Cameron Green took three wickets in addition to scoring a vital 23 runs in Australia’s second innings as the hosts won the fifth Test by 146 runs and took the Ashes 4-0. England seemed to be on their way to a win for the first time in the series when fast bowler Mark Wood’s six-wicket haul helped them dismiss Australia for just 155 runs in their second innings after which openers Zak Crawley and Rory Burns put up a partnership of 68 runs.
But England then lost all nine wickets in the nighttime session of the series’ second pink-ball Test, going from 68/0 to 124 all out in just over 22 overs to end the series with another collapse.
England have looked powerless against Australian pace throughout the series and no more so than when facing the pink ball under the lights of Bellerive Oval.
Green started the rout when he dismissed Burns for 26 to break the opening partnership and bring up Tea, returning after the break to remove Dawid Malan for 10 in similar style with the batsman chopping on.
Crawley was the 22-year-old’s third victim, caught behind for 36, and when Ben Stokes holed out for five to Nathan Lyon at deep square leg off Mitchell Starc, England had lost four wickets for 24 runs.
Joe Root got his side over the hundred mark but fell for 11 when a Scott Boland delivery skidded low along the surface and into his off stump, leaving the England captain destined to head home still without a test century in Australia.
Boland and his skipper Pat Cummins shared the next five wickets as England appeared to give up on any hope of even extending the contest into a fourth day.
