Australia retains the Ashes in stunning fashion

2 years ago 336

Australia has retained the Ashes, claiming an unassailable 3-0 bid pb with 2 matches inactive to play.

The Aussies shocked England to triumph by an innings and 14 runs astatine the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ending it successful little than 2 and a fractional days.

Scott Boland took six wickets successful the 2nd innings connected Test debut.

FULL RECAP: Re-live the 3rd Ashes Test successful our play-by-play blog here

England began the time trailing by 51 runs, having enactment themselves successful the lucifer but past mislaid 4-22 by stumps connected Day 2 successful a disastrous last hr of play.

Boland snags the England skipper

Joe Root and Ben Stokes started Day 3 looking promising, sending a fig of classy drives to the bound rope.

But Stokes fell with the people past 5-46, kickstarting an avalanche of wickets that saw England bowled retired for 68 earlier the archetypal drinks break, 14 runs abbreviated of making Australia bat again.

In immoderate benignant of beauteous sporting poetry, Boland past received the Mullagh Medal for antheral of the lucifer honours successful the Boxing Day Test.

The medal made its debut past year, with India's Ajinkya Rahane winning the inaugural offering.

The grant is to commemorate trailblazing Aboriginal cricketer Johnny Mullagh, who toured England with an indigenous Australian squad successful 1868. Mullagh was inducted into the Australian cricket hallway of fame past year.

Scott Boland of Australia poses with the Johnny Mullagh Medal aft winning and retaining the Ashes. (Getty)

Boland is the 4th Aboriginal idiosyncratic to correspond Australia successful Test cricket, and lone the 2nd antheral to bash truthful aft Jason Gillespie.

"A fewer of america went distant a mates of years agone to commemorate the circuit from 1868. We got to larn truthful overmuch astir that circuit and what went on," Boland said aft taking 6-7 successful his 4 overs of the 2nd innings.

"My household would beryllium precise proud, and I'm precise arrogant to triumph this award."

Boland was presented his baggy greenish by Josh Hazlewood connected Boxing Day, having been named arsenic a daze inclusion to marque his Test debut astatine his location venue successful Victoria.

"Obviously coming successful contiguous I thought we had a bully accidental of winning," helium said.

Boland bags another

"Obbiously I didn't deliberation it was going to hap that quickly.

"I recovered retired (I'd beryllium playing) connected Christmas eve, I got told astir 5.30pm and told immoderate household and friends. I've had heaps of enactment from friends and family, and teammates arsenic well.

"I thought it was going to beryllium truly tough. It's a large measurement up from thing other I've played before. I was hoping to marque a small spot of an impact."

The adjacent Ashes Test is owed to statesman connected January 5 successful Sydney.

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