Final test drawn

Press, 31 August 1989, Page 33

Final test drawn

NZPA-Reuter London Australia’s victorious tour of England ended in relative anti-climax at the Oval yesterday when the sixth and final test against England ended in a draw.

England, left to survive a minimum of 67 overs in the . final two sessions, was 143 for five when bad light intervened in the final hour to save them any further embarrassment.

Robin Smith was unbeaten on 77, but England’s other leading batsmen were again dismissed cheaply as the Australian attack made a determined bid to force a 5-0 series win.

Terry Aiderman dismissed the Essex openers, John Stephenson and Graham Gooch, with only 27 runs on the board to take his tally for the series to 41, making him the first bowler in history to take over 40 wickets in a series twice. Aiderman, who took 42 wickets in the 1981 series, was duly named as Australia’s Man of the Series.

Geoff Lawson joined in to bowl Michael Atherton for 14 and tempt a despondent England captain, David Gower, into a rash slash outside off stump to give Steve Waugh a diving catch in the gully. Smith again provided spir-

ited resistance in company with the all-rounder, David Capel, and Jack Russell, who was named as England’s “Man of the Series.” Australia had earlier batted through the entire morning session to remove any prospect of a surprise England win. Mark Taylor took his series run aggregate to 839, leaving only Don Bradman (974) and Wally Hammond (905) ahead of him in the alltime list. Dean Jones, voted “Man of the Match,” and the captain, Allan Border, then hit breezy half centuries enabling Australia to declare at 219 for four, setting England a theoretical target of 403.

Border said afterwards that the first day of the first test at Headingley had been the key to his i side’s Ashes success.

“We were apprehensive," he recalled. "Headingley had not been a good ground for us and to play the way we did on that first day gave everyone a lot of confidence.”

After being put in by David Gower on a good pitch, Australia made 207 for three on that first day and went on to score 601 for seven declared, paving the way for their nonstop success. Australia fielded just 12 players in the whole series in

contrast to England who chose 31 players and fielded 29. Only Gower and Russell played in all six tests. Scores: Australia First innings 468 Second innings M. Taylor c Russell b Small 48 G. Marsh lbw, b Igglesden 4 D. Boon run out 37 A. Border not out 51 D. Jones b Capel 50 S. Waugh not out 7 Extras (b 2, lb 7, nb 13) . 22 Total (for 4 wkts dec.) . . 219 Fall: 7, 100, 101, 189. Bowling: Small, 20, 4, 57, 1; Igglesden, 13, 1, 55, 1; Capel, 8, 0, 35, 1; Pringle, 16, 0, 53, 0; Cook, 6,2, 10, 0. England First innings 285 Second innings G. Gooch c& b Aiderman 10 J. Stephenson lbw b Aiderman 11 M. Atherton b Lawson ... 14 R. Smith not out 77 D. Gower c Waugh b Lawson 7 D. Capel c Taylor b Hohns. 17 J. Russell not out 0 Extras (lb 1, wl,nb 5) . 7 Total (for 5 wkts) 143 Fall: 20, 27, 51, 67, 138. Bowling: Aiderman, 13, 3, 30, 2; Lawson, 15.1, 2, 41, 2; Hughes, 8,2, 34, 0; Hohns, 10, 2, 37, 1.