Day 3 of the fifth test between England and Australia: Joe Root leads the run-spree as England tries to tie the series.

 In the fifth Test at The Oval on Saturday, England made a huge step toward tying the Ashes thanks to a stunning century combination between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow.

In the fifth Test at The Oval on Saturday, England made a huge step toward tying the Ashes thanks to a stunning century combination between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. At the end of the third day's play, England had amassed a commanding lead of 377 runs and were at 389-9 in their second innings. They need to win this game to tie the series at 2-2. The fifth-wicket stand between Root (91) and Bairstow (78) was 110 runs, and the one disappointment for the enthusiastic home audience was that neither Yorkshireman was able to reach a personal hundred.

After being pummeled by England's top order, a late burst of wickets, with Mitchell Starc collecting 4-94, gave Australia some hope.

But the loudest shouts of the day were heard when last man James Anderson started off by reverse sweeping Todd Murphy for four and then conventionally sweeping the off-spinner for another boundary on the following ball.

However, if Australia is to pull off an unlikely triumph, they would already need to score the joint ninth-highest total to win in the fourth innings of a Test due to England's present advantage.

England was 222-4 when Harry Brook and Zak Crawley, who both scored excellent scores of 73, fell in quick succession.

As England reached tea on 265-4, Bairstow, one of the 'Bazball' era's biggest performers, continued the aggressive run rate with 34 off 35 balls.

With a rasping cover-drive off Josh Hazlewood, Bairstow reached fifty, marking his sixth boundary in 60 balls faced.

Root, who was still in the 60s at tea, into the 90s with a sophisticated cover-driven four off Australia's Pat Cummins.

After scoring an unbroken 118 in the first Test at Edgbaston, Root failed to score a second century for the series. He was struck by a Murphy off-break that kept low between bat and pad.

When his flat-footed cut at left-arm fast bowler Starc was caught behind, Bairstow, fresh off his scorching 99 not out in last week's rain-marred drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, also failed to reach the three-figure mark.

Prior to the start of play on Saturday, England only needed one over to make up their 12-run first-inning deficit.

Before left-hander Ben Duckett concluded the over with a sequence of boundaries, Crawley, who had hit a cover-drive for four off the opening ball of the series, duplicated the stroke off the first ball on Saturday.

However, an opening partnership of 79 came to an end when Duckett, who was on 42 at the time, edged a full-length Starc delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

At lunch, Crawley, the series' top run-scorer, had brought England's score to 130-1.

With Moeen unable to bat at number three after spending all of Friday off the field with a groin injury, England captain Ben Stokes moved up the order and made sure the runs kept coming.

In the first over following lunch, Stokes hooked Hazlewood for six, and Starc failed to take a catch at fine leg.

With England at 140-2 and Crawley edging Australia captain Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at second slip, Crawley only added two runs to his 71-run lunchtime total.

Root fired

By reverse-scooping Mitchell Marsh for a perfectly timed six and then gliding the all-rounder down the legside for four on the following ball, Root then showed the versatility of his strokeplay.

The former captain of England then hammered Starc down the field for four runs, even with mishits; the following ball, an under-edged cut, bounced over Carey's head.

However, Root's third four in as many balls from Starc, a calculated uppercut, was everything but fortuitous.

Upon reaching 42, Stokes handed away his wicket when he was caught at mid-on off an errant drive against Murphy.

Upon reaching 42, Stokes handed away his wicket when he was caught at mid-on off an errant drive against Murphy.

Australia, the current Ashes champion, has already done so with a 2-1 lead.

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But if they want to win their first Ashes series in England since 2001, they must avoid losing at The Oval.