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England Breaks 5,000-Day Drought With Thrilling MCG Ashes Victory

England secured a dramatic four-wicket victory in the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG, ending a winless streak in Australia that spanned over 5,000 days and 19 matches. The chaotic two-day Test saw records fall, including a massive Day 2 crowd of over 92,000 and Josh Tongue achieving the best bowling strike rate for an England bowler in Australia. Australia's Alex Carey also passed 750 Test runs for the calendar year, while Mitchell Starc took his series tally to 26 wickets. The win, fueled by key performances from Zak Crawley and a collective bowling effort, gives England a consolation victory with the series already lost at 3-1.

Key Points: England Ends Australia Winless Streak in Dramatic 4th Ashes Test

  • 5,000+ day winless streak ends
  • 92,045 fans on Day 2
  • Josh Tongue's record strike rate
  • Mitchell Starc's 26 Ashes wickets
4 min read

Ashes: A look at records during fourth Test at MCG

England wins a two-day Boxing Day Test at the MCG, ending a 19-match, 5,000+ day winless streak in Australia. Records shattered in a chaotic Ashes clash.

"It took 19 matches for England to win a match in Australia. - cricket.com.au"

Melbourne, December 27

The Ben Stokes-led England registered a memorable four-wicket win against Australia in the fourth Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. The visitors registered their first victory on the tour as the five-match series now stands at 3-1, with Australia already having pocketed the Ashes.

The two-day Boxing Day Test in Melbourne saw several records shattered or achieved, according to cricket.com.au.

Over 92 thousand (92,045) - the crowd attendance on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and England was second only to the Day 1 crowd of 94,199 for the largest attended day of cricket at the MCG venue.

Over 5 thousand (5,468) - England registered their first victory in more than 5,000 days on Australian soil in the longest format. During the 2011 tour, the Three Lions registered their last win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

More than 750 runs (767) - Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey made 767 runs in Tests. It is Carey's 12th-most for a keeper-batter in a calendar year and the best since Niroshan Dickwella's (Sri Lanka) 773 in 2017.

Just 29.5 overs England lasted in their first innings. It is also the third time the Three Lions have been dismissed inside 30 overs in Australia since 1904.

A strike rate of 28.1 - England speedster Josh Tongue's strike rate from his two tests this series is the best bowling strike rate for an England bowler in Australia (minimum 300 balls bowled).

More than 25 wickets (26) - Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has taken 26 wickets in the ongoing Ashes. The left-arm seamer went past the 24 scalps he took in the 2016 series in Sri Lanka.

19 matches to end winless drought in Australia - It took 19 matches for England to win a match in Australia. After winning the final Test of the 2010-11 Ashes, England suffered a 5-0 whitewash in 2013-14, a 4-0 defeat in 2017-18 and another 4-0 loss in 2021-22 and a 3-0 deficit in this series, before winning the fourth Test of the 2025-26 series, which ended their winless streak.

Four matches ended in two days in Australia - there have been four two-day men's Test matches completed in Australia so far. Interestingly, two have come in these Ashes: first in Perth and now in Melbourne.

Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to bowl first. Josh Tongue (5/45) took England's first-ever Boxing Day Test five-wicket haul at the MCG, as Australia were skittled out for 152 runs in 45.2 overs, with Michael Neser (35 in 49 balls, with seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 in 52 balls, with two fours) being the top scorers for Australia.

However, England were bundled out for 110 in 29.5 overs in their first innings, with Harry Brook (41 in 34 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Gus Atkinson (28 in 35 balls, with three fours and a six).

A mix of England's 'Bazball' approach failing yet again and the pitch being absolutely unplayable for batters gave Neser (4/45) and hometown hero Scott Boland (3/30) easy wickets. England trailed by 42 runs.

In their second innings, Australia failed to make an impact, once again highlighting the pitch's venomous, treacherous nature. Only Travis Head (46 in 67 balls, with four boundaries) and Steve Smith (24* in 39 balls, with a four) crossed the 20-run mark as England bundled them out for just 132 runs in 34.3 overs.

Aussies led by 174 runs, setting an easy 175 to win for England. Brydon Carse (4/34) and skipper Ben Stokes (3/24) were the top bowlers for England.

In the run chase, England started well with a half-century stand between Zak Crawley (37 in 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Ben Duckett (34 in 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and a 47-run stand for the third wicket between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 in 46 balls, with five fours).

Australia did fight back a bit, reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, but the pair of Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) guided their team to a memorable win.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in Melbourne, the atmosphere was electric! But honestly, a two-day Test? The pitch seemed like a minefield. While it makes for exciting, quick results, it feels a bit unfair to the batters and the fans who pay for five days of cricket. The quality of the contest suffers.
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Vikram M
Josh Tongue and Mitchell Starc's stats are the real story here. Starc crossing his own record and Tongue having the best strike rate for an English bowler in Australia – that's serious fast bowling pedigree on display. Pitches might have helped, but you still have to put the ball in the right areas. Brilliant!
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Priya S
Happy for England and Ben Stokes, he's a warrior. But let's be real, the Ashes are already lost 3-1. This is just a consolation win. The bigger concern is these two-day Tests. If this becomes a trend, it's bad for Test cricket's future. We need balanced pitches that test all skills, not just survival.
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Rohit P
Alex Carey with 767 runs in the year is a solid effort from a keeper! Often their batting gets overlooked. And England's first innings lasting less than 30 overs... that's a proper collapse, Bazball or no Bazball. Shows how tough Australian conditions can be, even for the best.
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Michael C
From an Indian perspective, it's fascinating to watch. We often struggle in SENA countries too. This England win, against all odds on a tough pitch, is the kind of gritty performance we love to see. It keeps the series narrative alive for the final Test

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