An extraordinary 20 wickets fell on day one of the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Australia holding a slender 46-run lead after both sides endured batting nightmares on Friday.
England captain Ben Stokes won a crucial toss on a green wicket and his decision to bowl first initially paid dividends as the hosts collapsed to 152 all out. Josh Tongue starred with figures of 5-45, becoming the first Englishman to claim five wickets in an innings at the MCG since 1998.
However, England’s batting response proved even more disastrous, slumping to a woeful 110 all out after reaching 16/4 early in their innings. Australia closed on 4/0 with nightwatchman Scott Boland unbeaten on four alongside Travis Head.
A record cricket crowd of 94,199 witnessed the carnage, surpassing the 93,013 who attended the 2015 World Cup final at the same venue.
“I feel like anyone could have taken a ‘five-fer’ today,” said Tongue after his breakthrough performance. “When I’m at my best I’m bowling at that fuller length. If we get the ball in the same areas tomorrow we can get them three or four wickets down in the first hour.”
Australia’s Michael Neser, who claimed 4-45, acknowledged the challenging conditions. “We saw how tough it was when we batted. The ball was nipping around and we needed to bowl in the right areas,” he explained.
England’s troubles deepened when opener Ben Duckett managed just two runs, continuing his poor form following the mid-series drinking scandal. The 31-year-old lobbed a simple catch to mid-on off Mitchell Starc, extending his miserable week.
The tourists’ collapse accelerated when Neser removed Jacob Bethell, before Starc claimed Zak Crawley and Neser dismissed Joe Root to leave England reeling at 16-4.
Harry Brook briefly counter-attacked with aggressive boundaries, partnering Ben Stokes for a 50-run stand before Scott Boland intervened. The veteran seamer claimed three wickets in 10 deliveries, removing Brook (41), Jamie Smith (2), and Will Jacks.
When Stokes edged Neser to slip for 16, England’s resistance crumbled completely.
Also read: Australia crush England’s Ashes dreams with third test victory
Australia have already retained the Ashes following comprehensive victories in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, wrapping up the series in just 11 days of cricket.
Tongue remained optimistic despite England’s predicament. “No, not at all. They lead by 50,” he said. “We will come back refreshed tomorrow morning and stick to what we did today.”
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