England Roll Back the Centuries With Historic Aussie Annihilation

This article originally appeared on VICE Sport UK.

Test cricket is often accused of being out of date. That view was effectively confirmed this morning, when England took Australia back to the 19th century in the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. It was both an annihilation and an anachronism.

In an incredibly one-sided innings, the Australian side was bowled out for 60 runs on the first day of the fourth test. The last time they scored less in an innings against England was at Lord's in 1896 – the same year the first modern Olympics were held, and when WG Grace was still at the crease.

Though Australia went into the series as bookies' favourites, it took England just 111 balls to dispatch their old opponents, the sixth shortest test innings in history. If England win this match they'll go 3–1 up in the series and regain the Ashes ahead of the fifth and final test.

As this is 2015, and not 1896, Twitter obviously lit up. Oddly, both the crime prevention charity Crimestoppers:

Sorry, we can't take any calls about criminal Australian batting… #Ashes2015 (image by Getty). pic.twitter.com/TlwWIrSiX4
— Crimestoppers (@CrimestoppersUK) August 6, 2015

…and Nottinghamshire Police tried to get in on the Aussie-bashing banter. Expect to see a spate of burglaries in the Trent Bridge area this afternoon.

We're receiving reports of Aussies in trouble…?'?#Ashes2015 https://t.co/BPILyDDqTj
— Notts Police (@nottspolice) August 6, 2015

In fact, the innings was over so quickly every ball could fit within Twitter's 140 character limit and fans were so keen to listen to Henry Blofeld's commentary of the explosive first 20 minutes that they reportedly crashed BBC's iPlayer.

04W24W0W04100000W40000110W020000401000W000000000101000011W0011200010040040000W1W30000000000000400000000000001004W: Aus innings in one tweet.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) August 6, 2015

Two of Australia's top order batsmen, Warner and Rogers, scored no runs at all, and England's Stuart Broad had a morning of milestones in which he took eight wickets, showing his noted audacious heroism once again. Broad claimed his first five victims in just 19 balls, matching Australian Ernie Toshack's 1947 record. In doing so he smashed through the 300 test wicket barrier, moving up to fourth on the list of England's all-time top wicket-takers.

James Anderson, who sits at the top of that list, had to miss this match due to injury. While some worried that his absence would give Australia the chance they needed to run away with the match, Broad more than proved himself worthy of filling Anderson's shoes.

While it might seem that England have the match all sewn up, they've got form in fluffing big games. When England bowled out Pakistan for 99 in the first innings in Dubai, 2012, they went on to lose the match by 71 runs. However, England's batting line-up will need to not just collapse but fall into a sinkhole for Australia to save the test and, in doing so, the series.

Even if they do, it'll be scant reward for Australia's batsmen who've played their worst innings against England for 119 years. Cricket fans moving towards faster, more exciting forms of the game might need to reconsider the Test match. Who needs Twenty20 when Australia can be bowled out in 18 overs?