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Australia vs England, Day 5 of Ashes Third Test from WACA

Australia have clinched the 2017-18 Ashes series, winning the third Test after a bizarre day at the WACA.

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7:48PMDecember 18, 2017
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Australia celebrate as they won the third Ashes Test. Picture: Getty Images.
Australia celebrate as they won the third Ashes Test. Picture: Getty Images.

Welcome to The Australian’s coverage of the final day of the third Ashes Test, where Australia have once again reclaimed the Ashes on home soil. Join us again on Boxing Day when we return with coverage of the action from the MCG.

Paul Johnson 7.21pm: England have some soul-searching to do

With two dead rubbers on the horizon in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney, England have a lot of questions to ask themselves, while Australia’s selectors have pulled every right note this series from the return of Tim Paine to the wicketkeeping spot as well as bringing back both Marsh brothers to the national team.

For England the future of Alastair Cook is in doubt after the former captain failed to reach 50 for the first time in 10 innings in his illustrious career.

Stuart Broad is also struggling badly with both bat and ball and Moeen Ali has been outclassed by both the Aussie bowlers and batsmen.

The question remains will England roll the selection dice in Melbourne? We’ll have to wait and see. Join us again on Boxing Day as we come back with a new live Ashes blog.

7.19pm: Perhaps this tweet says it all

Paul Johnson 7.07pm: Emotional scenes at the WACA

As England look about the WACA, the urn belonging to Australia, those in the baggy green celebrate in the middle of the ground. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Aussie bowlers at the WACA, taking 5-48 to back up his 3-92 in the opening innings.

With the bat Steve Smith once again showed why he’s rated the world’s best with his double-ton of 239 in Australia’s innings as a returning Mitch Marsh made 181 in a superb knock.

Smith also took man of the match honours and had an appropriate response for the cameras. After also winning the MoM award in Brisbane he’s be close to odds on to win Man of the Series.

Adrian McMurray 6.46pm: Australia wrap up Ashes series

That’s the series for Australia! Cummins bowls a bouncer to Woakes, who edges to Paine. The urn returns to Australia!

Adrian McMurray 6.41pm: England’s last stand

Somehow, England are hanging in there. It’s been a tough period for the visitors but they’re holding on by the skin of their teeth. Anderson in particular did well to stave away a fierce Starc reverse in-swinger.

Adrian McMurray 6.23pm: Anderson hit flush

England batsman James Anderson is struck by the ball bowled by Australia's Pat Cummins. Picture: AAP.
England batsman James Anderson is struck by the ball bowled by Australia's Pat Cummins. Picture: AAP.

Anderson receives a nasty welcome, with the first ball he faces a Cummins bounder hitting his helmet. He receives a new helmet, but it looks to have rattled the tailender.

Adrian McMurray 6.20pm: Another one gone

Pat Cummins celebrates taking the wicket of Stuart Broad. Picture: AAP.
Pat Cummins celebrates taking the wicket of Stuart Broad. Picture: AAP.

Wicket! Stuart Broad gone for a duck off, bowled Cummins, caught Paine. Jimmy Anderson joins the proceedings, and with Tea pushed back to 3.35pm local time victory is a distinct possibility in the next few minutes.

Adrian McMurray 6.15pm: Hazlewood has five

Wicket! Hazlewood is virtually unstopped right now, reverse swing sending Woakes — who found Khawaja at gully — packing. Just two to go now.

Adrian McMurray 6.08pm: Woakes dropped

Close chance for the Aussies, with Lyon just missing a chance to catch Woakes. He’s gone off with a finger injury as the heat remains on England.

Adrian McMurray 5.53pm: Australia’s breakthrough

Wicket! Hazlewood strikes again, and Australia have their man. Big edge falls straight to Tim Paine, and victory is now surely inevitable. Just three more wickets remaining.

Adrian McMurray 5.45pm: Malan remains

Big appeal from the Aussies, with Hazlewood’s effort down leg side hitting the pads of Malan. He’s given not out and Australia send it up for a referral, the original decision confirmed. Well umpired. That would’ve been a huge moment in this Test, Malan England’s last realistic hope. Australia have just one successful referral remaining, England with two.

Adrian McMurray 5.35pm: Starc re-joins the attack

It looks like Australia don’t want to waste any more time. Lyon got his wicket but has been replaced by Starc, as Woakes and Malan do their best to keep the scoreboard ticking over. England still trail by 71 runs.

Adrian McMurray 5.10pm: England collapse forthcoming?

Nathan Lyon. Picture: AAP.
Nathan Lyon. Picture: AAP.

Wicket! England were starting to look like they could see this one out, but no one told Nathan Lyon. The Aussie spinner dismissed Ali lbw with a nice ball outside off stump, ending his 39-run partnership with Malan. It’s going to be a real challenge for the visitors to stop the onslaught from here.

Adrian McMurray 4.45pm: England start to dig in

Dawid Malan in action on day five. Picture: Getty Images.
Dawid Malan in action on day five. Picture: Getty Images.

This WACA pitch is an absolute lottery. It hasn’t been easy for the English batsmen so far, but they’re starting to show signs they’re up to the fight. A misfield off a Starc yorker for four certainly helped their cause.

Adrian McMurray 4.26pm: Ali survives again

A few nervous moments for Ali so far. The English batsman pushes one to short extra cover, with David Warner missing a chance to heap the pain on the visitors with a failed run-out attempt.

Adrian McMurray 4.10pm: Ali’s near miss

Steve Smith reacts after an appeal for a catch against Moeen Ali. Picture: Getty Images.
Steve Smith reacts after an appeal for a catch against Moeen Ali. Picture: Getty Images.

Hazlewood has enjoyed a superb start, almost adding Ali to his haul for the match. Ali edges to the slips but after a review, it was deemed the ball didn’t carry to the hands of Steve Smith. England are on the ropes here, still time for Australia to wrap up the series.

Adrian McMurray 4.04pm: Early breakthrough

Wicket! In his first delivery — and just the fifth of the day — Josh Hazlewood snares the wicket of Bairstow, gone for 14. But there could be controversy to follow, with the ball appearing to hit the patch on the pitch that’s been worked on all morning. Keep an eye on this. Moeen Ali is out there now.

Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood reacts after dismissing England batsman Jonny Bairstow. Picture: AAP.
Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood reacts after dismissing England batsman Jonny Bairstow. Picture: AAP.

Adrian McMurray 4.00pm: Play resumes at the WACA

There were times earlier today I thought I’d never type those words. The players are back out there, with Dawid Malan (28) and Jonny Bairstow (14) at the crease.

3.53pm: We’ve got a start time!

Play will now resume in just minutes, with the first ball at 1pm (local). The second session of the day is scheduled for 3.40pm, with a minimum of 70 overs to be played.

3.45pm: Play delayed ... again

Well, this is getting a bit ridiculous. The Australian’s Peter Lalor says today’s start time has been pushed back again due to “ongoing work on the pitch”. Time’s running out for a result in this one ...

3.00pm: The men who rebuilt Mitchell Marsh

Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh. Picture: AAP.
Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh. Picture: AAP.

“We can rebuild him they said. And so they did. Behold how Australia’s very own Steve Austin ground England into the WACA Ground dust,” writes The Australian’s Andrew Faulkner.

While we wait for play on day five, make sure you read about Mitchell Marsh’s long road back to the Test team.

Read more here

2.51pm: Play to resume at 12.40pm in Perth

They’re off to lunch at the WACA, with play to begin on the final day in just under an hour.

2.35pm: Play set to resume shortly

2.31pm: Is play set to resume in under 30 minutes?

2.24pm: Not everyone’s disappointed by the delay ...

2.20pm: Wild, wild west

Spectacular timelapse footage has shown the dramatic conditions at the WACA, as the wait goes on.

1.41pm: Delay continues in Perth

We’re still nowhere near starting play at the WACA, with Steve Smith, Joe Root and the umpires out in the middle inspecting the pitch. Channel 9 have turned to the archives, which suggests we won’t be seeing any action soon ...

1.27pm: Starc’s injury cloud

Incredibly Mitchell Starc has been playing with a bruised heel, The Australian’s Peter Lalor reports. How will he perform today if/when play resumes?

1.04pm: Groundsman blown away

Cameras at the WACA picked up some pretty spectacular footage this morning, with wet weather and winds causing one curator to take a tumble.

12.45pm: Start time delayed

The umpires have pushed the start time back, waiting to see if the pitch can be restored to the condition it was in at stumps yesterday. There’s no confirmed start time at this stage.

Andrew Faulkner 12.28pm: Covers leak, dryers out

The sodden WACA pitch is getting a going over by ground staff wielding leaf blowers.

After 20mm of rain overnight, and more showers in the two hours before the scheduled start this morning, water has apparently seeped under the covers.

Strong winds also played havoc with the ground staff’s frantic efforts to get the covers on when a sudden shower blew in 90 minutes before play.

The curators are concentrating their drying efforts on a good length at the Lillee-Marsh End.

Their efforts were interrupted when the covers went back on 70 minutes before play.

The bureau says the weather is likely to improve this afternoon, so Australia remains in the box seat to take the six wickets required to reclaim the Ashes today.

Gideon Haigh 12.15pm: Decorated England servants gone by any measure

Cricket careers almost always end sourly. Otherwise, perhaps, they would not end at all. Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have been valiant cricketers for England. But in this third Test the game has tapped them on the shoulder, as they have seen others tapped.

Read more here

Peter Lalor 12pm: Aussies dismantle England, Ashes urn within reach

Australia have dismantled a hapless England in Perth, shattering the side almost as surely they were in 2013-14. Stuart Broad has gone wicketless at the WACA. Alastair Cook looks just that: cooked. James Anderson showed up to the party so late the hosts were putting out the bins.

Read more here

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