a day, but we definitely played well and got up to a respectable total.”

That may not have been the case had it not been for Brook’s headline innings, his fourth and highest half-century of the series, but he almost departed for just five.

A booming drive off Pat Cummins made it only as far as Alex Carey’s glove, but the chance popped out and allowed England’s number five to wreak some havoc before eventually falling to Mitchell Starc.

“I got that little bit of luck early on, which helped, but I was just trying to be positive like I always am,” he said.

“I try to put the pressure back on them and try to take them off their lengths. I know it looks madness when we are out there and scoring quick, but we have always had little moments where we have had to rein it in and soak up pressure. I do look to score. If I’m just trying to survive I am pretty useless!”

England’s prospects of pushing for a series-levelling victory were dented by an injury to lead spinner Moeen Ali, who injured his thigh during a century stand with Brook and did not take the field.

With seamers dominating the evening session he was not missed immediately, but that could change as things progress.

“I don’t think he’s too good at the minute, but I’m not a physio so I can’t tell you too much about his injury,” said Brook, who encouraged Moeen to hit out after he received treatment.

“He is one of the best power hitters in the world and we’ve seen that in white-ball cricket. There’s probably not any better man out there to go and smack it really. It’s a shame he didn’t last a bit longer but the way he went about it after getting injured was perfect I thought.

“Hopefully he can come out there and bowl some overs for us tomorrow or get some runs in the next innings.”

Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets and Ishan Kishan scored 50 as India condemned West Indies to a five-wicket defeat in the first ODI played at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday.

After skittling the West Indies out for 114 in just 23 overs, India scored 118-5 from 22.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Yadav returned the incredible figures of 4-6 in three overs as the West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 26 runs. Yadav claimed the last four wickets to fall including that of Captain Shai Hope who made 43, the only score of note as Alick Athanze (22) and Brandon King (17) both got starts but failed to carry on.

Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled Shimron Hetmyer for 11, also contributed to the rout taking 3-37 in his six overs.

Chasing a modest total, India lost the wickets of Shubman Gill for seven when he edged a Jaydon Seales delivery to King at slip and Suryakumar Yadav, who was trapped lbw by Gudakesh Motie for 19.

India would lose three more wickets as Hardik Pandya was run out for five, Motie dismissed Kishan for 52 and Yannic Cariah dismissed Shardul Thakur for one. However, Jadeja (16) and Rohit Sharma (12) remained unbeaten as the tourists eased the target inside the 23^rd over.

Motie was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 2-26 while Cariah and Seales shared two wickets between them.

England and Australia produced another culture clash on the opening day of the final Ashes Test, with Harry Brook keeping the hosts afloat at the Kia Oval.

England’s ‘Bazball’ brigade lived fast and died young after being sent in to bat, bowled out for 283 inside 55 overs as Brook’s dashing 85 did much of the work.

There were 31 boundaries and five sixes as the hosts flashed hard in difficult conditions and scored their runs at a rollicking rate of 5.17 while losing wickets in costly clusters.

Australia were unusually ragged in the field, dropping five chances including Brook on just five, but showed plenty of care and attention as they reached 61 for one in response.

In place of England’s devil-may-care approach they set their sights on survival, happily sedate as they idled along at 2.44. Yet, if the tourists can go deep, win the Test and become the first Australian side to win outright on English soil since 2001, the entertainment factor will finish as a footnote next to a 3-1 away win.

Chris Woakes claimed England’s only wicket, David Warner doing the hard work then slashing to second slip for 24, but the home attack was a touch lethargic. James Anderson once again searched in vain for inspiration, tidy but unthreatening in what is fast becoming a worrying pattern as he approaches his 41st birthday.

England’s prospects were not helped by the absence of spinner Moeen Ali, who injured his thigh while batting and did not take the field.

The odds were stacked against England’s openers after Pat Cummins won his first toss of the series and sent them out under thick clouds.

Australia granted both men a life in the slips, Warner putting down Ben Duckett and Steve Smith parrying Crawley one-handed, but they asserted themselves well to add 62 in the first 12 overs.

Duckett made a run-a-ball 41, peaking when he skipped down the track and clubbed Josh Hazlewood for a straight four.

His departure was slightly unlucky, strangled down leg by Mitch Marsh off the glove, but Crawley was beaten in more authentic fashion as Cummins squared him up and took the shoulder of the bat.

Australia were suddenly up for the fight, rounding up their number one target when Joe Root dragged Hazlewood on for five.

At 73 for three, things had taken a sharp downturn for England when Brook arrived in the middle. He could easily have been the next domino to fall, edging a full delivery from Cummins through to Alex Carey.

It was a low chance, just in front of first slip, but once it hit the glove it should have stayed there. Instead, it popped out and invited Brook to enjoy his reprieve.

Two more false shots skipped through the cordon for four before he warmed to the task, pounding Marsh through the covers then denting his pride with a dismissive swat for six over midwicket.

With lunch approaching he went after Starc, threading back-to-back boundaries then stepping inside the line of a bouncer and hooking it over fine-leg for another maximum. His efforts dragged England to 131 for three at lunch, back ahead of the game after a rollercoaster session.

Moeen had been a silent partner at number three, but sparked into life when he pulled up completing a single. After eking 11 from his first 37 deliveries, he raced through the gears after treatment from the physio to clatter 23 off his next nine.

The partnership was up to 111 when Moeen swiped at Todd Murphy’s third ball, missing completely and losing his middle stump.

Brook was still looking good, reaching his fourth half-century of the series in just 44 balls and driving Cummins for back-to-back boundaries, but Australia were in the process of reclaiming the initiative.

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow came and went without leaving a mark. Cummins pegged back his fellow captain’s off stump up with one that swung in and straightened off the pitch, while Bairstow got into a poor position as he dragged Hazlewood on.

The responsibility lay firmly on the shoulders of England’s youngest player now, but Brook was suckered in by a fuller, wider offering from Starc. Brook threw everything at it but only succeeded in spraying a thick edge to Smith.

The heavy lifting looked to be done at seven down, but Woakes (36) and Mark Wood (28) had other ideas. Between them the pair added 64 in 65 balls, with 42 of those coming in boundaries as England continued hitting the fast forward button.

Chances continued to come and Starc finished with four for 82 when Woakes holed out to end the innings, partial payback for a steepling six that had sailed over his head a few moments earlier.

Conditions were still bowler-friendly during England’s 25 overs in the field, but Australia slammed the brakes on a breakneck day of action. Usman Khawaja made 26no from 75 balls and Marnus Labuschagne blocked for stumps, leaving Warner’s error of judgement as a solitary blemish on the card.

Harry Brook hit a dashing 85 but England lost wickets in clusters as Australia made their move on the opening day of the final Ashes Test.

Sent in to bat in bowler-friendly conditions at the Kia Oval, Pat Cummins finally winning his first toss of the series, England battled to 250 for seven at tea.

Brook stood out, reeling off 11 fours and two audacious sixes, but could not hang in as the tourists made regular breakthroughs to disrupt the English momentum.

England lost three for 11 midway through the morning session to scupper a bright start, and four for 28 as the ball came to life in the afternoon.

Earlier Brook’s fearless strokeplay lit up a stand of 111 with Moeen Ali, the latter chipping in with 34 despite collecting a painful thigh injury.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey would have been relieved to see the back of the Yorkshireman, having put him down when he had just five.

Chris Woakes and Mark Wood added 38 quick runs in a punchy counter-attack before tea, but it was a disappointing day for England’s experienced middle-order campaigners as Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow mustered just 12 between them.

Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made a bright start despite heading out under cloudy skies, posting a lively stand of 62 in just 12 overs.

Both had a life in the slips, David Warner putting down a regulation chance off Duckett and Steve Smith getting one hand to a much trickier one off Crawley, but applied pressure of their own.

Duckett was particularly assertive, making a run-a-ball 41 which peaked when he skipped down the track at Josh Hazlewood and clubbed him back down the ground for four.

He was slightly unlucky to be strangled down leg by Mitch Marsh, gloving one off his hip to get Australia up and running.

Crawley became the first batter to pass 400 runs for the series but was gone for 22, squared up by the excellent Cummins and squirting a catch off the shoulder of the bat.

England’s mini-collapse also consumed Root, dragging Hazlewood into his stumps having added only five to leave a precarious score of 73 for three.

Moeen made a steady start but Brook’s arrival kept things lively. His low edge off Cummins should have been gathered by Carey but popped loose, and a couple of flashy shots zipped away for four off the outside edge.

Ignoring his initial travails he barrelled forward on the front foot, crunching drives and then thrashing Marsh for a dismissive square six that will have dented the all-rounder’s pride.

He reached lunch with a flurry, including a second maximum when he anticipated a Mitchell Starc bouncer, stepped inside the line and hooked him high over fine-leg.

Moeen’s mission statement changed when he pulled up injured, going from 11 off his first 37 balls to 23 off his last nine. He was cleaned up by spinner Todd Murphy, swiping fresh air, to end a dangerous partnership.

Brook reached his fourth half-century of the series with a pair of elegant fours off successive Cummins deliveries, but his scoring slowed as Australia’s bowlers tightened up.

But he lacked support. Stokes lost his off stump to a beauty from Starc that swung through the air and straightened off the pitch, and Hazlewood got an over-exuberant Bairstow to play on from a poor position.

Brook could, and perhaps should, have settled in for his ton but instead looked to take the attacking option. When Starc invited him to tuck into a wider delivery shaped towards the slips, he threw his hands at it and sent a thick edge to Smith.

Wood and Woakes took the situation on, flashing hard and taking quick runs, improving England’s position handily at the end of another rollercoaster session.

Harry Brook took advantage of Australia’s sloppy catching, lifting England to 131 for three after a mini-collapse on the first morning of the Ashes finale at the Kia Oval.

The momentum swung back and forth on several occasions in an opening session that exemplified the blockbuster entertainment the series has thrived on, with Brook’s fearless strokeplay edging it for the hosts at lunch.

He was 48 not out from 41 balls at the interval, with seven fours and two audacious sixes under his belt, leaving wicketkeeper Alex Carey ruing every run.

Carey put down a low chance from Brook on just five, getting his glove to the ball but failing to hang on in what could prove a costly moment.

Australia’s handling had already let them down earlier, with both England openers given a life.

Pat Cummins sent the hosts in under cloudy skies but found Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in resistant mood, posting a lively stand of 62 in just 12 overs.

Both men were dropped at slip, David Warner shelling a regulation chance from Duckett and Steve Smith failing to pull off a one-handed dive off Crawley, but got the scoreboard moving with some dashing shots.

With plenty of seam movement on offer, Australia stuck at their task and finally asserted themselves in helpful conditions as they picked up three for 11 to halt the home side’s charge.

The initial breakthrough was a soft one, Duckett strangled down the leg side as Mitch Marsh brushed a glove on the way through to Carey.

It had been an exciting knock from the Nottinghamshire man, who made 41 at exactly a run a ball and got the crowd on their feet when he advanced down the pitch at Josh Hazlewood and clubbed him for a rollicking four.

Cummins, comfortably the pick of the attack, doubled down when he squared up Crawley and saw a thick edge sprayed to Smith, who made no mistake this time.

England’s sticky period took a turn for the worse when Joe Root dragged a Hazlewood delivery into his own stumps for just five, with Australia now ahead of the game at 73 for three.

But Moeen Ali bolted the door at number three, making a quiet 10 not out, and Brook flourished after his edge off Cummins failed to stick with Carey.

He enjoyed a couple of streaky fours through the cordon but soon began imposing himself with booming drives and an outrageous blow over midwicket that would have dented Marsh’s pride.

His second six was just as brash, stepping inside the line against Mitchell Starc to flash him up and over fine-leg with the lunch break in sight.