Test cricket LIVE: Australia search for wickets in Galle; Litchfield and Sutherland get under way at MCG

Alana King left one of Shane Warne’s former teammates in awe, had the crowd hungry for more and bamboozled England’s batters, as Australia took a major step forward in completing an Ashes whitewash on Thursday.

On a day Ellyse Perry’s involvement in this match came into question after an injury in the field, the new star of Australian women’s cricket delivered a leg-spin masterclass befitting the historic occasion of the MCG’s first day/night Test.

King returned a career-best figures of 4-45 from an epic 23-over spell, broken only by the tea break, delivered, fittingly, from the Shane Warne Stand End, as Australia dismissed England for 170. Offers of a break from Healy were swiftly rebuffed. When in such form, bowlers don’t like having the ball taken away from them.

“Pretty nostalgic,” King said of the Warne connection. “He’s taken plenty of poles on the MCG for fun. All I can say is hopefully he’s smiling down and having a couple of beers and enjoying a few ripping past the outside edge.”

Australia’s top order negotiated the night session, the most difficult time to face the new pink ball, for the loss of debutant Georgia Voll.

On 1-56 at stumps, the Australians know another dominant day on Friday, this time with the bat, will have them commandingly placed to complete the first Ashes clean sweep since the points format was introduced in 2013.

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