An incredible 20 wickets fell on a hectic first day of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday, as Australia were all out for 152 before rallying to bundle out England for 110 and leaving the match on a razor-thin edge.
In front of 94,199 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England captain Ben Stokes sent in the hosts under cloudy skies and his pacers feasted after winning a crucial toss on a green track.
The 93,013 spectators who saw the 2015 World Cup final were surpassed by the largest cricket attendance ever at the enormous arena, and they saw the home team crumble when Josh Tongue scored 5-45.
However, England fared far worse, falling to 16-4 and never recovering. Australia was left with one over before stumps, which nightwatchman Scott Boland skillfully negotiated with Travis Head at the other end.
At Stumps, Head had not yet faced a ball and Australia was 4-0 with Boland on 4, 46 in the lead.
Tongue became the first Englishman to take five wickets in an innings in a Test at the MCG since Dean Headley and Darren Gough in 1998. “I feel like anyone could have taken a ‘five-fer’ today,” he remarked.
“When I’m at my best I’m bowling at that fuller length. Stokes has spoken to us quite a bit about it, going a touch fuller but hitting the pitch hard. If we get the ball in the same areas tomorrow we can get them three of four wickets down in the first hour.”
After a day when the ball dominated the bat, Australian bowler Michael Neser, who took 4-45, was not making any predictions for the second innings.
“We saw how tough it was when we batted. The ball was nipping around and we needed to bowl in the right areas,” Neser said. “You need to put pressure back on their bowlers. You need to find the perfect balance between defence and attack.”
The game was far from over, according to Tongue.
“No, not at all. They lead by 50,” said Tongue. “We will come back refreshed tomorrow morning. We have got to make sure to stick to what we did today and come out tomorrow.”
Ben Duckett, the struggling England opener, was sidelined for two days after unconfirmed footage appeared of him intoxicated during a beach break in the middle of the series. The 31-year-old was dismissed in yet another startling manner when he lobbed a straightforward catch to Neser at mid-on off the unstoppable Mitchell Starc.
Jacob Bethell, who was replacing the underwhelming Ollie Pope, was removed by Neser in the following over when he edged to Alex Carey behind the stumps. Four balls later, Joe Root edged Neser to Carey, sending England plummeting after Steve Smith took Zak Crawley in the slips off Starc.
Harry Brook felt that attacking was the best defense, and he stopped the carnage for a while with Stokes after hitting sixes against Starc and Neser. Before Scott Boland captured Brook lbw for 41, they added 50 runs.
Then, in ten deliveries from the 36-year-old, Boland caught Will Jacks behind and bowled Jamie Smith for two. It was all but over when Stokes edged Neser to Smith in the slips for 16.
After crushing eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane as well as an 82-run victory in Adelaide, Australia has already retained the Ashes. In just 11 days of play, the visitors lost the renowned urn, and the pressure was increased by a drinking incident involving players during a beach vacation.
After Stokes won a pivotal toss, England reacted effectively. Head only lasted 22 balls, chopping on Atkinson for 12 after driving successive boundaries from a careless Brydon Carse.
In Tongue’s opening over, Jake Weatherald tickled down the leg side to wicketkeeper Smith on 10. Then, on six, Tongue lured an edge from Marnus Labuschagne, which Root skillfully caught at slip.
Before Tongue struck again and bowled the Australia skipper for nine, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja started to stabilize the innings. On 20, Adelaide century-maker Alex Carey flicked Stokes to Crawley, who had just advanced to leg gully, after Khawaja on 29 gave Smith the slightest of edges off Atkinson.
Cameron Green, who is having a lackluster series, hit consecutive fours off Tongue. Neser went one further, hitting three consecutive wickets off the same bowler in his fourth Test but first red-ball match.
However, Green was dismissed for 17 after attempting a risky single. At mid-off, Starc lifted Carse to a backpedaling Stokes before Tongue dismissed Neser and Boland.
