High: 20°C | Low: 11°C		Wind: E at 8 km/h, Humidity: 36%
Match	Australia v England	-	Date	26th - 30th December, 2006
Match Type	4th 3 Mobile Test Match	-	Umpires	Aleem Dar (PAK), Koertzen, RE (SAF)
Toss	England	-	Decision	Bat
Result	Australia Won by an Innings and 99 Runs	-	Venue	MCG Melbourne - Scorecard
England	1st Inns: 159 All Out	-	2nd Inns:	161 All Out (Lee 4/47)
Australia	1st Inns: 419 A/O (Hayden 153, Symonds 156)	-	2nd Inns:	blank

Day 1

Shane Warne saved Australia's blushes today after a below par effort in the field by the World Champions and holders of the Ashes. Two chances were dropped one by Gilchrist who diving to his left got in the way of Warne at first slip and Hayden was next when he let Strauss off while on 41 with an easy chance at gully, Clark the bowler. Gilchrist also missed a chance to stump danger man Pietersen but for once it didn't prove costly.

It was the Victorian leg spinner, arguably the greatest bowler to play the game, who ripped the heart out of England's attack and it all began when he clean bowled Andrew Strauss for 50. It marked his 700th victim and the first of five in the innings.

A rain delay meant that only 15.4 overs were possible in the morning session following unseasonally cold weather for Christmas, Christmas Day recording the coldest day on record. Cook was the only victim in the session when he chose to leave a quick delivery from Lee alone, however he was too slow lifting his bat and the ball nicked the toe on its way to Gilchrist. England failed to take the attack to Australia and batted as they did in the defeat at Adelaide, bent on occupying the crease rather than score runs it was to prove costly. Image courtesy Johann/Snni

Two more wickets fell before a Melbourne crowd of around 90,000 reserved their biggest cheer of the day for the moment when arguably their most famous sporting son was finally brought on after 40 overs. Ian Bell was the second to fall when he was adjudged plumb to a Clark delivery that jagged back into the Englishman's defence. Collingwood who had led a charmed resistance and could have lost his wicket a number of times finally fell to a Lee/Ponting combination.

Strauss' poor footwork and enough spin from Warne accounted for his 700th victim and the crowd went wild, Warne looked as if he was intent on a lap of honour at the MCG but stopped after 15 yards, he was tired! Strauss' wicket brought on Flintoff and it wasn't long before Warne fielding at slip took a good catch to send him back to the change rooms with another failure on the tour.

With the exception of Mahmood, Warne accounted for four of the five wickets to fall in the afternoon session. Harmison and Panesar relented at mid off, Read who was brought in for his batting fell for just three drove hard but Ponting held on for a superb catch.

Pietersen who was under enormous pressure batting for the second time with the tail went all out and only succeeded in holding out to Symonds in the deep. Panesar's wicket at mid off closed the innings on 159 and Warne ended day one with the remarkable figures of 5 for 39.

Australia began brightly but two quick wickets by Flintoff gave England some hope ahead of tomorrow's second day.

Day 2

England were left ruing the failure to close Australia's innings today after Andrew “Roy” Symonds and Matty Hayden both scored centuries in a magnificent sixth wicket stand of 279 to take control of the fourth Test.

Earlier in the day it had looked, thanks mainly to tight and attacking bowling from Hoggard and Flintoff, as if England would take the match by the scruff of the neck when they had Australia at 5 for 84 with the middle order failing for the first time in the series. It was a magnificent bowling performance and heralded a return to form of the previously wayward Steve Harmison.

With the weather and pitch conditions favouring the bowling attack England made the most of the help with both Flintoff and Hoggard causing Ponting and Hayden continual problems. As the sun broke through the clouds Ponting attempted a pull off Flintoff and succeeded in holing out to Alastair Cook at mid-wicket. Hussey who has been mr dependable for Australia so far this series failed for once, Hoggard the successful bowler, when he was clean bowled. Hoggard had to leave the field to receive treatment for a rib injury but returned later to continue.

Five runs later Harmison chipped in with a wonderful delivery that accounted for Michael Clarke's wicket and for once “pup” had failed and England were in charge. However England failed to capitalise on their fortune and for the major part Australia seized control with a superb stand of 279 between the two Queenslanders Hayden and Symonds. The stand marked Hayden's first of the series and Symonds' maiden Test century.

As in England's first innings Australia were fortunate with a couple of appeals, both batsmen benefiting from Koertzen and Dar's failure to give plum decisions. It made a huge difference and the pair made the most of second and third lives! Both batsmen increased the run rate and made the most of the second string bowling. As time went on the ball grew older and the pitch easier to bat on. Image courtesy Johann/Snni

There were no nervous nineties for either player but it was Symond's utter contempt for Collingwood when he hit a six over long-on to bring up his century that released the shackles. Hayden too attacked crashing left-arm spinner Monty Panesar down the ground for six and over wide mid-on to bring up his fifth century in the last six Tests at the MCG.

The new ball was taken but not before Australia had amassed a healthy first innings lead. Flintoff and Hoggard failed to capitalise and it was left to Mahmood who returned late in the day to induce edges from Hayden and Gilchrist to the wicket-keeper and Collingwood at second slip.

Day 3

The scene was set for Shane Warne and his scriptwriter, surely the Victorian legend couldn't score a hundred in his final Test in Melbourne. He walked out for the final time with Andrew Symonds, the crowd standing in appreciation of what he has given to the game. England wasted no time in sending Symonds back to the change rooms adding only two runs to his overnight 154 not out, Read taking another catch behind the wicket as Symonds attempted a flamboyant shot over cover. It ended a remarkable maiden Test century for the Queenslander.

Warne profited from wide and loose bowling, mainly from Mahmood including a sumptuous half volley cover drive for four to reach 33. Another long hop gifted him another boundary but with the score on 417 Mahmood placed the ball in the right area and enticed Clark to edge the ball to Chris Read for just eight. With both McGrath and Warne sitting on 34 Test ducks another competition has surfaced, who would end up with the most? With just the Sydney Test remaining McGrath edged ahead when he gave Mahmood his fourth wicket, Bell claiming the catch at Gully.

With a lead of 213 after the first innings it was imperative England showed the fight that has for the better part of this series deserted them. Despite a promising start by both Cook and Strauss it wasn't to be as England succumbed to the Aussie pressure when they were bundled out for just 161 runs.

Brett Lee took four wickets, Stuart Clark three and Shane Warne - in his final Test on his home ground - two. The result puts Australia 4-0 up and needing a win in Sydney next week to clinch the first Ashes whitewash since England lost 5-0 to them in 1920/21.

Consistency was the key for Pidge who was very unlucky not to claim Cook's wicket after the batsman had passed 1000 runs in a calendar year for the first time. It was an outrageous error by Koertzen who has remained consistent throughout in not giving leg before decisions. The ball was clearly on its way to hitting middle stump. It was left to Clark to claim the first wicket when he bowled Cook, McGrath followed shortly when he accounted for Bell.

Pietersen came and went giving Clark his 20th wicket of the series. It was a magnificent delivery that jagged back and beat Pietersen all ends up. The Australian paceman has been a revelation this year and continues to improve Test after Test. A younger and quicker version of McGrath, Clark looks set to take over as the Australian metronome.

Strauss and Collingwood settles the sinking ship for a short while with a succession of aggressive strokes. As in the first innings, Warne's introduction received a standing ovation from the local crowd and his first over produced a play and miss by Strauss.

Lee replaced Clark and tempted Collingwood into playing a loose drive to Langer at short cover, superb field placement by Ponting who's captaincy has come of age this series. England were now crumbling at 4 for 75 and in dire trouble with just Flintoff to come as a recognised batsman. Strauss played and missed to Lee, his footwork sadly lacking and at the other end Flintoff took the game, albeit briefly to Shane Warne.

With the final ball before Tea, Warne bowling a top spin came very close to sending Flintoff back for an early bath but despite hitting the back pad, Dar adjudged it to have struck the bat on the way through.

Strauss didn't last long after the break, Lee claiming his second of the innings. The line and length was relentless from Australia and another tempter from Lee ended Strauss' innings after 175 minutes. Read who had replaced Jones following the Perth Test accounted himself well with six catches in the first innings and a not out to his name with the bat.

Flintoff's innings lasted just 45 balls when Clark finally managed to entice Koertzen into riasing his finger, sending the stand in captain back for 25. Flintoff who has looked rather ordinary so far did look to regain a little form for this second innings but it was another case of too little too late for England.

Warne produced the flipper and accounted for a bemused Mahmood, it marked Shane Warne's first wicket with his old fashioned flipper for the first time in a long while. Mahmood was sent back without scoring and England 7/109. Amazing to think that he is still producing these deliveries in his penultimate Test. Warne's second wicket of the innings accounted for Harmison when the ball his his back foot on the full, the dip deceiving the England paceman for four runs.

Panesar and Read rallied with a few boundaries but it didn't take Lee long to complete the rout with Panesar guiding the short delivery to Clark at Gully and Hoggard clean bowled with a classic yorker.

Warne was named man of the match with another superb all round performance and Hayden and Symonds attempted to carry him around the ground to receive the adulation from his adoring public. England humbled inside three days and now move on to Sydney to try and restore what pride they have left.