From Vince's run out at the Gabba to Smith and Marsh's partnership at the WACA...
Monday 8 January 2018 08:16, UK
Australia have regained the Ashes with a 4-0 series win, following victories in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney.
After their 3-2 defeat in England in 2015, Steve Smith's side claimed back the urn with a comprehensive victory by an innings and 41 runs at the WACA, handing them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series before the fourth and fifth Tests at Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
England showed some fight in Melbourne with Alastair Cook's unbeaten 244 and a docile pitch at the MCG helping them avoid a series whitewash with a draw, but normal service was resumed at the SCG with the hosts finishing the series with victory by an innings and 123 runs.
But which moments were key to Australia securing their second straight Ashes triumph on home soil by the end of the third Test? We've picked out six below...
Much was made of England's so-called newcomers to their batting line-up in the build-up to the Ashes, but it was Mark Stoneman and James Vince who battled hard to build a solid platform for the tourists on the opening morning of the series at the Gabba - after the early loss of Alastair Cook, the pair went on to share a second-wicket stand of 125 before Stoneman was bowled by Pat Cummins for 53.
Vince continued to bat resolutely and the England No 3, who had failed to score more than 42 in his previous seven matches, reached his maiden Test fifty from 106 balls. But with a century in sight and England looking to capitalise on an excellent start, the Hampshire star fell 17 short of three figures, run out by a superb direct hit from Nathan Lyon - Australia's key man in the pre-series verbals .
England finished day one of the series with a solid, if not spectacular, score of 196-4, but it could have been even better had Vince gone on to get a big total. As it turned out, England could only add another 106 runs on day two and it proved, in the end, not to be enough.
Despite England not scoring enough runs in their first innings at the Gabba, they did have an opportunity of a first-innings lead. On day three, Australia were reduced to 209-7 - still trailing by 93 runs - and with a new ball in hand England had the hosts under pressure. However, James Anderson bowled just three overs with the new rock, while Stuart Broad did not resume after the lunch break as the pressure eased on Smith and his side.
Anderson and Broad - who have nearly 900 Test wickets between them - did not bowl for 40 minutes with Australia seven down, and there was speculation the former had picked up an injury. Was it an injury or a massive tactical error from Joe Root?
With the way England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker has gone on to bowl in this series it has been proved to be the latter with Smith, ably supported by No 9 Cummins, going on to complete what proved to be a match-winning century.
Root became the first captain to bowl first in a Test at the Adelaide Oval in 26 Tests since India captain Mohammad Azharuddin opted to take to the field first in 1992. It was certainly a gamble and the England captain received plenty of criticism after he opted to insert the Australians, especially after the hosts racked up 442-8 declared.
However, in helpful conditions the bowlers did not back up Root's decision with Anderson and Broad failing to get their lengths right. After conceding a huge first-innings lead, England fought back well with the ball in the second innings, but a record chase proved out of reach as the tourists slipped to a 120-run defeat.
Root and Dawid Malan were the pair that gave England hope of an improbable victory in Adelaide with a determined partnership of 78. Chasing a record 354 runs for victory, the pair were eyeing the close with England 169-3, but they suffered a huge setback when Cummins (1-29) struck to end Malan's 80-ball stay at the crease in the third-from-last over of the day.
England still had hopes with Root unbeaten on 67 heading into the final day, but they were crushed when Josh Hazlewood struck in the third over to dismiss the captain without addition to his overnight score. Australia went on to wrap up a 120-run victory, taking the six wickets they needed in just under a session to go 2-0 up in the series.
After Root won another toss, Malan hit his maiden Test match century on day one at the WACA as England made a strong start to the crucial third Test, closing on 305-4.
Alongside Jonny Bairstow, who went on to complete his own century on day two, Malan looked completely at ease as England targeted a huge first-innings score. But the Middlesex left-hander's miscued shot on 140 completely derailed the England innings.
Playing against the spin to Lyon, Malan sent a leading edge high into the off-side as he looked to attack the off-spinner and substitute fielder Peter Handscomb took an excellent diving catch on the run.
While it may seem harsh to mention the shot of a man who top-scored in the innings, England went on to lose six wickets for 35 runs and were bowled out for 403 before lunch with Smith and Mitchell Marsh going on to put England's first-innings score into context.
Smith and Marsh came together on day three at the WACA with Australia still trailing England by 155 runs in the first innings. Marsh, on his return to the side, looked nervy early on and England would have sensed the chance of taking a couple of quick wickets and grabbing a crucial first-innings lead.
However, Marsh, who went on to record his maiden Test century (181), and Smith, who completed his second Test double hundred with a score of 239, batted England out of the game with a stand of 301. England went on to concede a first-innings deficit of 259, and not even some uncharacteristic Perth rain could save them on days four and five as the Ashes slipped away.
What were your key moments that helped Australia regain the Ashes? Tell us on Twitter via @SkyCricket
