Stop press. Hold the back page. Drag out the dusty bunting and book three more nights in Noosa. England have won a Test in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years, chasing down 175 runs in Melbourne to win by four wickets and ensure this Ashes series defeat will not end as an Ashes whitewash.
Granted it was not a live victory, England simply dragging the scoreline back to 3-1 and doing so courtesy of a two-day heist on a pitch that made batting a lottery. But given the ordeal of this tour, and that grim run of 18 Tests without a victory on Australian soil, it was not insignificant either.
The winning moment came at 5.24pm when four leg byes deflected off Harry Brook’s pads to seal the victory, giving the England supporters among a 92,000-strong crowd some late festive cheer. For Ben Stokes and Joe Root in particular this was a moment that could have passed them by, their first Test win in Australia on what may well be their final tours of the country.
As the second two-dayer of the series – itself a first since 1896 – this was bad news for Cricket Australia’s finances. That said, for all the anger with the pitch, it was not dangerous. The issue, chiefly, was the lavish movement that it offered to a collection of high quality wobble-seam bowlers on both sides.
It was all set up by as clinical a performance as can be credited on such a surface when Australia were rolled for 132 in their second innings by 2pm. Brydon Carse claimed four for 24, Ben Stokes three for 24. And Josh Tongue, fresh from his five-wicket haul 24 hours earlier, picked up two for 44.
Having lost Gus Atkinson to a hamstring injury at the start of the day, Stokes and his fellow quicks ensured that absence was not felt. Australia lasting a combined 79.5 overs made it the quickest they have been bowled out twice since Brisbane in 1928, when a certain Don Bradman made his debut.
The target here was never going to be a breeze, not least given it would take the highest total of this absurdly short Test. Kudos to Ben Duckett, who swung hard and rode his luck for a 26-ball 34 that, by putting on 51 with Crawley inside seven overs, got the chase off to a rapid start.
Duckett’s luck eventually ran out, castled by a Mitchell Starc yorker moments after passing 3,000 Test runs and making his best score of the series. An experiment of using Carse as a pinch-hitter at No 3 paid out just six measly runs before he stuck one up in the air off Jhye Richardson.
Crawley, already up and running with an early straight six off Michael Neser, then found support from Bethell and a telling stand of 47 runs developed. Though fresh air was met on plenty of occasions, and streaky edges dropped into gaps, there were some classy shots too, such as Bethell on-driving Scott Boland for a crisp four early on to get his innings moving.
Boland finally prised out Crawley lbw after tea to make it four down with 63 runs required, then forced Bethell to chip to cover still 38 short of the target. When Root was trapped lbw by Richardson for 15, and Stokes edged behind off Starc, there were still 10 runs to get, four wickets in hand.
But with Smith immediately clipping three runs upon his arrival at the crease, and Brook then slotting a precious four, the last bit of pressure was released and England were soon celebrating on the outfield.
And to think Australia had been favourites first thing, resuming on four for no loss and leading by 46 runs. With Boland, the nightwatchman, and Travis Head adding 18 early runs off some short and wide trash, it all looked ominous for an England attack who had missed their lengths all tour.
But Atkinson wiped Boland before that hamstring issue struck, the first of six wickets to fall in a session that saw Australia add 98 runs. Bar Head, who made a proactive 46 from 67 balls, the batters looked a bit spooked, not least Usman Khawaja holing out for a duck amid the loss of three for six in two overs.
The most curious innings was that of Steve Smith. Australia’s stand-in captain finished unbeaten on 24 but, after Carse knocked over Neser and Starc for a couple of ducks, he kept taking singles at the start of the over to leave Richardson exposed at No 11. Sure enough Richardson stuck one up in the air off Stokes, setting the target and the chaos that was to follow.
It was entertaining, certainly, and a much-needed circuit-breaker for England. But it was also hard not to feel for those who had bought tickets for the remainder of a match that is supposed to be one of the highlights of the Australian summer. Questions, one suspects, will be asked.
Ali Martin’s full report to follow …
