25/12Result
4th Test, England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Dec 26-28 2006
Australia won by an inns & 99 runs
Player of the Match
Shane WarneAustralia
25/12Result
4th Test, England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Dec 26-28 2006
Australia won by an inns & 99 runs
Player of the Match
Shane WarneAustralia

  • England 1st Innings

    BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    AJ Strauss
    50
    132
    206
    1
    0
    37.87
    46.2 700 for Shane Warne! There it is, his 700th Test wicket and what a ball to reach the milestone! Outside Strauss's off stump, spinning massively back past Strauss's expansive cover drive 101/4
    AN Cook
    11
    37
    49
    1
    0
    29.72
    10.5 GONE! Cook tried to leave it but was late, couldn't get the bat out of the way - the ball just feathering the bottom, or toe-end of his bat 23/1
    IR Bell
    7
    30
    46
    0
    0
    23.33
    20.5 that's about as out as you can get without hitting the stumps. Bell caught in the crease by one that zipped back and hit him on the knee roll, and Bell was off and the crowd were celebrating before Rudi Koertzen's finger had even started it's super slow-mo upwards motion 44/2
    PD Collingwood
    28
    82
    115
    4
    0
    34.14
    45.6 gone! Straighter this time from Lee, cutting away a touch from Collingwood who is unnerved by the extra bounce, spooning it to Ponting at second slip who took a fine, tumbling catch 101/3
    KP Pietersen
    21
    70
    104
    0
    0
    30.00
    70.2 Warne strikes, Pietersen, stranded with the rabbits, looks to loft the ball into the stands behind the bowler, and deep mid-off and mid-on converge just inside the ropes and it's Andrew Symonds who makes a difficult catch look ridiculously easy 146/9
    A Flintoff (c)
    13
    31
    36
    1
    0
    41.93
    55.5 outside Flintoff's off stump, a touch more bounce but it's in the perfect channel. He prods at it with a stiff, concrete-like front leg and the ball flies to Warne who takes a simple catch 122/5
    CMW Read †
    3
    17
    28
    0
    0
    17.64
    62.6 on off stump, Read flays it straight to Ponting - who was in very close at short extra cover - who took an excellent catch. It was the big, juicy "come and get me" from Warne; outside off, tempting Read, and he couldn't refuse - but he was off balance, spooning the ball airborne 135/6
    SI Mahmood
    0
    9
    11
    0
    0
    0.00
    65.4 as was that one, but this time Mahmood aims some kind of airy drive with only partial footwork and a thick edge is well taken by Gilchrist moving swiftly to his right 136/7
    SJ Harmison
    7
    12
    11
    1
    0
    58.33
    68.2 and the folly of Pietersen leaving his partner exposed is underlined as Harmison heaves a ball full and wide down the throat of mid-on who doesn't have to move 145/8
    MS Panesar
    4
    19
    27
    0
    0
    21.05
    74.2 Panesar perishes trying to drive Warne down the ground, never getting hold of the ball and barely reaching Symonds at mid-on 159/10
    MJ Hoggard
    not out
    9
    10
    15
    1
    0
    90.00
    Extras
    6 (b 2, lb 1, nb 3)
    TOTAL
    159 all out (74.2 Overs, RR: 2.13, 324 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Alastair Cook, 10.5 ov), 2-44 (Ian Bell, 20.5 ov), 3-101 (Paul Collingwood, 45.6 ov), 4-101 (Andrew Strauss, 46.2 ov), 5-122 (Andrew Flintoff, 55.5 ov), 6-135 (Chris Read, 62.6 ov), 7-136 (Sajid Mahmood, 65.4 ov), 8-145 (Steve Harmison, 68.2 ov), 9-146 (Kevin Pietersen, 70.2 ov), 10-159 (Monty Panesar, 74.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    B Lee1343622.7602
    GD McGrath2083711.8501
    SR Clark1762721.5800
    A Symonds721702.4200
    SK Warne17.243952.2500

  • Australia 1st Innings

    BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    JL Langer
    27
    29
    45
    3
    0
    93.10
    9.2 GONE. Langer has walked. Angling across Langer who drove, on the up, and got a thin outside edge to Read who took a good catch low to his left 44/1
    ML Hayden
    153
    265
    418
    13
    2
    57.73
    90.4 oh well bowled, that's a snorter from Mahmood squaring Hayden up who tried to work it to leg, got a thick outside edge to Read. And he walked 363/6
    B Lee
    0
    1
    2
    0
    0
    0.00
    9.3 GOT HIM! A lovely ball just moving away from Lee who fished at it, edging it through to Read 44/2
    RT Ponting (c)
    7
    28
    37
    0
    0
    25.00
    17.3 GODDIM! Flintoff banging it in, short and wide and Ponting tries to pull it, gets a top edge to Alastair Cook at midwicket who steadies himself and swallows an easy catch 62/3
    MEK Hussey
    6
    20
    37
    0
    0
    30.00
    24.1 Hussey, who has been beaten a couple of times in his short stay, is bowled through the gate by Hoggard who brings one back into the left hander. That's the end of a run that has seen him make six fifties on the trot against England 79/4
    MJ Clarke
    5
    5
    6
    0
    0
    100.00
    25.2 now this is interesting! Harmison's second ball is just short of a length outside off stump, Clarke spars and a thin but oh-so-audible nick is heard all over the ground and Clarke doesn't wait for the decision as a jubilant Chris Read hurls the ball to the heavens 84/5
    A Symonds
    156
    220
    327
    15
    1
    70.90
    99.2 well bowled, Harmison, but that was a disappointing shot from Symonds. Full and wide - certainly driveable - but Symonds failed to move his feet; going for an expansive drive, he got a thick outside edge which flew to gleeful Read 383/8
    AC Gilchrist †
    1
    8
    10
    0
    0
    12.50
    92.3 GONE! Well done Mahmood. Very full indeed, and very wide - it deserved punishment, frankly - but moved just a touch away from Gilchrist who got a thick edge, the ball flying to Collingwood at second slip who took a fine catch above his head 365/7
    SK Warne
    not out
    40
    54
    75
    6
    0
    74.07
    SR Clark
    8
    24
    34
    0
    0
    33.33
    106.5 gone; good-length ball outside off, Clark nibbles at it and it's taken by Read 417/9
    GD McGrath
    0
    6
    9
    0
    0
    0.00
    108.3 yes he can! Full, outside off and McGrath squirts it to Ian Bell at point to pick up his 35th duck, denying Warne a fifty 419/10
    Extras
    16 (lb 6, nb 9, w 1)
    TOTAL
    419 all out (108.3 Overs, RR: 3.86, 505 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Justin Langer, 9.2 ov), 2-44 (Brett Lee, 9.3 ov), 3-62 (Ricky Ponting, 17.3 ov), 4-79 (Michael Hussey, 24.1 ov), 5-84 (Michael Clarke, 25.2 ov), 6-363 (Matthew Hayden, 90.4 ov), 7-365 (Adam Gilchrist, 92.3 ov), 8-383 (Andrew Symonds, 99.2 ov), 9-417 (Stuart Clark, 106.5 ov), 10-419 (Glenn McGrath, 108.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    MJ Hoggard2168213.9001
    A Flintoff2217733.5008
    SJ Harmison2866922.4600
    SI Mahmood21.3110044.6510
    MS Panesar1215204.3300
    PD Collingwood302006.6600
    KP Pietersen1013013.0000

  • England 2nd Innings

    BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    AJ Strauss
    31
    107
    173
    2
    0
    28.97
    37.5 GODDIM, that's the length from Lee. Fuller and straighter, Strauss drives and gets a thick outside edge which flies through to Gilchrist and Lee celebrates like a cowboy, swishing his hand in a circular motion above his head 90/5
    AN Cook
    20
    46
    64
    1
    0
    43.47
    14.5 GONE! A lovely delivery from Clark, pitching it right up, swinging in to Cook who got a thick inside edge to knock out his off stump 41/1
    IR Bell
    2
    11
    21
    0
    0
    18.18
    19.2 GONE: Rudi has given an lbw. It hit him above the knee roll and Rudi raises his slow finger of death 48/2
    KP Pietersen
    1
    8
    7
    0
    0
    12.50
    20.5 GONE! What a delivery from Clark, cutting back into Pietersen who drove expansively, completely misreading the movement and it pings back his off stump 49/3
    PD Collingwood
    16
    38
    52
    0
    0
    42.10
    31.4 dear, oh dear. Loose drive spanked straight to Langer at short extra cover, a good catch slightly to his left, and Lee turns in triumph to his detractors ... who carry on singing regardless! 75/4
    A Flintoff (c)
    25
    45
    60
    2
    0
    55.55
    45.5 again this swings into Flintoff, at good pace, who goes for a booming straight drive but is rapped on the pad. He's hit quite high up on his pad but it's good enough for Rudi who raises his finger 108/6
    CMW Read †
    not out
    26
    77
    127
    1
    0
    33.76
    SI Mahmood
    0
    2
    3
    0
    0
    0.00
    46.3 GONE! The flipper! What a ball from Warne. Mahmood didn't have a clue, as it hurried onto him and he couldn't get his bat down in time 109/7
    SJ Harmison
    4
    26
    44
    0
    0
    15.38
    56.5 full, Harmison lunges forward but misses and the ball hits him on his back foot and that's about as out as you can get, right in front of middle and hitting about a third of the way up 127/8
    MS Panesar
    14
    19
    20
    2
    0
    73.68
    61.2 bouncer, well aimed, and Panesar doesn't know whether to duck or play it, and the self-preservational jab loops to Michael Clarke in the slips. It's almost curtains now ... 146/9
    MJ Hoggard
    5
    20
    21
    0
    0
    25.00
    65.5 that's it, full and right through Hoggard's half-hearted defence 161/10
    Extras
    17 (lb 12, nb 4, w 1)
    TOTAL
    161 all out (65.5 Overs, RR: 2.44, 301 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Alastair Cook, 14.5 ov), 2-48 (Ian Bell, 19.2 ov), 3-49 (Kevin Pietersen, 20.5 ov), 4-75 (Paul Collingwood, 31.4 ov), 5-90 (Andrew Strauss, 37.5 ov), 6-108 (Andrew Flintoff, 45.5 ov), 7-109 (Sajid Mahmood, 46.3 ov), 8-127 (Steve Harmison, 56.5 ov), 9-146 (Monty Panesar, 61.2 ov), 10-161 (Matthew Hoggard, 65.5 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    B Lee18.564742.4903
    GD McGrath1222612.1610
    SR Clark1663031.8701
    SK Warne1934622.4200

Close of Play

  • Tue, 26 Dec - day 1 - Australia 1st innings 48/2 (ML Hayden 17*, RT Ponting 0*, 11 ov)
  • Wed, 27 Dec - day 2 - Australia 1st innings 372/7 (A Symonds 154*, SK Warne 4*, 96 ov)
  • Thu, 28 Dec - day 3 - England 2nd innings 161 (65.5 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

England tour of Australia 2006-07 News

  • The Adelaide horror

    England were coasting one minute, in tatters the next: a look back at how Adelaide 2006 reduced Flintoff and Co to gibbering wrecks

  • Flintoff reveals battle with depression

    Andrew Flintoff, the former England captain and allrounder, has revealed that he went through a phase of depression during the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia

  • Queensland Cricket rides on Ashes fortune

    Queensland Cricket (QC) has posted a record profit for the 2006-07 financial year, due in no small part to last year's Ashes Test at the Gabba

  • Langer tells England to learn from Ashes defeat

    In a freewheeling interview with Brian Viner of The Independent , Justin Langer talks about his love for the game's history, life after retirement, what England could do to regain the Ashes, and also has time to talk about Ricky Ponting's

  • A gamble that didn't pay off

    Martin Williamson reviews the diary of Justin Langer and Steve Harmison

England 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st41AJ StraussAN Cook
2nd7AJ StraussIR Bell
3rd1AJ StraussKP Pietersen
4th26PD CollingwoodAJ Strauss
5th15A FlintoffAJ Strauss
6th18A FlintoffCMW Read
7th1CMW ReadSI Mahmood
8th18CMW ReadSJ Harmison
9th19CMW ReadMS Panesar
10th15CMW ReadMJ Hoggard