Australia v England - Fourth Test

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Australia: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, *AR Border, SR Waugh, KR Miller, +IA Healy, AK Davidson, RR Lindwall, DK Lillee, WJ O'Reilly.
England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, ER Dexter, DI Gower, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, FS Trueman, JA Snow, DL Underwood, AV Bedser.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: England

England made four changes following the third Test debacle, whilst Australia were forced into their first change of the series, skipper Richie Benaud having to sit out after severely bruising his right thumb in the nets. Border took over as skipper but couldn't halt Hutton's run of success at the toss, and Hutton took the gamble of inserting the Australians on a mottled patchwork of a strip at the MCG.

However, it soon became evident that there were actually very few demons in the pitch, and Woodfull and Lawry posted their second consecutive century opening stand, extending it to 173 as Woodfull notched a wonderfully fluent 137. Bradman perished two short of his century after he inexplicably shouldered arms to ball from Snow which cut back, and Australia's total went past the 400 mark during a soporific second afternoon that brought just 39 runs for the loss of three wickets. Underwood and Bedser both bowled tightly, but Australia's approach, and Waugh's in particular, curried little favour with the crowd. Whether Waugh was batting under orders was unclear, but he opened up after tea, adding 74 for the ninth wicket with Lillee before Australia's innings ended on 480, with Waugh left undefeated on 91.

Waugh's go-slow frustrated England on the second afternoon

England now needed to force the pace, and the first half of day three saw a steady flow of both runs and wickets. Gower batted beautifully to post his first fifty of the series, but after Miller ran him out for 62 following a dreadful mix-up with Cowdrey, the scoreboard read 173-4 and the innings could very easily have slipped into free fall. Cometh the hour cometh the man though, and following his 92 against Victoria here, Ian Botham took the game by the scruff of its neck in an incredible evening session. Botham threw the bat with abandon, and he and Cowdrey - who had been dropped by Lindwall off O'Reilly before he had scored - piled on 210 runs, an Ashes record for the fifth wicket, before Cowdrey played on to Davidson for exactly 100 in the day's last over. Botham remained undefeated on 117 out of England's 383-5, just his second ATG century in 46 Tests, and there was more to follow on a weather shortened fourth day as England managed to secure a vital first innings lead.

Of the lower order only Trueman, with 27, made any significant contribution, but there was time enough for Botham to turn his innings into one that will be remembered for many a year, and he eventually finished undefeated just two runs short of what would have been a most deserved double century as England's total of 517 gave them a 37 run advantage on the fourth evening. Snow then managed to prise both Lawry and, crucially, Bradman from the crease in a superb opening burst, and at 2-2 Australia were in distinct trouble. Bad light brought the fourth day to a premature close, and a nail biting last day saw England strive to beat both Australia and the weather in their quest to stay in the Ashes hunt.

Botham's innings was truly one for the ages

Rain frustrated England in the morning, but an inspired spell from Bedser in the afternoon reduced Australia to 126-7 at tea, and it was now down to the tail to defy the English attack. Botham had Healy caught at slip to make the score 140-8, and with a possible 27 overs remaining Australia's lead was a fragile 103 as Dennis Lillee joined Lindwall at the crease. England needed to take the last two wickets quickly, but in the same Fred Trueman over Ames and Hutton failed to hold on to difficult chances offered by Lillee and Lindwall respectively, and the Ashes had slipped through English fingers along with the ball. Australia's ninth wicket pair held on for almost two hours, and Hutton's first Test wicket, gained when he bowled Lindwall for a match-saving 40, was scant consolation for England's despondent skipper. One over later time was called, and the draw secured Australia's Ashes defence with one Test still to play. It had been a valiant effort by England, but time was against them in the end, and the final Test of an Ashes series will once again serve as a victory party for the Australians.

Score Summary
AUS 1st Inns 480 (Woodfull 137, Bradman 98, Waugh 91*, Lawry 62)
ENG 1st Inns 517 (Botham 198*, Cowdrey 100, Gower 62, Dexter 44)
AUS 2nd Inns 203-9 (Lindwall 40; Bedser 4-37)

MATCH DRAWN

1st & 2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Close of play

Day 1 - Australia 1st innings 278-2 (Bradman 66*, Border 8*; 90 ov)
Day 2 - England 1st innings 33-0 (Hobbs 8*, Hutton 23*; 11 ov)
Day 3 - England 1st innings 383-5 (Botham 117*, Underwood 0*; 101 ov)
Day 4 - Australia 2nd innings 25-2 (Woodfull 7*, Border 15*; 11.4 ov)
Day 5 - Australia 2nd innings 203-9 (91 ov) - end of match

Notes
▪ Botham's 198* is the highest innings made by a number six batsman
▪ Cowdrey and Botham's partnership of 210 is the highest fifth wicket stand in Ashes history and the second highest ever stand for England's fifth wicket
▪ Australia retain the Ashes for the third consecutive time

Man of the Match: IT Botham