Sydney: Australia recovered on the back of a Steve Smith home-town century and more Brad Haddin batting heroics to put reeling England on the rack again in the final Sydney Ashes Test today.
The Australians, sent into bat after Alastair Cook's first toss win of the series, stormed back from a parlous 97 for five to leave the beleaguered tourists in familiar trouble by opening day stumps. Australia were all out for 326 late in the day with England losing the wicket of Michael Carberry for a duck to reach stumps at eight for one with Cook on seven and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson one.
Smith and Haddin rescued the home team with a 128-run sixth-wicket stand before Haddin went for his sixth score over 50 in the series and Smith was last man out for 115. Paceman Ben Stokes finished with six wickets for 99 as easily the best English bowler.
Smith didn't dwell long in the 'nervous nineties' with a six and four off debutant leg-spinner Scott Borthwick to raise his third Test century against England and first at his home Sydney Cricket Ground. Smith on 99 was gifted with a Borthwick full-toss and he clouted it through to the mid-wicket boundary.
The number five cracked 17 fours and a six in his 154-ball century. Haddin, the bane of the English bowlers in this series, was finally out for 75 off 90 balls post-tea to help in the rescue act with Smith.
Haddin has had a golden series scoring 465 runs at 66.42 and has played a crucial role in rescuing Australia on a number of occasions in the one-sided Ashes. Stokes spearheaded the under-manned English bowling attack, which was weakened when debutant Boyd Rankin went off with a hamstring injury while bowling his ninth over.
Stokes claimed the wickets of Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Smith in his 20th over to wrap up the Australian resistance. Haddin came to the crease following the dismissal of George Bailey for another low score putting his Test place in great jeopardy ahead of the coming tour to South Africa.
Bailey was dismissed for just one, edging Stuart Broad for a Cook catch at first slip, who clung on at the second attempt. England claimed four wickets before lunch after Cook won the toss. Stokes dismissed opener Chris Rogers (11) and skipper Michael Clarke (10) and in the final over of the morning Anderson trapped Shane Watson leg before wicket for 43.
Rogers, who scored 116 in Australia's eight-wicket victory in the fourth Test, attempted to pull only to drag the ball on to his leg stump. And Stokes claimed the big breakthrough when he coaxed an edge off Clarke to Ian Bell in the slips. Australia lost the wicket of David Warner in the first hour, bowled by Broad for 16.
Young Durham leg-spinner Borthwick claimed his first wicket in his fifth over in Test cricket late in the day when he enticed Mitchell Johnson to hit lustily to substitute Joe Root at long-on for 12. Borthwick was among three English changes from Melbourne, with Test debuts also for middle-order batsman Gary Ballance and Rankin.
Australia, who are chasing a 5-0 sweep for only the third time in Ashes history, remained unchanged for the fifth consecutive Test after all-rounder Watson (groin) and paceman Ryan Harris (knee) were cleared to play.
England sprung a surprise by dropping Root and elevating Ian Bell to number three.
Smith relishes home ton to tilt final Test to Aussies
Smith relishes home ton to tilt final Test to Aussies
Sydney: Steve Smith savoured an Ashes Test century on his home Sydney Cricket Ground Friday to put Australia in a strong position for a 5-0 series clean sweep over beleaguered England.
It was the 24-year-old's second hundred of the series and his third in Ashes cricket as he combined with the irrepressible Brad Haddin to shift the momentum Australia's way after the home side was tottering at 97 for five.
Smith, who hit 115 off 154 balls, shared in an innings-turning stand of 128 with Haddin, 75 off 90 balls, to push Australia to 326 and have the tourists reeling at eight for one at first day stumps.
"It's my favourite place to play so I'm absolutely delighted to have got a hundred out here in tough circumstances and get the team in a good position," Smith said.
"I haven't played with too many nerves in this series. I've felt quite good every time I've gone to the crease.
"Obviously I haven't converted into big scores as much as I would have liked, but I've certainly felt good at the crease and today, I guess, was my day."
It was Smith's first game at the SCG in 14 months and he relished reaching triple figures with a six and a four off leg-spinner Scott Borthwick to be acclaimed by the 45,352 Sydney crowd.
"It's nice to be back at the SCG, I haven't really seen a wicket like that before out here," he said. "So it was certainly tough work early and you certainly felt one of those balls had your name on them if they got it in the right areas.
"That was the most pleasing thing, being able to get through those periods and be able to get those runs at the end."
Smith reserved special praise for wicketkeeper Haddin, who at 36 is playing some of the best cricket of his career and has been a highly-influential figure in this series.
Haddin, the bane of the English bowlers, went for his sixth score over 50 in the series and has accumulated 465 runs at 66.42 and has played a crucial role in rescuing Australia on a number of occasions in the one-sided Ashes.
"We dug in. Brad was great out there. He was great to bat with," Smith said.
"I sort of took a back seat and just watched him go and the way he played his shots today was brilliant to form a partnership with him and get us in the position we are now.
"It was great to stand at the other end and form a partnership and get us over the line.
"Brad has been absolutely outstanding. Being in tough circumstances he tries to come in and tries to switch the momentum of the game and he's done it on numerous occasions in this series and credit to him, he's played beautifully.
"It's always tough to bowl at someone when he's coming at you the way he is and the way he's striking the ball this whole series, they don't really know where to bowl."
