Australia romp to resounding two-nil series lead

Australia required less than 12 overs on day five of the second Ashes Test to complete a resounding 218-run win – and comprehensive two-nil series lead – at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
Australia required less than 12 overs on day five of the second Ashes Test to complete a resounding 218-run win at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
The visiting batsmen's collective inability to successfully combat the host pace attack continued, as right-armers Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle finished the job left-armer Mitchell Johnson had started with a first-innings seven-wicket haul.
All-rounder Stuart Broad perished on the pull, tail-ender Graeme Swann was caught in the slip cordon in the wake of a halfhearted poke outside the off-stump, half-centurion Matt Prior's defiance ended with an awkward hook shot – and number 11 Monty Panesar slapped a straightforward delivery to cover.
The Australians' dominance was thorough, with no corner left unexplored nor any Englishman spared a bout of verbal aggression en route to a comprehensive two-nil series lead. An insufficient pursuit of a daunting 531-run target, indeed, only amounted to 312 all out.
Johnson was named Man of the Match, while the hosts later named an unchanged squad for the third fixture in Perth, although seamers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Doug Bollinger remain on standby.
England, meanwhile, have to overturn history in an unlikely bid to become the first team to win the coveted Ashes title to from two-nil down since the Aussies in 1937.
Latest
-
News
George Scrimshaw holds final-over nerves to guide Derbyshire past Lancashire
Scrimshaw successfully defended the 10 runs in the final over.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow and England looking to ‘take the game forward’
Bairstow hit a run-a-ball hundred for the second Test in succession as England fought back spectacularly against New Zealand.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow century leads thrilling England fightback at Headingley
The Yorkshireman made 130 not out and put on 209 with debutant Jamie Overton to rescue his side from 55 for six against New Zealand.
-
England
England top order left in tatters as New Zealand gain upper hand at Headingley
The hosts were 93 for six in reply to New Zealand’s 329 all out.
-
New Zealand
Daryl Mitchell breaks record with another century against England
Mitchell broke Martin Donnelly’s New Zealand tally of 492 runs in a series in England, set back in 1949.
-
England
Superb James Vince ton leads Hampshire to shock win over Somerset
Sussex’s five-match losing streak came to an end with a 17-run win over Surrey.
-
England
Adil Rashid to miss England’s India white-ball series to make Mecca pilgrimage
Rashid has found it difficult to make the pilgrimage due to timings and commitments.
-
England
Jack Leach pleased with good luck but admits freak dismissal no collector’s item
New Zealand closed the opening day of the final Test against England on 225 for five after Henry Nicholls was dismissed in bizarre fashion.
-
England
Stuart Broad stars on day one for England but error of judgement proves costly
Broad kept a week of celebrations going strong by striking before a run had been added and followed with the key scalp of Kane Williamson.
-
England
Matthew Mott expects England whitewash to ‘light fire’ under captain Eoin Morgan
Mott made an ideal start in his new role with a 3-0 one-day clean sweep of the Netherlands.