England close in on series win

Relentless England were just three wickets away from their first Down Under series victory in 24 years as Australia folded under pressure in the final Sydney Ashes Test on Thursday.

Needing either a win or a draw to claim the series, England posted their highest-ever score in Australia of 644 and then ripped through Australia to take seven wickets and have a win at the mercy on Friday’s final day.

England, who lead the series 2-1, have already retained the Ashes at last week’s fourth Melbourne Test and are now looking to crown it with a well-deserved series triumph.

At the close, Australia had been reduced to 213 for seven with Steven Smith on 24 and Peter Siddle on 17 and still 151 runs in arrears. England outplayed the hosts in Adelaide and Melbourne while Australia won the third Test in Perth. The first Brisbane Test was drawn.

The pace trio of James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Chris Tremlett bowled England to the verge of victory with irresistible displays of swing bowling.

Anderson, getting tantalising late reverse swing, snared the wickets of debutant Usman Khawaja and acting captain Michael Clarke to take his series haul to 23.

Khawaja, who made a promising debut in the first innings, played away from his body and deflected a catch to Matt Prior off Anderson for 21.

Clarke looked to have played himself in when on 41 he was bamboozled by Anderson’s late movement off the pitch and gave Prior another catch.

It culminated in a dismal batting series for Clarke with just 193 runs at 21.44.

Bresnan chipped with the crucial wicket of Australia’s leading series scorer Mike Hussey, caught head-high by Kevin Pietersen for 12.

Australia then suffered a tumble of wickets with Brad Haddin (30) and Mitchell Johnson (0) falling on consecutive Tremlett deliveries only for Siddle to see off the hattrick attempt.

Strauss sought an extra half-hour’s play from the umpires in a bid to press a result inside four days.

Australia’s second innings foundered early with the chaotic run out of Shane Watson for 38 in a dreadful breakdown in communication with Phillip Hughes.

Watson became the third Australian opener run out in the series after he took off for a second run that wasn’t on while Hughes hesitated. AFP

AUSTRALIA 
1ST INNINGS 280

ENGLAND 
1ST INNINGS
A. Strauss b Hilfenhaus		 	60
A. Cook   c Hussey b Watson		189
J. Trott  b Johnson			 0
K. Pietersen c Beer b Johnson		36
J. Anderson b Siddle  		 	 7
P. Collingwood c Hilfenhaus b Beer	13
I. Bell  c Clarke b Johnson		115
M. Prior  c Haddin b Hilfenhaus		118
T. Bresnan  c Clarke b Johnson		35
G. Swann not out			36
C. Tremlett c Haddin b Hilfenhaus	12
Extras (b3, lb11, w5, nb4)		23
TOTAL (all out, 177.5 overs)		644
FALL OF WICKETS: 98, 99,165, 181,226, 380, 487, 589, 609, 644
BOWLING: Hilfenhaus 38.5-7-121-3 (1w), Johnson 36-5-168-4 (2w), Siddle 31-5-111-1 (1nb 1w), 
Watson 20-7-49-1 (2nb 1w), Beer 38-3-112-1 (1nb), Smith 13-0-67-0, Hussey 1-0-2-0

AUSTRALIA 
2ND INNINGS

S. Watson run out (Pietersen)		38
P. Hughes c Prior b Bresnan		13
U. Khawaja c Prior b Anderson		21
M. Clarke c Prior b Anderson		41
M. Hussey  c Pietersen b Bresnan	12
B. Haddin  c Prior b Tremlett		30
S. Smith not out			24
M. Johnson b Tremlett			0
P. Siddle not out			17
Extras (b11, lb4, w1, nb1)		17
TOTAL (7 wkts, 67 overs)		213
FALL OF WICKETS: 46, 52, 117, 124, 161,171,171
BOWLING: Anderson 13-4-50-2, Tremlett 15-4-53-2 (1nb), Swann 25-7-63-0, Bresnan 14-6-32-2 (1w)