20 Wickets in a Day! MCG Witnesses Ashes Madness
Twenty wickets fell in a dramatic Boxing Day Ashes Test as Australia dominated England on a seaming pitch at the MCG in one of cricket’s wildest days.
A record 94,199 spectators packed the MCG on Boxing Day, and none will forget what they witnessed. Twenty wickets fell on an extraordinary pitch that offered prodigious turn, and Cricket Australia was bracing itself for another multi-million dollar loss in this Ashes series.
The first had come in Perth, when the two-day series opener resulted in refunds and a scramble for alternative arrangements for the visiting fans. This fourth Test looked set to follow suit, not only because of the 10mm grass on the pitch, but also because the England touring party, reeling from the Ashes defeat and under intense scrutiny, looked broken even before the toss.
The toss actually went their way, Ben Stokes calling correctly, opting without hesitation to put his opponents in to bat, and watching Josh Tongue bowl Australia out for 152 before tea. Tongue took five wickets for 45 runs, his natural in-swing, full length, and swinging seam posing more difficult questions than a University Challenge Christmas special.
But despite memories of England's famous Boxing Day performance here in 2010, there was also the sense that Tongue's success was a harbinger of a difficult test for England's batsmen. That test duly arrived as they lost four wickets for 16 runs in eight overs and were eventually bowled out for 110 in 29.5 overs, Michael Neser taking four wickets for 45 runs.
All that remained was for Scott Boland, who had already taken three wickets for 30 runs, to see out the final over of the day as a makeshift opening batsman. Boland somehow survived, an edge falling just short of slip, before he delighted his fellow Victorians by hitting a boundary off the last ball of the day. Australia finished on four without further loss, a lead of 46, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Software Services
 |
All-in-one casino solution ready to launch — talk to our experts now |
Looking at England's dismal scorecard, one might assume carelessness and perhaps utter a few choice words about the so-called Bazball. However, one player who trusted his instincts and opted for aggression emerged as the highest scorer for either side on this bizarre day. Harry Brook's 41 runs off 34 balls were a significant achievement in challenging circumstances. Brook came to the crease in the fifth over with the score at eight for three and immediately stepped out to hit a powerful shot off Starc's first ball. The shot went up in the air, it's true, but Brook didn't stop there, following it up with two fours and two sixes in quick succession. When he was eventually dismissed, he was attempting to hit Boland's delivery to the leg side by moving across his stumps, resulting in a straightforward LBW.
It might sound strange, but one could wonder how many runs England might have scored if more of their players had adopted a similar approach. But after three defeats, many players have begun questioning everything they've learned over the past three years, leading to tentative shots and, in Joe Root's case, the longest duck of his career, as he edged a ball on his 15th delivery.
While Neser was impressive in his first red-ball Test match, following up a useful 35 runs with the bat with a good bowling performance, the architect of this collective collapse was Mitchell Starc. The left-arm bowler triggered the wicket-taking spree, troubling Ben Duckett and having him caught at mid-on for five runs. This wasn't the first time Duckett had looked uncomfortable on this tour, but he wasn't alone on this topsy-turvy day at the MCG.
Thank you for reading this content.
Thank you for reading this content.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
