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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | in-depth coverage > Ashes Series 2002-2003 > Ashes: Langer, Lee torment England at MCG 14.08 IST 27th Dec 2002 By IndiaExpress Bureau After Justin Langer’s career best 250, Steve Waugh unleashed Brett Lee on beleaguered England as Australia went for the kill and a fourth straight Test win in the Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Bolstered by Langer’s knock, in a first innings declaration of 551/6, Australia set out to crush the tourists in the three days' play remaining in the fourth Boxing Day Test. Waugh called a halt to the home side's run spree 15 minutes before tea on the second day after Langer reached his highest Test score of 250. England were under the cosh yet again with both openers, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, sent on their way to put the tremors through the crisis-prone tourists. Wound up by the 'Barmy Army' English supporters chanting 'no-ball' to each of his deliveries, fearsome Lee ended Trescothick's resistance for 37 with a thunderbolt that seared off his gloves to Adam Gilchrist. Questions were raised about the legality of Lee's bowling action in last Sunday's one-dayer against Sri Lanka, prompting the Barmy Army, numbering several thousand, to goad cricket's most intimidating bowler. Vaughan capped a miserable day when he tentatively played on to Glenn McGrath for 11. Vaughan, who fumbled catches off Martin Love and Langer earlier in the day, played late and got a bottom edge to one which cannoned on to his stumps, leaving England at 13/1. Captain Nasser Hussain on 14 had an agonizing wait for the third umpire's verdict on a touch-and-go diving 'catch' by Jason Gillespie off Stuart MacGill, which went in his favor three overs from the end of play. Mark Butcher fell lbw to Gillespie for 25 in the day's penultimate over, while night watchman Richard Dawson survived a big lbw shout in the same over. At the close, England, staring down the barrel of another lost cause, were 97/3 with Hussain not out 17 and Dawson yet to score. The dismissal of Adam Gilchrist for one in the 146th over was the trigger for Waugh to call a halt to the Australian run avalanche, possibly influenced by deteriorating weather conditions forecast for late on the weekend. Test newcomer Love, getting his chance while Darren Lehmann is in hospital recovering from a severely infected leg, remained 62 not out in 160 minutes. Langer, the plucky West Australian left-hander, occupied the crease for 578 minutes for his 250, an innings studded with 30 boundaries and a six which raised his 100 on Thursday's opening day. Langer, who topped his previous highest Test innings of 223 against India in Sydney two years ago, gave only one chance during the vigil -- he was dropped on 223 in the covers by Vaughan off Craig White. Gilchrist, uninhibited by a general fixation on batting averages, threw away his wicket as he advanced down the wicket to spinner Richard Dawson and was bowled. Earlier, Waugh, who went into the Test batting for his cricket life after selectors said he would not be guaranteed future selection beyond next week's final Sydney Test, fell short of a fairytale century. The 37-year-old campaigner thrilled supporters with a determined innings, laden with boundaries and reached his 46th Test half-century off 49 balls on Thursday. But the big century Waugh was chasing to prove his doubters wrong eluded him when he fell to a faint edge off Craig White to wicketkeeper James Foster for 77. Waugh left the vast arena to a standing ovation from the 50,000 crowd in what could prove to be his last Test innings at the MCG. Waugh cracked 15 boundaries in his 159-minute knock and faced 117 balls. He put on 129 runs with Langer for the fourth wicket. Australia, who have cleaned up the opening three Tests in just 11 playing days, have amassed 400 or more in the first innings of every Test in the series. White finished with 3-133 off 33 overs and Dawson claimed 2-121 off 28 overs. in-depth coverage > Ashes Series 2002-2003 > |
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