Australia set England a target of 227 to win the fifth Ashes Test after declaring their second innings on 111/6 at tea on Sunday’s final day at The Oval.
Australia, desperate for a first win in nine Tests, left England — who’d already retained the Ashes and won the series at 3-0 up — a minimum of 44 overs in which to score their runs.
Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, called a halt when he was 28 not out and Mitchell Starc 13 not out, both batsmen having scored at a run-a-ball as the tourists altered their order in search of quick runs.
Stuart Broad took 4/43 runs in 10 overs.
Australia sent Shane Watson, fresh from his Test-best 176 in the first innings, back up to open alongside left-hander David Warner instead of the more staid Chris Rogers.
Watson should have been out for nought when he chipped James Anderson to mid-off only for Broad to drop the seemingly simple catch.
Anderson showed Broad how it should be done, holding a one-handed catch off his own bowling to dismiss David Warner for 12.
And 34/1 became 44/2 when Watson (26) was caught at long-on by Kevin Pietersen as he tried to launch off-spinner Graeme Swann for six.
SCORECARD (AT TEA)
Australia (1st innings): 492/9 decl.
England (1st innings, o/n 247/4): A. Cook c Haddin b Harris 25, J. Root c Watson b Lyon 68, J. Trott lbw b Starc 40, K. Pietersen c Watson b Starc 50, I. Bell c Haddin b Faulkner 45, C. Woakes c Clarke b Harris 25, M. Prior c Starc b Faulkner 47, S. Broad b Starc 9, G. Swann b Faulkner 34, J. Anderson c Haddin b Faulkner 4, S. Kerrigan (not out) 1. Extras (b11, lb10, w5, nb3) 29. Total (in 144.4 overs) 377.
FoW: 1-68, 2-118, 3-176, 4-217, 5-269, 6-299, 7-315, 8-363, 9-368.
Bowling: Starc 33-5-92-3, Harris 28-10-64-2, Faulkner 19.4-3-51-4, Siddle 28-7-74-0, Lyon 28-8-59-1, Smith 8-3-16-0.
Australia (2nd innings): D. Warner c&b Anderson 12, S. Watson c Pietersen b Swann 26, J. Faulkner c Prior b Broad 22, B. Haddin c Prior b Broad 0, M. Clarke (not out) 28, S. Smith c Swann b Broad 7, R. Harris b Broad 1, M. Starc (not out) 13. Extras (lb2) 2. Total (for 6 wkts, in 23 overs) 111 decl.
FoW: 1-34, 2-44, 3-50, 4-67, 5-83, 6-85.
Bowling: Anderson 6-1-27-1, Broad 10-2-43-4, Swann 7-0-39-1.