England rip out Australia's batsmen
The England team smelt victory more strongly with every wicket
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By Matt Hallam
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Friday, 21, Aug 2009 11:30
Andrew Flintoff bowled Ben Hilfenhaus to finish off Australia in the final Ashes test at the Brit Oval.
The visitors were bowled out for just 160, despite being 73-0 at one stage. Openers Simon Katich hit 50 and Shane Watson 36, but no one contributed after them except number nine Peter Siddle, left stranded on 26 not out.
England go into bat with a healthy 172-run lead.
Stuart Broad led the destruction, taking four wickets for eight runs in just five overs. Then a beautiful delivery clean bowled Brad Haddin to bring the all-rounder his second five-wicket haul in consecutive Test matches.
Broad took 5-37 and bowled himself into the hearts of England cricket fans with his superb performance, and Nottinghamshire team mate Graeme Swann also silenced his critics with 4-38.
But it was the lanky seamer who made the breakthrough when he fired out Shane Watson in his first over.
He then took the invaluable wicket of Ricky Ponting before the Australian captain could settle into an innings. Ponting made just eight in what could be his last Test match in England before chopping Broad onto his stumps.
Moments later it was three, as Mike Hussey's miserable Ashes continued with a duck, trapped lbw by the all-rounder.
Jonathan Trott then took a brilliant low catch to dismiss Michael Clarke and give Broad his fourth. Clarke is the leading batsman in the series and currently ranked second in the world, but only made three on a spitting firecracker of a bowling pitch.
Swann joined the party with two consecutive wicket maidens to open his spell. His first was unfortunate for the visitors, as North was given a bad lbw decision. Replays showed the left-hander got a big inside edge onto his pad.
But Simon Katich followed soon after in genuine fashion, caught at short leg. Katich had survived the mayhem brought on by Broad's incredible spell, but was dismissed by Swann moments after reaching his half-century.
Broad's dismissal of Haddin sent the Oval into raptures, then after a couple of big hits Mitchell Johnson departed for 11 - the eighth wicket to fall in the session.
After tea, Stuart Clark was unlucky to be given caught off a ball that hit only his pad. It was Asad Rauf's second poor decision, after Marcus North's dismissal earlier in the day.
Finally, Flintoff ended the resistance between Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle to set up a big innings lead for England.
The headlines will deservedly belong to Broad and Swann, but captain Andrew Strauss deserves a great deal of credit for his attacking bowling changes and shrewd field placings.
Rain delayed the start of the second session by nearly an hour, but weather permitting the time should be made up at the end of the day.