Australia crush England fightback to retain Ashes with 82-run victory in Adelaide

Mitchell Starc took three wickets to grind down a dogged England as Australia wrapped up an 82-run win on day five of the third Ashes test to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England battled bravely into the second session at Adelaide Oval but folded for 352, with Scott Boland taking the last wicket of Josh Tongue before tea.

Much of the talk in the build-up to the Ashes had been the age profile of the Australia squad but Starc said the veterans had proved their worth.

“We do laugh at some of the comments that get back to us about how old we are,” the 35-year-old added.

“I’m sure experience plays a part going through your highs and lows …. That plays a big part in all of this.”

England have now lost the Ashes in three matches for the fourth consecutive tour, while losing 16 of their last 18 tests in the country.

Though two tests remain, the latest surrender may top the previous tours for sheer disappointment.

There were expectations of a genuine contest, fighting words from England captain Ben Stokes, and hope that “Bazball” might win the urn in Australia for the first time since 2010/11.

All that was swept aside in Adelaide where England ditched their trademark aggression, reverted to more traditional test batting and were still beaten convincingly.

“We obviously came here with a goal in mind and we haven’t been able to achieve it. It hurts and it sucks,” said England skipper Stokes.

“They’ve been able to outdo us on a much higher level … I thought we did incredibly well to take us where we did in this fourth innings.

“We couldn’t do what we came here to do but there was some good stuff to come out of this game.”

THE KING OF ADELAIDE

On day five, with England still needing 228 runs to win, Australia gave their front-line seamers a rest and had spinner Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green open the bowling against Will Jacks and Jamie Smith.

In Green’s second over, Jacks turned his ankle when trying to push off his crease for a run and hobbled around for a time, a fitting symbol for England’s stumbles in a flawed campaign.

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It was not a start that engendered confidence and the pair scrapped unconvincingly for 40 minutes until rain halted play.

England fans cheered but it was just a passing squall, the ground bathed in sunshine within a half hour.

The Surrey duo brought up a fifty-run partnership with the old ball and were soon spared the challenge of spinner Lyon, who clutched his hamstring and came off the ground limping after cutting off a four near the rope at fine leg.

When the second new ball came, Smith attacked with gusto, smashing both Pat Cummins and Starc for back-to-back fours.

But with the deficit trimmed to 150 runs he threw the bat at left-arm quick Starc trying for a third successive boundary and lost his wicket for 60, his attempted slog caught by a back-pedalling Cummins at mid-on.

Jacks played a steadier hand with tailender Carse, who survived a big lbw appeal off Starc before lunch.

Australia were left with one review after failing to overturn the wicket as England went to the break after scoring 102 for one in the session.

Carse was given out lbw on 15 when Cummins rapped his pads but overturned the decision on review. He then thumped a six off the part-time spin of Travis Head, leaving home fans shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

The Jacks-Carse partnership left England needing 98 runs but Starc returned and Labuschagne flew in the slips to snuff out the danger.

Jacks, on 47, drove at a Starc ball that moved away off the seam and Labuschagne dived to his left to take another terrific one-handed catch for the innings, having removed Ollie Pope with the first on day four.

Archer then tried to slog Starc but sent the ball down the throat of Weatherald at deep point to leave England one wicket from defeat, before Boland wrapped up the series win with Josh Tongue sending another edge to Labuschagne in the slips.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey was named Man of the Match for a first-innings century and a fifty in the second, while Head set up the victory with 170, his fourth consecutive test ton at Adelaide Oval.

“If he wasn’t before, he’s the king of Adelaide,” Starc said of Head, who also scored a match-winning 123 in the first test in Perth.

“He’s not going to have to pay for another beer. I don’t know he does it but jeez, it’s bloody good to watch.”