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| Australia on brink of Ashes sweep 6:19 PM January 4 England was left facing the prospect of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash after limping to 5 for 114 at stumps, leading Australia by just 12 runs, on the third day of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Kevin Pietersen (29 not out) and nightwatchman Monty Panesar (0) were left with a near-impossible task to stave off defeat after Australia ripped through the England batting after tea. The nadir came in the penultimate over of the day when captain Andrew Flintoff was stumped for 7 after being judged out of his ground by the slenderest of margins as he played forward to Shane Warne. But Alastair Cook (4); Andrew Strauss (24); Ian Bell (28), and Paul Collingwood (17) had all failed to fire as Australia closed in on what will be the first five-Test Ashes series whitewash since 1920/21. The Australians were buoyed by a bravura batting performance from Warne, who earlier top-scored with 71 as Australia piled up 393 all out just before tea to take a first-innings lead of 102 runs. Brett Lee (2-34) and Stuart Clark (2-29) then combined to keep Australia in the driver's seat. Lee started the rout in just the third over of the innings when he had Cook caught behind. Clark trapped Strauss, before Lee and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist combined again to remove Bell. Collingwood and Pietersen added 34 runs for the fourth wicket before Collingwood edged a catch to a diving Matthew Hayden in the gully to make it 4 for 98. Australian inningsEarlier Warne thrilled the SCG crowd with an innings of 71 from just 65 balls that included nine fours and two sixes, but ultimately ran out of partners as he aimed to post his maiden Test century in his final match. Unless he scores an unlikely ton in the second innings, he will go down in the record books as the player to score the most Test runs without ever passing 100. The champion leg spinner combined with number 10 Clark (35) for an enterprising 68-run tailend stand. But soon after Clark was out caught attempting to hook, Warne was stumped off the bowling of Monty Panesar attempting to reach three figures before the final wicket was taken. Earlier, in one of the most entertaining sessions of the series, the home side scored 137 for the loss of three wickets in the morning after resuming the day on 4 for 188. England got off to the best possible start, removing Mike Hussey before he could add to his overnight total of 37, caught behind off the bowling of James Anderson. Andrew Symonds (48) and Gilchrist (62) then combined for a valuable 70-run stand before Symonds was clean bowled playing a rash shot to Monty Panesar. Attempting a slog over the mid-wicket boundary, the Queenslander saw his stumps rattled when beaten in flight by Panesar's looping delivery. With scores of 0, 64, 0, 102 not out and 1 Gilchrist has enjoyed a hit and miss series this summer, but he hit out spectacularly today, belting seven fours in a typically belligerent knock. It took a poor umpiring decision to finally remove him from the crease, umpire Billy Bowden adjudging him caught behind when replays showed he clearly missed the ball. Anderson was the best of the bowlers for England this morning, taking his innings figures to 3 for 75, while Panesar's wicket gave him 1 for 81. Source: ABC | |