England lurching to defeat

Sydney : Nathan Lyon was spinning Australia toward an emphatic victory in the final Ashes Test as beleaguered England unravelled on a torrid day in Sydney yesterday.

The Australians amassed a massive 303-run innings lead in blistering heat and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close with a day to play.

Compounding England’s woes was a finger injury for skipper Joe Root, his team’s last major hope of staving off a 4-0 series rout on Monday’s final day of the Test.

Root was unbeaten on 42 at the close with Jonny Bairstow not out 17.

Australia called a halt to their epic first innings at 649 for seven, and soon had England in trouble after the tourists had been cooked in the field for more than two draining days.

Mark Stoneman was leg before wicket to Mitchell Starc for a duck and lost a review in the process, and next ball Alastair Cook was put down at first slip by Shaun Marsh off Josh Hazlewood for five.

But Cook’s reprieve did not last long and he was bowled for 10 when a sharp Lyon turner hit the top of off-stump in the off-spinner’s first over.

Cook, who became during his innings only the sixth batsman to score 12,000 Test runs, finished the series with 376 runs at 47.

James Vince survived a caught behind off Lyon on review on 15, but three runs later edged Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at slip.

Dawid Malan followed when Lyon trapped him leg before wicket for five.

Shaun and Mitchell Marsh earlier became the third set of brothers to score centuries in the same innings for Australia.