Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    27.5 caught behind! Neser strikes! An underedge trying to pull! Back of a length, not that short, only rib high outside off, he stands tall to try and pull through midwicket and gets a little underedge through to Carey who is standing back and an easy catch! 122/3
    0.6 edged and pouched at first! A superb delivery. Full, angled into off, hint of nip away, Duckett caught on the crease pushes at it and gets a healthy edge and it carries beautifully to Labuschagne who takes the simple catch at shin height. Starc does it again 5/1
    2.3 chopped on! Oh dear! 144kph, back of a length, angled across, no shape, he shuffles back and across and gets too close to it as he tries to force with an angled bat through point and chops it on off a thick inside edge. 5/2
    not out
    138
    206
    379
    15
    1
    66.99
    39.2 flashed to slip, Starc does it again! Huge breakthrough at a pivotal moment in the day. Brook falls by the sword again. Pitched up on a wide-ish line, tempting the drive, and Brook's thrash through the line ends up in the hands of Smith at second slip. Not a straightforward catch, given the light and the way the pink ball skewed off the edge, arriving right in front of Smith's face. He clearly indicates he didn't see it, but somehow held on. Australia get their man 176/4
    54.6 Stokes run out! Horror mix up! Inglis with a direct hit! Good length, angled across, Stokes defends to cover's right and calls for one, Root sends him back, there was no way there was one there, Inglis swooped and gathered in the right hand and hit the one stump he could from side on. Outstanding work 210/5
    55.3 bowled him! Nipping through the gate! 136kph, perfect length, wobble seam, off a little crack, nipping back through the gate and crashing into the top of middle! Classic Boland dismissal 211/6
    64.5 edged this time, and gobbled up! Starc in his first over back yet again! Jacks back in his box... he trudges off, another poor dismissal, really. Well held by the stooping Smith going to his left at second slip. And it only adds to the pressure on Root, watching from the other end 251/7
    66.2 Starc hits back with his fifth! But it takes some brilliant work from Carey running back behind the wicket. Carey and Marnus Labuschagne both went for the top-edged pull, they were shoulder-to-shoulder diving for the ball, and somehow the wicketkeeper has held on! Full length, wraps the gloves around it, gets a manic hug from Marnus as he comes to a sliding stop. They are actually checking whether it has clipped the spidercam wires above the playing surface. But it's all okay, and Starc can raise the ball in acknowledgement 264/8
    66.4 nicked behind, another duck! Pitched up and inviting the profligate drive that is surely coming... Thick-edged to the right of Carey, who dives for another good (if much more straightforward) take. Two in three balls for Starc, who has six in the innings and could better his career-best for the third Test in a row! 264/9
    76.2 Labuschagne takes a screamer at deep backward square! Wow! Stunning one hander. Short on leg, rib high, Archer pulls flat and hard to deep backward square, Labuschagne dives like Superman outstretched with two hands and ball sticks in his right hand and stays there as he thuds to earth. What a catch 334/10
    Extras
    9 (b 4, lb 1, nb 1, w 3)
    TOTAL
    334 all out (76.2 Overs, RR: 4.37)
    Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Ben Duckett, 0.6 ov), 2-5 (Ollie Pope, 2.3 ov), 3-122 (Zak Crawley, 27.5 ov), 4-176 (Harry Brook, 39.2 ov), 5-210 (Ben Stokes, 54.6 ov), 6-211 (Jamie Smith, 55.3 ov), 7-251 (Will Jacks, 64.5 ov), 8-264 (Gus Atkinson, 66.2 ov), 9-264 (Brydon Carse, 66.4 ov), 10-334 (Jofra Archer, 76.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    MA Starc2007563.7500
    MG Neser1434313.0710
    SM Boland1918714.5720
    B Doggett15.218115.2801
    C Green814305.3700
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    13.1 Holes out this time! Huge moment in this Test match! Carse fired it in full once more from round the wicket, Head attempted to work it away through the leg side, but was through his shot early as the ball just leapt a tiny bit more off the scrambled seam, a steepling leading edge flew to mid-on, where Atkinson back-pedalled to gather! 77/1
    25.5 plumb lbw! Finally he goes full and breaks through! Brilliant yorker on the money, Weatherald plants the foot infront of middle and gets hit flush on the toe. Finger was raised quickly. Weatherald walked. Labuschagne called him back to ask whether he should review but Weatherald knew. Ball tracking had it smashing the middle of middle 146/2
    37.1 Stokes gets the breakthrough! It's just back of a length, outside off, Marnus leant back for the cut but the ball was just too close to him, and it's a feather of an edge, looping through to Smith, who stoops to cling on. England prise out a vital wicket! 196/3
    56.4 caught at deep backward square! A screamer from Jacks! Australia handing the game back! Short into the arm pit, Smith pulls awkwardly in the air, flat to fine backward square where Jacks is placed 25 metres off the rope, he dives full stretch to his right and plucks a one-hander! Amazing catch. 292/5
    45
    57
    97
    7
    0
    78.94
    56.1 bowled him! Double bluff! Green backed away too far for a short ball and Carse delivers a full yorker on middle. That is a missed opportunity for Green. Carse makes a smart decision and sucks him into a huge error 291/4
    82.6 caught behind! Atkinson gets one! Width was offered again, not quite the length to cut though, Carey tried to flay it on the up and gets a thin edge that flies to Smith and nearly got big on him! It just stayed in the fingers of the gloves 416/8
    63.5 straight through him! Inglis plays back as Stokes pile-drives the full length through his defences! There's a hint of movement back through the gate, into middle and leg. The drop matters less now, as England brawl to stay afloat! 329/6
    75.6 nicks this one and Smith holds on! Not a great shot. Back of a length, climbing outside off, Neser tries to force on the up with a vertical bat off the back foot, he gets a thin nick through to Smith and Stokes celebrates 383/7
    110.2 holes out to mid-off and Stokes just avoids colliding with Duckett! Back of a length, wide of off, he tries to loft over wide mid-off but doesn't hit it well enough, Stokes and Duckett converge under it and Stokes takes it as Duckett just avoids him 491/9
    not out
    21
    72
    152
    3
    0
    29.16
    117.3 gottim! And Australia's last pair jog quickly from the field to get their bowling boots on. Jacks snaffles the final wicket, angling the ball across Doggett from round the wicket, finding the edge and this one carries low to Brook at slip 511/10
    Extras
    22 (b 4, lb 7, nb 5, w 6)
    TOTAL
    511 all out (117.3 Overs, RR: 4.34)
    Fall of wickets: 1-77 (Travis Head, 13.1 ov), 2-146 (Jake Weatherald, 25.5 ov), 3-196 (Marnus Labuschagne, 37.1 ov), 4-291 (Cameron Green, 56.1 ov), 5-292 (Steven Smith, 56.4 ov), 6-329 (Josh Inglis, 63.5 ov), 7-383 (Michael Neser, 75.6 ov), 8-416 (Alex Carey, 82.6 ov), 9-491 (Mitchell Starc, 110.2 ov), 10-511 (Brendan Doggett, 117.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    JC Archer2538713.4800
    AAP Atkinson28611414.0711
    BA Carse29315245.2452
    BA Stokes24011334.702
    WG Jacks11.323412.9500
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    44
    59
    104
    6
    0
    74.57
    21.2 another caught and bowled! Ridiculous! Duckett had been dropped by Neser, Pope was caught and bowled by Neser. Crawley, like those on Men in Black who get their memory erased, drives on the up to a ball that is nowhere the length to drive, miscues off the inner half of the bat and chips it back to Neser who takes another sharp chance 97/3
    15
    18
    38
    0
    0
    83.33
    7.4 scoots low and bowled off the toe of the bat! Good length, angled into middle and off, he's playing back and it scoots low from a length, he jams the bat down but not low enough and it comes off the toe of the bat and bounces onto the stumps! A bit of bad luck for Duckett but potentially could have got forward 48/1
    17.1 caught and bowled! So soft! Full outside off, Pope continues to drive with ridiculously hard hands, a hint of extra bounce forces a miscue on the up off the inside half of the bat and it lobs back to Neser who takes a sharp reflex catch 90/2
    26.3 full and wide, Root chops down on it. Was there a sound through to Carey? Australia think so, Adrian Holdstock is less sure. Smith immediately reviews, and Snicko quickly reveals a big outside edge! Starc does it again. Root's bat hit the ground milliseconds later, which is what threw Holdstock - but he'll have to overturn the decision, and Root is toast. As, perhaps, are England 121/4
    29.3 got him this time! Or have they? Not given on field, but Smith goes straight for the review! Boland was charging off in celebration, Brook going nowhere. But Snicko reveals all, and there's clearly a scratch of bat on ball as it nips down the line of fourth stump. Brilliant from Boland, too good for Brook as he looked to defend, and England are entering the Ashes hurt locker 123/5
    71.5 that's the breakthrough! Neser hammers his length again, Stokes can't mitigate the movement, just a fraction more nip and away movement, it's a slender nick into Carey's safe-as-houses gloves, right up to the stumps. He turns on his heel and marches away, with England's Ashes hopes trailing behind him! 227/8
    32.3 nicked behind on the drive! Given by umpire Holdstock as Australia celebrate gleefully. But after a lengthy chat with his captain, Smith reviews. Can't have hit anything other than bat, as he pushed out in front of his body. And once again, the tremor on Snicko spells doom for England! The tourists in the spotlight and having their pants pulled down once again 128/6
    69.1 edged and a one-handed screamer from Smith! Neser rewarded for outstanding bowling. Smith sublime. Good length, fifth stump, Jacks forced to defend, gets a thick edge past Carey who is up to the stumps, Smith at a wide first dives full length to his left and snares a stunner in the left hand just millimetres above the turf. Wow. 224/7
    72.3 takes on the pull, picks out midwicket! It's all but over now. Doggett bangs it in, halfway down, Atkinson swung from high to low, trying to keep his stroke down, but Smith's magnetic hands were just in the right place once more. England lose three in the blink of an eye, and 2-0 is winking at Australia now 231/9
    75.2 back of a length, Neser has five! Carse is caught on the back foot, pushing through that familiar off-stump line. Smith at slip stumbles backwards to absorb the edge in his midriff! England's lead is an insubstantial 64. The end is very, very nigh... 241/10
    not out
    5
    9
    13
    1
    0
    55.55
    Extras
    16 (b 8, lb 5, nb 1, w 2)
    TOTAL
    241 all out (75.2 Overs, RR: 3.19)
    Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Ben Duckett, 7.4 ov), 2-90 (Ollie Pope, 17.1 ov), 3-97 (Zak Crawley, 21.2 ov), 4-121 (Joe Root, 26.3 ov), 5-123 (Harry Brook, 29.3 ov), 6-128 (Jamie Smith, 32.3 ov), 7-224 (Will Jacks, 69.1 ov), 8-227 (Ben Stokes, 71.5 ov), 9-231 (Gus Atkinson, 72.3 ov), 10-241 (Brydon Carse, 75.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    MA Starc1826423.5500
    MG Neser16.224252.5700
    B Doggett1725613.2901
    SM Boland1744722.7600
    C Green51150320
    TM Head1010100
    M Labuschagne1030300

Match Details

Toss

England , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Series result

Australia led the 5-match series 2-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

14.00 start, Tea 16.00-16.40, Dinner 18.40-19.00, Close 21.00

Match days

4,5,6,7 December 2025 - day/night match (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

Australia 12, England 0

Close of Play

  • Thu, 4 Dec - day 1 - England 1st innings 325/9 (JE Root 135*, JC Archer 32*, 74 ov)
  • Fri, 5 Dec - day 2 - Australia 1st innings 378/6 (AT Carey 46*, MG Neser 15*, 73 ov)
  • Sat, 6 Dec - day 3 - England 2nd innings 134/6 (BA Stokes 4*, WG Jacks 4*, 35 ov)
  • Sun, 7 Dec - day 4 - Australia 2nd innings 69/2 (10 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

Australia 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st37TM HeadJ Weatherald
2nd4J WeatheraldM Labuschagne
3rd28SPD SmithJ Weatherald