Australia reduce England to 107-8 on Day 2 of 5th test

With this wicket began England’s collapse. It was 27 deliveries before he scored the next eight runs to reach his century, which he then celebrated with a heave over long-off for six.

Only a front-foot no-ball from Marsh prevented wicket number nine for Australia and number four for the paceman, Mark Wood the survivor to remain not out on eight alongside Moeen Ali on the same score.

England began this last match of the series with the Ashes in the bag and aspirations of a fourth Test victory over Australia in a home summer for the first time.

The glaring exception was in the 94th over, when the 26-year-old was on 92 and fished at a wide ball from Steve Finn.

Nathan Lyon started the rot when he ended the second session with a magnificent delivery that turned sharply and kissed the top of Alastair Cook’s off stump.

Adam Lyth desperately needed a big innings to cement his place after a run of low scores.

The outstanding feature of this series has been that the side who have made the early running have easily sustained the gap, often going away again. Clarke’s first ball saw him turn Ali down to leg slip.

Joe Root cut his first ball from Siddle for four but was soon stuck in attempted survival mode as he and Ian Bell tried to scramble a foothold. Peter Siddle alongwith Mitchell Marsh picked up five England wickets. Marsh took three for 18, Stuart Broad edging to Adam Voges for his final wicket of a session that put Australia in dreamland.

However, Mark Wood was recalled after replays revealed it was a no-ball.

Steve Smith batting in the 1st innings of the final Ashes Test against England, 2015.

Steven Smith’s 143 _ his 11th test century _ underpinned Australia’s first-innings total of 481 before the tourists’ bowlers ripped through the England batting lineup.

Smith, who will take over as Australia’s Test captain when Michael Clarke retires following this match, was 78 not out after future vice-captain Warner had made 85. It’s a good wicket, but Australia have got more out of it than we did. “All our nicks were carrying, they were catching it. The balls were in the right areas to block or leave but we didn’t do it well enough last game”.

Unlike Bairstow, Australia opener Chris Rogers must come to terms imminently with the end of the road in Test cricket. “We have worked our backsides off to try and counter that, and today I think we improved”, Warner said.

“You can leave balls on length here, I couldn’t get in a real rhythm for my first 20 runs but the more time you spend out there, it gets easier”.

It went downhill fast for England after Cook’s dismissal.

Australia were previously well-served by Warner and Rogers after Cook had unsurprisingly chosen to bowl first.

“It’s not a 107 for eight pitch”. For the three hours that they were at the crease, England batted as if they would rather be anywhere else, cavorting round Kennington with replicas of the terracotta urn perhaps. In every other game they’ve bowled fantastically, put it up there and allowed us to try and drive.

“But we’ll come back tomorrow and fight as hard as we can”.

Despite losing the series with a game to spare, Australia can claim dominance in one area – their average opening stand has been worth 62.77 compared with England’s 14.00.