Harry Brook plays one to the off side.
Credit: Reuters
Melbourne: England beat Australia by four wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, claiming their first win in Australia in the longer format in 15 years.
England chased down 175 runs to complete the victory late on day two and now trail Australia 1-3 in the five-Test series which the home side has already clinched.
England's winless sequence had dated to the 2013-14 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0. Since England convincingly won the 2010-11 Ashes 3-1, England had lost 16 matches and drawn the other two of their 18 tests Down Under over a period of nearly 15 years.
The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch in front of a bumper 92,045 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following the 20 wickets that tumbled on day one.
It left them chasing 175 to win, with Harry Brook (18) and Jamie Smith (three) seeing them home for the loss of six wickets to huge roars from their travelling "Barmy Army" of fans. Jacob Bethell contributed 40 and Zak Crawley 37.
England crashed in the first three Tests and came to Melbourne under enormous pressure amid questions about their limited preparations and allegations of excessive drinking during a mid-series beach break.
England had not won a Test in Australia since January 2011 at Sydney, losing 16 and drawing two since, and openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had a clear objective to snap the streak -- play ultra-aggressive "Bazball" style.
Australia resumed on 4-0 in their second innings after an explosive opening day of searing pace saw 20 wickets fall with the hosts dismissed for 152 and England just 110.
It was the most wickets to tumble on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, and eclipsed the 19 on day one of the series opener in Perth.
England bowled out Australia out for 132 in its second innings after lunch on Day 2. On an pitch offering substantial sideways movement for pace bowlers, England successfully chased down a target of 175 to win after 30 wickets had fallen in 4 1-2 sessions.
The fifth and the final Test of the series begins in Sydney on January 4.
(with inputs from agencies)