England revel in the Ashes of Aussie crash

Tourists close in on victory as hosts trail by 246 runs.

MELBOURNE:

England were on the verge of retaining the Ashes after feeble Australian batting left the fourth Melbourne Test at their mercy.

The tourists left the Australians with the huge task of either scoring 415 runs to make England bat again or lasting out eight sessions to secure a draw but the home team showed little fight after their opponents had amassed 513 at the MCG. At close, Australia were trailing England by 246 runs at 169 for six with Brad Haddin on 11 and Mitchell Johnson on six.

Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan prised open the Australian top order in a mesmerising spell of three wickets in 18 balls to trigger the slide.

“We’ve had a good day of Test cricket,” said Bresnan. “Hopefully, we’ve done all the hard work and do the rest tomorrow and wrap up this win.

Australian opener Shane Watson conceded that hopes of regaining the Ashes were gone.

“It’s a very shattering position we’re in now,” said Watson. “We haven’t been in a great place from day one, and it’s all gone pear-shaped, it’s extremely disappointing to be in the position we are.”

Ricky Ponting’s grim struggle for runs ended after 101 minutes when he was bowled by Bresnan for 20. The Australian skipper got an inside edge onto his stumps to continue a wretched series, having now scored just 113 runs at 16.14 and putting his distinguished 152-Test career in peril ahead of next week’s final Test in Sydney.

Selectors now have the onerous decision whether to dump Ponting as captain for the final Test, if the possibility of winning the Ashes back has gone, and move him aside for his deputy Michael Clarke.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2010.