An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic first day of the fourth Ashes Test yesterday, with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge.
England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue grabbing 5-45.
Photo: AFP
However, England fared even worse, slumping to 16-4 and never recovering, leaving Australia to face one over before stumps, which nightwatchman Scott Boland safely negotiated with Travis Head at the other end.
Australia were 4-0 at the close with Boland on 4, 46 ahead, with Head yet to face a ball.
Australia bowler Michael Neser, who took 4-45, was not making any predictions for the second innings after a day when the ball dominated the bat.
“We saw how tough it was when we batted. The ball was nipping around and we needed to bowl in the right areas,” Neser said. “You need to put pressure back on their bowlers, the ball is nipping around. You need to find the perfect balance between defense and attack.”
Beleaguered England opener Ben Duckett’s week went from bad to worse, out for 2 just days after unverified video surfaced showing him drunk during a mid-series beach break.
It was another shocking dismissal for the 31-year-old, lobbing a simple catch to Neser at mid-on off the irrepressible Mitchell Starc.
Neser in the next over removed Jacob Bethell, playing in place of the underperforming Ollie Pope, when he edged to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
Zak Crawley was taken in the slips by Steve Smith off Starc four balls later, then Joe Root edged Neser to Carey to put England into free fall.
Harry Brook decided aggression was the best approach, smashing sixes off Starc and Neser, and with Stokes the pair temporarily halted the carnage.
They put on 50 before Scott Boland trapped Brook leg before wicket for 41.
Boland then bowled Jamie Smith for 2 and had Will Jacks caught behind, all within the space of 10 deliveries from the 36-year-old who took 6-7 on the same ground against England four years ago.
When Stokes edged Neser to Steve Smith in the slips for 16 it was all but over.
Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane, and an 82-run win in Adelaide, with England desperate to restore pride.
Castigated over their limited Ashes preparations, the tourists lost the famous urn in just 11 days of play with a scandal involving alleged excessive drinking by players during the mid-series beach break piling on the pressure.
They responded well after Stokes won the crucial toss.
Missing injured pace spearhead Jofra Archer, the reinstated Atkinson opened the attack.
An aggressive Head drove consecutive boundaries off a wayward Brydon Carse, but he only lasted 22 balls, chopping on from Atkinson for 12.
Opening partner Jake Weatherald fared little better, tickling down the leg side to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith on 10 in Tongue’s first over, with the Nottinghamshire quick then enticing an edge from Marnus Labuschagne (6) that was well taken by Root at slip.
Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja began to stabilize the innings before Tongue struck again to bowl the Australia captain for 9 and leave England in charge.
With the sun breaking through on their return from lunch, Khawaja (29) hit a glorious counterattacking drive off Atkinson, but his luck ran out next ball, getting the faintest of edges to Jamie Smith before Adelaide century-maker Alex Carey (20) flicked a Stokes ball to Crawley at leg gully.
Cameron Green, who has had a lean series, crunched back-to-back fours off Tongue as he settled in.
Not to be outdone, Neser went one better, cracking three in succession off the same bowler, but disaster struck again, with Green run out for 17 going for a risky single, then Starc hoisted Carse to a back-pedaling Stokes at mid-off before Tongue removed Neser and Boland.
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