England suffered one of their worst-ever fourth-innings collapses under the Bellerive Oval floodlights on the third evening in Hobart, losing 10 for 56 to throw away a promising start in pursuit of 271 and hand Australia a 146-run victory and a 4-0 Ashes series win. Here's how ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball commentary recorded their latest batting malfunction...
16.1, Green to Burns, OUT
Chopped on! Australia have the breakthrough and it's a familiar type of dismissal for Burns, on the stroke of tea/dinner. Angling in from around the wicket, unsure whether to play or leave. He opts for the latter, but too late to get his bat out of the way, and he only manages to deflect it onto his own stumps! Green strikes, England's highest opening stand of the series is broken.
Rory Burns b Green 26 (78m 46b 4x4 0x6) SR: 56.52
And the umpires take the players off for the interval. Bright start to a difficult-looking chase by England's openers, with Crawley looking in pristine touch and scoring freely, but that wicket on the stroke of the break has changed the complexion of the game, with a tricky session under lights coming up.
20.5, Green to Malan, OUT
Brilliant bowling! This has been outstanding from Green. It's an inside edge in the end, but Malan has been worked over. Short of a length from round the wicket, Malan is late bringing his bat down and it deflects into the stumps.
Dawid Malan b Green 10 (26m 20b 2x4 0x6) SR: 50
Does Joe Root have a big innings in him to sign off the series?
22.2, Green to Crawley, OUT
Edged, gone! Magical spell from Green. Full at off stump, lures the drive and Carey dives to his right to grab a neat one.
Zak Crawley c †Carey b Green 36 (112m 66b 7x4 0x6) SR: 54.54
Peter: "And after that brief spell of England competence, we will now return you to your regular scheduled programming."
27.5, Starc to Stokes, OUT
Taken at deep square leg! Superb catch running in from Lyon. Starc dropped in the short ball and Stokes went after it. He didn't try to keep it down. Lyon makes good ground in off the rope and takes it diving forward.
Ben Stokes c Lyon b Starc 5 (26m 15b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33
Root has broken his bat. And the umpires have taken the chance to call drinks which is sensible. Will this game be over tonight?
31.4, Boland to Root, OUT
Keeps low, smashes into off stump! Root doesn't hit a single ball with his new bat after drinks. This is a real grubber, shooting through low and crashing into the bottom of the stump, underneath the toe-end of his bat. Root's series is over, another without a hundred in Australia. Not much he could have done about that one!
Joe Root b Boland 11 (57m 31b 1x4 0x6) SR: 35.48
McFly: "Completely feel sorry for Joe Root now. He carried his side through 2021, and gets a cracker that kept low to end his series. No one could have kept that out."
If England are quick they could still make Djokovic's flight.
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) January 16, 2022
35.1, Boland to Billings, OUT
Feeble chip to mid-on! Boland has another and England are imploding again. Normal service for Boland, pitching on a good line and length. The ball stops a little in the pitch as Billings looks to clip through midwicket, but he can only spoon it up, straight to Cummins.
Sam Billings c Cummins b Boland 1 (18m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 11.11
A middle-aged man in the crowd is untying his Bolton Wanderers-branded St George's Cross from the stands... the end is nigh!
36.2, Cummins to Pope, OUT
Bowled around his legs! How has Pope managed that? Cummins gets in on the act, and the wheels are off. Nip-backer, keeps a touch low from a good length as Pope shuffles across, looking to work to leg. It nibbles past his front pad and into middle-and-leg. Terrible dismissal to end a gruesome series for England's most promising young batter.
Ollie Pope b Cummins 5 (45m 26b 0x4 0x6) SR: 19.23
Gravy man: "Surely England arrived to start the series without any wheels on? I think by now all that's left is a piece of chassis rolling to the bottom of a hill."
37.6, Boland to Woakes, OUT
Blinder from Carey! Woakes decides it's time to tee off and throws the bat at it, looking to slog through the leg side. Fullish length, thick outside edge, and Carey clings onto it, flinging himself to his right. It sticks in the webbing between his thumb and index finger... Australia are two wickets away from 4-0!
Chris Woakes c †Carey b Boland 5 (15m 11b 1x4 0x6) SR: 45.45
38.3, Cummins to Wood, OUT
Pulled into his own stumps! An undignified end to a solid series from Wood. He knew it would be short, jumping across to the off side, but was rushed on the hook and bottom-edged it straight into the base of middle. England have lost 9 for 55.
Mark Wood b Cummins 11 (11m 7b 2x4 0x6) SR: 157.14
38.5, Cummins to Robinson, OUT
Cleaned up by a full-bunger! England lose nine wickets in the nighttime session, and 10 for 56 all told. Robinson backed away to leg and threw the bat. Cummins' yorker was overpitched, but Robinson had stepped too far back to reach it, watching it miss the toe and crash into the base of off stump.
Ollie Robinson b Cummins 0 (7m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0
Anas: "England once again came to Australia 4 - nothing"