Australia still on course for Ashes whitewash

England remained on course for another emphatic defeat in the fourth Test at the MCG after they slumped to 387 all out in their second innings to undermine the earlier efforts of their leading batsmen.

Resuming 170 runs adrift on 111 for two having followed on 281 runs behind, the tourists demonstrated impressive resolve during a large part of the fourth day, with Michael Vaughan claiming his sixth century of the year and Robert Key contributing a half-century.

But a middle-order collapse dented England's hopes of salvaging a draw when they lost five wickets for 45 runs in 16 overs to leave Australia's formidable batting line-up with a relatively straightforward task of chasing 107 for victory, and by the close they had reached eight without loss.

Vaughan and captain Nasser Hussain had frustrated Australia's hopes of wrapping up victory for 15 overs this morning, with the Yorkshire opener dominating an 80-run stand en route to his second century of the series.

He went on to hit a brilliant 145 to take his tally for the year to 1481 runs and move ahead of India's Sachin Tendulkar as the world's leading Test-match run-scorer for 2002 - and helped England wipe out their deficit.

From the very start of the day Vaughan remained positive, driving leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for the first of 15 boundaries with his first scoring shot and raced to three figures off only 153 balls.

He hammered nine fours during the morning session, most of which were off MacGill, who conceded 39 in only seven overs and enabled England to add 63 runs in the first hour of play.

England's only setback of the morning session was the loss of Hussain in the 15th over when he was cleverly outwitted by Glenn McGrath's slower ball, pushing forward but mis-timing his forward defensive and instead patting the ball straight back to the bowler for a determined 23.

Vaughan then teamed up with Key in a 67-run stand before his epic 277-minute innings was finally ended when he attempted to late cut MacGill and instead edged straight to Martin Love at slip having hit three sixes and 19 fours.

Key took up the mantle and reached his first half century of the series shortly after Vaughan's departure only to fall to the seventh delivery with the new ball when he edged Jason Gillespie to Ricky Ponting at slip.

But England's demise really began with the loss of John Crawley for a determined 33, spanning over two hours at the crease, when he chopped onto his stumps after sharing a 55-run partnership with Craig White.

White followed in the next over when he attempted to cut MacGill and edged behind and the Australian leg-spinner claimed his fourth wicket of the innings when Foster played an almost identical shot and was superbly caught by Love at slip.

England's last two wickets fell in three overs, with MacGill claiming his fifth scalp when Andrew Caddick drove straight to cover before Steve Harmison was comprehensively bowled by Gillespie to complete the innings.