Vodafone Ashes Series 2010-11 - - 2nd Test (Day 5) Highlights/Updates of Fifth Day: England Thrashes Australia with An Innings and 71 Runs Taking Lead by 1-0 in the Serires

Big and much awaited victory, by English fans, with a margin of an innings and 71 runs make Australian look like an ordinary team of the cricketing world. For first half-an-hour on the fifth morning England became ever more nervous, but that was all, and it was worth the wait. Before very soon realizing  and controlling the situation, England were changed into a thrilled group, then shaking hands with each other, and thanking their supporters all round the ground with more admiring claps.

In that first half-hour Michael Hussey – the wall of Australia’s batting so far in this series – edged a catch behind the wicket off Graeme Swann, and Matt Prior made his first blunder of the series, resulting England grew ever tenser. 

The second new ball brought relief and the wicket England was looking for. Only big Hussey, of Australia’s seven remaining batsmen, had the qualities to bat throughout the fifth day and make the big century and even double century that would give Australia a lead and probably save them. 

Then he went to pull Steven Finn; but the ball was not short enough, and he tossed an easy catch to James Anderson at mid-on. It was actually fall of Hussey that resulted into fall of Australia miserably providing lead to joyful visitors with 1-0 with three tests still in hand. After the fall of Michael Hussey on 261, for England it was just a matter of 43 runs to capture the remaining five wickets to register the historical win.

Graeme Swann, who was owing a good show with the ball after poor first test, proved himself with 5 for 91. The last wicket of Peter Siddle was the fifth for Swann. Steven Finn and James Anderson share 2 wickets each, contributing their part in the thrashing of Australia.