Kent’s Zak Crawley hits second-innings 73 in fifth Test against Australia at The Kia Oval and ends Ashes series with 480 runs

Kent’s Zak Crawley finished his fine Ashes series with a second-innings half-century in the final Test against Australia at The Kia Oval on Saturday.

Batsman Crawley, 25, helped England rapidly wipe away the tourists’ 12-run first-innings lead inside the first over of day three before he went for 73.

The former Tonbridge School pupil put on a 79-run opening stand alongside Ben Duckett (42) and 61 runs alongside captain Ben Stokes (42) - promoted to bat at three due to an injury to Moeen Ali - but went shortly after lunch.

He was caught by Steve Smith at second slip off Australian captain Pat Cummins, having scored nine boundaries, the first of which came off Mitchell Starc from the opening ball of the day, in his 76-ball knock.

The same duo of Smith and Cummins had combined to dismiss Crawley for 22 the first time around.

He looks set to finish as the series’ top run scorer. After blasting a sensational 189 for England in the rain-affected fourth Test at Old Trafford, he finishes with 480 runs at an average of 53.33.

Crawley also struck a first-innings 61 in the first Test at Edgbaston, which Australia won by two wickets.