Australia need only 99 runs to claim victory

ALTHOUGH Michael Vaughan was understandably delighted to finish the year on a high with his sixth century to help England record their highest total of the series of 387, once again his efforts were not enough to influence the result against a powerful Australian side.

Even without the injured Shane Warne and with Glenn McGrath absent for most of the day with a minor back complaint, Vaughan and England could not bat for long enough to put sufficient pressure on Australia, who need only 99 runs for victory today after reaching eight without loss at the close of the fourth day having enforced the follow on 281 runs adrift on Saturday.

Resuming 170 runs adrift on 111 for two, Vaughan dominated from the start of play by demonstrating a full range of attacking strokes, but fell with England only 45 runs from parity.

Once he departed, brilliantly caught at slip by Martin Love as he tried to late cut leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, the England innings lost its impetus and despite a battling half-century from Robert Key and a determined two hours at the crease from John Crawley, the tourists lost their last five wickets for 45 runs in 16 overs.

“It was a bad shot and it was in a period when we were only 50 runs or so away from their target,” explained Vaughan.

For all Vaughan’s disappointment, though, just to emerge as the outstanding batsman of the year is achievement enough and his influence inspired England to their best batting display of the tour.

From the moment he drove MacGill for four from his first scoring shot, Vaughan looked to dominate and hit 15 boundaries today to help him race to three figures by scoring 36 off 21 balls to bring up his century off only 153 balls.

He hammered nine fours during the morning session, most of which were off leg-spinner MacGill, who conceded 39 in only seven overs and put pressure on the Australian attack for nearly the first time in the series.

Once Vaughan fell having occupied the crease for nearly five hours, Key took up his mantle and provided his most convincing performance of the series but having reached his first half-century of the series, fell to the seventh delivery with the new ball when he edged Jason Gillespie to Ricky Ponting at slip.

England’s demise only really began with the loss of Crawley for a determined 33 spanning over two hours at the crease when he chopped Brett Lee onto his stumps after sharing a 55-run partnership with Craig White spanning 23 overs.

White followed in the next over when he attempted to cut MacGill and edged behind and the Australian leg-spinner claimed his fourth wicket of the innings when Foster played an almost identical shot and was superbly caught by Love at slip.

England’s last two wickets fell in three overs with MacGill claiming his fifth wicket by driving straight to cover before Steve Harmison was comprehensively bowled by Gillespie to complete the innings.