1m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:42pmBOWLED HIM!
Jofra Archer bowls at the stumps and, shock horror, hits them!
Just off the inside edge, a good length, a brilliant line around the wicket, Starc looking to be aggressive and can’t keep it out.
Archer does not celebrate much, if at all.
In fact, Archer and Stokes are engaged in a solid conversation after that wicket. Robust, some might say.
Interesting.
Archer wanted a third man and didn’t get one.
Starc is out for 54.
3m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:40pm
86th over – Archer continues
FOUR! Starc cuts to a wide ball, gets a top edge and the ball flies to a vacant third man for another boundary – Starc’s fifth of the day so far.
5m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:38pm85th over – Brydon Carse has the new ball at the other end
He has two wickets in his 13 overs so far in this Test, 2-70 his figures.
But he’s really been very poor for mine.
Two slips in place as Lyon defends the first.
That’s nice from Lyon, clipping off his pads for a single. I hate to jump on Brydon Carse this early in the day, but that was a trash delivery – Mark Waugh called it a “nothing ball” on Fox’s commentary and he’s absolutely right. Too short, not targeting the stumps and so easy to hit.
FOUR! Starc punches with a late cut backward of point, another rubbish ball from Carse wide, outside off and too short.
FOUR! And again – Carse was a bit fuller that time but it’s not targeting the stumps and it’s just too easy for a man in Starc’s form to hit.
Another poor ball outside off and Starc will be kicking himself that he doesn’t connect with that one, the ball squirting to mid on off the inside edge.
FIFTY FOR MITCH STARC!
Back-to-back 50s for Mitch Starc, clipping off his pads there to square leg. He’s got there off 73 balls. Lovely from a genuine all rounder.
9m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:33pm
84th over – Jofra Archer with the new-ish ball
Jofra Archer is going to start things off for England this morning.
Mitchell Starc is on strike.
Crowd is in, players are ready, umpires are not quite ready…
Now they are, in comes Archer and Starc defends solidly.
Archer was excellent yesterday, 3-29 off 16 overs.
FOUR! Wide, full, Mitch Starc swings hard, edges past the cordon and down towards third man, where Cornwall’s St Piran’s cross is prominent on a St George’s flag. Lovely.
Full from Archer, into the pads of Starc as the Barmy Army complete their morning rendition of Jerusalem.
Solid defence from Starc.
Archer is already up at 137km/h, by the way. Must be thinking of his pillow and all the napping he’s going to do.
FOUR! What a shot from Starc! A lovely drive through the covers and Mitch Starc just punched that with gorgeous timing.
Lovely timing again from Starc to end the over.
Lovely stuff from Starc to start, and Archer’s head just dropped a bit at the end of that over.
13m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:29pm
What’s the plan for England today
Obviously they need to get the wickets quickly and get Australia’s bowlers out in the field under that blazing sun.
The only complicating matter for Australia is that the bowlers are already out there, in full batting kit.
The Aussies will want to get some quick runs.
I mean, that’s pretty obvious, I guess.
15m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:28pm
Let’s check the scorecard
Before we get underway, let’s have a look at the scoreboard from yesterday.
(Getty Images)
My goodness that’s great for the soul, isn’t it?
17m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:26pm
I’m no physicist, but…
The explanation just discussed on air of what happened with DRS does not make complete sense. As shown, the audio spike occurred BEFORE the ball reached the bat. The explanation was that the audio was derived from the stump mic at the bowler’s end. However, that mic was about 18 m away from the bat (assuming the bat was about 2 m in front of the stumps). The speed of sound in air is about 343 metres/second, meaning that the sound of a snick should have arrived about 18/343 second = 0.052 seconds = 52 milliseconds AFTER the ball passed the bat. There must be some other mis-match between audio and vision.
– David
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I’m pretty sure the outcome was just a result of user error, admitted by the company.
17m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:25pm
More heat forecast for Adelaide today…
(bom.gov.au)
Another scorcher forecast for Adelaide today.
England will be wanting to prise the remaining two Australian wickets quick smart and condemn the hosts to a long, sweaty day in the field.
19m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:24pm
Snicko in Australia, Ultraedge in the UK
What is the other system other countries use instead of snicko
– Mick
Hi Mick.
It all comes down to the operator.
In Australia, BGG’s Snicko system is used.
In the UK, Ultraedge is used and has been since 2016, because Snicko was considered inaccurate and outdated.
What’s the difference apart from the name?
Well, Snicko uses a human operator to align the sound and visuals together, while Ultraedge, which is Hawk-Eye’s system, amalgamates the two via Hawk-Eye’s ball-tracking software.
Snicko is used in New Zealand as well as Australia, while England, India and South Africa use Ultraedge.
25m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:18pm
‘Are you a walker?’
Here’s what Alex Carey said in the press conference yesterday.
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Good thing is, I’m sure all the England supporters will be completely rational about it and treat Carey with the necessary respect.
30m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:13pm
Moral wins all round
Re: DRS, maybe this is the time for Australia to get on board with the system used in the other cricket nations.
Is there any reason why we don’t all use the same systems?
– Doc
Can we agree the controversy is purely to allow England to get a moral victory?
– Phillip
Merry Christmas England. Here, have yourselves some SnickoGate.
– Big Ben
Loading32m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:11pmEngland has been given its review back
The review that England lost for the incorrect decision by Snicko has been given back to them, we’ve been told this morning.
Which is nice.
No word yet on the 34 runs Alex Carey scored after the decision was made, though…
33m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:10pm
Snicko strikes…
(Fox Sports)
Right, the elephant in the room.
If you thought that VAR was the only refereeing assistant to cause chaos in Australian sport, then DRS has just asked it to hold its beer, before tripping over as it walked over and spilled it all over the floor anyway.
Essentially what happened was this: Carey edged a ball behind. It wasn’t given despite a big noise on the stump mike. England immediately reviewed. The snicko spike was a long way out of whack from the TV image and so the review was struck down.
However, it turns out, the operator pressed the wrong button.
BBG Sports operates the system on behalf of host broadcaster, Fox Sports – who have been strangely silent on the matter so far and admitted the error, taking full responsibility.
England are, understandably, a bit annoyed and are understood to be making an official complaint to the match referee.
34m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:09pm
Alex Carey joins some elite company
Thanks, as ever, to Ric Finlay for the stats.
DBradman… I wonder what ever happened to him?
36m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:06pm
Analysis: Alex Carey elevates himself on emotional day
Alex Carey’s emotional century was one strand of the story – but the other was just how important his ton was for Australia on a day of multiple missed opportunities.
Here’s Dean Bilton’s analysis.
41m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 11:02pm
Steve Smith ill, misses Test
(Getty Images)
All this came after Steve Smith had to pull out of playing in this Test moments before the toss on account of him being ill.
Here’s how that was explained, as Usman Khawaja earned a last-minute reprieve – and made the most of it too.
44m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 10:59pm
Five quick hits
Yeah, I know, you’re busy. I’m busy.
Everyone is busy.
So if you prefer to get your update in short, bite-sized form, check out the five quick hits from yesterday’s action.
46m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 10:57pm
What happened yesterday?
(Getty Images)
Alex Carey happened yesterday – in just about every way imaginable to be honest.
Let’s stick with the actual cricket first.
Alex Carey scored his first Ashes century as Australia made 8-326 on the first day, having won the toss and deciding to bat first on a nice-looking pitch.
Carey played superbly, his hundred coming off 135 balls before he fell to a top edge off the bowling of Will Jacks.
It was a bit of an ugly end to his innings, which was very much in keeping with a lot of other Australian batters, who may have wanted to have their time again looking back.
Here’s how it all played out.
55m agoWed 17 Dec 2025 at 10:47pm
Day two, third Ashes Test
(Getty Images)
Hello folks and welcome to day two of the Adelaide Test, where I am reliably informed it is pretty scorchio this morning.
My name is Simon Smale and I, alongside Jon Healy, Henry Hanson and Dean Bilton will bring you all the action as it happens.
England and Australia both could come away from Adelaide Oval relatively happy after yesterday’s first day’s play.
But who will come away happier later today?
Let’s find out, shall we?