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Six Australia wickets fall as England fight back in 4th Ashes Test / Photo: © AFP
Six Australia wickets fall as England fight back in 4th Ashes Test
A pumped-up England grabbed six wickets before lunch to stay in the hunt on another chaotic day at the fourth Ashes Test Saturday as a fragile Australia built a 140-run lead.
At the break on day two in front of another bumper crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the hosts were 98-6 with Steve Smith not out 16 and Cameron Green on six.
They lost nightwatchman Scott Boland (6), Jake Weatherald (5), Marnus Labuschagne (8), and Travis Head (46), Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) in the session with England down a bowler after pace spearhead Gus Atkinson hobbled off.
Australia resumed on 4-0 after an explosive opening day of searing pace saw 20 wickets fall with the hosts dismissed for 152 and England just 110.
It was the most wickets to tumble on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, and eclipsed the 19 on day one of the series opener in Perth.
With 10 millimetres of grass on the track it was a bowler's dream, but a series of former greats criticised the pitch for "doing too much" and being "unfair for the batters".
Boland began on four with Head yet to score after they negotiated a single over before stumps on Friday.
Head got going with a boundary off Atkinson and Boland added two, but his time was always going to be limited and he edged Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Atkinson left the field soon after clutching what appeared to be his left hamstring.
Josh Tongue came into the attack on a hat-trick after bagging the last two Australia wickets on day one, but Weatherald whipped his full ball for three.
Weatherald needed a decent knock to cement his spot at the top of the order, but he failed again, bowled by Ben Stokes for five leaving a delivery that nipped back.
Head, who was dropped on 26 by Will Jacks, was joined by Labuschagne but he only made eight, caught by Joe Root in the slips off Tongue.
Despite living dangerously, Head was in good touch before being bowled by a peach of a delivery from Carse that beat the outside edge.
And when Khawaja and Carey were removed by Tongue and Carse respectively in the space of nine balls, the momentum was back with England.
Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide.
S. Sokolow--BTZ
