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England pacer Josh Tongue became the first English bowler in the 21st century to claim a five-wicket haul at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday during the Boxing Day Ashes Test.
Tongue ripped through Australia’s batting line-up with career-best figures of 5 for 45, as the hosts were skittled for just 152 in their first innings on the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test.
The achievement ended a 27-year drought for England at the MCG, with the last five-for at the ground coming in 1998 through Darren Gough and Dean Headley.
After England captain Ben Stokes opted to bowl on a visibly green surface, Josh Tongue led a relentless seam attack that made full use of the conditions.
The right-arm quick consistently found movement off the pitch, troubling Australia’s batters from the outset and keeping England firmly on top through the first two sessions.
Tongue’s effort marked his most productive spell in Test cricket, eclipsing his previous best of 5 for 66 against Ireland at Lord’s in 2023.
He came close to an even rarer feat late in the innings, finishing Australia’s first dig on a hat-trick after removing Michael Neser and Scott Boland with successive deliveries.
Australia struggled to build any meaningful partnerships, with Neser, recalled in place of captain Pat Cummins, top-scoring with 35.
Usman Khawaja was the only other batter to offer some resistance, making 29 at the top of the order.
The home side’s troubles began early as Travis Head and Jake Weatherald were dismissed cheaply, while Steve Smith’s stay was short-lived as he was bowled for nine.
England maintained the pressure after lunch, with Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse chipping in with key breakthroughs to ensure Australia never recovered from the early damage.
However, the match swung sharply after tea as Australia hit back with the ball. England’s batting line-up collapsed to 110 in just 29.5 overs, handing the hosts a first-innings lead of 42 runs despite Tongue’s earlier heroics.
Neser capped off a strong all-round showing by leading Australia’s bowling attack with figures of 4 for 45 from 10 overs.
Scott Boland claimed three wickets, while Mitchell Starc supported well with two scalps on a pitch that continued to assist the seamers.
Harry Brook was the lone bright spot for England with an attacking 41 off 38 deliveries, while Atkinson added a valuable 28 from the lower order to push the total past the 100-run mark.
By stumps on day one, Australia had reached 4 without loss in a brief second-innings burst, extending their overall advantage to 46 runs.
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