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Ashes 2002/3 | Australia v England 4th Test | Melbourne
Australia
v England M.C.G Melbourne, 26 - 30th December 2002
Result: Australia
Won by 5 wickets
Umpires
: R Tiffin (ZI) and D Orchard (SA)
Match
Reports : Day
1; Day
2; Day
3 - Day
5 - Scorecard
Toss:
Australia
At
stumps on day three of the five day Test in Melbourne,
England trail Australia by 170 runs and have only
eight wickets remaining.
It
was a furious start by Australia who claimed four
wickets in the first session, conceding only 89 runs.
Paceman
Brett Lee (who bowled at 97 mph yesterday) opened
the proceedings with Stuart MacGill and the spinner
was to remain bowling for long periods in the innings.
The
first three wickets fell in the first half hour in
a period that cost only seven runs, not the start
England had hoped for chasing the mammoth total set
by Australia on Day two.
Richard
Dawson was the first to go, flashing at a wide and
turning delivery from MacGill, caught at first slip
by debutant Martin Love - his first Test catch.
Key lasted only two balls when in the very next over
he received an unplayable in-swinging Yorker from
Brett Lee. The ball hit Key's toe on the full and
the umpire had no hesitation in sending the batsman
back to the safety of the pavilion.
The
next wicket to fall was that of the England captain,
magnificently caught by Matty Hayden who put in a
quick sprint and a brilliant dive from short-leg to
dismiss Hussain sweeping MacGill. Once again the England
captain didn't want to go and showed his disgust at
the decision when he walked back to the changing room.
 It
was left to White and John Crawley to settle things
down for England and counter the aggressive Australian
attack. The pair put on a 50 partnership before Crawley
contrived to give his wicket away when he attempted
to pull Gillespie's second ball of a new spell. The
batsman only managed to sky the ball and Langer fielding
at mid-off took the catch comfortably.
James
Foster then supported White for 76 balls and 76 minutes
before he fell to Steve Waugh, trapped leg before
for 19. It was Waugh's first test wicket since 1998.
Caddick
and Harmison fell to Gillespie who finished with superb
figures of 4 for 25 and with Harmison's exit it left
White stranded on a high score against Australia of
85.
Steve
Waugh after deliberating enforced the follow on and
with the ball turning with increasing regularity,
the tourists would be up against it with two and a
bit days remaining.
Michael
Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick in reply looked comfortable,
indeed playing some glorious shots on their way to
an opening partnership of 50.
Trescothick
was the first to go when he was adjudged leg before
wicket of Stuart MacGill for 37. The Somerset player
was rather unfortunate to be given out as the ball
clearly pitched outside the line of his leg stump.
Even though the ball was going to hit the wicket,
he should never have been given out.
Butcher
and Vaughan put on 22 runs for the second wicket,
Butcher wonderfully caught by Martin Love (his second
catch of the match) and Gillespie's first of the innings.
Love who is fielding at first slip seems to have made
it his own after Mark Waugh vacated the position before
the series began.
Nasser
Hussain was fortunate not to be given out just before
the close when a stumping decision was sent to Darryl
hair in the armchair and was given not out, much to
Australia's annoyance.
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