Brittle England follow Australia again as 20 wickets tumble on a frenzied first day in the Melbourne Ashes Test

Chaos reigned in front of a record Ashes crowd as Australia got the better of England in Boxing Day madness at the MCG.

Any sense that Melbourne’s unassailable 3-0 lead would turn Melbourne’s big match into a lame duck event was dispelled as 94,199 fans poured through the gates, the most this famous ground has ever seen and a new high for the sport’s most historic rivalry.

What followed was a 20-wicket frenzy, with both attacks cashing in on a devilish delivery that offered sumptuous movement and unleashed the technique of almost anyone who tried their luck.

Remarkably, it would have been 21 if there had been a difficult chance from night watchman Scott Boland in the final.

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AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND FOURTH TEST DAY ONE SCORECARD

Rapid fire combat

But as usual it was Australia who finished on top, with a score of 152 before England were bowled over in response for 110. They led by 46 at the end.

Harry Brook’s quick 41 and Michael Neser’s 35 were the top scores as the match descended into a fast-paced shootout.

England, already defeated in the series and facing questions about their preparation, training methods and drinking habits, took the first step when they tackled the hosts in 46 overs.

Josh Tongue led the way with a high class five-for and there was a huge improvement in the level of their fielding, with an immaculate catch and the rare sight of a direct goal from Brydon Carse.

But Australia did not shy away from the challenge, crushing England’s feeble attempt at resistance on a disorienting day of non-stop action that barely gave the battered stands a moment’s breath.

Drama

Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to take advantage of the inviting conditions first, with Gus Atkinson starting the heavy rotation at the crease when he bowled Travis Head through under-edge in the seventh over.

Tongue replaced Carse after his wasteful work with the new ball and immediately made himself known by swinging his second ball around Jake Weatherald’s front pad, brushing a thin edge along the way.

He fielded Marnus Labuschagne next, with Joe Root taking the nick after a narrow escape from the previous delivery.

Steve Smith looked in characteristically barren mood as he tried to restore order, but his middle stump was detonated by a beauty as Tongue fired one full and sent him back hard.

Smith rarely gets knocked out of the gate, an early indication of the drama to come.

Improvements

From 72 for four at lunch, Australia lost their last six wickets for 80 in the afternoon session.

Usman Khawaja made 29 before teeing up Atkinson and Stokes was pleased to see Alex Carey set up a leg-slip trap just seconds after it was set up.

A stand of 52 for the seventh wicket kept England hanging but was ended when all-rounder Cameron Green hesitated under pressure in pursuit of a risky single.

Carse gathered his own bowling and bowled down the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with England’s much-criticized ground fielding finally getting it right.

The improvements kept coming, Stokes making good ground to catch Mitchell Starc and Tongue removing Neser and Boland with successive balls to end their battle against the tail.

Turbulous

For a moment, they seemed to have found their fighting spirit, but that all changed once they began their own attempts to tame a cunning spur.

England had a great chance of progressing but completely failed to pass the exam. Incredibly, they were four down with just 16 runs in eight overs.

Ben Duckett’s turbulent time in the spotlight continued as he spooned Starc into center and lowered his dreadful tour average to 14.14, before Jacob Bethell briefly reappeared at number three.

Called on to replace the disheveled Ollie Pope, he lasted all five balls before being so badly bamboozled that he could have been caught taking a cracker from Neser.

A devilish attitude

Zak Crawley and Root both tried to slip, the latter for a duck, with Smith’s hands as reliable as ever.

Brook conjured up a manic counter-attack, charging furiously at his first ball from Starc and hitting fresh air, only to advance four more times in the next 14 deliveries.

His devilish attitude earned him two sixes, two fours and 41 runs, but it was short-lived as Boland spelled him clean in front.

Boland tore through Jamie Smith and Will Jacks, Neser got Stokes for sixteen and the tailenders took the total into three figures just before the finishing touches were added.

England had failed to cross the thirty mark, a capitulation worth despairing even in the present situation.

After being six balls too late to strike another strike, Atkinson found Boland’s lead and Bethell had a hard low chance.

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