Sir Alastair Cook, Ricky Ponting and Nasser Hussain react as the Australia batter is put down in the morning session on day five of the fifth Test at the Kia Oval as the series reaches a dramatic conclusion
A dramatic men's Ashes series took another twist on day five of the fifth Test as Ben Stokes put down Steve Smith in extraordinary circumstances as England chased wickets to deny Australia at the Kia Oval.
The tourists need 384 or to bat out the final day to secure a first series win on UK shores since 2001.
Chasing the 10 wickets required to try and a 2-2 series draw, England removed David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, with Chris Woakes and Mark Wood doing the damage.
Smith and Travis Head then put on a solid fourth-wicket stand to put the tourists back into the ascendency.
In the over before the lunch break, England came agonisingly close to a fourth scalp.
Stokes initially appeared to have taken an inspired catch at leg slip (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
England men's Test captain Ben Stokes watches on as the power escapes his grasp (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Smith was forced to play at a probing delivery from Moeen Ali but only managed to glove the ball to leg slip, where Stokes leapt and grabbed the ball one-handed.
However, on his way down and as he began to celebrate, Stokes inadvertently released the ball, which landed short of Harry Brook at short leg.
Given not out on the field, England reviewed the decision hoping the footage would reveal Stokes had control of the ball, but TV umpire Nitin Menon didn't concur.
A fortunate Smith saw out the remainder of the over, moving to 40 via the final delivery, as Australia narrowly escaped.
Speaking on Sky Sports, former England captain Nasser Hussain was in no doubt the correct decision had been reached.
The Ben Stokes catch + drop #Ashespic.twitter.com/cyy53BTOM2
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"He's got to be in complete control," he said. "And you can't say that, with his right leg up in the air. You could tell immediately from his reaction that he knew he'd made an error.
"It very much reminded me of that Herschelle Gibbs moment in the 1999 World Cup, where he threw it away too early when claiming a catch."
Only Joe Root has completed more catches in the field in Tests for England than Sir Alastair Cook, and the ex-captain felt it was a decisive juncture in the contest.
"Absolutely the right decision from the umpires, he didn't have it under control to have the catch," Cook said on Test Match Special. "That is a moment.
"The umpires have got it right. There's no question in my mind. Ben Stokes knew it, he put his head and eyes to the ground.
Stokes reviewed the decision in the hope the umpires would intervene (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
It was another dramatic moment of this exhilarating Ashes summer (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
"I don't think I've heard the crowd be so quiet during a DRS review."
Also quick to react to the moment of drama was Ricky Ponting, who took 196 catches in his 168-match Test career for Australia.
"Talk about drama," he exclaimed. "Steve Smith survives. Incredible stuff.
"Everyone turning up here today expected there to be more drama somewhere and it started with the early loss of wickets for Australia.
"Then, on the stroke of lunch, this happens where Stokes takes a catch straight into the middle of his hand and then on the way down in his celebration, he slaps his right thigh and the ball drops out."
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