England vs. Australia, 5th Test, Day 4: Visitors Take Resounding Victory

The fifth Ashes Test between England and Australia finished with a comfortable win by an innings and 46 runs for the away side, who did not let the rain delay affect them.

In spite of three hours off the field for bad weather, in the end the Australians did well to take the final four wickets and ensure they earned the victory.

It does not affect the outcome of the series, as England won 3-2 to regain The Ashes, but it was certainly a welcome boost for the away side ahead of their future challenges.

And with Chris Rogers and Michael Clarke retiring, it was a good way to end their international careers, albeit in a series defeat.

There will soon follow more limited-overs cricket between England and Australia, but before then let’s take a look back at the fourth day of the fifth Test.

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Peter Siddle shows folly of previous exclusions

The selection of Peter Siddle for this Test having been out of the side for so long led to some criticism, in particular from former Australian spinner Shane Warne.

However, over the course of this game he has proven his doubters wrong, and he was crucial in helping the visitors wrap up the victory on the fourth day.

First, he ended Mark Wood’s resistance by trapping him leg-before wicket, a handy wicket given that Wood is useful with the bat.

Then after the break for rain, and having seen Mitchell Marsh remove Jos Buttler, he got Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali in quick succession to secure the win.

It meant Siddle finished with figures of 4-35 from 24.4 overs, having looked very impressive all game.

He may never play for Australia again after this game, but it showed that he remains a force in international cricket and still has something to offer.

It also begs the question of why the selectors persisted in leaving him out so long in the first place, especially when he so enjoys English conditions.

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Is Moeen Ali batting too low?

On the fourth day, as wickets fell all around him, Moeen Ali once again looked good with the bat as he made 35 from 57 before flashing at a wide one from Siddle and being caught.

It was an innings that once again showed his obvious quality, especially as he hit several flashing boundaries through the covers that looked almost effortless.

However, Ali is hampered by the fact that he largely bats with tailenders only, especially as he joined the fray at No. 9 and had very little chance to make an impact.

He is clearly talented with the bat, perhaps more so than with the ball, so it seems like he would benefit from moving up the order and having more chances to score runs.

Perhaps he could even be an opening batsman in international cricket, but that will be a discussion for another day, especially with more games against Australia to come soon.

Unfortunately, his chance to shine was all too brief, but it showed he has the ability in the top levels of the game.

Rain not enough to save England

For almost three hours, the players were forced from the field by persistent rain that threatened to ruin the entire day.

With further bad weather forecast for Monday, it seemed improbable but somewhat likely that England could be saved from a certain crushing defeat.

Unfortunately for the home side, it was not to be as they returned to the field at 3 p.m. local time and were quickly dispatched by Australia.

It was a sad end to the series for the Ashes victors, who will be delighted to regain The Ashes but disappointed to do so after such a heavy defeat.