fifth test: day four commentary

By Dave Tickner

0118: Australia, 393 and 46 without loss, beat England, 291 and 147 by 10 wickets and win the Ashes 5-0

0118: Over 10.5 Hayden launches Mahmood high into the stands for six to bring the scores level, and then pushes into the covers for the single needed to secure victory.
Australia 2nd Inns, 46/0: Langer 20*, Hayden 23*

0115: Over 10 Hayden works to leg for a single, and Langer adds another. A hard pull shot to deep square-leg earns another run for Hayden, while Langer once again helps himself to a single on the legside. Hayden gets another single from the the final ball of the over.
Australia 2nd Inns, 39/0: Langer 20*, Hayden 16*
Australia need seven more runs to win

0110: Over 9 Hayden smashes Mahmood's second delivery back over the bowlers's head. It bounces inches short of the rope, so it's four not six but clearly these two want this over in a hurry. Hayden pushes to mid-on for a single, and Langer adds a boundary of his own with a hard cut chot behind point as Mahmood offers width. Langer guides another short ball behind point and collects two more runs.
Australia 2nd Inns, 34/0: Langer 18*, Hayden 13*
Australia need 12 more runs to win

0106: Mahmood is into the attack in place of Anderson.

0106: Over 8 Hayden works the ball to leg for a single. Langer guides another ball through the slips for a couple. Two leg-byes follow as a legside ball flicks Langer's pads, and it doesn't appear England will even have the consolation of a couple of wickets in this final innings
Australia 2nd Inns, 23/0: Langer 12*, Hayden 8*
Australia need 23 more runs to win

0102: Over 7 Good over from Anderson, but langer gets four from the final ball with a thick outside edge wide of gully. Bell gives chasem but the ball is always winning the race, to huge cheers from the crowd.
Australia 2nd Inns, 18/0: Langer 10*, Hayden 7*
Australia need 28 more runs to win

0058: Over 6 Hayden gives himself room by backing away and carves the ball over point for three runs. Australia would really like to wrap this up before lunch. Langer works the final ball to leg for a single.
Australia 2nd Inns, 14/0: Langer 6*, Hayden 7*
Australia need 32 more runs to win

0054: Over 5 Langer pulls the final ball of Anderson's over to fine-leg, where Harmison makes a good sliding stop to keep the Australians down to two runs.
Australia 2nd Inns, 10/0: Langer 5*, Hayden 4*
Australia need 36 more runs to win

0050: Over 4 Langer has spent much of his career taking blows to the body, and Harmison gets one into the left-hander's ribs for possibly the last time. Langer gets in behind another short one and works it to leg for a single, and Hayden lets the last ball of a good Harmison over go through to Read.
Australia 2nd Inns, 8/0: Langer 3*, Hayden 4*
Australia need 38 more runs to win

0046: Over 3 Anderson drops short to Hayden, which can't be wise as the big left-hander smacks it behind square on the legside for four. The next ball is much fuller, but comes off the pads for a leg-bye. Langer nurdles into the legside for a single from the final ball of the over.
Australia 2nd Inns, 7/0: Langer 2*, Hayden 4*
Australia need 39 more runs to win

0042: Over 2 Harmison's first ball is a good one, rapping Langer on the gloves but dropping safe. Langer tries to hammer the third ball through the covers, but the ball dribbles to cover with no timing. Good maiden over from Harmison. How different to the much-more-significant first over he bowled all those weeks ago at the Gabba...
Australia 2nd Inns, 1/0: Langer 1*, Hayden 0*
Australia need 45 more runs to win

0038: Harmison takes the new ball for the first time since Brisbane.

0037: Over 1 Langer pulls to long-leg for a single to get off the mark. Hayden shows a desire to get things done in a hurry by advancing at Anderson and trying to slog the ball out of New South Wales. He makes no contact.
Australia 2nd Inns, 1/0: Langer 1*, Hayden 0*
Australia need 45 more runs to win

0033: Anderson will bowl the first over of the brief Australian second innings.

0032: Langer strides out to open the Australian innings for the final time, and the England players have sportingly formed a guard of honour for the left-hander, who shakes Flintoff's hand as he reaches the crease. Knowing Langer, he was probably sledging the England fielders as he made his way through...

0022: England, 2nd Innings 147 all out, lead Australia by 45 runs

0022: WICKET!
JM Anderson c Hussey b McGrath 5 Anderson chips one high in the air, and it's a simple catch for Mike Hussey at midwicket. McGrath gets the final wicket to fall, and now the stage is set for Langer to hit the winning runs with just 46 needed for victory.

0016: Drinks. A fitting demolition job from Australia on the fourth morning. The innings should have been all over, with replays clearly showing Harmison stumped off Warne, but the third umpire inexplicably chose to extend England's misery. In fact, since that bizarre decision, Harmison and Anderson have actually added 16 runs in three overs and are starting to have a little bit of fun, which will undoubtedly be short-lived.

0016: Over 57 Harmison chips down the ground for a single, and Anderson adds another with a cut shot into the open space in the covers. Harmison works to midwicket and runs hard to get back for a second run, and the lead is up to 41. Harmison is down the ground to the final ball of the over and whacks it through midwicket for four. Good over for England, eight runs coming from it.
England 2nd Inns, 147/9: Harmison 16*, Anderson 5*
England lead by 45 runs

0012: Over 56 A rare McGrath full-toss flicks off Harmison's pads for a leg-bye. McGrath finds Anderson's outside edge, but a dream final wicket of c Warne b McGrath goes begging as the ball drops short of Warne, and then goes through his legs for four runs as Warne very gingerly moves down to it. Another over goes by as these two offer at least some token resistance.
England 2nd Inns, 139/9: Harmison 9*, Anderson 4*
England lead by 37 runs

0008: Over 55 The reperieved Harmison hits down the ground for a single, beflore one keeps low and beats both Anderson and Gilchrist before scuttling away for two byes. That over should have been the last in the innings, but Harmison somehow survived the third-umpire decision.
England 2nd Inns, 134/9: Harmison 9*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 32 runs

0005: Gilchrist clearly stumps Harmison after the England number 10 misses a sweep. His foot is on the line with nothing grounded behind, but the third umpire inexplicably gives Harmison a life and denies Warne a final wicket at the end of this series. Terrible decision when replays were so clear. Gilchrist was certain, but it will make little difference, except to deny Warne.

0003: Over 54 Another maiden from McGrath, but pretty well defended by Anderson.
England 2nd Inns, 131/9: Harmison 8*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 29 runs

2359: Over 53 Warne almost gets a fairytale final wicket as a full ball gets through Harmison's defence but spins past the off stump. Still, Warne chalks up another maiden over in Test cricket. Will he get another chance for a final wicket?
England 2nd Inns, 131/9: Harmison 8*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 29 runs

2355: How un-Australian, as Ponting shows some uncharacteristic sentimentality by bringing Warne into the attack. Not the biggest gamble he'll ever take, and the crowd love it.

2355: Over 52 Australia are on the rack here as Harmison launches one high over mid-on for four and then gets three runs with a club down the ground as - shock, horror - Symonds misfields. Anderson tries and fails to get out to each of the final three balls, and we get to see one last chunter from McGrath, one of the game's greatest bowlers but undoubtedly its greatest chunterer.
England 2nd Inns, 131/9: Harmison 8*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 29 runs

2350: No sign of a sentimental bowl for Warne this morning, with McGrath to continue.

2350: Over 51 Big pull shot from Harmison, and it dribbles to mid-on for no run, but he does get a single from the final ball of Lee's over working the ball to long-leg off his toes.
England 2nd Inns, 124/9: Harmison 1*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 22 runs

2346: Over 50 James Anderson is the new batsman, and with that wicket falling again to the final ball of the over, it seems certain he won't face a delivery...
England 2nd Inns, 123/9: Harmison 0*, Anderson 0*
England lead by 21 runs

2345: WICKET!
SI Mahmood b McGrath 4 McGrath's 5-0 prediction is coming to rapid fruition as a nip-backer keeps low and bowls Mahmood, who was trapped on the back foot.

2340: Over 49 Steve Harmison is the new batsman, but he might not even face a ball because the wicket fell from the final ball of Lee's over.
England 2nd Inns, 122/8: Mahmood 4*, Harmison 0*
England lead by 20 runs

2339: WICKET!
CMW Read c Ponting b Lee 4 Read gets four with a classy drive through the covers, but falls soon after , feeling for the ball outside off stump and edging to Ponting at second slip, who takes a sharp catch moving to his left. The end is nigh.

2334: Over 48 Runs! Off the outside edge, but runs! Mahmood dodges the pair with that boundary to third-man, but this is becoming a fittingly embarrassing end to a shambolic series for England.
England 2nd Inns, 118/7: Read 0*, Mahmood 4*
England lead by 16 runs

2332: Saj Mahmood is the new batsman for England.

2331: WICKET!
MS Panesar run out (Symonds) 0 Read calls Panesar through for a single, but Andrew Symonds' throw from cover hits the top of the middle stump with Panesar a foot short of his ground. England have lost two wickets without adding to their 12-run lead.

2328: Over 47 Panesar is solidly in behind everything Lee throws at him, fending one ball to gully but well short of the fielder. Excellent over from Lee, but credit to Panesar for fighting through it.
England 2nd Inns, 114/6: Panesar 0*, Read 0*
England lead by 12 runs

2324: Over 46 A third maiden this morning as McGrath continues to plug away on a probing line and length.
England 2nd Inns, 114/6: Panesar 0*, Read 0*
England lead by 12 runs

2320: Over 45 Panesar at least show some fight, solidly blocking out a fast and aggressive over from Lee, ducking smartly under a bouncer and getting in behind everything else.
England 2nd Inns, 114/6:Panesar 0*, Read 0*
England lead by 12 runs

2316: Brett Lee is into the attack in partnership with McGrath.

2316: Over 44 Read lets the last three balls of the first over go through to the keeper. Huge round of applause for McGrath at the end of that successful over.
England 2nd Inns, 114/6: Panesar 0*, Read 0*
England lead by 12 runs

2313: Chris Read is the new batsman.

2312: WICKET!
KP Pietersen c Gilchrist b McGrath 29 This will be all over by lunch without doubt now. Pietersen, the one man who could have held things up, nibbles at a good ball from McGrath and nicks through to Adam Gilchrist. McGrath strikes in his first over on his final day. England now effectively 12 for six.

2309: McGrath is straight into the attack this morning.

2308: Huge ovation in Sydney for Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer on what looks sure to be their final day in Test cricket. Pietersen and nightwatchman Monty Panesar follow the Australians out, and it's a question of when not if Australia clinch victory.

2225: Well, after six weeks of pain and distress, today looks set to be the final chapter in this most one-sided of Ashes series. With play again starting early to make up lost time and Kevin Pietersen having just The Tail for company, it would be a major surprise if we still have play at tea. In fact, there has to be a chance of play finishing before lunch if Pietersen falls early.