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AUS win 5 - 0 AUS gains 27 points; ENG loses 21 points
Draw 2.5 - 2.5 ENGgains 18 points; AUS loses 17 points
ENG win 5 - 0 ENG gains 93 points; AUS loses 54 points
Brisbane
07 - 10 November 2002
England won the toss and elected to field first. The crucial first session of the series saw England relieve the pressure through continual fielding errors while the Australians carved the bowling apart and scored at five runs per over. Jones genuinely troubled the openers mid way through the session and then dismissed Langer (32) at 1 for 67. However, by lunch, Australia was well on top at 1 for 125 off 25 overs. England gave Hayden a life during the afternoon session while going wicket less. Adding to England's woes, Jones ruined his knee in a poor slide and will take no further part in the series. At tea, Hayden had reached his century and Australia was 1 for 233. During the evening session, England bowled Ponting (123) almost unexpectedly while Australia took their total to 2 for 364 with a tiring Hayden not out 186 and commentators talking of individual new batting records given the three lives England allowed him during the day.
The second morning showed that, despite the drubbing received on the first day, England in fact has the stomach for an Ashes battle. England suddenly found line and length and the wickets of Hayden (197), Martyn (26), Waugh (7) and Gilchrist (0). By lunch, England has won their first session and Australia was 6 for 429. During the afternoon session, England dismissed Australia for 492 after dismissing Lehmann (30), Bichel (0), Warne (57) and McGrath (0). Giles was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 101 off 29.2 overs. England then began their reply and by tea, England had reached 0 for 34 on their way towards their first target, to avoid the follow on at 293 runs. England lost Vaughan (33) during the evenings session, however, by stumps, England had won their third straight session and was 1 for 158.
Australia struck back during the third morning and dismissed Butcher (54) and Trescothick (72) early in the session. England then fought back and batted through to be 3 for 243 at lunch. After lunch, Australia reasserted their dominant position by bowling England out for 325 runs after Hussain (51), Stewart (0), White (12), Giles (13), Caddick (0) and Hoggard (0) were dismissed leaving Crawley not out on 69. England effectively lost six for 57 with Jones not batting due to the injury sustained on day one. McGrath was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 87 off 30 overs. Australia began adding to their 167 run first innings lead, but lost Langer (22) and Ponting (3) to be 2 for 40 before ending the day at 2 for 111 with an overall lead of 278 runs.
England began the fourth day needing to wind up the Australian innings to limit they final innings run chase. However, Hayden (103) secured his second century of the match before being dismissed at 3 for 192. Martyn (64) was also dismissed before Australia went to lunch at 4 for 231. The home side had a declaration in mind and went after quick runs after lunch. England dismissed Waugh (12) at 5 for 242 before Gilchrist (60*) and Lehmann (20*) took the total to 296 when the declaration came with four and a half sessions remaining. Caddick was the most successful bowler with 3 for 95 off 23 overs. England began their chase for an unlikely 464 runs for victory by losing both Vaughan (0) and Trescothick (1) to be 2 for 3 in the second over. Hussain and Butcher then saw the tourists through to be 2 for 31 at tea. England addedtwo runs after tea before disaster struck. Hussain (11), Crawley (0) and Stewart (0) all fell in the space of two runs in six minutes and England was 5 for 35. The inevitable followed with White (13), Giles (4), Butcher (40) and Caddick (4) being dismissed in the space of five overs. England was all out for 79, giving Australia victory by 384 runs. McGrath was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 36 off 12 overs.
Second Test
Adelaide
21 - 24 November 2002
England won the toss and elected to bat first. The English openers started slowly and benefited from two missed chances before Trescothick (35) edged onto his stumps at 1 for 88 At Lunch, England held a slight advantage at 1 for 94. England lost Key (1) soon after lunch and then batted through to be 2 for 201 at tea, having increased their advantage. Australia dismissed Hussain (47) and Vaughan (177) during the final session. At stumps, England had claimed the entire three sessions of play and turned the tables on the home side with the score 4 for 295.
England resumed on the second morning hoping to take their total toward 450 and put pressure on Australia. However, the Australia bowlers had other ideas and dismissed England?s remaining six batsmen for the addition of only 47 runs. Butcher (22) lead the procession with White (1), Dawson (6), Caddick (0), Stewart (29) and Hoggard (6) following at regular intervals. England was all out for 342 at lunch with Gillespie (4 for 78 off 26.5 overs) and Warne (4 for 93 off 34 overs) shared the bowling honours. Australia scored briskly after lunch at almost six runs per over. England slowed the home side down by dismissing Hayden (46) and Langer (48) before Australia went to tea at 2 for 125. Ponting and Martyn then batted through the evening session and at stumps, Australia was 2 for 247 with more work to do before they could claim the advantage.
England surrendered the advantage when they were unable to dismiss either batsman on the third morning. Ponting posted a century and at lunch, Australia was just one run behind England's first innings. England had better luck during the afternoon session. Once they dismissed Martyn (95) at 3 for 356, Ponting (154), Lehmann (5) and Waugh (34) followed. At tea, Australia was 6 for 440 with a lead of 98 runs. England needed to restrict the lead, however, Gilchrist was still at the crease. With Warne (25) and Bichel (48) to help, Gilchrist (54) added the killer blow yet again and took the total to 9 for 552 when his dismissal triggered the declaration with a first innings lead of 210 runs. White had been the most successful bowler with 4 for 106 off 28 overs. Australia then dismissed Trescothick (0), Butcher (4) and then Hussain (10) off the last ball of the day to have England in deep trouble at 3 for 36 at stumps.
Needing a long day of batting to avoid an innings defeat, England lost Key (1) in the third over of the morning at 4 for 40. A period of consolidation followed before Vaughan (41) was out jest before England went to lunch at 5 for 119. Rain showers delayed play after lunch and for short interruptions during the afternoon session. However, England was unable to bat long enough for the rain to help. White (5), Stewart (57), Hoggard (1), Harmison (0) and Dawson (19) all fell for the addition of only 40 more runs to hand victory to Australia by an innings and 51 runs. McGrath was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 41 off 17.2 overs.
Third Test
Perth
29 November - 1 December 2002
England won the toss and elected to bat first. England started solidly before Trescothick (34) was caught behind at 1 for 47. Australia then went on to run Butcher (9) out and catch Hussain (8) to claim the ascendancy at lunch when the score was 3 for 91. England slumped badly during the afternoon session when they lost Vaughan (34), Stewart (7), White (2), Tudor (0) and Key (47) to be 8 for 156 at tea. Australia finished the remaining two batsmen early in the evening session when Silverwood (10) and Harmison (6) were dismissed by Gillespie. England was all out for 185 with Lee the best of the bowlers with 3 for 78 off 20. The Australians began their reply in typical fashion, scoring at six runs per over. While England ran out Langer (19) and caught Hayden (30), Ponting and Martyn took the total to 2 for 126 at stumps with the deficit having been reduced to just 59 runs.
On the second morning, England desperately needed to run through the Australians to limit the potential first innings lead. England dismissed Ponting (68) before Australia cruised past England's first innings total. On the stroke of lunch, Lehmann (42) was caught and Australia was 4 for 226. During the afternoon session it was a case of another session, another two wickets for England as they dismissed Martyn (71) and Gilchrist (38) while Australia extended their lead by another 121 runs to be 6 for 347 at tea. The evening session saw England finally get wickets to tumble quickly, but not before the home side added another 109 runs to be all out for 456. Waugh (51) fell straight after tea at 7 for 348 followed by Warne (35), Lee (41) and Gillespie (27). White was the best of the bowlers with 5 for 127 off 23.1 overs. England then began the task of erasing the 271 run deficit by losing Trescothick (4) and then finishing the day at 1 for 33.
On the third day, England needed to occupy the crease for as long as possible and erase the deficit. Instead, it all went horribly wrong. Nightwatchman Dawson (8) was caught at 2 for 34, then Vaughan (9) was stupidly run out and Butcher (0) was trapped in front and England was 4 for 34. England was given a reprieve when Warne dropped Hussain at first slip off the next ball, however, in reality it was already all over. Despite the crippling blow, England fought throughout the day to avoid an innings defeat. Key (23) was next out at 5 for 102, then Hussain (61) at 6 for 169. Stewart (66*) batted through the day with the tail and took the total to 206 before White (15) was stumped. Tudor retired hurt on 3 after ducking into a Lee thunderbolt and having the ball get in between the visor and cage on his helmet and cutting his eye brow. With Silverwood also injured and unable to bat, the last man out was Harmison (5) at 8 for 223, giving Australia victory in three days by an innings and 48 runs and the ashes for the eighth time in succession.
Fourth Test
Melbourne
26 - 30 December 2002
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. England was unable to break through during the morning session and at lunch, Australia was 88 without loss and already controlling the match. England dismissed Hayden (102) after the batsmen had scored at better than six runs per over during the afternoon session. Later, Langer posted his hundred with a six and when Ponting (21) fell at tea, Australia had added 147 runs to be 2 for 235. England was only able to dismiss Martyn (17) during the evening session and at stumps, Australia was in complete control at 3 for 356.
England was able to slow the run rate on the second morning and dismissed Waugh (77) before Australia cruised to lunch without losing another wicket. Langer passed two hundred after lunch and finally fell for an even 250 at 5 for 545. With 20 minutes to play before tea, Australia declared on the fall of Gilchrist (1) at 6 for 551 leaving debutant Love not out on 62. White was the most successful of the bowlers with 3 for 133 off 33 overs. England's hopes of reaching 352 to avoid following on nose dived when Vaughan (11) fell at 1 for 13. Trescothick (37) was out at 2 for 73 and then shortly before stumps, Butcher (25) was out and England finished the day at 3 for 97, still needing a further 255 to reach the follow on target.
England could not resist the pressure from the Australian attack on the third morning and collapsed, losing four wickets before lunch while adding only 88 runs. Nightwatchman Dawson (6), Key (0) and Hussain (24) fell early as England stumbled to 6 for 118. After a short revival, Crawley (17) fell and at lunch, England was 7 for 172. While avoiding the follow on looked impossible, the final three wickets took most of the afternoon session as White clawed his way toward a century. However, Foster (19), Caddick (17) and Harmison (2) were unable to hang around long enough and White was left stranded on 85 not out. England was all out for 270, 82 runs short of the follow on target, while Gillespie was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 25 off 16.3 overs. During the early tea break, Waugh eventually enforced the follow on, despite concerns about the bowlers being able to back up for the fifth Test in only five more days. Australia dismissed Trescothick (37) and Butcher (6) during the evening session and at stumps, England was not entirely out of contention at 2 for 111, still needing another 171 runs to force the home side to bat again.
England fought back throughout the fourth day. The Australians only managed to dismiss Hussain (23) during the morning session while Vaughan posted his sixth Test century for 2002 and England added 110 runs to go to lunch at 3 for 221. England continued to claw itself back into contention through the afternoon with the prospect of setting a challenging final innings target for the home team increasing. However, once Vaughan (145) was out at 4 for 236 and, after erasing the deficit, Key (55) at 5 for 287, England?s hopes began to fade again. At tea, England was 5 for 326 and desperately needed to bat through until lunch on day five to have any chance of avoiding defeat for the first time in the series. Australia piled on the pressure after tea despite the increasing appearance of a ragged attack and McGrath being off the field to be treated for a side strain. Upon reaching 342 runs, England?s chances evaporated as both Crawley (33) and White (21) fell with Foster (6) being dismissed 14 runs later at 8 for 356. Eventually, Caddick (10) and Harmison (7) were dismissed leaving Dawson not out on 15 from an innings total of 387 runs. MacGill was the most successful bowler with 5 for 152 from 48 overs. Needing 107 runs for victory, Australia faced two overs before stumps and was 0 for 8.
England's slender hopes of victory rose after Hayden (1) was caught off the first ball of the fifth morning. Ponting breezed to 30 and took the home side past the halfway mark in the run chase before he was caught at 2 for 58. Suddenly, Martyn (0) was out at 3 for 58 and Waugh (14) was out at 4 for 83. With the Barmy Army in full cry the tourists hopes were rising when Langer (24) was out at 5 for 90. However, England's chances were severely hampered by the 22 runs conceded from sundries and Gilchrist (10*) and Love (6*) saw the Australians home for a victory by five wickets.
Fifth Test
Sydney
2 - 6 January 2003
England won the toss and elected to bat first. Australia broke through early and dismissed Vaughan (0) and Trescothick (19) to have England 2 for 32. However, Australia dropped two chances and Butcher and Hussain batted through to lunch when the score was 2 for 79 with the honours even. After yet another catch was dropped, the tourists took control of the match and batted through to tea without losing a wicket while taking the total to 150 runs. Australia struck back during the evening session and dismissed Hussain (75) at 3 for 198 before Butcher posted his sixth Test century. By stumps, the wickets of Key (3) and Butcher (124) had fallen and the match was again evenly poised with England 5 for 264.
England resumed on the second morning and again began to take control of the match. The tourists batted for almost the entire session and took the total to 332 runs before Stewart (71) was bowled. Dawson (2) was then caught and at lunch, England was 7 for 341. Australia quickly wound up the innings after lunch by dismissing Caddick (7), Hoggard (0) and Harmison (4) to have England all out for an imposing 362 runs. Bichel was the most successful bowler with 3 for 86 off 21 overs. As is their custom, Australia came out and blazed away at the bowling, scoring at over five runs per over. However, Caddick dismissed Hayden (15), Ponting (7) and Langer (25) and while the run rate was still high, the Australians were 3 for 56 and thoughts turned to follow on targets for the first time in a long time. Enter Stephen Rodger Waugh in his more accustomed role at three for bugger-all and suddenly, he looked very good. At tea, the score had moved to 3 for 67. During the afternoon session Martyn (26) and Love (0) were dismissed while Waugh passed 5,000 Test runs in Australia, 10,000 Test runs in total and, off the last ball of the day, he posted his 29th Test hundred to equal the number made by Sir Donald Bradman in only 52 Tests. At stumps, England was still on top at 5 for 237.
England struck in the second over of the third morning to remove Waugh (102) at 6 for 241. Later in the session, England also dismissed Bichel (4) and Lee (0) while Gilchrist passed his century. At lunch, England retained a slight edge in the match with a 28 run lead with Australia 8 for 336. Shortly after play resumed, England dismissed Gilchrist (133) and MacGill (1) leaving Gillespie not out on 31 in an innings of 363, giving the home side a one run first innings lead. Hoggard was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 92 off 21.3 overs. England lost Trescothick (22) at 1 for 37 before batting through to tea to be 1 for 92. England reasserted their advantage during the evening session and ended the day at 2 for 218 after losing Butcher (34) while Vaughan posted his third century for the series.
Australia desperately needed to break through and limit England's lead on the fourth morning. However, England took a firm grasp on the match and it was not until the last ball before lunch that Australia dismissed Hussain (72) at 3 for 313. England's inevitable collapse occurred with the score was 3 for 344 when Key (14), Vaughan (183), Crawley (8) and Dawson (12) fell in the space of 34 runs to leave England 8 for 378 before they went to tea at 7 for 386 England then lost Caddick (8) and Hoggard (0) before declaring at 9 for 452 leaving Stewart not out on 387 and Harmison on 20. Lee (3 for 132 off 31.3 overs) and MacGill (3 for 120 off 41 overs) shared the bowling honours. Australia began their 451 run chase for victory badly, losing Langer (3) and Hayden (2) at 2 for 5 and then Ponting (11) at 3 for 25 before debutant number three Bichel (49*) and Martyn (19*) saw Australia to stumps at 3 for 89. For victory, Australia require a further 363 runs while England need seven wickets on the final day.
England destroyed any chance Australia had on the final morning by dismissing Bichel (49), Waugh (6), Martyn (21), Love (27) while the home side added 104 runs. At lunch, Australia was on the verge of defeat at 7 for 193. Soon after lunch, Gilchrist (37), Lee (46) and MacGill (1) were out. Australia was dismissed for 226 runs with Caddick the best of the bowlers with 7 for 94 off 22 overs for England to claim victory by 225 runs.
