Archer and Curran star for England

Duo’s outstanding performances give hope of series-levelling Oval victory

Jofra Archer and Sam Curran combined to hand England a vital first-innings lead in the final Ashes Test, raising hopes of a series-levelling win at The Oval.

Archer took six for 62 and Curran marked his first appearance of the series with three wickets, but the prize scalp of Steve Smith evaded both men – Chris Woakes trapping him lbw for 80 deep into the second evening.

Remarkably that was his lowest score of a prolific series and Australia duly subsided 69 behind on 225 all out.

Smith had taken his series tally to 751 in six knocks, and his sequence of 50-plus scores against England to 10 in a row, but this time he was unable to fully make up for the mediocrity of his colleagues.

Rory Burns and Joe Denly survived a tricky 20 minutes before stumps on nine without loss, but both had scares in Josh Hazlewood’s final over.

The second six-for of Archer’s England career was the result of some hostile and highly effective pace bowling.

Curran, meanwhile, fully justified his recall for a first Ashes cap.

England began the day by adding 23 for their last two wickets, ending 294 all out. There were no further fireworks from Jos Buttler, who topped up his overnight score by six before being cleaned up for 70 by Pat Cummins.

Jack Leach played on next over allowing Mitch Marsh to celebrate a maiden five-wicket haul, earning the allrounder the chance to lead his side off.

The turnaround brought David Warner to the crease, inviting England to heap more misery on the hapless opener. He arrived on the back of three consecutive ducks but managed to make five before being sent on his way.

For once it was not Stuart Broad who took him out, Archer finding the outside edge and Joe Root successfully overturning a not out verdict.

Archer greeted him with a fizzing 90mph bouncer and drew a careless waft second ball, before Curran’s leftarm swing brought two lbw appeals.

Marnus Labuschagne edged Curran wide of Stokes on 15 but the pair went on to share a stand of 69.

Archer finally parted them, first pinging Labuschagne on the elbow then capping a fiery afternoon spell by trapping him lbw for 48.

Smith passed 50 by carving Leach for six. Then Matthew Wade became Curran’s first Ashes wicket before tea to leave Australia 147 for four.

Marsh’s batting could not match his impact with the ball, yielding just 17 before he turned the deserving Archer tamely to fine leg, while Curran bested Smith on 66.

Curran settled for working away at the other end. Australia captain Tim Paine managed just one before feathering through to Bairstow and Curran made it two in two balls when a hooping yorker thumped Cummins in front.

England still needed Smith and they got him in unexpectedly prosaic fashion when Woakes hit the knee-roll with a stump-to-stump offering.

Picture: Getty. Jofra Archer celebrates after claiming his fifth wicket of the innings, Nathan Lyon.