England win staggering two-day Test in Melbourne
BBC Online :
England ended an 18-match winless streak in Australia and avoided an Ashes clean sweep in a staggering and absurd two-day Test in Melbourne.
In one of the most bizarre matches ever played, England chased 175 to win on the second evening of the fourth Test, leaving the series at 3-1 before the finale in Sydney.
In devilishly difficult batting conditions, England’s Bazballers revelled in the chaos as they finally found a situation in Australia to suit their freewheeling method.
They reached their target inside 33 overs, England’s four-wicket victory delighting the thousands of travelling fans who finally have something to celebrate on a hitherto miserable tour.
The chance of a first Test victory in Australia since 2011 was created when England dismissed the home side for 132 in their second innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Brydon Carse claimed 4-34 and captain Ben Stokes 3-24 to cover for the loss of Gus Atkinson, who is a doubt for the fifth Test after sustaining a hamstring injury. To add to the silliness, Carse then arrived as a pinch-hitter at number three after Crawley and Ben Duckett struck 51 in 6.5 overs – England’s highest opening partnership of the series.
Crawley made 37, Duckett 34 and Jacob Bethell justified his recall with a classy 40. The winning runs came off the thigh pad of Harry Brook, drawing a deafening roar from the corner of England supporters at the end of a breathtaking day.
Where to start making sense of this chaotic, frantic and memorable Boxing Day match? This was the 2,615th Test on record and the 27th to finish inside two days.
Until this series began in Perth in November, there had been no two-dayers in Ashes cricket since 1921. Now there have been two in five weeks – the first series between any teams to contain two two-day Tests since 1896.
Was the pitch, covered in a lush 10mm of grass, suitable for Test cricket? It certainly gave an advantage to ball over bat that bordered on unfair. Still, that takes nothing away from the quality of the bowling, or excuses some of the batting, with Australia especially guilty.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry – no other sport has such a variance in conditions holding such influence over the outcome. On this occasion, the conditions may have produced cricket of questionable quality, but the theatre was utterly compelling.
Yes, there is the disappointment of missing a third-day sellout at the colossal MCG, yet the near 200,000 inside for the two days of action cannot say they were not royally entertained.
At the end of it all, England have their first Test win in Australia in almost 15 years. It comes after the tourists surrendered the series inside three Tests and follows reports of excessive drinking on their holiday in Noosa.
It may alleviate some of the pressure building on captain Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key. At the very least, it gives England greats Stokes and Joe Root their first win in Australia after 12 years of trying.