Ashes - England clinch big win in Adelaide

England defeated Australia by an innings and 71 runs on the fifth day of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval to inflict an emphatic defeat on Ricky Ponting’s side.

Australia resumed on 238 for four at the start of the day, hopeful that they could survive for a draw with six wickets in hand and an ominous weather forecast, but it took England less than 90 minutes to skittle out the hosts’ lower order with a masterclass of potent and clinical bowling.
It was a devastating morning for Australia as the tourists clinched a comprehensive victory before lunch with Graeme Swann taking a stunning five for 91 to enable Andrew Strauss’s side to assume a 1-0 lead in the series.

Kevin Pietersen finished up his successful over from the previous evening, in which he dismissed Michael Clarke, before Strauss took the second new ball after 83 overs.
Steven Finn struck within eight deliveries to take his first wicket: Michael Hussey's wicket was regarded as the key one on day five, and he mis-pulled a quicker delivery from the paceman which skewed up to James Anderson at mid on as the left-handed lynchpin departed after having reached a 98-ball half-century.
The sixth wicket, with Marcus North and Brad Haddin, at the crease was always going to be key.
It put on only 25 runs, before Haddin was caught behind pushing forward to some Anderson swing - the first of three wickets without addition in four balls.
Ryan Harris bagged a king pair when he shouldered arms to go lbw, despite looking in vain for a DRS reprieve - the ball shown to be just clipping a bail.
Graeme Swann (four for 89) was then convinced by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to chance another review for lbw against North - he had been unsuccessful with a similar attempt earlier on - and this time, the same batsman had to go.
Swann very nearly had his fourth wicket when Peter Siddle saw the ball roll back on to the base of his stumps, on nought, from an attempted forward-defensive - but fail to dislodge the bails. But the ninth wicket did fall moments later when Xavier Doherty was bowled by the off spinner, and England were down to Doug Bollinger.
Peter Siddle was the final wicket to fall in the 100th over as Swann clinched a deserved five-wicket haul with a jaffa which breached the tail-ender’s defences, and the jubilant celebrations began in earnest.
The emphatic victory was England’s 100th in Tests over Australia, while the hosts suffered the ignominy of their first innings defeat on home soil since their capitulation to the West Indies at Perth in 1993, and their second-heaviest defeat ever in Adelaide.
One man for whom the victory celebrations were tinged with immense disappointment was Stuart Broad, whose series-ending abdominal injury effectively leaves the number eight berth up for grabs with an England XI set to take on Victoria at the MCG in a three-day game on Friday. Pacemen Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan are set to vie for the vacant spot in Strauss's bowling ranks.
The last time England took a series lead in Australia, it was the winning tour of 1986-87 under Mike Gatting and, as the holders of the urn, Andrew Strauss and his men will retain the Ashes unless Australia can win at least two of the remaining three Tests - a monumental task given that they have now gone five Tests without tasting victory.
It was an England side brimming with confidence and fervour which left the Adelaide Oval with a 1-0 series lead, while a beleaguered Australia, minus the injury-stricken Simon Katich, were left to brace themselves for the inevitable onslaught of derision from the national press and turn their focus to the crucial third Test in Perth on December 15.
Day five timeline (All times UK):
23:38 - Australia 239-4 (81 overs) - Swann has a 'not out' decision reviewed as he raps North on the pads, but the decision is upheld.
23:41 - Australia 248-4 (83 overs) - Hussey moves to his half-century with a firm clip through square leg for four runs off the bowling of Swann.
23:43 - Australia 248-4 (83 overs) - Swann locates the outside edge of Hussey's bat, but Prior cannot hold on to a very tricky catch behind the stumps.
23:54 - Australia 261-5 (86 overs) - Finn has Hussey caught at mid on as Mr Cricket skies an attempted pull shot into the air, with Anderson taking the catch.
00:18 - Australia 286-6 (91 overs) - Haddin edges behind to Prior off the bowling of Anderson as he departs for 12.
00:20 - Australia 286-7 (91 overs) - Anderson traps Harris plumb lbw next ball and, despite the decision being reviewed, the decision is upheld as he goes for a king pair.
00:27 - Australia 286-8 (92 overs) - North is rapped on the pads in front of middle stump by Swann. The appeal is initially rejected, but the TV umpire gives the batsman out.
00:29 - Australia 286-8 (92 overs) - Swann beats Siddle with a ball which ends up rolling against the base of the stumps, but with the bails remarkably remaining in tact.
00:34 - Australia 287-8 (93 overs) - Anderson is on a hat-trick, but Doherty blocks out the delivery as the paceman digs the ball in short.
00:45 - Australia 297-9 (96 overs) - Doherty is clean bowled by Swann, who gets a delivery to zip through the tail-enders defences for his fourth wicket.
00:59 - Australia 304 all out (100 overs) - Siddle lurches forward and is comprehensively clean bowled by Swann, who takes his fifth wicket to clinch victory.
00:59 - ENGLAND WIN BY AN INNINGS AND 71 RUNS.