EVEN by the standards of an already remarkable summer, the scenes here at Edgbaston last night were the stuff of dreams. The pavilion clock was edging round towards seven o'clock when Alec Stewart clubbed Shane Warne, the demon Warne, to the extra-cover boundary to win a match that had been England's for the taking since the astonishing events of the first morning.
Australia, in their second innings, were dismissed for 477, with three wickets apiece to Darren Gough, Robert Croft and Mark Ealham. The last nine wickets fell for 150, the last four within two overs, against an attack that never wavered in its endeavour.
It left England an entire day plus 24 overs last night to score 118 runs. That target is three fewer than Australia made when they chased 151 in 1981 and Botham charged England to victory. Perish the thought: 11 came from Glenn McGrath's first over and, although Mark Butcher was lbw to Michael Kasprowicz, the run-rate never wavered.
Michael Atherton's boundary brought up 50 inside nine overs, Stewart's clip to midwicket off Warne the hundred inside 20. The win came at a gallop from 21.3 overs with 15 balls of normal time left.
Atherton, equalling Peter May's record 41 matches as captain, wants this series and he wants it badly. He played majestically at times, and, on the way, a two clipped oft Kasprowicz took Atherton past 5,000 Test runs, something achieved by only 11 other Englishmen.
With Australia 256 for the single loss of Elliott overnight, Atherton opted to take the new ball from the start and, although Blewett was occasionally beaten by Caddick, he completed his century, his third in three Ashes Tests, with driving which matched that of Hossain earlier in the match.
It was Croft, a giant now in the England side, who made the breakthrough when Taylor misjudged his flight, stopped his shot and offered a return catch that the bowler flung almost to the Bull Ring. Mark Waugh, diagnosed as suffering from a gastric virus rather than the suspected appendicitis, upset not only his stomach but the batting order and gave England hope.
Once more Croft made an in-road when Blewett pushed forward stiffly and was caught at silly mid-off from pad and glove, his 125 containing 19 fours and a six.
Atherton switched Gough to the Pavilion End and, with it, the spotlight. Bevan, fluent against Croft's spin, was found out by the ball directed towards his sternum at pace and for the second time in the game he spliced a gentle catch to gully.
Maugh then received a snorter that brushed his glove on the way through to Stewart and, when his twin, Steve, was stranded on the crease in front of his stumps, Gough had blown away the middle-order in an inspired spell broken only by a 70-minute break for rain.
The end of the innings was unexpectedly swift. Atherton persisted with Ealham, whose opening over conceded 10 runs, and, when Healy swung at a wide long-hop, the captain held a low catch in the gully. It transformed Ealham.
Kasprowicz edged a beauty to second slip and, after the injured Gillespie had been run out in a mix-up involving his runner, Warne chipped a return catch to end the innings. From nowhere Ealham had taken three for nought. It was that sort of a day; it had been that sort of match.
