Australia enforced the follow-on at The Oval after bowling England out for 149 in its first innings for a 332-run lead. While Alastair Cook provided some resistance in England's second innings before falling to part-time bowler Steven Smith for 85 in 234 balls, England still trailed by 129 runs after reaching 203-6 at stumps.Cook edged a shot to short leg late in the afternoon off Smith's only over, while Jos Buttler was 33 not out for England. Nathan Lyon was the pick of the bowlers with 2-52, along with Peter Siddle who took 1-14 and had 10 maidens in his 16 overs.
England regained the urn by winning the fourth test at Trent Bridge for a 3-1 series lead but had hoped to win a fourth Ashes test in a home summer for the first time.
After England resumed the day on 107-8, Mitchell Johnson took their final two first-innings wickets in consecutive deliveries on a sunny morning and Michael Clarke took the obvious option of enforcing the follow-on.
Cook responded with patient resistance and, in company with Jonny Bairstow (26) and Buttler, helped to extend this test to a fourth day, unlike the last two Ashes encounters.
Cook's fellow opener Adam Lyth was trying to keep himself in the reckoning for a winter tour but floundered before lunch for 10 against the excellent bowling of Siddle, taking his Ashes returns this summer to a paltry 115 in nine innings.
Ian Bell (13) and Joe Root (11) tried to put right what went wrong first time round, but neither could see it through. Bell's luck ran out when he got a brute of a delivery from Mitchell Marsh and gloved a simple catch to second slip; then Root's attempt to counter-attack against Johnson ended with a mishook to fine-leg.
Bairstow's innings either side of tea ended with an inside-edge to short-leg off Lyon, the first of two wickets in an over for the off spinner, who had Ben Stokes for a fourth-ball duck. Bairstow was unlucky to be given out as the catch by Adam Voges was made following initial impact with the fielder's helmet.
Cook and Buttler fought hard to regain form, sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 59 until Clarke took a successful punt on his vice-captain Smith.
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