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'Tough to watch': England rages over 'embarrassing' Ashes farce

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
England, pictured here losing 10 wickets for 56 runs as Australia won the fifth Ashes Test.
England lost 10 wickets for 56 runs as Australia won the fifth Ashes Test. Image: Getty

Cricket fans and commentators couldn't believe their eyes on Sunday night after England saved their worst collapse for the final session of the Ashes series as Australia secured a 4-0 victory.

England made a bright start to their pursuit of 271 for victory in the fifth Test, with Rory Burns and Zak Crawley logging the tourists' highest opening partnership of the series.

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Burns and Crawley advanced to 0-68 on day three in Hobart, giving England a sniff of victory after they'd bowled Australia out for just 155.

But Cameron Green sparked an embarrassing collapse as England lost 10 wickets for just 56 runs to hand Australia victory by 146 runs.

“Australia just too good for England, but I have to say this is embarrassing," former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.

Vaughan said England had "just thrown the towel in", while Shane Warne called it “tough to watch”.

Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7: “Tough batting conditions it has to be said, but to fall over like that, that probably just sums up the entire summer for this England Test cricket team.

“Not enough quality, not enough fight and they haven’t been able to grasp the big moments in this series like the Australians have.

"Fitting way for it to end as well, for the series to end. Captain Cummins with the last wicket, to walk away with a four nil series win to Australia.”

England legend Ian Botham said: “It’s been embarrassing, if I am honest, gutless.

“I thought the way that they performed today will have disappointed me and disappointed everyone back home. They should be disappointed in that dressing room as well, with the performance.

“The one thing we have to do now is take our heads out of the sand and we need to pull together and prioritise red ball cricket and get back in, because if we’re not careful the Eskimos will be beating us.”

Joe Root bemoans 'frustrating' Ashes tour

Ben Stokes gifted his wicket to Mitchell Starc in the midst of the collapse, while Joe Root's hopes of salvaging some pride were scorched by Scott Boland's unplayable shooter.

Root grinned in disbelief then threw his head back after the pink ball hit a crack and struck the bottom of off stump, knowing there was nothing he could have done to stall Australia.

"It has been a frustrating, tough tour," Root said.

"It is pretty obvious we need to put some more runs on the board as a batting group, too often we have not given our bowlers enough to work with.

"In all areas ... we have been outplayed and credit to Australia."

The Australian team and support staff, pictured here celebrating victory in the fifth Ashes Test.
The Australian team and support staff celebrate victory in the fifth Ashes Test. (Photo by Mark Kolbe - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Aussie captain Cummins said: “It’s pretty crazy, even as a professional cricketer these are the series you have in your diary a couple of years out ... It’s just huge. Really pumped.

“It feels like we’re building towards something big.”

Cummins, denied a rare whitewash because England's final-wicket pair hung on for two overs to salvage a draw in Sydney, said he felt "really lucky" to have Green in his XI.

Green's inspired spell came on the same day he scored 23 while adding 49 runs alongside Alex Carey, sharing Australia's best partnership in a slapdash second-innings total of 155.

Travis Head earned man-of-the-match and player-of-the-series honours after signing off with a vital first-innings century in Hobart.

with AAP

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