CRICKET
Day 4: Nathan Lyon shines as Aussies beat England
Nathan Lyon’s four-wicket haul on day 4 helped Australia to beat the English side by 9 wickets.
The hosts registered a comfortable victory in the first Test match of the Ashes and now they are leading the series by 1-0.
England 1st innings 147 all-out
Buttler 39 (58) Cummins 5-38 Pope 35 (79) Starc 2-35
Australia 1st innings 425 all-out
T. Head 152 (148) Robinson 3-58. Warner 94 (176) Wood 3-85
England 2nd innings 297 all-out
Root 89(165) Lyon 4-92 Malan 82(195) Green 2-23
Australia 2nd innings 20-1
Harris 9*(10) Robinson 1-13 Carey 9 (23)
David Malan and Joe Root brought England back in the contest with their outstanding partnership last day but both of them failed badly in the morning session on day 4.
Both Malan and Root failed to convert their 80s into well-deserved 100s.
Malan was dismissed by Nathan Lyon after adding just 2 runs in his overnight score.
Cameron Green got the most important wicket of Joe Root to extinguish the hopes of England fans.
Joe Root failed to score a Test hundred in Australia yet again.
He was dismissed on 89 runs after adding just 3 runs in his overnight score of 86.
After the departure of Root and Malan, the rest of England’s batting lineup proved to be a wall of sand as England lost their remaining 8 wickets for just 74 runs.
England has a long batting lineup and even the number 11 Jack Leach can bat with a top score of 90 plus runs in Tests.
But despite having a strong batting lineup England was all-out for 297 runs giving Australia a target of just 20 runs to win the match.
Lyon get 400 Test wickets
Nathan Lyon didn’t pick up a wicket yesterday and he was waiting anxiously to get his 400th Test wicket.
Today his patience was finally rewarded.
Lyon has now become only the third bowler in the history of Australian cricket to pick up more than 400 wickets in Test cricket.
The other two Australian bowlers who have achieved this landmark were Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
Lyon picked up 4 wickets in the second innings and he helped his side to dismiss England on just 297 runs.
Cameron Green also picked up 2 wickets in the second innings including the big wicket of Joe Root.
The Australian skipper, Pat Cummins picked up 7 wickets in the match.
Australia required a target of just 20 runs in the 4th innings to win the match.
Alex Carey came to open the innings with Harris because David Warner faced an injury while batting in the 1st innings.
Alex Carey was dismissed by Robinson on 9 runs but Australia comfortably chased down the total with the loss of just 1 wicket.
Australia are now leading the Ashes series by 1-0.