Ashes 2015

[7by7]

Andrew Samson, BBC Test Match Special statistician

"England are the first team to have four different bowlers take six wickets in four consecutive innings. James Anderson and Steven Finn did it at Edgbaston, and Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes here."

[Crossy]

All over, England by an innings and 78 runs.

Ashes return to England.

[7by7]

An innings and 78 runs!

Being English I should simply say 'Well played England, bad luck Australia" and remember that "It matters not who won or lost, but how you played the game."

But I wont; instead "Take that, you Aussies!"

[stoneyboy]

Get in there England.

Happy as a proverbial pig.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

England beats Australia in 4th test, regains Ashes

STEVE DOUGLAS, AP Sports Writer

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — England regained the Ashes with a match to spare in the series after dismissing Australia for 253 to win the fourth test by an innings and 78 runs at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

Australia started Day 3 on 241-7, and the English took the three wickets they needed in 10.2 overs.

Mark Wood took the series-clinching wicket when Nathan Lyon played the ball on to his own stumps, sparking wild celebrations among England's players.

England won with two days and more than two sessions to spare, taking an insurmountable 3-1 lead ahead of the final test at The Oval.

England has won five of the last seven Ashes series, and the last four at home.

Adam Voges and Mitchell Starc were jeered onto the pitch by giddy England supporters anticipating a quick finish to one of the most remarkable Ashes tests, which began with Australia getting skittled for 60 in 18.3 overs for the shortest first innings in test history.

It took 22 balls for Ben Stokes to get a nick off Starc (0), with Ian Bell taking the catch at second slip.

Josh Hazlewood (0) had his middle stump knocked out by Wood three overs later, before Voges reached his fifty with a single into the leg side.

Voges was left stranded on 51, though, when Lyon got an inside edge onto his own stumps.

Stokes finished with career-best figures of 6-36.

Scoreboard Saturday on the third day of the fourth Ashes test at Trent Bridge:

Australia 1st Innings: 60 all out

England 1st Innings: 391-9 declared

Australia 2nd Innings

(Overnight: 241-7)

Chris Rogers c Root b Stokes 52

David Warner c Broad b Stokes 64

Steve Smith c Stokes b Broad 5

Shaun Marsh c Root b Stokes 2

Michael Clarke c Bell b Wood 13

Adam Voges not out 51

Peter Nevill lbw b Stokes 17

Mitchell Johnson c Cook b Stokes 5

Mitchell Starc c Bell b Stokes 0

Josh Hazlewood b Wood 0

Nathan Lyon b Wood 4

Extras: (20b, 16lb, 1w, 3nb) 40

TOTAL: (all out) 253

Overs: 72.4

Fall of wickets: 1-113, 2-130, 3-136, 4-136, 5-174, 6-224, 7-236, 8-242, 9-243.

Bowling: Stuart Broad 16-5-36-1, Mark Wood 17.4-3-69-3 (1w, 2nb), Steven Finn 12-4-42-0 (1nb), Ben Stokes 21-8-36-6, Moeen Ali 6-0-34-0.

Toss: England.

Result: England wins by an innings and 78 runs.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Pakistan, and Sundaram Ravi, India.

Third umpire: Marais Erasmus, South Africa. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-08

[7by7]

So glad that Mark Wood took the wicket which won the Ashes.

A young lad who many thought at the start of the year should not be in the team.

A massive boost for his confidence; good captaincy from Cook.

Clarke has just announced that he will play at The Oval and then retire from international cricket.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

[Jonathan Fairfield]

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Michael Clarke to retire at the end of Ashes 2015

[7by7]

Michael Clarke very gracious in his post match interview.

No excuses and giving full credit to England.

Not blaming any one individual for Australia's performance, except himself.

"Our goal was to come here and try and have some success. Alastair Cook and the England team deserve a lot of credit - they've shown us how to execute good swing and seam bowling. It's not for want of trying but the boys have been beaten by a better side..

"England when they've had momentum have grabbed it with both hands and ran with it. James Anderson and Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes in this game showed what you need to do in games like this. Once you find the edge you need to hang on to those chances and England have done that really well."

"There's no doubt I'll always hold myself accountable, my performances haven't been anywhere they need to be. I don't blame anyone in the changing room, but I haven't led from the front.

"I started this great game at six years of age and I think it's the right time to walk away now to give Australia the time to prepare for the next Ashes series.

"When I first came into the team I had 11 older brothers helping me get into a position where I can help the team and hopefully I've done that.

"There's no doubt we'll bounce back - it will take a lot of hard work, but the potential is there and the work ethic is there. I'll keep the faith, that's for sure."

Source

Tremendous round of applause for him at the end of the interview.

Edited August 8, 2015 by 7by7

[farmerjo]

I bet Clarke will regret going on one more if they serve up another pitch like the last two.

[7by7]

Alistair Cook becomes the third England captain to win two or more Ashes series in England.

The other two being W. G. Grace and Mike Brearley.

[Bangkokhatter]

Yeah very gracious interview from Clarke, and Cook getting all emotional also, has he been given a personality transplant ?

Excellent performance by the boys , especially when most people gave them no chance at the start of the series.

[BookMan]

England. Good

Australia. Bad

Be interesting to see if many changes are made for the next test for Australia... Dead rubber...not much to lose, except some more dignity,

[7by7]

For those Aussies who gave England no chance before the series began;

[pigeonjake]

I bet Clarke will regret going on one more if they serve up another pitch like the last two.

the pitches are the same for both sides,,

[ripstanley]

Michael Clarke says he had no option but to retire after failing to fire in Australia's Ashes campaign.

Clarke has been under increasing pressure throughout the five-Test series due to his batting slump.

The 34-year-old agreed with selectors on Saturday to step down after the fifth Test at The Oval.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=9016632

[tigerfish]

Yesterday morning was overcast and muggy; perfect for swing bowling.

There was still some moisture in the pitch; always is at Trent Bridge on the first morning as it's so close to the river.

So it was a good toss to win.

Broad bowled superbly, hitting the right spot virtually every time.

For once, the English slips held onto everything that came their way, and Stokes even got one that had passed him!

But:-

The forecast was for a bright, sunny afternoon and the pitch would have dried out by lunch; perfect for batting.

So it called for good, old fashioned Test batting in the first session. Only play balls you have to, defend, defend, defend and wait for a bad ball to score. Then after lunch when the sun was out and the pitch had dried, make hay.

Did the Aussies do that?

No. They reached for balls they could easily have left, those balls caught the edge and that was it; all out for 60.

I think this is the first time a bowler has taken 8 wickets, all catches with none of those catches by the wicketkeeper.

I'm not taking anything away from England's performance, especially Broad's. But without the Aussie's suicidal batting the story could have been a lot different.

argh, but it wasn't swing bowling that got the Aussies unstuck. it was seam bowling as the great Glen Mcgrath has pointed out.

big difference !

But either way swing or with seam wouldnt it be fair to say lack of technique ie lack of 'softness of hands' needed to deal with the balls

movement cost the aussie batsmen.

rijit

yes i take your comments on board rijit.

the only thing is though, is yes maybe a little to do with technique and softness of hands, but i would say it's more to to with playing the ball later.

swing you can see in the air, reverse and after the ball has hit the deck too. where as with seam you don't know how the ball is going to react until it's pitched on the wicket because the ball is bowled seam up.

fair play to England. am disappointed though in the Aussies for not putting up more of a fight and having a little discipline in their performance when needed. that's the difference i'm afraid that the modern form of the game and the effect of such events like the IPLs has had on the art of cricket that is the 5 day test format. that's why it's called " test cricket " said in my strongest Geoffrey Boycott Yorkshire accent.

Edited August 8, 2015 by tigerfish

[Will27]

For those Aussies who gave England no chance before the series began;

Fair enough.

And If I remember correctly, a fair few of the Poms gave England no chance either

Edited August 8, 2015 by Will27

[Will27]

I bet Clarke will regret going on one more if they serve up another pitch like the last two.

I think it' the right move.

It's a dead rubber and I think he deserves a fairwell match.

[Will27]

England. Good

Australia. Bad

Be interesting to see if many changes are made for the next test for Australia... Dead rubber...not much to lose, except some more dignity,

Ricky Ponting thinks up to half of the current squad will not play test cricket again.

Ryan Harris retired already, Chris Rogers said he will as well, along with Clarke.

Hard to see Haddin, Watson, Siddle and Voges getting picked again.

A few question marks over a few others like Shaun Marsh as well.

Congrats to the "to and froms".

[farmerjo]

England. Good

Australia. Bad

Be interesting to see if many changes are made for the next test for Australia... Dead rubber...not much to lose, except some more dignity,

Ricky Ponting thinks up to half of the current squad will not play test cricket again.

Ryan Harris retired already, Chris Rogers said he will as well, along with Clarke.

Hard to see Haddin, Watson, Siddle and Voges getting picked again.

A few question marks over a few others like Shaun Marsh as well.

Congrats to the "to and froms".

Yep time to build a side.

Edited August 8, 2015 by farmerjo

[Blackfox]

Yep, game over for us Aussies. Outplayed and perhaps now outdated. It'll be time to introduce some young blood and build a new force.

[stoneyboy]

Regained triumphantly in 2015.

Rule Britannia,Britannia rules the waves England never never never shall be slaves.

Edited August 8, 2015 by stoneyboy

[BookMan]

For those Aussies who gave England no chance before the series began;

Fair enough.

And If I remember correctly, a fair few of the Poms gave England no chance either

Myself, I went off Pie years ago. I'm much more handsome now also

[nottocus]

I bet Clarke will regret going on one more if they serve up another pitch like the last two.

Nothing wrong with the pitches.

[Basil B]

Indeed, Jimmy's definitely out for Trent Bridge.

Which is a pity as the ball swings there!

Wood's ankle should be OK by then, so expect him back and Finn to stay in.

Finn's come back performance after all the trouble he's had since knocking that bail off with his knee on his delivery stride and the hard work he has put in to adjust his run up and action is heart-warming. By all accounts he's a great lad, and I hope he has a future in Test cricket.

Soon forgotten...

But well done Wood's nice to see new blood given a chance... and use it well.

[farmerjo]

I bet Clarke will regret going on one more if they serve up another pitch like the last two.

Nothing wrong with the pitches.

I didn't say there was anything wrong with the pitches

[Rabbi]

Congratulations England - Well played!

Now you can morally and Legally hold the Ashes !

[ebonykap]

The Australian Cricket team....possibly the most despised sporting team in the world for its arrogance, cheating and lack of sportsmanship.

Just desserts.