Sydney: England denied Australia a whitewash in the Ashes series as the fourth Test ended in a draw here at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Stuart Broad and the most experienced number eleven James Anderson survived the 12 balls for the last wicket and handed England a draw.
With 10 wickets needed to win, Australia bagged three crucial wickets in the morning session and went on to claim five wickets in the final session.
England started well with Haseeb Hameed (9) and Zak Crawley (22) at the crease, who stitched a 46-run stand before Scott Boland got the breakthrough as he dismissed Hameed.
Nathan Lyon then knocked out Dawid Malan for 4 but Crawley single-handedly kept England rolling until he was trapped leg-before by Cameron Green for 77.
The visitors head for the lunch break with 122/3 on the board and Joe Root and Ben Stokes at the crease. After resumption, the game got delayed due to rain and as a result 12 overs were lost.
Root and Stokes added 50 runs for the fourth wicket before Boland claimed the crucial wicket of Root, who found the outside edge and the ball went straight into wicket-keeper Alex Carey's hands.
England managed to keep Australia at bay, losing just one wicket in the second session. The visitors went into tea at 174 for 4, trailing by 214.
In the final session, Stokes completed his second fifty in the match and was well supported by Jonny Bairstow on the other end.
Lyon finally got the better of Stokes in 75th over, ending the English batter's innings on 60. Later, Australia skipper and fast bowler Pat Cummins dismissed Jos Buttler for 11 and removed Mark Wood on a duck in the same over.
England were reeling at 218/7 with Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leach at the crease. Australia needed just three wickets to seal the game.
Bairstow was inching closer to his fifty but Boland denied him a half-century and dismissed the set batter for 41 and gave Australia a major break through.
Steve Smith took Australia closer to their fourth win the series, as he dismissed Jack leach for 26 and England were 270/9, but Broad (8 not out) and Anderson on zero not out denied Australia a victory. (UNI)