Summary

  • Fourth Test, day two, Melbourne

  • England chase down 175 to beat Australia by four wickets inside two days

  • Tourists skittle hosts for 132 - Carse 4-34, Stokes 3-24

  • Crawley & Duckett make fine start to chase, Bethell hits 40 and Brook & Smith finish the job

  • Hosts have unassailable 3-1 series lead

  • Fifth and final Test in Sydney starts on 4 January (23:30 GMT 3 January)

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Live Reporting

by Sam Drury, Mike Peter & George Booth

  1. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Australian batsman Travis Head plays a shot on the second dayGetty Images

    That is poor bowling from Brydon Carse. Travis Head will hit you for four all day if you bowl there.

  2. Aus 32-1

    Lead by 74

    Travis Head chopped on yesterday and nearly does so again.

    This time the ball just misses the stumps and bounces over wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, allowing Head to run two.

    He drives a much fuller ball through the covers crisply for three - Ben Stokes chasing and flicking the ball back just before the rope.

    Width again later in the over and Head crashes the ball through point for four. You just can't bowl there to him.

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    Surely we were all expecting Josh Tongue to bowl first up this morning. He’s great at removing the tail and to cap it all he’s on a hat-trick.

    Colin, West Sussex

  4. Aus 22-1

    Lead by 64

    Jake Weatherald, who didn't fancy batting for an over last night, comes in at three for Australia.

    He carefully watches a few deliveries from Gus Atkinson go by before the England seamer switches the angle to round the wicket.

    That forces the left-hander to play and he's beaten by a beauty to end the over. Wicket maiden.

  5. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Scott Boland will feel he has done his job. He gets a great reception as he goes off and he has made that ball a little bit older.

  6. wicket

    WICKET

    Boland c Smith b Atkinson 6 (Aus 22-1)

    Edged and gone.

    First job done for England this morning as Gus Atkinson gets rid of the nightwatchman.

    It's a good ball just outside off stump, nibbling away to take Scott Boland's outside edge.

    Jamie Smith takes the catch tumbling to his right.

  7. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    The ball is still doing a bit. You have just got to get it in the right areas.

    Show patience, but we haven't shown much patience throughout the whole trip.

  8. Aus 22-0

    Lead by 64

    Very good over from Brydon Carse, really challenging Travis Head as he probes away around off stump.

    The England bowler beats the bat a couple of times as he completes a maiden.

    That angle from over the wicket certainly seems to cause Head more trouble.

  9. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Melbourne

    England fans display a sign in support of England captain Ben StokesGetty Images

    The wheels could come off today.

    You think they're already off, don't you?

  10. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Short and wide.

    I reckon it has been one of the worst short and wide tours I have ever seen.

    How many times have we been saying short and wide?

    Shot of the day from Scott Boland. He eased forward and caressed it through mid-off. That is not what you want.

  11. Aus 22-0

    Lead by 64

    Too wide from Gus Atkinson and Travis Head clatters it away over point for four on the cut.

    The Australia opener then punches smartly through mid-off for two.

    Head is on the charge, though, taking a shorter ball from outside off and pulling it over mid-wicket for three.

    Scott Boland pushes the next down the ground for a couple more, despite going so deep in his crease he nearly stands on his stumps.

    Good over for the home side.

  12. Soham Sarkhel
    CricViz analyst

    Brydon Carse in Tests:

    • When he has taken the new ball: 15 wickets at an average of 38.5
    • 1st change: 27 wickets at an average of 29.2
    • 2nd change: 9 wickets at an average of 18.0

  13. Aus 11-0

    Lead by 53

    Don't, Matt. I think that might be too much for even the most placid and forgiving England fan to take...

    Plenty of seam movement for Brydon Carse in this over, far too much for Scott Boland to have a chance of getting a bat on for the most part.

    A maiden over.

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    What haven’t we yet seen in this wild series so far? A Scott Boland century. Just sayin’.

    Matt, Canada

  15. Aus 11-0

    Lead by 53

    Travis Head of Australia bats during day twoGetty Images

    Gus Atkinson starts from the other end as expected. He bowled very well yesterday and could easily have had more than the two wickets he ended up with.

    He starts round the wicket to Travis Head, despite getting him out going over the wicket on day one, and it's a tidy start.

    Head punches down the ground for two but Atkinson keeps him honest.

  16. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Scott Boland is no mug. He looks to get in line and do the right things.

    Josh Tongue is a good hoover of the tailenders. That's what he is known as: the mop.

  17. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    I'm getting grumpy.

    Very nice lad [Brydon Carse], runs in all day, but should not be taking the new ball.

    He might get a couple of wickets, and I hope he does. Logically, Carse with the new ball is not the best pick.

  18. Aus 9-0

    Lead by 51

    Good first couple of deliveries from Brydon Carse, banging the ball in back of a length and getting it to jump up at Travis Head.

    The Australia left-hander is not entirely comfortable but keeps them out safely enough.

    He clips to long leg for the first run of the day before a big cheer goes up as the ball flicks Scott Boland's thigh pad and runs away for four leg-byes.

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    England, let's bowl Australia out before lunch. Give ourselves around 120 to chase. Just think, three days on the golf course celebrating the win!

    Peter, Bristol

  20. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    England can win this match. You hope the mindset in the dressing room reflects that.