Aussies smell blood as England collapse

MELBOURNE • Australia's pacemen yesterday crashed through England's top order with four wickets in a thrilling final hour on day two of the third Ashes Test to all but crush the tourists' hopes of keeping the series alive.

After the visiting bowlers rallied their team by dismissing the hosts for 267 after tea, Mitchell Starc came within a whisker of a hat-trick and debutant quick Scott Boland grabbed another two wickets.

That left the tourists 31 for four at stumps, still trailing by 51 runs.

Starc had opener Zak Crawley (5) caught behind and Dawid Malan leg before wicket for a duck in successive balls, and very nearly had Joe Root out on the third delivery, which whistled by the England skipper's outside edge.

Home bowler Boland then triggered pandemonium in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) terraces by having opener Haseeb Hameed caught behind for seven and nightwatchman Jack Leach bowled for a duck in the same over.

Root was 12 not out and Ben Stokes was on two, both left with an improbable rescue mission.

Holders Australia, who lead the five-match series 2-0 after wins in Brisbane and Adelaide, need only draw the match to retain the urn but appear set to head to Sydney for the fourth Test with another one-sided victory.

England's latest batting collapse followed their paltry total of 185 in first innings on day one.

James Anderson and his fellow bowlers had battled hard to bring Root's men back into the contest after Australia resumed on 66 for one in the morning.

But faced with some brilliant pace by the fired-up Australians, England's creaky top order failed to honour their teammates' hard work earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley yesterday moved to allay fears over the remainder of the Ashes series after England were rocked by a Covid-19 scare, but admitted it was a "day-by-day proposition".

While no players were affected, four members of their camp - two support staff and two family members - tested positive for the virus just hours before yesterday's start.

The team and management were required to undergo urgent antigen rapid tests as they were about to leave their hotel for the MCG and were given the all-clear barely 45 minutes before play was due to begin.

Australian broadcaster Seven Network also said there had been a positive case among its staff at the stadium, forcing last-minute changes to their commentary team.

Driven by the Omicron variant, Covid-19 cases are surging in Australia - particularly in Sydney - where the fourth Test is scheduled to start on Jan 5, before the finale in Hobart.

More than 6,000 cases are being reported daily across New South Wales state but Hockley said his organisation would press on as scheduled with the Ashes.

"That's absolutely the plan, there's nothing to suggest otherwise. We'll rely on the protocols," he said.

Anderson is equally keen to finish the series, even though England are facing another heavy loss.

"As long as the group that was here at the ground today are negative, I don't see why we can't carry on," he added.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS