Sport

England take 2-1 lead in Ashes series

England's Kevin Pietersen (left) Andrew Flintoff (centre) and Geriant Jones (right) celebrate beating Australia in the fourth day of the fourth Test of the Ashes series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. England survived a mesmeric spell of bowling from Shane Warne and a clutch of Brett Lee thunderbolts to steal a nerve-racking win over Australia in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge yesterday. - Reuters

NOTTINGHAM, (AP):

ENGLAND FENDED OFF another improbable comeback, holding on to win the fourth Test by three wickets yesterday for a 2-1 series lead and edged closer to snapping Australia's eight-series domination of the Ashes.

If England do not lose the fifth Test, starting September 8 at The Oval, they will reclaim the Ashes. Australia have held the coveted urn since 1989, the longest winning stretch in Ashes history.

"We realise we're on the verge of something special," England captain Michael Vaughan said. "We didn't change anything in the last four weeks, after we lost at Lord's or won at Edgbaston. We won't change anything now."

Ashley Giles hit the winning runs off Shane Warne to midwicket after a tension-filled finish at Trent Bridge. He finished unbeaten on seven in an unbeaten 13-run partnership with Matthew Hoggard (8).

Vaughan's unchanged XI has dominated this series since losing the opening match at Lord's by 239 runs. England rallied for a two-run win at Edgbaston the narrowest margin ever in an Ashes contest and went within a wicket of winning again at Old Trafford.

"It's great to be 2-1 up with one to play, and I'm sure that will be another epic," Vaughan said.

Typically in this series, the result wasn't certain until the very end.

"We got close today, but to be honest, closer than we should have been," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. "We haven't been in this position before ... We have to turn it around very quickly if we want to keep these Ashes."

Warne took 3-7 in 29 balls as England slipped to 57-4 chasing 129 for victory. Warne took 4-33 in the second innings, the champion leg-spinner almost orchestrating an unexpected win for Australia.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff combined in a 46-run stand before Brett Lee dismissed them both inside 11 balls and England slumped to 111 for six.

Warne struck again in his 12th over when Geraint Jones miscued to Michael Kasprowicz, the seventh English wicket falling with 13 runs still needed to win. Warne finished with 4-31 and Lee took 3-51.

Coming into this match, Australia had been unbeaten at Trent Bridge since 1977 and had clinched the last two Ashes series in England at the Nottingham ground.

But England held the ascendancy from the time Vaughan won the toss and elected to bat. Ponting was fined 75 percent of his match fee or 8,062.50 Australian dollars for "conduct unbecoming his status, which brings the game into disrepute," while Simon Katich was docked half of his 10,500 Australian dollar match fee for showing "serious dissent at an umpire's decision" in regard to their dismissals in the second innings.