LEEDS, England, (Reuters) – England collapsed spectacularly to 82 for five in their second innings to leave Australia on the brink of victory in the fourth Ashes test yesterday.
Marcus North’s patient century guided Australia to a commanding total of 445 and Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson claimed five wickets in 44 balls to leave England’s hopes in tatters on the second day.
England trail by 261 runs and Australia should wrap up victory and level the series with ease today.
“It is just pleasing that we have played our best cricket in what was quite obviously the biggest match of the series,” North told a news conference.
“We know that if we do that we are going to be pretty competitive and it’s all about winning the critical sessions which is what we have done here.”
Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook shared an opening stand of 58 for England but the former was lbw to Hilfenhaus for 32, Ravi Bopara fell first ball and Johnson removed Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood and Cook.
Nightwatchman James Anderson was unbeaten on nought at the close with Matt Prior on four.
“It is disappointing that we made the same mistakes that we did in the first innings,” England seamer Stuart Broad said. “It’s hard to explain but confidence is not something we are going to lose overnight.”
North and Michael Clarke compiled a fifth-wicket partnership of 152 in the morning session to turn the screw on England who were bowled out for 102 on Friday.
Graham Onions trapped Clarke lbw for 93 but the batsmen had picked off boundaries at will and experienced few problems against a lacklustre attack.
USEFUL SUPPORT
North received useful support from the lower order and he reached his third century in six tests with a huge slog sweep for six off spinner Graeme Swann before raising his bat to the balcony and kissing his helmet.
Brad Haddin fell to the second new ball for 14 but Johnson struck a rapid 27 and Stuart Clark launched a blistering attack with three sixes in his 32.
He became Broad’s fifth victim, however, and the England seamer had North caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Anderson to complete test-best figures of six for 91.
North batted 326 minutes and hit a six and 13 fours in his second century of the series.
“To score a century in the fourth test of an Ashes series and ensure we had a 300-run lead was pretty special,” North said. “As a batsman you need to be disciplined to score runs and I was pleased I hung in there on Friday and gave myself the chance today.”
Strauss and Cook started confidently and played some nicely-timed strokes with no hint of the drama to come.
But Hilfenhaus was recalled for his second spell and he snared Strauss and Bopara lbw with successive balls. Bell survived the hat-trick but he soon nicked a Johnson outswinger to Ricky Ponting at second slip and the left-arm seamer had Collingwood lbw.
Cook edged Johnson to wicketkeeper Haddin for 30 and the same bowler should have had a fourth wicket with his final ball of the day which caught the edge of Prior’s bat but North spilled the chance at third slip.
