My picks fo the last day:
England beat Australia by an innings and 71 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes series with three Tests to go. It took less then 90 minutes on the last day, avoiding any of the stormy weather forecasted and worried about. The last time England beat Australia by an innings was 1986/87, the last time the tourists won the Ashes Down Under.
Partnerships: None of note really today! They all failed and they know it, Australia need changes, an overhaul, and they know it. Many have already branded this match and series as an end of an era similar to the West Indies and their fall from grace after their glory 80s and early 90s. Will England take over at the top from here? We will have to wait and see, but the odds are definitely on it.
Bowling: Graeme Swann is the king with 5 wickets, 3 on the day including the winning one. Steven Finn is his successor with two, same for James Anderson, Kevin Pietersen "snatching" the man of the match award with his double-century and crucial wicket. They all chipped in and Australia out, big style!
Ups: 1-0! 1-0! 1-0! All sunshine! Who was worried about the rain??? Australia tormented and torn to pieces.
Downs: Stuart Broad is out for the rest of the series with a torn stomach muscle. Shame for him, great miss for England. It didn't show much on this day, but his replacement has quite large boots to fill.
Hero to zero: From 5-0 white wash 2007/08 to 1-0 with 3 Tests to go this Ashes series. From cruisers to losers. From rulers to the upset and deprived. And no sign of saviour for Australia and they need to find one quickly if they want to change that trend.
Australia v England second Test day five as it happened
- Kevin Pietersen completes his over from the previous day, the 80th of the innings, 4 deliveries, 1 run, North off the mark, Mike Hussey on 44, Australia 239-4, 136 behind.
- New ball available, Marcus North v Graem Swann, maiden, Aus 239-4 after 81 overs.- England keep the ball and Pietersen, 243-4 after 82 overs.
- Lbw appeal Swann v North, pad definitely first but the question is if it's outside the line, Swann looked confident and sends it to the 3rd umpire for a review, the ball goes off the pad first onto the bat JUST outside the line, decision stands, England are one review down to one. Hussey reaches his 23rd half century with a boundary, tickles the last ball but Prior dropped it anyway, Swann close again, Aus 248-4 after 83 overs.
- Steven Finn on for KP, v North, new ball taken, 4 off the first delivery, a single her and there, 254-4 after 84 overs.
- James Anderson on for Swann v Hussey, single brings North on against the paceman, another single, a couple more and a boundary takes North into double-figures, Aus 261-4, 114 behind, after 85 overs.
- Stuart Broad is reportedly seriously injured and out until the World Cup, big blow for the fast bowler and England.
- Lbw appeal Finn v Hussey, not given, not much objection by England, looked wide - he mistimes the next shot, wacks it up and is caught by Anderson, easy catch, Hussey out for 52 off 107, Australia 261-5, the Barmy Army cheering loud, Brad Haddin on, the last batsman on the list, all tailenders after him. The next delivery is a very wide horror ball by Finn, 4 byes! Where did that come from?! Aus 268-5 after 86 overs, 107 behind.
- Anderson v Haddin, two boundaries from the over, Aus 276-5 after 87 overs, 99 behind.
- Aus 279-5 after 88 overs, 96 behind, North on 16 off 26, Haddin on 11 off 11, 18 partnership.
- Aus 280-5 after 89 overs, 95 behind.
- Swann's back on, from the cathedral end in place of Finn, see what the spinner can get out of the new ball. 4 0 0 1 1 0, 286-5 after 90 overs 89 behind.
- Anderson gets edge out of Haddin to be caught behind and out for 12 off 21, Australia down to the tailend, 286-6, Ryan Harris on and out next ball, lbw, looked plumb but he sends it to the third umpire, only thing is hight, hitting, flicking he is out, golden duck, wasted review, Anderson on a hat-trick, Aus 286-7.
- Xavier Doherty is on, but Anderson has to wait an over for the hat-trick ball, lbw appeal second delivery by Swann v North, given not out, sent to the third umpire again, the ball hits pad first, looks plumb, middle stump, Australia in dissaray, the crowd cheering and North on his way out before umpire confirms the decision, out for 22, Aus 286-8, Peter Siddle on, the ball showing bounce. The ball rolls and hits onto stumps but the bails stay on! Lucky smiling Siddle, Aus 286-8.
- Anderson bowls a short one v Doherty on his hat-trick delivery, only one run off the over, Doherty off the mark, Siddle still waiting, Aus 287-8.
- The sun's out, who was on about dark clowds and rain possibly getting in England's way? Where? What? How?
- Doherty boundary v Siddle makes it 291-8, Australia 84 behind.
- Siddle off the mark with a boundary v Anderson, Aus 295-8.
- Doherty is out the next ball v Siddle, the ball drifting inand sneaking through him onto the top of middle-stump, he walks for 5 off 9, Australia on the brink at 295-9. Doug Bollinger's on, off the mark with 2, Australia 297-9 at the end of that over, the 96th. England need 1 wicket to win.
- Anderson v Siddle, single; v Bollinger, ball chips off bat short off Matt Prior, next one is an edge but well short of Swann, next one's off the led bounces wide... Aus 298-9, 77 behind.
- Swann looking for his 5th wicket, single brings on Bollinger, who gets the ball away for another single to make it 300 for Australia, 300-9 at the end of the over, Swann stays on 4 wickets for 91 runs.
- Finn's back on, 56-2 so far from him, off 17 overs, the leading wicket taker of the seris so far with 9, v Bollinger, hits it for four just wide of KP at gully, Aus 304-9 after 99 overs.
- Swann starts the 100th over and ends the match, Siddle comes forward, ball goes through onto the stumps, Siddle out for 6 off 22, Aus 304 all out, England win by an innings and 71 runs, Swann gets his 10th Test 5-wicket haul, Finn and Anderson contributing a couple each and KP getting the crucial breakthrough with the last ball of the day yesterday. They got it together to achieve England's 100th Test win against Australia, the host's 2nd heaviest defeat at Adelaide and their first innings defeat since 1993 v West Indies, England lead the Ashes series 1-0 with 3 Tests remaining. All joy after all the flapping and worries about the time and weather and criticism on Strauss his tactics. It's been a fabulous morning of cricket, good night from me! :-D
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