MELBOURNE – England seized control of the fourth Ashes Test by skittling Australia for a record low of 98 on Sunday then compounded the hosts’ misery by building a lead of 59 runs without loss at the close of the first day.
With the series tied 1-1, victory in Melbourne would ensure England retained the Ashes they regained at home last year.
The England pace attack scythed through Australia’s top order before lunch then rattled through their last six wickets for the loss of only 40 runs before tea to stun the crowd of more than 84,000.
Australia’s paltry first innings total was their lowest against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since the inaugural match of England’s first test tour in 1876-77.
England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook rubbed salt in the hosts’ wounds by surviving more than three hours to take the tourists to 157 at the close, profiting from sunny afternoon conditions which tamed a pitch that earlier proved a handful for Australia’s batsmen. Captain Strauss was on 64 and Cook 80 at the close. Chris Tremlett and James Anderson each finished with four wickets, while Tim Bresnan, who replaced Steve Finn, took two for 25.
Strauss won the toss and sent Australia into bat on a moist, grassy pitch that offered swing and varying bounce from the first ball on an overcast morning.
The hosts’ top order has been brittle throughout the series and they surrendered their first four wickets for just 58 runs.
Tremlett and Bresnan removed openers Shane Watson (five) and the struggling Phillip Hughes (16) respectively, the latter gifting his wicket with a miscued drive that flew straight to Kevin Pietersen at gully.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s woeful series with the bat continued as he was out for 10, edging Tremlett to Graeme Swann in the slips. The prolific Mike Hussey, forced into the role of rescuer throughout the series, edged Anderson just before lunch to wicketkeeper Matt Prior and was out for eight.
A rain shower that brought lunch five minutes early and delayed the second session by 45 minutes compounded Australia’s misery as the ball continued to skid and lift in the early afternoon. Anderson struck twice shortly after lunch, removing Steve Smith for six and Michael Clarke for 20, both caught behind by Prior with similar deliveries that swung late. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin then flashed at Tim Bresnan, his flat-footed drive flying straight to Strauss at first slip and sparking England’s ecstatic Barmy Army into renditions of “God Save the Queen”.
Anderson’s dismissal of Mitchell Johnson for a duck was England’s third without a run conceded after lunch, as Australia crashed from 77-5 to 77-8. Australia’s tail added another 21 runs, with Peter Siddle’s 11 finishing the third-highest score of the innings.
With the afternoon sunshine drying out the pitch, Cook and Strauss were rarely tested by Australia’s seamers.
Cook, who scored a match-saving double-century in Brisbane but failed twice in Perth, raised his half-century by cutting a loose delivery from Johnson for four in the 32nd over. Strauss reached his half-century five overs later, tucking a single off leg-spinner Smith to deep mid-on. Johnson had sparked Australia’s 267-run win in Perth with a match-winning six-wicket haul in the first innings but was hit for 11 runs off his first over and finished with unflattering figures of 0-42 off seven overs. With Australia’s batsmen embarrassed and their pace attack thwarted, spectators deserted the 100,000-capacity stadium in droves, leaving their bowlers to toil fruitlessly in front of rows of empty seats for the last hour.
