Cooked England lurching to defeat after Marsh brothers’ tons

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

Australia's Shaun Marsh (left) watches his brother, Mitchell Marsh, as he celebrates his century at the SCG. The two put on 169 runs for the fifth wicket.

Nathan Lyon was spinning Australia toward an emphatic victory in the final Ashes Test as beleaguered England unravelled on a torrid day in Sydney on Sunday. The Australians amassed a massive 303-run innings lead in blistering heat and then reduced the battle-weary tourist 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.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia called a halt to its epic first innings at 649 for seven, and soon had England in trouble after the tourist 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.

Brothers who shone together: Ian and Greg Chappell (three times) Steve and Mark Waugh (twice) Mushtaq and Sadiq Mohammad (once) Grant and Andy Flower (once) Shaun and Mitchell Marsh (once)

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

Read: Marsh brothers almost pay for Test century celebrations

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.

Ton up brothers

Shaun and Mitchell Marsh earlier became the third set of brothers to score centuries in the same innings for Australia. The Marsh boys joined Greg and Ian Chappell and Steve and Mark Waugh to score brotherly centuries for Australia, while it was the eighth time overall it had happened in Test cricket.

The Chappells were the first Australian brothers to notch centuries in the same innings at The Oval in 1972 with the Waughs the last to do it against England, also at The Oval, in 2001.

 

Mitchell Marsh almost spoiled his century in all the excitement as he embraced his brother mid-pitch before he had completed the second run scrambling back to his crease to avoid being run out.

Mitchell Marsh was bowled next ball by Tom Curran for 101 off 141 balls with 15 fours and two sixes. The century came after his 181 in the third Test in Perth. He was the third centurion of the massive Australian first innings total, following Usman Khawaja's 171 on Saturday.

Shaun Marsh was eventually dismissed after lunch, run out for 156 by Stoneman’s direct throw from the covers. He batted for 403 minutes and faced 291 balls for his second century of the series and his sixth in 28 Tests. Starc slogged Moeen Ali for six and was out the next ball finding Vince at long on for 11.

Tim Paine (38) and Pat Cummins (24) were at the crease when Steve Smith called them in about an hour before tea.

Big-hearted paceman James Anderson bowled with great economy in the stifling conditions as temperatures hit 42 Celsius (108 Farenheit), taking one for 56 off 34 overs. Spinners Ali and debutant Mason Crane conceded a combined 363 runs in taking three wickets between them.