Third Test, D5: Australia, 371 & 349?, bt England, 286 & 352 by 82 runs
England show grit in Adelaide but fall short as hosts wins series 3-0
The England supporters on the hill in front of the heritage-listed scoreboard never gave up and, to their credit, neither did their team. But in the end, despite losing Nathan Lyon to a hamstring injury, it was Australia who prevailed by 82 runs to win this Ashes series with two Tests to spare.
Needing just 11 days of play to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead, Pat Cummins and his men equalled Steve Waugh’s sides in 2001 and 2002/03 for the fastest Ashes wins. This one, sealed after England’s attempt to chase down a record 435 ended at 352 all out, comes with an extra dollop of relish.
Rewind to the start of the tour and England were fancied to at least compete this time around, not least after their phalanx of quicks burst out of the traps on the opening day in Perth. But even with key personnel missing along the way, Australia’s gnarled old pros simply stuck all that optimism into a blender.
