Australia 66-2 at lunch, lead by 188 runs in 4th Ashes Test

Australia quickly wrapped up England's first innings for 294 and then reached 66-2 at lunch to lead by 188 runs on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test.

Resuming Saturday at 258-7, England could only muster another 36 runs as Nathan Lyon, then Scott Boland quickly mopped up the lower order to establish a first-innings lead of 122 runs.

Australia then lost openers David Warner (3), caught behind off Mark Wood, and Marcus Harris for 27 in the pursuit of quick runs.

At the break, Marnus Labuschagne was 28 not out and Steve Smith was on eight.

The Australians have already clinched the five-test series with wins in the first three tests but are still chasing a result in the rain-affected fourth match in Sydney.

Lyon (2-88) struck in the third over the morning, teasing Jack Leach into a big shot but was easily caught by Pat Cummins for 10.

Scott Boland, returning with the all-clear after needing a scan on his ribs following a fall while he was bowling just before tea on Friday, finally ended Jonny Bairstow's defiant innings at 113. Bairstow faced 158 balls, hitting eight boundaries and three sixes.

Boland then had Stuart Broad caught behind for 15 to end the innings. Boland finished with 4-36 in another impressive performance following his exceptional debut in Melbourne, where he took six wickets for seven runs in the second innings.

England bowled well to Australia's openers, with Wood (1-15) having Warner edge behind to substitute wicketkeeper Ollie Pope — who has replaced the injured Jos Buttler.

Leach (1-28) then struck shortly before lunch when he had Harris caught behind.

On Friday, a timely century by Bairstow and a half-century for an injured Ben Stokes helped England claw its way back into the match after a terrible start which saw the tourists slump to 36-4 at lunch.

In clear pain after being struck on the thumb by a Pat Cummins delivery, Bairstow shared a 128-run stand with Stokes (66) to steady England's innings and avoid any danger of being forced to follow-on.

Over the first two rain-affected days at the SCG, Australia made 416-8 declared with Usman Khawaja scoring 137 in his first test since 2019.

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