Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    39
    104
    143
    3
    0
    37.50
    32.3 massive wicket! Huge appeal for lbw, Joel Wilson says not out. Hazlewood was imploring! Smith has called the review. Quite full, so height not an issue, Cook falling across it a little Where did it pitch? There's no bat. It's pitched on leg stump - by millimeters by the looks of it - and it's smashing middle! 95/3
    9.5 that's the breakthough! The shorter delivery does the trick. Back of a length outside off, lifts on Stoneman and it takes the edge quite high up the bat. Didn't see much of that in Melbourne. Well bowled by Cummins, but a little half-hearted from Stoneman. Could he left it on length? 28/1
    28.5 oh dear, oh dear! That's a shocker from Vince. Short and wide, Vince goes for the square cut and gets a top edge to Tim Paine. Was it there to hit? Probably. But he keeps nicking them when set. 88/2
    80.3 full and swinging, flicked to leg - and this time he is gone, taken on the dive at square leg! Root's conversion rate drops again, he hangs his head and thumps the turf! Mitchell Marsh threw himself forward to snaffle the chance, it was an excellent catch to leave Root tantalised in his search for a hundred in Australia... Starc gets the breakthrough and is mobbed by his team-mates. A late intervention to prevent England from fully claiming the day 228/4
    88.4 what a catch! That's a stunner from Smith at second slip, he's dropped a few but that's a beauty. Short of a length outside off, Malan just pushes at it off the back foot, takes a thick edge and it looked for all the world like it would be out of Smith's reach but he went full stretch, low to his left and pulled off one of the great grabs 251/6
    81.4 edged and taken! Lovely bowling from Hazlewood, Australia have another! A huge one-two combo to the solar plexus, England go from controlling the ring to hanging on the ropes in a blink... Wide on the crease, fired in and then straightening off the seam to kiss the edge, the new ball thudding into the gloves to raucous celebrations around the SCG! 233/5
    102.4 snorting short ball, Moeen gloves to the keeper! He rarely looked comfortable out there and now he walks, the Australia fielders knew he'd got something on it, third wicket for Cummins... Was just the right height to get Moeen fending at it in self-preservation and there was a flick of glove as it steamed through 294/7
    108.4 hammered in at the body, 88mph and Curran steers it straight into the hands of short leg! Simple enough, when it works... Bancroft gratefully accepts a dolly of a catch and Curran walks off shaking his head after a spirited innings 335/8
    111.4 goes for the leg-side heave again, top edge over the keeper... but the back-pedaling Smith pouches it safely! Broad is on his way after a spunky thirty and Lyon has his first wicket of the innings. Australia one away from wrapping things up 346/9
    112.3 and it ends in a run-out! Anderson fended the ball around the corner and wanted to get up the other end, Crane was slow to react, I think, and was barely in the frame as Bancroft stepped across from short leg to receive the throw and break the stumps 346/10
    not out
    0
    3
    6
    0
    0
    0.00
    Extras
    4 (lb 2, w 2)
    TOTAL
    346 all out (112.3 Overs, RR: 3.07)
    Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Mark Stoneman, 9.5 ov), 2-88 (James Vince, 28.5 ov), 3-95 (Alastair Cook, 32.3 ov), 4-228 (Joe Root, 80.3 ov), 5-233 (Jonny Bairstow, 81.4 ov), 6-251 (Dawid Malan, 88.4 ov), 7-294 (Moeen Ali, 102.4 ov), 8-335 (Tom Curran, 108.4 ov), 9-346 (Stuart Broad, 111.4 ov), 10-346 (Mason Crane, 112.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    MA Starc2168023.8000
    JR Hazlewood2346522.8200
    PJ Cummins24.358043.2620
    NM Lyon3758612.3200
    MR Marsh703304.7100
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    1.2 through him! That's 399 for Broad. Full, straight, and a rather loose drive from Bancroft. The ball nips back past the inside edge into middle stump. That's the length when Broad is at his best 1/1
    31.4 lovely line, that's gottim - up goes the finger! Beautifully bowled, nipping away to kiss the edge and Bairstow snags a low catch to send Warner on his way! He shakes his head, probably feeling there was a big one in the offing... but Anderson has landed the big fish. Maybe just cut his fingers down the side of the ball and it left Warner appreciably 86/2
    130.4 got him, Khawaja is left stranded and Bairstow completes a simple stumping! Crane has his maiden Test wicket, he's on the board! It's a bit of bowling too, saw Khawaja make an early move and he slid the ball out wide, beat the forward lunge as it spun sharply past the inside edge and into the gloves. Plenty of emotion in the celebration, some of it doubtless relief; Khawaja, after a fantastic knock, is gone 375/4
    83
    158
    254
    5
    0
    52.53
    93.1 he's got him! Moeen. Has. Got. Smith. Out. Round the wicket, a full delivery, and Smith chips a drive very low back to the bowler. Just drifted away from Smith a fraction, the bat twisted a fraction. He's furious with himself. Lovely moment for Moeen on what has been a tough tour 274/3
    185.6 dropped into the covers, they go for the quick single... but Stoneman's direct hit does for Marsh! It was Paine's call, maybe some tired running from Marsh but he picked up and released swiftly, completing the job that England's bowlers had strived to do for nearly 300 deliveries. Another memorable innings from Marsh and it's put Australia in an impregnable position 596/6
    101
    141
    191
    15
    2
    71.63
    173.2 and he's gone now! On off stump, nips back, keeps a touch low and scoots under the bottom edge as Marsh looks to play into the off side 544/5
    not out
    38
    52
    105
    2
    0
    73.07
    11
    10
    15
    0
    1
    110.00
    188.4 attempts the big mow again, but this one goes straight up... and Vince swallows a steepler! Six and out from Starc, who was never likely to hang around, small consolation for Moeen with his fifth wicket of the series. Didn't go much further than mid-off, turned out of the rough and he skewed the shot 613/7
    not out
    24
    16
    24
    4
    0
    150.00
    Extras
    9 (b 2, lb 4, nb 2, w 1)
    TOTAL
    649/7d (193 Overs, RR: 3.36)
    Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Cameron Bancroft, 1.2 ov), 2-86 (David Warner, 31.4 ov), 3-274 (Steven Smith, 93.1 ov), 4-375 (Usman Khawaja, 130.4 ov), 5-544 (Mitchell Marsh, 173.2 ov), 6-596 (Shaun Marsh, 185.6 ov), 7-613 (Mitchell Starc, 188.4 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    JM Anderson34145611.6400
    SCJ Broad30212114.0300
    MM Ali481017023.5400
    TK Curran2538213.2810
    MS Crane48319314.0202
    JE Root832102.6200
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    10
    20
    29
    0
    0
    50.00
    5.5 bowled him, with a beauty! Pitches around middle, spins, and clips the top of off stump as Cook plays back. That is a gem for the offspinner. Could Cook have got forward? 15/2
    2.6 given lbw! He's gone back and across, the delivery wasn't that full so height could be an issue and Stoneman reviews. Well, taken him on the knee roll, didn't bounce as first thought. Might not be high after all. Nope, it's hitting leg stump full on! 5/1
    20.6 gottim - edged to slip! No doubt about this one carrying, it flew off the bat, Smith had to juggle it but held the catch safely at the second attempt! Vince heads off into the sunset, a cowboy with the perfect lasso technique who sadly can't ride a horse... This was a decent ball, coming back in at him, but the hands were hard and the outside edge of doom did for him again 43/3
    74.6 full and straight, some late swing, clipped firmly to midwicket 144/5
    5
    27
    62
    0
    0
    18.51
    33.4 given lbw! He took a long time to raise the finger, Joel Wilson, and it's an excellent decision. Malan reviewed, but it couldn't save him. This one slid on with the air, Malan was playing back. He's late bringing the bat down. Hits the back leg, on the pad flap. Umpire's call on height 68/4
    77.4 fullish and stays low, arrowing into the pads, trapped in front of the stumps - and up goes the finger! Bairstow's dogged resistance is over, he asks Curran about the review but then decides it's not worth the bother, the ball was heading towards leg stump but it looked a good appeal. England six down, the white flag being slowly unfolded 144/6
    13
    43
    58
    1
    0
    30.23
    61.2 sliding on, raps the front pad - and given! Moeen doesn't hang around, he's not even interested in spinning the DRS wheel, Lyon has bagged him for one last time in the series! Looked pretty Tweedle Dum on first glance, Australia have their first of the day 121/5
    not out
    23
    40
    64
    5
    0
    57.50
    77.6 hurls down the bumper, Broad fends it in the air... and Paine completes the dismissal with a catch above his head! Superb bouncer to a man as vulnerable as Broad, all he could do was throw the hands up, like a boxer being pounded on the ropes, it lobbed up off the glove, and goodnight 148/7
    81.1 dug in, screaming bouncer, Crane leaps and fends at it... another one goes! Crane walks up and chats with Curran, decides to review, hoping perhaps that it hit him on the shoulder (which you'd think he would know all about) rather than the glove; but the replays quickly show that it looped off the thumb, straightforward even before they go to Hot Spot and Australia are almost there 156/8
    88.1 been given caught behind! Short of a length, angled across, feathered through to Paine. Anderson wants to review, but England have none left. Not sure he actually nicked that. And Joe Root won't come out, so that's the end of the match 180/9
    Extras
    7 (lb 2, pen 5)
    TOTAL
    180 all out (88.1 Overs, RR: 2.04)
    Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Mark Stoneman, 2.6 ov), 2-15 (Alastair Cook, 5.5 ov), 3-43 (James Vince, 20.6 ov), 4-68 (Dawid Malan, 33.4 ov), 4-93* (Joe Root, retired not out ), 5-121 (Moeen Ali, 61.2 ov), 5-144* (Joe Root, retired not out ), 6-144 (Jonny Bairstow, 77.4 ov), 7-148 (Stuart Broad, 77.6 ov), 8-156 (Mason Crane, 81.1 ov), 9-180 (James Anderson, 88.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    MA Starc1643812.3700
    JR Hazlewood17.163612.0900
    NM Lyon35125431.5400
    PJ Cummins1743942.2900
    SPD Smith20603.0000
    MR Marsh11000.0000

Match Details

Toss

England , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

Australia won the 5-match series 4-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

10.30 start, Lunch 12.30-13.10, Tea 15.10-15.30, Close 17.30

Match days

4,5,6,7,8 January 2018 (5-day match)

Test debut

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Close of Play

  • Thu, 4 Jan - day 1 - England 1st innings 233/5 (DJ Malan 55*, 81.4 ov)
  • Fri, 5 Jan - day 2 - Australia 1st innings 193/2 (UT Khawaja 91*, SPD Smith 44*, 67 ov)
  • Sat, 6 Jan - day 3 - Australia 1st innings 479/4 (SE Marsh 98*, MR Marsh 63*, 157 ov)
  • Sun, 7 Jan - day 4 - England 2nd innings 93/4 (JE Root 42*, JM Bairstow 17*, 46 ov)
  • Mon, 8 Jan - day 5 - England 2nd innings 180 (88.1 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

Smith all the way

687

Runs scored by Steve Smith in the 2017-18 Ashes- Sixth highest ever for Australia. Sir Don Bradman occupies three of the the top 6 positions. Smith averaged 137.40

Drubbing

4-0

Australia's Ashes Victory Margin - This is the 12th instance of England not winning a Test in an Ashes series

Spin failure

112.5

Bowling average for England's spinners in this series, their worst in any series in which they've bowled 200+ overs

A debut to forget

193

Runs conceded by Crane, the highest for any England bowler on debut, and the fifth highest for any bowler. The record is 222, by Randiv v Ind

Middle-order domination

3

Instances of Australia's Nos. 3-6 all getting 75+. The previous two instances were in 1946 and 1937, during Bradman's captaincy

Batsmen Dominate

1993

Only other instance of Australia adding over 100 runs each for the 3rd,4th and 5th wicket respectively. It was also against England at Leeds in 1993.

Successful pair

6

Century stands between Smith and Khawaja since April 2014. They have 12 stands of fifty or more from 18 innings. The pair have added 1330 runs at 73.88.

Another Record for Smith

111

Innings taken for Steven Smith to reach 6000 Test runs- Joint-second quickest along with Sir Garry Sobers behind Sir Don Bradman who got there in 68 innings.

Fails again

1

No. of 50s converted into 100s by Root in his last ten 50+ scores. In this series, he has failed to score a century after crossing 50 four times.

Contributions from all

2013

Last instance of England's top-5 all scoring 20+ runs in the first inns of a Test, at MCG in Ashes 2013-14. In this Test, all 5 have crossed 20 so far.

Cook goes on

150

No. of consecutive Tests played by Cook, including this match. Only Allan Border (153) has played more in a row.

Can England finish off well?

2

No. of defeats for Australia at SCG in last 20 years, before this match. Both have come against England - 2002-03 and 2010-11. In 26 out of last 28 Tests at SCG, teams have opted to bat first, so as England now.