Cummins dismisses Stokes as Australia close in on Ashes

MANCHESTER, Sept 08 (AFP): Pat Cummins dismissed Ben Stokes for just one as Australia closed in on an Ashes-clinching win by reducing England to 87-4 at lunch on the fifth day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Sunday.

England still need a further 296 runs to reach a huge target of 383, whereas Australia require six more wickets for a victory that would see them keep the Ashes at 2-1 up with one to play in the five-Test series.

Cummins, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, has taken all the wickets to fall in a return of 4-23 in 11 overs that included two in two balls on Saturday, with the paceman dismissing England captain Joe Root for a golden duck-the skipper's third nought in five innings.

Joe Denly was 48 not out and Jonny Bairstow two not out at the lunch break.

Stokes, whose stunning 135 not out had seen England to a dramatic series-levelling win in the third Test at Headingley, fell for just one on Sunday when Cummins cut one back to the left-handed batsman, with Australia captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine holding a good diving catch off the inside edge.

All-rounder Stokes did not even wait for umpire Marais Erasmus to raise his finger, with England then 74-4.

England resumed on 18-2, knowing the most they had made in the fourth innings to win a Test was the 362-9 they made at Headingley.