Ashes Fourth Test 2009, The

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England won the toss and decided to bat first. Within four overs they were a wicket down as Strauss was caught for just 3 runs. He was followed by Bopara (1), Bell (8) and Collingwood (0) before the end of the 19th over. Alastair Cook managed to stay in throughout all this, but was soon caught on 30 runs by Clarke off Stuart Clark. After Cook's wicket, only Matt Prior offered any resistance, finishing the innings on 37 not out. Although England responded well by getting Simon Katich out for a duck off series debutant Steve Harmison, the Australian innings began to gather pace and they were 69/1 off 15 overs by tea. The Australian second wicket partnership reached its century, but then three wickets came in relatively quick succession as Shane Watson fell for 51, Ricky Ponting for 78 and Michael Hussey for just 10 in the space of three overs. Australia finished the day on 196/4, with Michael Clarke on 34 and Marcus North on 7.

Day 2

Resuming with a 94-run lead Clarke and North extended their partnership to 152 runs before it was broken by Graham Onions. After lunch North continued with good support from the Australian tail and reached his century with a six. Clark was the best of the others with three sixes in his score of 32 (22 deliveries), and Australia finished with a total of 445. Stuart Broad recorded his best Test effort with figures of six wickets for 91 runs. The English openers started comfortably in the quest to erase the 343-run deficit. But just as it seemed they were in control, Ben Hilfenhaus struck twice in two balls, first removing Strauss with a ball that swung in subtly and then Bopara questionably dismissed for leg before.Johnson produced a spell of left-arm swing bowling that captured the prime wickets of Bell (3), Collingwood (4) and opener Cook. Nightwatchman Anderson was left with Prior at stumps with England in trouble at 82/5, still 261 runs behind Australia's total.

Day 3

Hilfenhaus dismissed Anderson with the third ball of the day, when the batsman nicked a short ball outside off stump and was caught at second slip by Ponting. It came the delivery after Anderson scored a 4, which extended his record run of innings with no ducks. Prior and Broad added a further 34 runs before Hilfenhaus had Prior taken behind by a diving Haddin. Broad and Swann then took the attack to the Australian bowlers, at one point taking 47 off 2.4 overs. Their eighth-wicket partnership of 108 from 79 balls was the second-fastest century stand in Test history, behind Kiwis Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns against England in 2002 (118 from 65 balls). Broad was out with the score at 228/8 attempting to hit a boundary off a wide delivery from Johnson and was caught by Watson in the deep. After lunch, Harmison continued to frustrate the Australian bowlers with 19 from 28 deliveries, until Swann (62) and Onions (0) fell to Johnson, and the innings concluded after 61.3 overs at 263 to give Australia a victory by an innings and 80 runs.

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