Australia's Shane Warne (right) celebrates with captain Ricky Ponting (third left) and Simon Katich (left) as England's captain Michael Vaughan (second left) is dismissed having scored no runs during the fourth day of the fourth Test of the Ashes cricket series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, central England yesterday. - REUTERS
NOTTINGHAM, England (Reuters)
ENGLAND SURVIVED a mesmeric spell of bowling from Shane Warne and a clutch of Brett Lee thunderbolts to earn a nerve-racking win over Australia in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.
The three-wicket victory left the hosts 2-1 up in the series with one game left. Australia will retain the Ashes they have held since 1989 if they win at The Oval.
Leg spinner Warne took three wickets for seven runs in 29 balls as the home side, chasing 129 to win on a blameless pitch, stumbled to a nervy 57 for four.
Strike-bowler Lee then tore out the middle order to make it 111 for six and keep the 16,000 capacity crowd on tenterhooks.
When Warne added a fourth wicket, his eighth of the match, 13 were still needed for an England victory but Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard clung on to spark scenes of jubilation around the ground.
"There were plenty of frayed nerves in the dressing room," England captain Michael Vaughan said before leading his team around the ground. "We were losing wickets so quickly we didn't know which seat to sit on.
"It was an epic game. Australia are a very hard team to beat."
Warne, who took four wickets in the first innings and made 45 off 42 balls earlier in the day, ended with four for 31 off 13.5 overs. Lee took three for 51.
"I knew Shane would do that for us, he loves that sort of occasion, and Brett bowled his heart out," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said, adding that he was proud of his team.
"They will be disheartened, we will have to improve the way we are playing," he said. "We can't afford to give a good side like England a head start.
"Maybe if we can do that the result will be different at The Oval."
Australia have won the last eight Ashes series. The fifth Test starts on September 8.
Earlier, Australia, having been forced to follow on for the first time in 17 years on Saturday, battled hard through the opening two sessions to wipe out their 259-run deficit before being dismissed for 387.
The key contributions came from Michael Clarke (56) and Simon Katich (59), the pair putting on 100 for the fifth wicket. Steve Harmison took three for 93 for England.
The nail-biting finale followed two equally enthralling Tests at Edgbaston, where England won by two runs to level the series, and Old Trafford where the Australians clung on for a draw with one second-innings wicket standing.
