MELBOURNE, Reuter: England retained the ashes by routing Australia on the third day of the fourth cricket test to win by an inning and 14 runs.
England now had to two nil lead in the series and with only the fifth and final test to play at Sydney next month has the ashes safe.
Spin twins Phil Edmonds and John Emburey outsmarted the middle order and tail end Australian batting, taking five of the last six wickets to fall.
Needing 209 to make England bat again, the Australians collapsed after the exit of skipper Allan Border for 34 and lost their last seven wickets for just 41 runs to be all out for 194.
Edmonds got the first of his three victims when he clean bowled Steve Waugh for 49.
Emburey joined in, picking up the wicket of Greg Mathews for a duck without Australia adding to its score of 153.
The tail end offered no resistance as the two spinners put Australia on the rack.
The man of the match was England pace man Gladstone Small, who captured five wickets in the first innings for 48 runs and two wickets in the second for 40.
Small, brought into the team to replace the injured Graham Dilley, also contributed a valuable 21 not out in the England innings.
England 394 beat Australia 141 and 194 (G. Marsh 60, S. Waugh 49, A Border 34, P. Edmonds three for 45, G. Small two for 40, J. Emburey two for 43) by an inning and 14 runs.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 2, 1987
