England’s Ashes tour teetered on the brink of collapse after a scarcely believable opening day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw 20 wickets fall and England bundled out for just 110.
It was the most wickets to tumble on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, surpassing even the carnage witnessed earlier in the series in Perth. The Boxing Day Test quickly descended into farce.
Australia captain Steve Smith had warned beforehand that the pitch, covered with 10mm-long grass, would demand discipline and precision from batters. His assessment proved prophetic within hours of the first ball.
Australia were first to feel the sting, hustled out for 152 despite promising starts. England’s pace attack exploited the movement expertly, with Josh Tongue producing a standout performance to claim figures of 5-45.
England’s sharp bowling and improved fielding briefly suggested a shift in momentum. Yet those gains evaporated rapidly once their batters took guard after tea on a treacherous surface.
What followed was a dramatic implosion. England slumped to 8-3 and then 16-4 as Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser ripped through the top order with pace and relentless accuracy.
Harry Brook’s audacious approach prevented complete humiliation. Dancing down the pitch and swinging freely, Brook struck 41, including two towering sixes, in an innings that mixed defiance with desperation.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were the only other England players to reach double figures, underlining the scale of the collapse. England were dismissed in just 29.5 overs.
Neser finished with four wickets, Boland claimed three, and the surreal nature of the day was captured when Boland later opened the batting as nightwatchman in Australia’s second innings.
Remarkably, there was still time for Australia to begin their third innings on the opening day, only the third time this has happened in Ashes history. The hosts closed on 4-0, leading by 46 runs.
With the first Test in Perth ending inside two days, Melbourne now threatens a similar fate. For England, another chastening defeat appears imminent as their Ashes campaign spirals further into crisis.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
