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England humiliation complete as Aussies win Ashes in record time

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Cameron Green, pictured here celebrating with Aussie teammates after snaring the final wicket.
Cameron Green celebrates with Aussie teammates after snaring the final wicket. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Australia has retained the Ashes in record-breaking fashion at the MCG, taking just 12 days of play to annihilate England 3-0.

Australia completed a remarkable thrashing of a hapless England in the third Test on Tuesday, winning by an innings and 14 runs.

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Victorian debutant Scott Boland claimed 6-7 as the tourists were routed for just 68 in their second innings before lunch on day three.

Boland equalled the world record for the fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket, taking just 19 deliveries.

The result gives Australia an unassailable 3-0 lead ahead of the final two Tests in Sydney and Hobart.

Australia won the first two Tests in four and five days respectively, before the third Test barely last two.

Starting the day at 4-31 and needing a miracle to stay alive in the series, England lost 6-37 in an all-too familiar collapse.

It marks the third-straight Ashes where Australia have claimed the urn, after winning in 2017-18 and drawing the series in England in 2019 to retain it.

It is also the eighth time in the past nine series in Australia that the series has been wrapped up after three Tests.

But never has England's capitulation been as brutal as it was in Melbourne this week.

Australia's triumph saw them wrap up the Test in 180.4 overs, the shortest Test match on home soil in the past 71 years.

It is also the quickest of any team to seal the urn Down Under in Ashes history.

Joe Root, pictured here trudging off after being dismissed by Scott Boland in the third Ashes Test.
Joe Root trudges off after being dismissed by Scott Boland in the third Ashes Test. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Cricket world in disbelief over England capitulation

Under-pressure to hold his spot amid criticism, Mitchell Starc was frequently the man to break England's back

He led the way in England's second innings, getting Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan with back-to-back balls on the second evening before bowling Ben Stokes for 11 early on day three.

Crucially, he also found a way to lead Australia's attack in a summer where Josh Hazlewood has missed two Tests through injury and Pat Cummins one through a Covid-19 scare.

In their place, Australia's next-in-line quicks stepped up.

Scott Boland, pictured here with the Johnny Muller medal for man of the match in the third Ashes Test.
Scott Boland poses with the Johnny Muller medal for man of the match in the third Ashes Test. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Just as Jhye Richardson claimed 5-42 in the fourth-innings in Adelaide, Boland made a name for himself at the MCG in front of his home crowd.

After removing Haseeb Hameed and nightwatchman Jack Leach in one over on Monday night, he trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for five in the first hour on Tuesday morning.

And when he had Joe Root (28) edge off for the sixth time this series, the rot was well and truly set in.

The Victorian got rid of Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood in the next over, before Cameron Green gave England their last rites when he bowled Jimmy Anderson for two and reclaimed the urn.

England's only fight now is to try to avoid a 5-0 whitewash, but on current form that would require a miracle or intervention from the weather in Sydney and Hobart.

Cricket fans and commentators couldn't believe what they were witnessing, with many taking aim at England for another woeful batting display.

with AAP

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