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Match	Australia v England	-	Date	2nd - 6th January, 2007
Match Type	5th 3 Mobile Test Match	-	Umpires	Aleem Dar (PAK), Bowden, BF (NZ)
Toss	England	-	Decision	Bat
Result	Australia Won by 10 Wickets (Series 5 - 0)	-	Venue	SCG Sydney - Scorecard
England	1st Inns: 291 A/O (Flintoff 89)	-	2nd Inns:	147 All Out
Australia	1st Inns: 393 A/O (Warne 71)	-	2nd Inns:	0/46

Day 1

Starting four nil down in a five match Test series England finally came to the Ashes part and applied a significant amount of pressure on the home side despite losing a couple of wickets in quick succession.
 
Following inclement weather in Melbourne, the poor Christmas conditions continued in Sydney as rain prevented a prompt start following overnight rain and early morning showers. However when play did begin Flintoff won the toss and elected to bat on a good wicket. England lost Hoggard to an injury and Jimmy Anderson who had been previously dropped replaced the paceman much to the surprise of the watching media and fans. The SCG is well known for being a spinners wicket and England played it safe by picking Anderson ahead of academy hopeful Dalrymple. Australia remained unchanged for the third Test match.
 
In a fitting and touching tribute Warne, McGrath and Langer led out the home side to a tumultuous applause from a knowledgeable Sydney crowd. The remaining eight players remained at the ropes to allow the three retirees to soak in the atmosphere - a touching moment and a fitting tribute to three key figures in Australian cricket over the last decade or so.
 
Strauss and Cook looked nervous first up, the former lucky to escape a chance off Brett Lee through a vacant slips cordon, the bowler ruing not covering the gap. Strauss moved on to 21 and was dropped by Justin Langer in the slips, not the greatest start to his final Test. However it wasn't to cost Australia as Lee avenged his earlier miss when he tempted Strauss into cutting a ball that hurried on to him, Gilchrist's delight in taking the catch was clear to see. Bell who went on to score a fluid 71 did well to defend a vicious short pitched delivery off Lee's extra pace. The ball hit Bell's glove forcing him to wince as he scrambled through for two quick runs.
 
Cook and Bell saw England through to lunch without any further loss at 1 for 58 but on the resumption of play failed to add to the total before Cook fell to Stuart Clark giving Gilchrist his second catch of the innings, a superb reaction catch to an inside edge.
 
Bell and Pietersen then guided England to tea with a steady partnership. Surprisingly Bell was the more adventurous of the two attacking both McGrath and Warne. Pietersen was more circumspect with his 41 runs taking 104 deliveries, however, following the tea interval, Pietersen became impatient and attempted to come down the pitch to McGrath. It proved to be his undoing as a short delivery tucked him up as he walked towards McGrath and he skied a hook shot to a waiting Hussey at mid wicket. Pietersen was obviously angry to have fallen to the tactics and experience and guile won the day in the end.

Bell fell to a wonderful ball from McGrath and within the space of one run, England had lost 2 wickets. Flintoff finally played a captains innings and together with Paul Collingwood saw England to the early close brought about by bad light without any further loss. It will be another tough day in the field for Australia tomorrow and with Warne unable to produce the big spinning delivery it might be left to the seamers to finish the job.

Day 2

England failed to capitalise after a positive start today and the long tail that has caused Fletcher many a restless night on this tour proved to be their downfall following superb bowling from all the bowlers used today with extra praise due for Lee and Clark.

From their overnight score of 4 for 234 only Flintoff performed, holding his end up with a growing confidence that has been sadly missing with the bat this series. He finished 11 runs short of a deserved century holding out to Gilchrist after charging down the wicket to Brett Lee and with only Panesar and Anderson to follow you certainly couldn’t blame him for the reckless shot.

Australia took advantage of the second new ball immediately, both McGrath and Lee proving to be a handful with the new cherry. Collingwood who has probably had more lives than anyone this series was dropped by Langer in the slips off Lee’s first over, however he failed to capitalise when he fell two runs later to local hero McGrath.

Lee was on fire and never allowed Chris Read to settle. The wicket-keeper fell for just two runs, another disappointing return for an England keeper. Mahmood was next as he tried to defend a ripper of a delivery, succeeding in giving Hayden the easiest catch at gully one is likely to see. Lee on a hat trick failed to remove Flintoff in his next over but despite the disappointment Australia gained the upper hand.

Harmison and then Flintoff followed leaving Shane Warne to capture his 1000th wicket in international cricket, Monty Panesar his victim after he was adjudged leg before while attempting to sweep. Dar had no hesitation in wrapping up the innings and England finished 291 all out.

England produced an improved bowling performance but Australia ended day two of the final Ashes Test on 188-4 in reply to the tourists' 291 all out. 57 runs added for the loss of six wickets. Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark all finished with three wickets.

In reply Langer who had survived an over before lunch played an array of shots before holding out to an Anderson/Read combination down leg side for 26. It was a disappointment for Langer who trudged off in what could possibly be his final innings for Australia.

Hayden and Ponting took the score on to 100 for the next wicket, Hayden caught in the slips by Paul Collingwood. Harmison up until that point looked back to his form in Brisbane, erratic and devoid of any ideas but the wicket certainly perked him and his team mates up.

Ponting looked keen to take the game to England smashed Anderson for two pull shots following the tea break but a risky run to mid on ended his innings prematurely, Anderson hitting middle stump with his sharp throw. Michael Clarke was the next to go when he became Steve Harmison’s second wicket of the innings after he edged a good ball to Read. With it came the expected rain and the players left the field at 4 for 155.

Hussey (37) and Symonds (22) saw Australia through to the close without any further loss in the 12 overs that were available to England. It leaves the game well and truly balanced, either side with a chance to win the final Test.

Day 3

England are on the verge of suffering their fifth successive defeat thanks mainly to a fired up Shane Warne, this time with the bat and Adam Gilchrist who looked at his fluent best. If Australia do win it will be the first 5 - 0 white wash since the 1920/21 series and only the second in Ashes history. With a lead of 12 runs and just five wickets remaining, Pietersen the sole recognised batsman left, England are well and truly in a precarious position going into the fourth day tomorrow.

It looked very different earlier this morning when Mike Hussey was caught behind off Anderson in the second over of the day leaving Australia 101 runs behind at 5 for 190. Adam Gilchrist partnered Andrew Symonds in a 70 run stand before Symonds (48) fell to Monty Panesar when he played what can only be described as a wafting drive. Symonds who had received a few stern words from his captain for his last over antics yesterday evening had settled down but a moment of madness brought about his downfall.

Warne, playing in his final Test showed no nerves as he pummelled Panesar for a four and six off his first two deliveries. It wasn’t all one way traffic as Warne was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch at the wicket but replays showed Dar made a good decision, I’ve seen these given before and it made all the difference. The Victorian was also keen to offer England’s fielders run out practice as he was very lucky not to loose his wicket twice for careless running. At the other end Gilchrist was looking in magnificent form and despite a couple of chances didn’t look in any trouble at all.

During his innings Gilchrist broke the record for runs scored by a number seven batsman already holding the record for most centuries at the same batting position. Both he had Warne took the game, ever so slowly, away from England with a brisk 58 runs partnership in just seven overs. Billy Bowden ended the union erroneously when he agreed with Read and Anderson for a caught behind appeal. Gilchrist well known for being a walker stood his ground until Bowden agreed with the bowler. He took a heavy breath and trudged off to the change rooms having scored a classical 70. Replays clearly showed he hadn’t got anywhere near the ball and the boos that filled the ground when the giant screen showed the wicket were testament to the fact that an error had occurred. Both sides have suffered with poor calls this series and I’m sure it won’t be the last! That’s Cricket !

Lee came and went cheaply but a cavalier stand of 68 between Warne and Clark took the game away from England and established a lead in excess of 100 runs. Collingwood tried to ruffle Warne with persistent sledging but the Victorian had the last laugh as he continued his innings. At one point in reply to a taunt from the slip fielder Warne replied “…and you got an MBE for your seven runs?!!!” classic Warne who then went on to strike two boundaries off Monty Panesar. It will be interesting to hear from Warne as to what encouraged his aggressive stance and if it turns out to be Collingwood then England have well and truly shot themselves in their collective feet!

Mahmood was erratic all day and despite conceding over five an over broke the partnership when he forced Clark into pulling a ball that wasn’t there to be pulled! McGrath entered the arena to a standing ovation and even survived the three balls to give Warne strike. However Warne fully aware of the lack of batting at the other end went down the ground to Panesar and after missing the ball he failed to get back into his crease, Innings over. Warne had top scored with 71 off 65 balls, his final Test innings.

In reply England suffered an early loss in the third over when Cook (4), attempting to pull, failed to find the middle of the bat and gifted a catch to Gilchrist. Lee buoyed by his success then hit Strauss on his helmet with a magnificent fast short delivery. Strauss immediately fell to the floor as if he had been knocked out by a heavyweight boxer. Lee went over to check him out and the physio was called for. Strauss bravely continued and together with Bell saw England to tea without any further wickets falling.

Following the tea interval Australia turned the screw even further when England lost four wickets for just 57 runs. Strauss who was still affected from the bouncer in the afternoon session was trapped leg before to Clark with a ball that straightened and Bell a loose drive to a wide delivery to be caught behind off Lee. Collingwood fresh from his taunting of Shane Warne failed to deliver scoring just six runs before holding out to gully but arguably the wicket of the session was that of Andrew Flintoff. Shane Warne tempted the England captain to drag his back foot out of his crease and when he failed to connect Gilclhrist, sharp as ever whipped off the bails. Dar nodded his head but to be sure called for the third umpire to adjudicate. He agreed and Flintoff left the field.

Panesar and Pietersen (29*) saw them through to the close at 5 for 114 just 12 runs ahead with five wickets remaining.

Day 4

The fat lady has sung, it's all over in more ways than one. The 86 year old quest to secure a second 5-0 whitewash ended today when Australia as expected, finished England off before the lunch interval with a 10 wicket victory. Glenn McGrath, who, along with Shane Warne and Justin Langer played his final Test match today and it was fitting that either Warne or McGrath would take the final wicket to end a limp England defence.

McGrath who has been predicting a 5-0 whitewash over England for as long as he has been involved in the Ashes finally got one right this series with a dominance over the old enemy rarely seen on a cricket pitch. The victory was clinical, blinkered and more importantly thoroughly professional throughout - England were made to look a very ordinary side but for the occasional brilliance from Kevin Pietersen, Hoggard's bowling and the double century from Collingwood.

England and its followers had hoped for a sting in the tail with Pietersen still at the crease on 29 not out but on the third ball of the morning capitulated. McGrath bowled just back of a length outside off stump and tempted Pietersen into looking for the ball, he found the edge and the ball moving away from Adam Gilchrist ended up safely in the keeper's gloves. The Barmy Army looked on in disbelief as the South African born Pietersen trudged back to the change rooms without adding to his overnight total. It was a bitter blow to the visitors who had placed any hopes firmly around Pietersen's shoulders.

As if that was bad enough Read called night-watchman Monty Panesar for a tight run, especially given the fact that it went straight to arguably Australia's best outfielder in Symonds. Panesar was slow off the mark and Symonds picked up the ball, took aim and proceeded to take out middle stump two thirds up on the full. The umpire called for the third umpire but the decision was immediate, Panesar was a clear foot short and England had lost their second wicket of the day without adding a run to the overnight total of 114.

Despite two boundaries in quick succession, one by Mahmood and the other by Read, normal service was resumed when Lee had Read caught at second slip by Ricky Ponting and Mahmood bowled by McGrath. Harmison threw his bat at everything and together with Anderson England rallied for a short while keeping Australia in the field a little longer. Warne was very unlucky not to have had Harmison stumped but the third umpire deemed the paceman had made it back into his crease despite television replays suggesting his foot hadn't crossed the line.

It would have been ironic if the Victorian had taken the final England wicket of the series after taking the wicket that signalled the regaining of the Ashes in Perth. It was McGrath who had the honour of ending an inept batting performance when Anderson attempted an on-drive but found Hussey at mid-on who calmly took the wicket. McGrath ended his home Test with six wickets and a performance that bellies his age.

Justin Langer began his final walk into the Test arena, his father there to shake his hand before he walked down the famous steps. Hayden followed behind also receiving good luck instruction's from Langer's father who was standing between the Ladies and Member pavilion. Langer led the way and the applause was he received from a knowledgeable Sydney crowd was fitting for a player of his standing. The England players lined up and applauded as Langer walked through the middle of the cordon, stopping to thank Flintoff at the end. It was a highly emotional moment for Langer and Hayden and it was obvious to all that the pair were keen to end the series on a high.

The pair were comfortable throughout and England failed to threaten the partnership. It was a fitting end to the series and when Hayden hit a massive six off Mahmood the only question remaining with two balls left oh his over; would he defend and allow Langer to hit the winning run. Caught up with the emotion, Hayden pushed the next ball through the covers for the winning run and we had our answer!

Langer and Hayden embraced in the middle and following a giant bear hug and kiss from Hayden, the pair received congratulations from the England team. We didn't see any of the special moments as we had in 2005 basically because none of the Tests went to the wire. It was a disappointing series for England and cricket, failing to live up to the high expectations of the previous series 16 months ago but to be fair Australia had one intention and that was to beat England into submission. England were left wanting on numerous occasions and were guilty of not moving up a gear when they had Australia in trouble.

Warne, Langer and McGrath collected their respective children to share in the family celebration. Stuart Clark won the man of the match award and Ricky Ponting for his batting and captaincy won the coveted man of the series award and the Compton-Miller medal in the process. Ponting was clearly shocked by the adjudication thanked his team for their efforts throughout and gave a special mention to the four retirees, Martyn, Langer, McGrath and Warne. Warne received a special trophy at the start of play that included the ball that took him to 700 wickets, the first player to achieve the milestone.