Cricket: England in sight of victory

SYDNEY - Australia were 91 for three at stumps on the penultimate day chasing 452 for a clean sweep 5-0 series win over England.

Having lost openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden and No 3 Ricky Ponting, all leg before wicket for single figure scores, it was nightwatchman Andy Bichel who came to the rescue and was 49 not out at stumps. Damien Martyn was on 19 at the finish.

England captain Nasser Hussain declared early in the final session at 452 for nine, easily their best effort of the series, with veteran Alec Stewart, in perhaps his final test innings, finishing 38 not out.

Fast bowler Brett Lee, with three for 132 and legspinner Stuart MacGill with three for 120, were the most successful of an Australian bowling attack given some heavy punishment.

The morning session belonged to England as Michael Vaughan and Hussain beat a three-day-old record for the third wicket with a 189-run stand. Mark Butcher and Hussain had broken the previous 66-year-old English record of 129 for the third wicket at the ground with their 166 in the first innings on Thursday.

Lee dismissed Hussain for 72 on lunch with a faint edge to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and England then lost four wickets in the middle session, including Vaughan for 183, his third century of an outstanding personal series and his eighth test hundred.

Vaughan faced 279 balls and including 27 fours and a six.

The highest winning chase in test history is India's 406 for four to beat the West Indies in Trinidad in April 1976. Australia's best winning effort batting last was 404 for three by Don Bradman's 1948 Invincibles against England at Headingley.

Australia already have to break a century-old ground record to beat England. The highest winning score at the Sydney Cricket Ground is 276 for four, set over a century ago and scored by Australia to beat England by six wickets.

Australia, a class apart from England over the first three tests, need to win here to become only the second Australian team to sweep an Ashes series after it happened in 1920-21.

- AGENCIES