AUS vs ENG, 4th Test: England ends 14-year wait, beats Australia by four wickets in Melbourne in two days
England beat Australia by four wickets in Melbourne on Saturday as the Boxing Day Test, which finished in two days, ended the visitor’s 14-year wait for a win on Australian soil.
Ben Stokes-led team successfully chased the target of 175, also bringing to a close an England’s 18-match winless streak Down Under which began in December 2013. England’s last win on Australian soil had come in Sydney in 2011, when Andrew Strauss’ team triumphed by an innings and 83 runs. Since then, the visitor has lost 16 Tests and drawn two in Australia.
Australia led by 46 runs after 20 wickets fell on a carnage-filled opening day. England could only manage 110 in response to Australia’s first-innings total of 152.
Scott Boland, the nightwatchman who came to open the innings with Travis Head and face one over at the end of day one, survived five more overs on day two before Gus Atkinson had him caught-behind. While Atkinson did not bowl after his first spell of five overs due to some discomfort in his hamstring, England’s pace attack had enough in it to dismiss Australia cheaply again.
Only Head (46), captain Steve Smith (24) and Cameron Green (19) could post double-digit scores with Australia folding for just 132. Brydon Carse did the most damage with four wickets while Josh Tongue, who took a five-for in the first innings, and Stokes contributing with two and three wickets, respectively.
Published on Dec 27, 2025
