England 77-2 at Tea, Need 98 More to Win Chaotic 4th Ashes Test

AFP/APP

Melbourne: England closed in on a morale-boosting victory in the chaotic fourth Ashes Test on Saturday, reaching 77-2 at tea on day two as they chased a modest target of 175 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Zak Crawley was unbeaten on 22 with Jacob Bethell on nine as England moved within 98 runs of snapping a long winless streak in Australia after losing the first three Tests of the series.

Earlier, England dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch, following a dramatic opening day in which 20 wickets fell on a lively, grass-covered pitch.

Travis Head top-scored for Australia with 46, while Brydon Carse starred with the ball, claiming figures of 4-34.

England have not won a Test in Australia since January 2011, losing 16 and drawing two since, but their openers showed clear intent to break that run by adopting an ultra-aggressive “Bazball” approach.

Ben Duckett struck a boundary off Mitchell Starc in his first over, while Crawley took on Michael Neser with a six and a four off successive deliveries.

Both batters, however, rode their luck. Duckett was dropped by Starc off his own bowling on eight, while Crawley survived an lbw review on 15.

The pair raced to a 50-run opening stand inside seven overs before Duckett was bowled by a searing Starc yorker for 34 on the very next delivery.

Fast bowler Carse was then promoted unexpectedly to number three, ahead of Bethell, but England’s pinch-hitting gamble backfired as he lasted just eight balls before skying Jhye Richardson to Cameron Green.

Australia resumed day two at 4-0 in their second innings after an explosive first day that saw the hosts bowled out for 152 and England dismissed for 110.

Head began positively, striking a boundary off Gus Atkinson, while nightwatchman Scott Boland added two runs to his overnight score before edging Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Atkinson later left the field clutching what appeared to be a left hamstring injury.

Josh Tongue returned to the attack on a hat-trick after taking the final two Australian wickets on day one, but opener Jake Weatherald briefly disrupted him, whipping a full ball for three. Weatherald, under pressure to cement his place, fell soon after for five, bowled by Ben Stokes by a delivery that jagged back.

Head briefly found support from Marnus Labuschagne, who made eight before edging Tongue to Joe Root at slip.

Head looked in good touch before Carse bowled him with a delivery that beat the outside edge. When Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) departed within nine balls, England seized control.

Australia reached lunch at 98-6, but the collapse continued as Green (19) edged a rising Stokes delivery to Harry Brook at slip with the score on 119.

Carse then removed Neser and Starc without scoring, while Richardson fell to Stokes as the tail folded, the last four wickets falling for just 13 runs. Steve Smith remained unbeaten on 24.

Australia have already retained the Ashes after emphatic victories in Perth and Brisbane, followed by an 82-run win in Adelaide.

With 10 millimetres of grass left on the pitch, bowlers dominated throughout, though several former greats criticised the surface for “doing too much” and being “unfair for batters”.