England’s new low in Australia, and Boland’s lightning five-for

Stats Analysis

England record their lowest total in Australia since 1904 to cap a forgettable year

Sixty-eight all out! Expectedly, we found many numbers to play with there. Here’s a look.

9 – Number of Test defeats for England in 2021, the joint-highest by a team in a calendar year. Bangladesh lost each of their nine Test matches in 2003.  ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Consecutive Tests for England without a win in Australia. The streak began after the innings win at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2011. It is the longest winless streak for England in Australia, surpassing the 12-game run between 1937 and 1951.82 – Australia’s first-innings lead in this match, the third-lowest for any men’s team while winning a Test by an innings. New Zealand failed to overcome a 46-run deficit in 1955 against England and lost by an innings and 20 runs, while West Indies beat England by an innings and 23 runs in 2009 despite only a 74-run first-innings lead.  ESPNcricinfo Ltd68 – England’s total in the second innings, the lowest Ashes total in Australia since World War II. England’s 68 is also their lowest total in Australia since their 61 all out in 1904, also in Melbourne.27.4 – Overs batted by England during their 68 all out, their fifth shortest innings in the Ashes and their shortest innings since 1905. It is also the second-shortest innings when the team was all out in the Ashes since World War II, behind Australia’s first-innings in Nottingham in 2015, which lasted only 18.3 overs.  ESPNcricinfo Ltd267 – Australia’s first-innings total in Melbourne. Only five teams have won by an innings margin in men’s Tests with a lower total since 1900. It is also the second-lowest total to result in an innings win in the Ashes, behind the 172 all out by England in 1888 in Manchester.  ESPNcricinfo Ltd19 – Balls taken by Scott Boland to complete his five-wicket haul. It is the joint-fastest in terms of balls taken in men’s Tests. Ernie Toshack against India in 1947 and Stuart Broad against Australia in 2015 also bowled only 19 balls to claim the fifth wickets in their respective innings. Boland took his sixth wicket in the 21st ball he bowled, the quickest to a six-wicket haul, bettering Hugh Trumble, who had six wickets in 24 balls against England in 1904, also in Melbourne.2 – Players with better bowling figures than Boland (six wickets for seven runs) while making their debut in men’s Tests in Australia. Albert Trott took 8 for 43 at the Adelaide Oval in 1895, while Tom Kendall had figures of 7 for 55 in Melbourne in 1877, both against England. Boland’s bowling figures are also the sixth-best on men’s Test debut for Australia.  ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 for 7 – Boland’s bowling figures in the second innings. Only one bowler in men’s Tests has conceded fewer runs while taking six or more wickets in an innings – three by Jermaine Lawson against Bangladesh in 2002. Boland’s effort goes down as the cheapest five-plus wicket haul on Test debut as well.32 years and 259 days – Boland’s age at the start of this match, making him the oldest pacer with a five-wicket haul on men’s Test debut since 1950. Only two bowlers – both spinners – were older than Boland when they took a five-wicket haul on Test debut since 1950 – Nauman Ali (34y 111d) against South Africa in 2021 and Bilal Asif (33y 13d) against Australia in 2018.1084 – Number of balls bowled in the Melbourne Test, the sixth-lowest completed Test match hosted by Australia and the shortest since the Brisbane Test against England in 1950, which lasted 1034 balls. Only seven Ashes Tests were completed in fewer balls than in Melbourne, which is also the second-shortest Ashes Test in the last 70 years, behind the 1059 balls in the Nottingham Test in 2015.

Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo

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England’s new low in Australia, and Boland’s lightning five-for