Adelaide
\nPat Cummins skittled England\u2019s top order and Nathan Lyon spun out their soft underbelly to all but seal another Ashes series victory for Australia on day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
\nChasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps, still 228 runs short of victory and having played no small part in their predicament through batting misadventure.
\nJamie Smith, on two, and Will Jacks, on 11, were left to try to salvage something from the wreckage of another demolition day for the tourists.
\nWith holders Australia 2-0 up in the five-test series after eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, they need only draw the match to retain the urn.
\nBut there is little prospect of a rousing comeback win from an England squad that have failed to live up to expectations.
\n\u201cObviously very disappointing. Uphill battle from here,\u201d England opener Zak Crawley told reporters.
\n\u201cWe came here to win the Ashes and we\u2019re staring down the barrel now \u2026. It\u2019s been tough, they\u2019re a very, very good side\u2026. Obviously we\u2019ve been slightly short of our best but credit to them.\u201d
\nQuestions have been asked of England\u2019s preparations, selections and batting approach, and there were plenty more teachable moments from Saturday\u2019s play at Adelaide Oval.
\nTheir batters seemed determined to squander the rare periods when they could reasonably be judged to be on top of the Australian attack.
\nThey needed at least one, and preferably two, to stand up like Travis Head who put on 170, nearly half Australia\u2019s second-innings total of 349, to effectively bat England out of the game.
\nInstead, they were prey for Australia skipper Cummins, who took three top-order wickets andextracted gold from a still-firm pitch that proved unyielding, initially, for others.
\nIn his first test since July, coming off a back injury, Cummins became the second test captain to take 150 wickets, joining Pakistan\u2019s Imran Khan (187).
\nKeeping the champagne on ice
\nEngland\u2019s Ben Duckett was first to go, taking a half-hearted push at a nagging ball and sending an edge flying chest-high to Marnus Labuschagne in the slips.
\nThe shot was neither Bazball aggression nor stout defence, something meekly in between.
\nNumber three Ollie Pope fell for 17 in a similar vein, nicking off to the slips with a more hard-handed prod and watching in disbelief as Labuschagne dived forward to take a one-hander just above the grass.
\nLabuschagne raced around the wicket in open-mouthed celebration, and England were 31 for two.
\nAnother collapse beckoned but Crawley (85) and Joe Root (39) dug in until just after tea.
\nRoot was lucky not to be dismissed lbw when he failed to play a shot at the part-time spin of Head, only to be caught-behind off Cummins moments later, playing at a ball he should have left.
\nIt was Cummins\u2019 13th dismissal of England\u2019s master batter, the most by any bowler.
\nRoot slapped his bat in frustration but his was a misdemeanour compared to the batting crime committed by Harry Brook, who was bowled for 30 by Nathan Lyon with a botched reverse sweep.
\nLyon followed up by bowling captain Ben Stokes for five with a ball that pitched, straightened and crashed into middle and off-stump.
\nThe collapse gathered pace as Crawley lumbered forward at Lyon, misjudged the flight and was gleefully stumped by the clinical Alex Carey.
\nHe had batted well for his 85 to that point but his wicket came as the pressure rose, leaving England needing a miracle from Jacks and Smith. Each has struggled for runs when their team has been crying out for them.
\nAustralia will keep the champagne on ice until victory is complete.
\n\u201cWe want to keep working hard and probably not look too far ahead,\u201d said Carey, who singled out Lyon for praise.
\n\u201cI just thought Nathan was bowling really well and kept putting lots of energy on the ball. He toiled away all day and finally got some reward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Adelaide Pat Cummins skittled England\u2019s top order and Nathan Lyon spun out their soft underbelly to all but seal another Ashes series victory for Australia on day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps, still […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-521216","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n