Stuart Broad led England to a 169-run victory in the first Ashes Test as Australia collapsed either side of lunch on the fourth day in Cardiff on Saturday.
Australia, well-placed at 97 for one, slumped to 106 for five as four wickets fell for just nine runs in 36 balls.
Chasing a record-breaking 412 for victory, Ashes-holders Australia were dismissed for 242 after tea.
Photo: AFP
Fast-medium bowler Broad took three for 39 in 14 overs as England enjoyed an emphatic win in their first match under new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss.
As if defeat was not bad enough for Australia, left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc — who took five wickets in England’s first innings — was struggling to be fit in time for Thursday’s second Test at Lord’s after injuring his ankle.
No side have made more in the fourth innings to win an Ashes Test than Australia’s 404 for three at Headingley back in 1948 when Arthur Morris scored 182 and Donald Bradman, widely regarded as cricket’s greatest batsman, an unbeaten 173.
Ashes-holders Australia were going strong at 97 for one when they lost David Warner LBW for 52 to off-spinner Moeen Ali on the stroke of lunch. Broad had bowled superbly in an opening spell of one for 10 in six overs and probably deserved more than the wicket of Chris Rogers.
However, Broad — renowned for striking in bursts — took two for five in 13 balls shortly after lunch to capture the prize wickets of Steven Smith and Australia captain Michael Clarke.
Broad was on target in the first full over after lunch when he seamed the ball away from Smith, the world’s No. 1 Test batsman, who edged a comfortable catch to Ian Bell at second slip, falling for 33 for the second time this Test.
Clarke, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation and looking to lead Australia to their first Ashes series win in Britain in 14 years, having featured in all three subsequent losing tours, then went for just four when, reaching for a drive, he guided Broad to Ben Stokes at backward point.
Shortly after, 106 for four became 106 for five when Adam Voges (one) edged fast bowler Mark Wood through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
England captain Alastair Cook has often been criticized for being excessively cautious in the field, but that everything seemed to go right for Cook, England’s skipper when they were whitewashed 5-0 in Australia in 2013-2014, was exemplified by the departure of Brad Haddin for seven.
Not only did Cook recall Ali into the attack, he also clung on one-handed at the second attempt at short mid-wicket to a stunning catch off a full-blooded slog-sweep against the spinner by Haddin.
Ali’s first two overs cost 22 runs, but his next two yielded two wickets for no runs, with Haddin’s exit leaving Australia 122 for six.
Shane Watson remained at the crease for more than an hour, making 19 before he was LBW to Wood having, with equal inevitability, failed in a review of the decision.
It was the second time in the match the under-pressure all-rounder was out LBW and the 29th occasion in his Test career. Mitchell Johnson held England up with a 77 that included a straight six off part-time spinner Joe Root. However, Root, whose 134 was central to England’s first-innings 430 after they had slumped to 43 for three, had his revenge when Johnson edged him to Adam Lyth at slip.
Root ended the match when he caught Josh Hazlewood at long-off from the bowling of Ali.
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