With a valiant four-wicket triumph on Saturday, a fighting England won their first Test on Australian territory in 15 years, regaining their shattered pride and securing 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 lunch 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 traveling “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 scored 37 and Jacob Bethell contributed with 40.
“A good feeling, a tough tour up to now,” said England skipper Ben Stokes.
“After the build-up to the Test, a lot thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff and management for keeping the focus on cricket. Very proud. We showed bravery and were 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.
Openers Crawley and Ben Duckett had a clear goal to end England’s losing and drawn streak of 16 Test matches in Australia since January 2011 in Sydney: play ultra-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 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,” said Australia captain Steve Smith.
“If we had got 50-60 more in both innings then things might have been different. The wicket played as expected, but once the ball softened, it didn’t quite behave the way I’d hoped.
“When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, that probably tells you it did a bit more than intended,” he added of the MCG pitch.
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.
A number of former greats criticized the pitch for “doing too much” and being “unfair for the batters” despite the fact that it was a bowler’s paradise with 10 millimeters of grass on the track.
Gus Atkinson was edged to wicketkeeper Smith by Nightwatchman Boland, but the bowler quickly departed the field, straining his left hamstring.
After taking the final two Australia 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 barely made eight before Root got 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.
After reaching lunch at 98-6, Green (19) edged a rising Stokes ball to Harry Brook at slip, being the seventh wicket to fall with the score at 119.
Steve Smith remained undefeated at 24 after Carse took Neser and Starc without scoring and Richardson was dismissed by Stokes with the final four wickets falling for 13 runs.
