Unassailable: 3-1 lead England urn their stripes

Australia defeated by an innings and 78 runs as Clarke announces his retirement

NOTTINGHAM:

Durham pacemen Mark Wood and Ben Stokes sealed a crushing innings and 78-run victory over Australia in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday as England regained the Ashes in style.

Australia started the day on 241-7, 90 runs shy of making England bat again but lost their last three wickets in just 40 minutes. All-rounder Stokes, who’d taken five wickets on Friday, struck again on his way to personal best figures of 6-36 in the second innings. Fast bowler Wood ended the match when Nathan Lyon played on trying to withdraw his bat.

The victory gives Alastair Cook’s men an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series as, for the second match in a row, they defeated arch-rivals Australia inside three days following their eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston last week.

Australia were in trouble right from the start of this match as they collapsed to 60 all out in 111 balls — the shortest completed first innings in Test history — on the first day. Man-of-the-match Stuart Broad, who took two wickets in the first over of the match, including his 300th, finished with a career-best 8-15 in the first innings.

“It’s unbelievable,” said England captain Cook at the presentation ceremony. “I couldn’t be happier. For what we’ve been through over the last 18 months, to play like we did has been fantastic. I’m so proud of this young team and the way they’ve taken this opportunity.”

Australian Trevor Bayliss, who took over as England coach shortly before this series, has been widely praised for his role but Cook acknowledged the role of Bayliss’s sacked predecessor. “A lot has happened behind the scenes, and we need to thank Peter Moores. This is for you, Peter.”

This win was particularly impressive as England were without James Anderson after their all-time leading wicket-taker suffered a side injury at Edgbaston.

England, in reply to Australia’s meagre first innings, made 391-9 (dec), Joe Root top-scoring with 130, on Friday.

Clarke announces retirement

Australia captain Michael Clarke announced he would retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test against England at The Oval later this month.

“I will have one more Test and that is the end of my career,” said Clarke during the post-match presentation ceremony. “I am retiring from international cricket. I don’t want to jump ship now so I will have one more go at The Oval.”

The 34-year-old Clarke, one of the best batsmen of his generation but plagued by a longstanding back problem and more recent hamstring trouble, is in a desperate run of form, having reached 25 just six times in his last 30 Test innings.

Clarke has made 28 Test centuries, one short of Australia batting great Donald Bradman’s tally, in his 114-match career.

Cook also paid tribute to his opposite number. “To Michael, from the England team, you were a fantastic player, fantastic leader. You should be remembered as a great captain.”

Saturday’s defeat saw Clarke become the first Australian in more than a century to lose four successive Ashes series in England.

“There’s no doubt I’ll always hold myself accountable, my performances haven’t been anywhere they need to be,” said Clarke, who has averaged just 16.71 in the series so far. “I don’t blame anyone in the changing room, but I haven’t led from the front. I started this great game at six years of age and I think it’s the right time to walk away now to give Australia the time to prepare for the next Ashes series. When I first came into the team I had 11 older brothers helping me get into a position where I can help the team and hopefully I’ve done that.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2015.

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