Stuart Broad conjures one last burst of magic as England win fifth Test by 49 runs

England 283 (Brook 85, Starc 4-82) and 395 (Root 91, Bairstow 78, Crawley 73, Starc 4-100, Murphy 4-110) beat Australia 295 (Smith 71) and 334 (Khawaja 72, Warner 60, Smith 54, Woakes 4-50) by 49 runs

Stuart Broad conjured one last burst of magic, signing off from his professional career with the last two Australian wickets to square the Ashes series two-all at The Oval.

England’s all-time leading Ashes wicket-taker claimed his 603rd and 604th Test wickets, Todd Murphy and Alex Carey edging behind, to complete a comeback from two-nil down.

Australia retained the urn when rain washed England’s victory hopes away in Manchester but they squandered another opportunity to win a first overseas Ashes series since 2001. They made significant inroads into a steep target of 384 to win, but collapsed dramatically after tea on the fifth day.

When rain arrived just as the players returned after the lunch break, Australia needed 146 more runs to win with seven wickets remaining, with Steven Smith and Travis Head both set. They chipped a further 26 runs off the target after tea, before a dramatic collapse of 4 for 11 in 19 balls.

Moeen Ali, bowling despite a groin strain in what was almost certain to be his final Test match, got one to turn sharply out of the rough as Head edged to slip, then Chris Woakes found Smith’s outside edge as the old ball nipped away just a fraction off the seam.

Mitchell Marsh inside-edged onto his pad and Jonny Bairstow clung onto a sharp chance, sprawling low to his right, and when Mitchell Starc nicked his second ball to second slip, The Oval erupted in celebration. Pat Cummins fell shortly after, inside-edging Moeen to leg slip via his thigh pad.

That brought Murphy to the crease with 90 runs still required, but he held firm alongside Carey to whittle away at the target. After beating Murphy on the outside edge with successive balls, Broad switched the bails at the non-striker’s end – as he had in the first innings – then wheeled away in trademark celebration as his next delivery was nicked behind.

England declined to take the second new ball with a hint of movement still on offer, and Broad had Carey edging to second slip only for Zak Crawley to spill a tricky chance. But Bairstow clung on when Carey feathered behind once more, and Broad basked in the glow of one final flourish to sign off from his epic career.