WE URNED IT
Aussies beat the rain to regain Ashes in Perth
AUSTRALIA won back the Ashes in emphatic style after Josh Hazlewood farewelled the WACA with the trait the ground will forever be linked — outstanding fast bowling.
Hazlewood stormed to a five-wicket haul as Australia went 3-0 up in the series to humiliate England and defy an embarrassing wet pitch fiasco that at one point threatened to wipe out the final day.
Australia is now eyeing off a second consecutive whitewash on home soil, with doubt over the futures of England’s underperforming stars – Kevin Pietersen declared either Stuart Broad or James Anderson should be axed for Boxing Day at the MCG.
Double-ton hero, skipper Steve Smith declared the victory “amazing – a moment that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time”.
“So much has gone into this preparation and Ashes series and the way we’ve gone about it has been spectacular,” he said.
“Four hundred in the first innings is a good total and to be able to come out and get a massive score and only have to bat once in this fixture (is incredible).
“The boys are going to celebrate really hard tonight I can assure you of that.
“What an amazing feeling, to win an Ashes series, my first as captain, be 3-0 up and get that urn back, it’s quite incredible.”
On the second morning of the match England was in control at 4-368.
The final damage was a mammoth loss by an innings and 41 runs with a session to spare.
England coach Trevor Bayliss claimed the pitch had become “dangerous” overnight after moisture mysteriously seeped under the covers and left some soft and wet patches.
Former Test great Adam Gilchrist said the pitch had changed from the night before, and although umpire Chris Gaffaney agreed the surface had been “altered”, officials gave the green light for the match to proceed, prompting head-shaking from England skipper Joe Root, who later gave full credit to the victors.
“It’s very difficult to take – fair play to Australia, they outplayed us in all three games and we’ve got to be better,” he said.
“When we got here this morning definitely it wasn’t fit to play. It did dry up and by the end there it was probably fit to play.”
While a farcical finish for the WACA as an Ashes Test venue was avoided, the resumption of play after 28 overs lost did nothing to stop the controversy.
Hazlewood immediately exploited the very patch that ground staff had been so feverishly trying to dry and harden up with industrial leaf blowers, and the ball appeared to stay low as it cleaned up Bairstow’s off-stump.