England v Australian Headingley 4th Test match

16,17,18,19,20 August 2001 (5-day match) - England won by 6 wickets

Umpires : DR Shepherd and S Venkataraghavan (Ind)

Match Reports : Day 1; Day 2; Day 3; Day 4; Day 5

Toss: Australia (elected to bat) Man of the match - Mark Butcher

Fourth Day Report

Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting started aggressively this morning, continuing where they left off yesterday at 1 for 69 and a lead of 207.

After an early morning downpour at 5:30 am, the ground staff worked a 'Headingley miracle' to allow play to start on time after such a deluge. However, play did begin on time, and the Australia batsmen immediately set about destroying what can only be described as ordinary English bowling.

Mullally it was who opened, going for 11 in the very first over and was taken off after only one over. Gough, looking a new man after his great 5 wicket haul in the first innings then went for 10 runs in his first over, and over that included two sublime straight drives from a very much in form Ricky Ponting.

55 runs were scored in the first 10 overs in a blistering start to the fourth morning, six of which were scored in one aggressive pull off Andy Caddick deep into the West Stand by Ponting. Unfortunately for the Australian's it wasn't to last, with heavy rain falling after only 40 minutes.

The rain caused a 50-minute delay and when play did resume at 12:30pm, England looked a different team. This often happens in cricket, a team on toip can loose momentum with an enforced break, whereas a team on the ropes can take stock, and come out fighting when play resumes.

Gough took the first wicket to fall in the morning session; Ricky Ponting trapped leg before for a superb knock of 72, a knock that took his match aggregate to 216 runs. It didn't take long for Mullally to join the party, when he had Hayden fishing for a wide ball and only managed to edge the ball to Stewart, who took a catch low to the ground. Hayden didn't look at his best and was lucky to survive as long as he did.

At lunch, Australia lead by 284 runs with 7 wickets remaining.

On a stop start day at Headingley, only half an hour's play was possible after lunch, before the rain clouds emptied their contents onto a darkened Test ground, much to the disappointment of an expectant crowd.

It was long enough for England to strike however, Martyn was trapped leg before for only six runs, a rare failure this series from the fine Australian batsman. It was a poor decision from umpire Vengkat, the ball hitting Martyn high on his leg and would have been missing his wicket by a good three inches. Vengkat, was having an unusually poor Test match by his standards.

Caddick claimed his first wicket of the innings with his first ball after lunch, benefiting from the umpire's decision. Although England celebrated with the usual enthusiasm, it wasn't a wicket that had much bearing on the game. Five runs later, play was suspended due to the rain and at the time, Australia had increased their lead to 314 with 6 wickets remaining.

The players took and extended tea, and after intermittent rain, play did resume for 10 minutes shortly before 6 o'clock. Adam Gilchrist made a sporting declaration and set England 315 to win the fourth Test match of the series.

Atherton hit a short ball to the boundary for four off Glenn McGrath, and the light was immediately offered to the English batsmen, who wasted no time in walking back to the pavilion to the safety of the dressing room.

It was a huge disappointment to a still sizeable crowd that had waited in the rain for play to resume. Shortly after the players trooped off, the heavens opened and play was called off for the day. When the players return tomorrow, England will require a further 311 runs to win. They will have to bat longer than they have batted all series if they are to win. - Game on !