Forlorn Australian media Monday published mock obituaries to Australian cricket after the national team were gutted by England at the start of the fourth Ashes Test in the "humiliation of a century".
Forlorn Australian media Monday published mock obituaries to Australian cricket after the national team were gutted by England at the start of the fourth Ashes Test in the "humiliation of a century".
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England bowled out Ricky Ponting's men for a dismal 98 total -- a record low at the Melbourne Cricket Ground -- and then quickly scored 157 runs without losing a wicket on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.
"It was a day of historical horror for Ricky Ponting's men, who made just 98 and became only the second Australian side to make less than 100 in the 103-year history of Test matches at the ground," said The Australian.
"It appears that only a miracle will save the Ashes."
The Sydney Morning Herald ran a front-page story against a black background under the headline "humiliation of the century", lamenting that Australia had suffered its worst day in the sport in 100 years.
"Ricky Ponting's players were lambs to the slaughter," wrote Peter Roebuck.
The Herald and fellow Sydney paper The Daily Telegraph both ran mock obituaries to Australian cricket -- borrowing from the 1882 memorial to English cricket published in The Sporting Times which began the Ashes legend.
That death notice said that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia" after Australia won a Test match at the Oval.
"Now 128 years later, Australian cricket is on its death bed," said the Daily Telegraph.
"The Ashes are lost, the baggy green is in tatters, the priest has been called and the last rites delivered."
The Herald's 2010 version noted: "If Australia can extricate themselves from their current predicament -- dismissed for 98 with England 0 for 157 after one day's play -- a full apology will be published."
England have repeatedly overwhelmed the Australians in the five-match Ashes series which began in late November -- and disciplined bowling dismissed the Australian batting line-up in Melbourne on Sunday with only five batsmen reaching double-figures.
The 98 total was Australia's lowest MCG score in 54 Ashes Tests since their 104 in the second innings of the very first Test at the famous ground in 1877.
England, who need to win one of the last two Tests to hold on to the Ashes, after the first Test ended in a draw, now look poised for their first series triumph Down Under since 1986-1987.
The media has all but given up on Australia recovering, with the Melbourne Herald-Sun's front-page headline Monday summing up the country's fading hopes of its cricketers achieving the dominance they once enjoyed.
The paper made several attempts at a headline describing the team, crossing out "awful" and "hopeless" before settling on "We were... a disgrace".
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