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Cricket The Ashes

England implode, Australia win the Ashes by 4-0

After the breathtaking fight back at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) it was expected, England would put up a great show in Hobart and in fact, their bowlers did give their hundred per cent – sadly, yet again, the batters of England let the whole team down.

Australia win! ?

England are bowled out for 124 and Australia seal a 4-0 series victory!#AUSvENG | #WTC23 pic.twitter.com/4XA8vfoZWh

— ICC (@ICC) January 16, 2022

On Day 1, an accomplished century from Travis Head wrested back control for Australia on an entertaining first day of the fifth and final Ashes Test, which was ultimately curtailed by rain.

It must have felt like three steps forward, 224 back for England as Australia slumped to 3 for 12 inside the first 10 overs then recovered to 6 for 236 by the time Cameron Green fell shortly before steady drizzle halted play in the third session of the day-night fixture in Hobart.

After a particularly fruitless day for Mark Wood, he employed short-ball tactics to finally prise out a dangerous-looking Green and offer some hope for the tourists. Green had played an excellent innings, unfurling some breath-taking cover drives en route to his 74, but it was Head – with whom he shared a 121-stand for the fifth wicket – who stole the show.

The winning moment ? #WTC23 | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/VaTJq2CnxE

— ICC (@ICC) January 16, 2022

Returning to the side after his Covid-enforced absence in Sydney, Head scored his second century of the series – this one off just 112 balls – before falling to the very next delivery, chipping Chris Woakes to Ollie Robinson at mid-on to fall for 101.

With England having won the toss on a green pitch providing movement off the seam early, Robinson returned after missing the drawn fourth Test at the SCG and cashed in. He had David Warner out for a 22-ball duck with a delivery that was just back of a length and just outside off to find a decent edge, taken by Zak Crawley at second slip.

He could have had Marnus Labuschagne out a short time later, but Crawley spilt the chance diving across Joe Root from second slip. But Robinson struck again to dismiss Steven Smith for a rare Ashes duck, taken this time by Crawley to bookend the dismissal of Usman Khawaja, caught in the slips by Root off Stuart Broad for 6.

But then Head and Labuschagne restored order for Australia as Wood came on for a brief but expensive spell, conceding 11 runs off one of these three overs and 15 off another.

The celebrations continue for Australia ? #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ecc2y16KSf

— ICC (@ICC) January 16, 2022

Head was particularly aggressive, moving from 4 off five deliveries at the drinks break to 26 off 20. Labuschagne chimed in with a belligerent clip off Woakes over midwicket for a one-bounce four to move into the 40s.

The pair put on 71 runs together before Labuschagne fell in a comical fashion, tangled up by a full, straight Broad delivery round his legs and toppling face-first to the ground as the ball clattered into his stumps to be out for 44. That made it 4 for 83 for Australia.

But, still, Australia regrouped and stabilized the innings.

On Day 2, Australia’s seamers, led by Pat Cummins, ran rampant over England’s flat-lining batting order to bundle the tourists out for just 188.

This has deteriorated rather quickly … !! #Ashes

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 16, 2022

By the close, the hosts had extended their lead – which was 115 runs after England’s first innings – to 152, but Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood had given the tourists some reason to hope after claiming cheap top-order wickets as Australia finished on 3 for 37 in their second innings with Steve Smith unbeaten on 17 and nightwatchman Scott Boland on 3.

Australia’s quicks managed to keep the pink ball talking for an extended period under the lights on a day when 17 wickets fell in Hobart. Cummins took 4 for 45 and Mitchell Starc 3 for 53 with No. 8 Woakes England’s top-scorer with 36, followed by Joe Root’s 34 and Sam Billings, whose 29 on debut was solid.

“Players don’t seem to be getting any better. The players aren’t responding to him and messages fall on death ears.”

“It won’t be any easier in the West Indies!”

A passionate @markbutcher72 gives his thoughts on Chris Silverwood and the make-up of the England management ? pic.twitter.com/ZVcOmPiFEW

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 16, 2022

Broad and Woakes took advantage of the conditions to reduce Australia to 2 for 5 in the fourth over, with David Warner making a pair after falling to his nemesis Broad for the 14th time in Tests thanks to a brilliant diving catch by Ollie Pope at point and Labuschagne strangled down the leg side off Woakes to give Billings his first Test catch.

On Day3, the English seamers shone, but their batters imploded!

Australia’s seamers, sparked by an electric Cameron Green spell, ran through England to win the fifth and final Test in Hobart by 146 runs inside three days and seal the Ashes 4-0.

Questions for the #ECB 1. Who planned the #England tour to Australia 2. Why did they not play any shield games 3. Why start in Brisbane .4What is Ashley Giles role as MD of #England cricket 5. Who gave #Silverwood his role Look forward to your reply @ECB_cricket @englandcricket

— Allan Lamb (@AllanLamb294) January 16, 2022

Despite Mark Wood’s best efforts to keep his side in the contest with a stunning six-wicket haul that contained England’s target to 271, the tourist were found sorely wanting as they lost 10 wickets for 56 runs in 22.5 overs.

Rory Burns and Zak Crawley started the chase brightly enough, but once Green dismissed Burns on the stroke of tea, they collapsed to be all out for 124. Green finished with 3 for 21, while Boland and Cummins also took three wickets apiece in a dominant display by Australia.

No England player in either innings scored more than 36, while Root himself – until recently the ICC’s No.1-ranked Test batter – is still waiting for his first Ashes hundred in Australia, after being bowled for 11 in the midst of the collapse.

“Joe Root finds himself with people unavailable, because where are they? The IPL. What good is that for English Test cricket?!

This is the oldest, more important form of the game, we need to defend it.”

Four minutes of David Gower in full flow. Well said, Sir ? pic.twitter.com/6eQnYAqra0

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 16, 2022

The result means that England have now won none and lost 13 of their last 15 Tests in Australia since 2013, of which Root himself has played in 14, and captained 10. This latest 4-0 result matched the scoreline he oversaw on his maiden tour in charge in 2017-18.

England failed to pass 300 in any one of their ten innings of the series – the first time that has happened in the Ashes since 1958-59 – and on six of those occasions, they didn’t even pass 200, a failing that left their bowlers exposed, not least Mark Wood, who put in a heroic performance on the final morning in Hobart to claim his career-best figures of 6 for 37.

England complete a terrible summer and winter of cricket and requires a lot of revamping in their system that seems not going the right way.

Note: Input from ESPNcricinfo