England are thrashed in the final Ashes Test as collapse sees Australia romp to another victory
Woeful England are thrashed in the final Ashes Test as ANOTHER batting collapse sees Australia romp to another victory despite Mark Wood’s six-wicket haul… with Joe Root’s side heading home after an embarrassing 4-0 series defeat
England have lost the Ashes series in Australia 4-0 after yet another collapse The tourists were set a target of 271 to win the final Test but were bowled out Rory Burns fell before tea, with Joe Root and Ben Stokes also costly wickets Mark Wood handed England hope with a six-wicket haul to rip through the hosts Steve Smith, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc were all notable scalps for Wood
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To no one’s great surprise, England collapsed in one final heap on their tour of Australia, staggering from 68 without loss to 124 all out to complete a 4-0 hammering. It is a rout as bad any in their Test history.
Set 271 after Mark Wood’s career-best six for 37 had given them a faint glimmer of ending the trip with a scintilla of respectability, England began with their highest opening stand of the series, only to lose Rory Burns to Cameron Green in the final over before the second interval.
His dismissal, playing on for 26 as he tried to leave the ball alone, triggered a spineless performance in the final session, during which the collapse extended to all 10 wickets for 56 in 22.4 overs.
England endured yet another batting collapse, condemning them to a 4-0 Ashes series defeat
Rory Burns fell just before the second interval, sparking a flurry of wickets for the tourists
Apart from the openers, no one passed 11. England have been pathetic all series, but this was something else – a waving of the white flag, and no kind of advert for the job prospects of head coach Chris Silverwood or managing director Ashley Giles. Others may fear for their futures, too.
If Joe Root could do little about the ball from Scott Boland that kept low and cannoned into off stump no more than halfway up, prolonging the England captain’s search for an Ashes hundred in Australia, then the rest more or less gave up.
Dawid Malan chopped on against Green for 10, before Zak Crawley – having played nicely for 36 – aimed a crooked drive at the same bowler and was caught behind. When Ben Stokes pulled Mitchell Starc straight to Nathan Lyon at deep square leg to depart for five, England were 92 for four and sinking fast.
Dawid Malan chopped on against the superb Cameron Green, after being struck on the helmet
Root had time to tick off 5,000 Test runs as captain before falling to Boland, at which point the others came and went as if they didn’t give a damn.
Sam Billings chipped to mid-on, Ollie Pope was bowled middle stump around his legs, Chris Woakes edged a hack, and both Wood and Ollie Robinson were bowled backing away. It was a performance unworthy of Test cricket.
Earlier, Wood had enjoyed himself as Australia slipped from their overnight 37 for three to 155 all out – by some distance their lowest total of the series.
Unfortunately for England, this still left a target of 271, but it did at least allow space for a sentiment that has been in precious little supply for their supporters over the last few weeks: hope.
Zak Crawley, after playing nicely for 36, aimed a crooked drive and was caught behind after
Joe Root racked up 5,000 Test runs as captain, but promptly fell to Scott Boland’s bowling
And much of that was down to Wood, whose series haul going into this game of seven wickets was one of the travesties of the series.
In the first innings he was erratic, but still finished with three wickets. Now, in an assault that wouldn’t have been out of place during the Bodyline series of 1932-33, he made a succession of Australians hop and flinch and duck for cover.
His work had begun on the second night, when he had Usman Khawaja gloving a rip-snorter as he tried to sway out of the way. Now, on the third afternoon, he had nightwatchman Boland caught behind for eight, Travis Head gloving one down the leg side for eight, and Steve Smith hooking to fine leg for 27.
At that stage, Australia were 63 for six, a lead of 178. And England might have fancied their chances still further had the umpires not discerned the tightest of no-balls after Woakes bowled Alex Carey on 19.
Ben Stokes was caught in the midriff, and soon his punishing innings was ended on just five
Chris Woakes edged a hack, and Pat Cummins’ good delivery smacked against his stumps
Stuart Broad trapped Green on review for 23 to make it 112 for seven, before Wood collected his third Test five-for – and third overseas, after St Lucia and Johannesburg – when Mitchell Starc helped him to short leg.
Carey eventually under-edged a drive off Broad on 49, and Wood had six when he bowled Cummins for 13. His reward will be an inscription on the steps to the Bellerive Oval dressing-rooms – an honour accorded to Test-match 150s and six-fors.
Unfortunately for Wood, his heroics were lost amid one more collapse on this dreadful tour.
Unfortunately for Mark Wood, his heroics with the ball were lost at the end of a dreadful tour
Re-live the action from Day Three of the final test with Sportsmail‘s live coverage…
