Australia go 2-1 up after crushing win
By Vic Mills
LEEDS, England (JP): Australia went 2-1 up in the Ashes series after racing to a crushing victory by an innings and 61 runs on the fifth and final day of the fourth Test against England here at Headingley yesterday.
The Australians made quick work of England who crumbled to 268 all out when Robert Croft was caught behind off Paul Reiffel first ball after lunch.
The defeat means England must win the final two Tests at Trent Bridge and the Oval to regain the Ashes.
England's hopes of survival suffered an early setback when century hero Nasser Hussain succumbed to Shane Warne after adding just four runs to his overnight 101.
The England vice-captain recklessly drove Warne to mid-off in the fifth over, bringing to an end a fifth wicket stand with John Crawley that had produced 133 and given England the faintest chance of saving the match.
Mark Ealham joined Crawley, England's last recognized batsman, at the wicket following the departure of Hussain, and helped prolong England's resistance for 67 minutes before falling victim to the new ball.
The Kent all-rounder had barely put a foot wrong before he was brilliantly caught at second slip by Mark Waugh after edging a rising delivery from Paul Reiffel.
Crawley, 48 not out overnight, completed his half-century in the second over but eventually fell for 72 shortly before lunch when he was bowled by Reiffel.
England lost their fourth wicket of the session when Dean Headley was trapped leg before to give Reiffel his fourth wicket of the innings.
Local hero Darren Gough did not trouble the scorers before he gave Mark Waugh his second catch of the day after getting an edge to a delivery from Jason Gillespie.
The players returned after the interval but the crowd had barely re-taken their seats when Croft edged a wide delivery to Healey to give Reiffel his fifth wicket of the innings.
Early
On Friday, Ealham made early inroads into Australian batting with the wickets of Ian Healy (31) bowled off an inside-edge and Shane Warne (0) caught at slip by Graham Thorpe in the third over of the morning.
It was business as usual thereafter as Matthew Elliot and Paul Reiffel set the innings back on course. With Elliot quick to pull anything short and Reiffel keen to drive the partnership came up in 41 minutes off 59 balls.
The innocent bystander while Australia slumped to 50 for four on Friday afternoon, Elliot's odyssey wicket came to an abrupt end one shy of a deserved double century when a conscious decision to play positively despite the wicket, Elliot made 199 in 455 minutes off 351 balls with three sixes and 23 fours.
Jason Gillespie (3) became Gough's fifth wicket soon after, but the tail continued to wag as Reiffel (54) and Glenn McGrath (20) added an unbeaten 40 at the death before Mark Taylor during lunch with Australia again made light of the uneven bounce and lateral movement in the underprepared Headingley pitch. The same could not be said of England who soon fell foul of the conditions.
Having opened in a positive fashion with three boundaries, Mark Mutcher (19) was caught behind by Healy off a ball from McGrath that pitched and moved away to leave England 23 for one.
Worst was to follow five runs later as captain, Mike Atherton (2), was unable to evade a lifting delivery from McGrath that struck his bat handle and lobbed gently to Warne at third slip.
The uneven next accounted for Alec Stewart (16) as England slumped 57 for three. Looking to force a delivery from Reiffel off the back-foot, Stewart could do little as it shot along the ground, struck the bottom of his bat, and hit his off stump.
With the effect of the roller wearing off and the Australian fast bowler threatening untold mayhem, Graham Taylor walked out with the look of a man who wished he was back at the Oval and about to take guard on the truest wicket in the country.
Dismissed cheaply in England's first innings and responsible for dropping Matthew Elliot on 29, the Surrey left-hander had had better games for England. He received a life himself on eight when Steve Waugh grassed a catch in the gully off Gillespie.
There was to be no second chance, however, as Thorpe (15) sparred at a rising delivery from Gillespie and was caught by Mark Waugh at second slip after Healy had fumbled the take.
With defeat inside four days a distinct possibility, England limped to tea precariously placed on 102 for four.
Against the odds, England survived the final session without losing a wicket. It was a torrid affair though with Nasser Hussain and John Crawley regularly hit about the body. With seven men around the bat, however, occupation brought its rewards. None profited more than the flamboyant Hussain who brought up his second 100 of the series just before the close in 226 minutes off 164 balls with 13 fours.