Cricket: More milestones loom as Aussies seek whitewash

Steve Waugh's Australians are closing in on more international cricket history in England as they seek to score only the second 5-nil whitewash in the history of the Ashes.

Having already captured an unassailable 3-nil lead in the series, the Baggy Greens have more milestones in mind as they prepare to square off against the besieged English team in the fourth test at Headingley next week.

The only other team to have scored a 5-nil clean sweep was Warwick Armstrong's 1920-21 Australian side, who then went on to win the first three tests of the next series in England.

The Australians have already broken Armstrong's long-standing record for consecutive test wins, and have now equalled the record for the number of consecutive Ashes series wins - seven.

Here is a summary of their previous six Ashes triumphs.

1989


The tone was set when Australia declared their first test first innings closed at 601 for seven. In each test they scored at least 424 runs in the first innings. Mark Taylor scored 839 runs in total, and Steve Waugh lost his wicket for the first time in the series during the third test. Terry Alderman took 41 wickets to add to his 1981 haul. Ravaged by rebel tour proposals, David Gower's England team called on 29 players during the series.

Australia 4 England 0.

1990-91


Australia's pace bowlers dominated, particularly left-armer Bruce Reid who took 13 wickets in the Boxing Day test at Melbourne. Mark Waugh replaced his brother Steve in the Australian team at Adelaide, and duly responded with a debut century. The two drawn matches both saw England attempt, but fail, to reach ambitious run targets, despite a 203 opening stand between Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton in Adelaide.

Australia 3 England 0.

1993


The defining moment of this series occurred on the second day of the opening test, when Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting with his first delivery of the series - later dubbed the "ball of the century". Atherton replaced Gooch as captain after the fourth test, and both were easily the most consistent England batsmen of the summer. Twenty-four players were tried for England, and erratic chairman of selectors Ted Dexter was dumped.

Australia 4 England 1.

1994-95


Mark Taylor's Australians carried on where Border left off, with the home team's series marked by big winning margins, heavy scoring by the batsmen, and domination by Shane Warne and Craig McDermott. Warne ended the MCG test with a hat-trick. England's pace bowlers engineered a victory at Adelaide and nearly did the same in the preceding test in Sydney, where Australia escaped with a draw. Gooch and Gatting ended their long international careers in this series, while Greg Blewett started his with a century in each of his first two tests.

Australia 3 England 1.

1997


The Australians started the series shakily when they lost eight wickets in the first 20 overs of the series. Nasser Hussain's double century was the standout in England's thumping four-day victory at Edgbaston, but Taylor's courageous century when his career seemed all washed up was an emotional highlight. Australia drew level with a big win at Old Trafford - highlighted by dual centuries from Steve Waugh - and continued on to post wins at Headingley and Nottingham. An exciting England victory at The Oval gave some consolation.

Australia 3 England 2.

1998-99


Like 1997, Australia dropped their guard often enough to keep the interest alive. Alec Stewart's Englishmen were saved from defeat in Brisbane by a ferocious last-day thunderstorm. No such luck in Perth where they were obliterated in two and a half days. When Peter Such fell leg before to Glenn McGrath at Adelaide the Ashes were retained before Christmas. Australia were presented with a new crystal replica of the Ashes urn.

Australia 3 England 1.