Day Five began to a sell-out crowd with all results possible, and the Australians took the initial advantage when confusion on the batters' approach led to Arquis ebing run out for 13. Howe cracked a first ball four off Ruid, but was castled in response as England dropped to 46/2. Still, the target was too tempting a prize, and the third wicket stand between Worcester-Park and Daemon was still going at lunch. Daemon brought up a fifty with three successive boundaries off David, and by lunch they had lifted England to 123/2, and 263 needed from the last two sessions.
The much-maligned Daemon was taking charge of this chase, and England were still going at four an over when the 200 came up, Daemon raising his bat for the second century of the match, this time off 150 balls. But after a stand of 162 Starfighter found the breakthrough for the visitors, pinning Daemon in front for a huge wicket. In the next over David dismissed his namesake for 78 and the chase was stalled. Mole and Herregonaes chosen to consolidate and regroup at tea, and steadily got them there at 238/4. England needed 148 and Australia 6 wickets from the final 35 overs.
Starfighter again got the breakthrough, snagging Herregonaes' outside edge, and O'Fcoco backed him up with an old ball spell that removed both Mole after a difficult 15(40) and Inksquid two overs later after a feckless 12 (13). The tables had turned again and now Australia were on the hunt, the score 267/7 with 21 overs remaining and still 118 to win.
They hadn't yet dealt with NGIN Roome though, and the allrounder hit back. Beginning with a trio of fours off a Starfighter over and then finding a capable partner in Smmyth-Brown, Roome took up responsibility for the chase and by the time Australia took the new ball at the beginning of the final hour, the fifty stand had come up. With 60 odd to get, Ruid got a nick behind off Smyth-Brown. Thrust responded by smashing a six to cow corner first ball, was dropped fourth ball, clobbered four off his fifth and after a maiden over at the other end, O'Fcoco came back on to dismiss the tailender seventh ball. 331/9, 54 to get, nine overs to go.
Roome was still there and after taking a couple of singles to raise an uncelebrated half century, set about getting to the target with a sequence of boundaries followed by a late over single to keep the strike. Unable to take too many risks, the overs were ticking away though. With two overs to go, England had got to 21 needed. The allrounder smashed a four off Ruid's second ball, but was unable to get another away, and sharp fielding off the last two balls prevented the crucial single. Davis to face, O'Fcoco to bowl. One fast bowler opted to just survive against the other, and in the end, O'Fcoco's pace wasn't able to get through. A nail-biting draw.
Match Drawn
PotM: Daemon