ENGLAND WINS FOURTH ASHES TEST, ENDING A 15-YEAR LOSING STREAK
With an incredible four-wicket triumph on Saturday, England won their first Test on Australian territory in 15 years, regaining their damaged pride after a tumultuous fourth Ashes match that ended in two days.
Following the 20 wickets that fell on day one, the enthusiastic visitors bowled Australia for 132 shortly after noon in front of a boisterous 92,045 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
They had to chase 175 to win, and to thunderous cheers from their travelling "Barmy Army" of supporters, Harry Brook, who was undefeated on 18, and Jamie Smith, who was on 3, brought them home for the loss of six wickets. Zak Crawley provided 37 and Jacob Bethell 40.
"A good feeling, a tough tour up to now," stated Ben Stokes, the captain of England.
"A lot of credit has to go to the players, staff, and management for maintaining the focus on cricket after all that was thrown at us in the lead-up to the Test and defeating an excellent Australian squad. Very proud. We were daring and courageous."
Due to their poor preparation and accusations of excessive drinking during a mid-series beach break, England arrived to Melbourne under intense pressure after collapsing in the first three Test matches. However, they ultimately performed well, and they will be full of confidence when they travel to Sydney for the fifth and final Test.
After losing 16 and drawing two Test matches in Australia since January 2011 at Sydney, England's openers, Crawley and Ben Duckett, had a clear goal to end the run: play extremely aggressive "Bazball" style.
Crawley smashed Michael Neser for a six and a four in consecutive balls, while Duckett hit a boundary off Mitchell Starc in his opening over. They had a quick fifty-run opening partnership, but Duckett was bowled for 34 by a Starc yorker on the following delivery.
Then, as an unexpected number three in place of Bethell, fast bowler Brydon Carse strode to the middle. However, Carse only lasted eight balls before skying Jhye Richardson to Cameron Green, ending England's attempt at pinch-hitting. After a rough knock, Crawley was bowled out by Scott Boland, then Usman Khawaja caught Bethell from the same bowler.
By that point, just 10 runs were required, and Brook and Smith finished the job after Richardson trapped Joe Root lbw for 15 and Starc removed Ben Stokes for two. "It was a tricky one, a quick game," stated Steve Smith, the captain of Australia. "Things would have been different if we had scored 50–60 more runs in each inning. The wicket performed as anticipated; however, the ball didn't quite behave as I had wanted once it softened."
He continued, "When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, that probably tells you it did a bit more than intended," referring to the MCG ground.
After an incredible first day of scorching pace that saw 20 wickets fall, with the hosts bowled for 152 and England for just 110, Australia resumed on 4-0 in their second innings.
It surpassed the 19 on the first day of the series opener in Perth and was the most wickets to fall on the opening day of an Ashes Test since 1909. Several previous greats blasted the pitch for "doing too much" and being "unfair for the batters" even though it was a bowler's paradise with 10 millimetres of grass on the track.
Gus Atkinson was edged to wicketkeeper Smith by Nightwatchman Boland, but the bowler quickly departed the pitch, straining his left hamstring. After taking the final two Australian wickets on day one, Josh Tongue entered the attack on a hat-trick, but Jake Weatherald hit his full ball for three.
Stokes bowled Weatherald for five, leaving a delivery that nipped back. Weatherald needed a good knock to solidify his position at the top of the order, but he failed once more. Marnus Labuschagne joined Travis Head, but he only managed eight before Root caught him in the slips off Tongue.
Before being bowled on 46 by a peach of a delivery from Carse that beat the outside edge, Head was in excellent form. After Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) left in the span of nine balls, England regained the upper hand.
Green (19), who reached lunch at 98-6, edged a rising Stokes ball to Harry Brook at slip, being the seventh wicket to fall with the total at 119. Steve Smith was undefeated on 24 after Carse took Neser and Starc without scoring, and Richardson was dismissed by Stokes, with the final four wickets falling for 13 runs.