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Australia take 4-0 Ashes lead

Australia defeat England in the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne to keep alive the prospect of a series whitewash.

Australia have coasted into a 4-0 lead in the Ashes series with victory over England in Melbourne.

The home side needed 88 more runs after lunch on day four, with Chris Rogers and Shane Watson resuming on 143-1.

Rodgers (116) brought up triple figures for the second time in his Test career during their 136-run partnership, but it was left to Watson (85*) and Michael Clark (6*) to guide them to an eight-wicket win before tea.

The 36-year-old, playing in front of his home crowd at the MCG, fell to Monty Panesar with his team still needing 31 runs for victory.

Clarke came to the crease needing three runs to move past 8,000 and brought it up in fine style, cutting away to the boundary to move sixth in the list of Australian run scorers.

Watson, who had passed his 22nd Test half century in the over after Rogers made his ton, knocked off the winning runs that sees the Aussies in with a chance of completing a series whitewash in Sydney.

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England's paceman Ben Stokes approaches his bowling mark against Australia during day two of the second Ashes Test cricket match in Adelaide on December 6, 2013
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