MELBOURNE – England on Saturday defeated Australia by four wickets in the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, claiming their first test win in Australia in 15 years.
England chased down 175 runs to complete the victory on day two of the fourth Test and now trail Australia 3-1 in the five-match series.
Australia, batting in their second innings, were dismissed for just 132 runs, leaving England with a target of 175. England reached the target with relative ease, losing six wickets in the process, completing the chase in the 33rd over.
Travis Head (46) and captain Steve Smith (24) were the top scorers for Australia in their second innings. For England, Brydon Carse took 4 wickets, Ben Stokes claimed 3, and Josh Tongue grabbed 2.
England’s top order also contributed significantly to the chase, with Jacob Bethell scoring 40, Zak Crawley 37, and Ben Duckett 34, helping steer their team to victory.
Australia’s Jhye Richardson, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc each claimed 2 wickets but were unable to prevent England from clinching a much-needed win.
This victory marks England’s first Test win in Australia in 15 years, spanning 19 matches, and reduces the Ashes series deficit to 3-1 in a five-match series.
Notably, the first Test in Perth had also concluded on the second day, which had caused significant financial losses for Cricket Australia.
