England on verge of Ashes glory

SOUTH London’s murky weather conditions made another telling contribution towards ending England’s long wait for Ashes success, inching the hosts towards their historic prize in the deciding Oval Test yesterday.

Bad light restricted play to just 43.1 overs of the fourth day of the crucial final Test and lifted the gloom surrounding 18 years of failure since Mike Gatting’s side last captured the little urn in 1986-87.

Using the dark conditions to claim a surprise six-run first innings lead early on as Australia batted on in a desperate attempt to establish a winning position, England readily accepted the offer to go off for bad light in similar conditions by mid-afternoon.