MELBOURNE – England defeated Australia by four wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. This marks their first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.
Chasing a target of 175 runs, England completed the win on day two of the match. The team lost six wickets but managed to reach the target in the 33rd over, securing a morale-boosting victory.
Australia, batting in their second innings, were dismissed for just 132 runs. Travis Head (46) and captain Steve Smith (24) were the top scorers for the home side. England’s bowling attack, led by Brydon Carse with 4 wickets, Ben Stokes with 3, and Josh Tongue with 2, proved decisive.
England’s top-order batsmen also played a crucial role in the chase. Jacob Bethell scored 40, Zak Crawley made 37, and Ben Duckett contributed 34 runs, steering the team to a historic win.
For Australia, Jhye Richardson, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc each took 2 wickets but could not prevent England from achieving victory. This win reduces the Ashes series deficit to 3-1 in the five-match series.
The victory ends a 15-year drought for England in Australia, spanning 19 consecutive Test matches without a win. It is a significant boost for the team ahead of the final Test in the series.
Notably, the first Test in Perth also concluded on the second day, causing financial losses for Cricket Australia due to early match completion. Despite the series deficit, Australia remains confident of bouncing back in the remaining match.
England’s win highlights their growing strength in overseas conditions and provides optimism for the team’s performance in future tours. Fans and analysts alike praised the balanced batting and bowling efforts that made the historic victory possible.
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The Ashes series will conclude with the fifth Test, where Australia will aim to secure a consolation win, while England seeks to maintain momentum after breaking a long-standing winless streak in Australia.
