Third Ashes Test, Adelaide Oval (day four of five)
Australia 371: Carey 106; Archer 5-53 & 349: Head 170; Language 4-70
England 286: Stokes 83; Boland 3-45 & 207-6: Crowley 85; Cummins 3-24
Australia need four wickets to retain the Ashes
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England are on the brink of Ashes series defeat after Australia's Nathan Lyon broke their resistance late on day four of the third Test in Adelaide.
Lyon, off-spin, removed Harry Brook's reverse sweep, bowled Ben Stokes and, crucially, stumped Zak Crawley to move the home team within striking distance of the urn.
Crawley scored an impressive 85, but when he was lured by a wild Lyon side, England were left at 194-6 chasing a target of 435.
Australia return on Sunday needing four more wickets to go 3-0 up after three Tests, retain the Ashes after just 11 days of cricket and win a fourth straight home series against England.
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Lyon's intervention – England lost three wickets for 17 runs in six overs – came after the tourists finally showed a willingness to adapt their batting methods.
It was an acknowledgment of the situation and the realization that some players, including Crowley, were fighting for their futures and reputations.
After Stokes returned to bowl seven overs from the start, the tourists took the last six Australian wickets for 38 runs to dismiss the hosts for 349 in the second innings.
Travis Head was ultimately eliminated with a score of 170 and Alex Carey with a 72. Josh Tong finished with a 4-70 and Braydon Carse with a 3-80.
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A four-day finish looked likely when Ben Duckett was dropped in the first over of England's chase and Ollie Pope is in grave danger of being ruled out of the fourth Test after falling for 17.
Then came Crowley's show of defiance, which brought an end to Lyon's genius.
Too little, too late
Is England's approach on this fourth day in Adelaide a welcome revelation that their previous over-aggression was misplaced, or a disappointing revelation that they were always capable of playing this way?
And even when England used the orthodox method of Test batting, they eventually succumbed to the ruthless Australians.
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Duckett's dip in form is alarming – the opener has his highest score in the series with 29.
Pope may have felt unlucky for his breathtaking one-handed catch on Marnus Labuschagne at second slip, but it was another setback against Australia.
Pope played 16 Ashes innings and averaged 17.62. Only one other England international since 1900 – Dennis Amis – played as many Ashes top-six caps and posted a lower average.
Crawley, Joe Root and Brook all used the reverse move successfully against Lyon until Brook lost. Despite the logic of the blow, it looked ugly and was aggravated by the subsequent one.
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As the total Test attendance topped 200,000 – a record for the Adelaide Oval – showman Lyon held the waiting crowd in the palm of his hand.
Jamie Smith and Will Jacks somehow made it to the end, delaying the inevitable.
Creeping Crowley
Several England players are struggling to complete the series, let alone take part in the recovery from the Ashes. Crowley, who had so often come under scrutiny from the top of the order, included himself in the conversation to become part of England's future.
At 31-2, England's capitulation was the sensible decision, but Crawley dealt the cruelest blow of his 62-Test career.
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Kent added 78 for Root, followed by 68 for Brook. He went well and defended well. The 102 balls he scored to pass 50 was the second slowest half-century of his Test career.
Pat Cummins completed the decider after tea and Root was behind. This is the 13th time an Australia captain has dismissed a Yorkshireman in Test cricket – no other bowler has done it so often. Root screamed in frustration as he headed to 39th.
Barring an attempted catch from Scott Boland, Brook backed up his alert 45 in the first innings with a cautious 30 from 56 balls. Lyon struggled on the turning pitch until Brook's gift arrived and, as valid as the shot was, the sending off is sure to draw criticism.
This opened the door for the Australian and Crawley's departure was a hammer blow.
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England's fight starts with the ball
When Australia resumed on 271-4, England could face two sessions on the field as the home side piled up runs at will. On the contrary, the fight that the tourists showed early on Saturday morning deserves praise.
There were concerns about Stokes' fitness when he did not bowl on the third day and the captain immediately took the ball on the fourth morning.
While Stokes was tight, Carse conceded 26 runs from three overs and fell to Tong, who tempted Head to slip Crawley at deep square leg.
After Stokes had Carey caught in a tricky catch and Tong found edge off Josh Inglis, England surged ahead with the second new ball.
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Carse caught Cummins at slip and Lyon lbw in successive passes before Jofra Archer did well to keep Boland in his finish.
