Zak Crawely admits England 'staring down the barrel' as Australia close in on Ashes victory

Zak Crawley conceded England were “staring down the barrel” of an Ashes wipeout after another bruising day that underlined Australia’s superiority and left the tourists facing the prospect of arriving in Melbourne with their campaign in tatters.

England’s hopes of mounting a meaningful challenge in the five-Test series have unravelled across three dispiriting matches. A two-day collapse in Perth was followed by a heavy defeat under lights at the Gabba, and now only a fifth-day miracle at the Adelaide Oval would prevent them slipping 3-0 down and consigning the final two Tests to little more than damage limitation.

Crawley attempted to give England belief that a world-record chase of 435 might be possible, producing a resolute 85 that marked a sharp contrast to his usual high-risk approach. Gone was the trademark exuberance, replaced by an innings built on patience and restraint, as he sought to blunt Australia’s attack and bat time.

For a while, it worked. Crawley began with just one run from his first 28 balls and grew steadily into his task, offering a rare note of resistance in a series that has largely belonged to the hosts. But any lingering optimism was crushed by Nathan Lyon, who delivered a game-breaking spell that effectively ended the contest.

The off-spinner claimed three wickets for seven runs in 20 deliveries, clean bowling Harry Brook and Ben Stokes before having Crawley stumped by Alex Carey. At the close, England were clinging on at 207-6, still needing an improbable 228 runs, with Australia firmly in control.

Lyon’s intervention was emblematic of Australia’s dominance throughout the series. Across batting, pace bowling and catching, the hosts have consistently won the key contests, exposing England’s shortcomings in conditions that demand discipline and resilience.

“I like to keep it simple and I do just think they’ve been better than us,” Crawley admitted. “Obviously we’ve been slightly short of our best but credit has to go to them, they haven’t allowed us to be at our best. They are a top team in their own conditions and they’ve made it hard for us.

“It’s disappointing, we came