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21st over: England 73-2 (Crawley 20, Root 21) Superb parsimonious bowling from Boland, chugging in, hitting a perfect line and length, making the ball fade towards the right-hander’s off stump. Root is happy to play out a maiden from the crease. Just six runs from Boland’s five overs so far, and I guess his pitch-map would be a single red bruise on a perfect line and length.
20th over: England 73-2 (Crawley 20, Root 21) England continue to sweep against Lyon. Root has first dibs, brushing his way off strike, then Crawley profits from a slightly fuller delivery, crunching it in the air well in front of square for a rare boundary. You can see the pitch deteriorating, with the odd puff of dust and the odd delivery scooting low, but it is far from a minefield at this stage.
19th over: England 68-2 (Crawley 16, Root 20) Scott Boland continues to hit his line and length, denying Root or Crawley any opportunity to free their arms. The sense of claustrophobia ratchets up when Carey comes forward to stand up to the stumps.
“I’m an Englishman living long term in Australia,” (me too Joss) “and I have say this English team have been a dreadful disappointment. The gulf in class is an abyss. The Australians looked drilled, completely up for it and are monstering England. By contrast the English look underprepared, unsure how to deal with this superb Aussie side and at this stage like they would rather be anywhere else. We have to be better prepared to create a contest, at this stage they look like a bunch of deer, staring with frightened eyes as the Australian road train comes barreling towards them.”
The $64,000 question is how to better prepare when the cricket calendar is so congested, and home boards are so ambivalent to the requirements of visiting teams?
18th over: England 67-2 (Crawley 16, Root 19) England have clearly decided on a plan of attack to to sweep Nathan Lyon. Four sweeps generate five runs in the off-spinner’s second over, with Crawley also standing tall for a couple of straighter-batted defensive prods.
“Generations of England’s administrators have assumed that the perennial “raw materials” problem in spin is unsolvable,” emails Kandukuru Nagarjun. “Hothousing the attributes/vibes pick Shoaib Bashir hasn’t worked either. Because it turns out spinners need match practice. Who knew?!
Which leads us to a potential solution: find emerging spinners gigs in domestic FC teams. In India for example. We suddenly have a dozen new Ranji Trophy teams (eg. Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh) which are all struggling to compete. Enable them to sign up a Rehan Ahmed or Tom Hartley for a full season. The ECB pays their wages; the BCCI pays for their travel and stay. This obviously won’t work for Jacks who has franchise options, but for red ball specialists it could build skills, cricket smarts and character.”
17th over: England 61-2 (Crawley 12, Root 18) Boland, angling the ball in from over the wicket, using the wobble seam to try and befuddle the pair of right-handed batters, hits his trademark line and length, conceding just the single to Crawley.
Tony McKnight compares the merits of the English and Australian pyramids. “Credit to Marnus, who went to play Shield cricket, made the runs, and won back his place in the side. Same for Khawaja. Bethell by contrast faced how many balls in the last year? And Pope has laboured under a threat for almost a year now. The difference between Bazball’s consequence free culture and Australia’s “basic Test cricket?” I’m not qualified to say.”
16th over: England 60-2 (Crawley 11, Root 18) Huge moment in the context of Australia’s push for victory as Nathan Lyon is introduced with the ball just 15 overs old. Two of his first three deliveries generate hearty appeals, the first for a sharp grab by Head at short leg (off the pad) and the second by Carey behind the stumps for a very tidy piece of glovework down the legside (no edge or stumping). Crawley then plants his front foot down the pitch and sweeps his way off strike, but the delivery he connected well with elicited a puff of dust on pitching. Root is untroubled by the South Australian soil, sweeping conventionally for four, then reverse sweeping for four more.
15th over: England 51-2 (Crawley 10, Root 10) Boland continues after drinks and England’s right-handers each nudge singles.
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Jonathan Howcroft
Thanks Tanya, merry Christmas. Return to that open bottle of Bailey’s and forget this tour ever began.
As this match, series, and era, lurches to its inevitable conclusion for England, I’d be interested to hear from readers about how it all sits in context and modern cricket history. Here’s a few notes from me to set the ball rolling.
Since 1987 England have won just six Tests in Australia. Half of those came in 2010-11. England, and the accompanying media narrative, set unrealistic expectations. What is unfolding is exactly what history suggests should happen, we should not be surprised about it.
The four-year Bazball experiment has been worth it, irrespective of its failure on this tour. England being stereotypically English has rarely worked, so deviating from the script, planning years ahead and identifying talent specifically for this moment should be commended. Obviously the execution has been flawed.
Considering the status of England among international cricket’s “Big Three”, something is clearly broken with the talent pathway. It’s one thing to support a long-term strategy that deviates from the traditional script, and another to not trust a single specialist spinner in the entire country, or for the only support batter in a touring squad to average 28 in first-class cricket, with no centuries. Aggressive cricket and a positive mindset might bring marginal gains and some occasional swings in momentum, but if the raw materials are not great to begin with, that will only accomplish so much.
Let me know your thoughts via jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com
14th over: England 49-2 (Crawley 9, Root 9) Cummins is after his bunny, and rolls through a seventh over. A beauty rips past Crawley’s bat, as he pushes forward in serious concentration.
They pause for drinks and it is time for me to hand over to Jonathan Howcroft. Thanks for your company and all your emails and sorry I didn’t manage to get around to them all. Enjoy the world-record run chase.
13th over: England 46-2 (Crawley 8, Root 8) The first change is not Lyon but Boland, suncream across his nose. Oooof, and an near miss as Root is squared up and an edge bounces just short of Khawaja at slip
“WinViz has England at 10% to win,” writes Michael Meagher, “which, truthfully, feels wildly optimistic.”
12th over: England 44-2 (Crawley 8, Root 6) Watchful from Crawley and Root, and they’ve nearly seen Cummins and Starc off.
11th over: England 41-2 (Crawley 6, Root 5) A four each to Crawley and Root as Starc drifts a sigh away from perfection. And a second warning to Starc for running on the pitch. Perhaps time for Lyon.
10th over: England 31-2 (Crawley 1, Root 0) A wicket maiden, and a cock-a-hoop Labuschagne, mouth like a O like AA Milne’s Jonathon Jo. For Pope, perhaps some relief that the torment is over
ShareWICKET! Pope c Labuschagne b Cummins 17 (England 31-2)
Brutal. A spacedust popping catch at second slip by Labuschagne, like a slippery seal in the bath, sliding to his left, scooping the ball up with one paw. Pope takes off one glove, then the other, and disappears into the bowels of the stadium.
Updated at 21.59 EST
9th over: England 30-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 16) A couple of beauties from Starc but England survive.
Hello Martin O’ Connor! “There was a brilliant UK sitcom set in a newsroom in the early 1990s called Drop the Dead Donkey. One of the jokes that has stuck with me is a character looking at some sort of screen and saying ‘Look at this cricket score. There’s a whole generation of children growing up who think that England Test collapse is all one word.’ Plus ca change”
I loved that program.
8th over: England 26-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 13) Crawley now has a 27 ball one. Leaving balls alone as if he’s never heard of Bazball.
“I gave up watching midway through the second test,” writes Stephen Holliday. “The writing was on the wall after the first, but I stuck with it. But in the second test, the Smith drop from an Archer delivery – I forget the batsman – but the body language was appalling. Archer too despondent.
Smith looked like his world had ended and he was going to get picked on by the bigger boys. Only question now is whether Stokes, McCullum or both will walk when the 5-0 is confirmed.”
Both coach and captain went after England women’’s Ashes debacle last year. But I think they’ll want Stokes to stay – if he will.
7th over: England 26-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 13) A really quite nice shot from Pope as Starc is sent skimming through point, though he did live dangerously by leaving one that shimmied close to the stumps.
Ollie Pope bats on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson/PAShare
Updated at 22.01 EST
6th over: England 21-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 7) A slightly less panic-inducing over. Pope defends with bat close to body, though Crawley gets beaten by a peach.
”I’ve actually stayed up for this nightmare whenever possible,” writes Julian Menz.
”I’ve done the same for every Ashes tour before and since my daughter was a sleepless, screaming, teething babe-in-arms.
”I miss those days.” I know, I (sometimes) miss them too.
5th over: England 20-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 7) Crawley keeps his counsel. The umpire points out to Starc that he is running in the danger zone in his follow through, Starc points out there is a hole in the pitch which he is trying to avoid, and so a man comes out with a flattening iron to hammer things flat. Just four leg byes from the over.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 7) Agonies. Pope edges Cummins through the slips for four, in just the way you imagine he has. He chastises himself afterwards and then is beaten off the last ball of Cummins’ over. Cummins can’t believe he’s still there.
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3rd over: England 11-1 (Crawley 0, Pope 3) This isn’t a relaxing watch tbh. Starcs’s first ball leaps over Carey’s gloves and down to the boundary. Pope looks about as relaxed as a man about to go down the Niagara Falls in a barrel.
To sum up: the good news, for anyone still awake, is that England’s bowlers whistled through Australia this morning, taking six quick wickets. Tongue looked the real deal. The bad news is that England are chasing the highest fourth innings score in Test history and Duckett is already out.
“The next two hours are going to be disturbing, chilling, and terrifying. They are going to be a Technicolor-vivid documentation of total psychological disintegration, and resultant wild demented slashing. Yes, I am watching The Shining again. HERE’S STARCY!” I’m feeling a lot better now Paul Griffin. Time for me to find the coffee in a foreign kitchen, while England stiffen their sinews over lunch. Back shortly.
ShareLunch – England need 430 to win
2nd over: England 5-1 (Crawley 0, Pope 1) I don’t think I can bear to watch Pope – but he escapes the strike immediately with a push into the covers and Crawley sees off the rest of the over and takes England through till lunch -with a bit of time wasting for good measure.
Duckett did briefly – for one ball – look in command as he pinged a Cummins half volley through midwicket for four. But then the needless nibble.
Updated at 20.55 EST
WICKET! Duckett c Labuschagne b Cummins 4 (England 4-1)
A regulation nibble to second slip with bent knees.
Pat Cummins celebrates taking the wicket of Ben Duckett at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.42 EST
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Starc sprints away from the trees in full green bloom lining one end of the Adelaide Oval – he’s such a wonder in full flight – almost Holdingesque. Crawley ignore the first, nibbles at the fourth and is beaten. A maiden.
Updated at 20.40 EST
England need 435 to win.
Australia lost 6 for 38 this morning. One might almost say it was careless, if their lead wasn’t already 434.
Still, we can dream, can’t we Gervase Greene?
“Just as all your flint-hearted colleagues are whooping it up at the Graun’s Xmas drinks after-party, smirking at ‘poor old Aldred suffering on the couch as Australia grind out a 600-run lead…’
Turns out you’ve got a potential cliff-hanger on your hands, with the mother of all Baz-chases set to transform this series. That’ll learn ‘em!”
The highest fourth innings run-chase in Test history will be a piquant final chapter to the Bazball story. Though I am beginning to regret that last Baileys for the road. Anyway, the players are already out and Starc has the ball.
ShareWICKET! Boland c and b Archer (Australia 349 all out and lead England by 434)
Super ball from Archer, nasty, brutish and short. Boland fends into the offside and is caught by a diving Archer in his follow-through.
Jofra Archer dives to catch Scott Boland off his own bowling at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.40 EST
84th over: Australia 349-9 (Starc 7, Boland 1) Excellent work by England’s bowlers this morning, who have rushed (almost) through the Australian card in about an hour and a half. Those two wickets spruce up Carse’s figures no end.
ShareWICKET! Lyon lbw Carse 0 (Australia 344-9)
Carse on a hat-trick! Lyon is trapped on the crease by a perfect nut. He reviews with one hand and walks off with the other.
Brydon Carse celebrates after taking the wicket of Nathan Lyon at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersShare
Updated at 20.57 EST
WICKET! Cummins c Brook b Carse 6 (Australia 344-8)
Feet in cement, bat wafty, Brook collects.
Brydon Carse celebrates after taking the wicket of Pat Cummins on day four of the third Ashes Test. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.09 EST
83rd over: Australia 344-7 (Cummins 6, Starc 3) Archer giving nothing.
Dear Tanya,
You “still think England can pull it off” (your reply to Andrew Benton, earlier)
What on earth have you seen to support such optimism ?
it seems clear that the Aussies are better in every way.”
Hope, Colum Farrelly, that Bazball will throw us a crumb, just once this series.
82nd over: Australia 340-7 (Cummins 4, Starc 2) Carse returns to take the new ball at the other end. Just a single from it. England have stuck at their task but the lead is an ominous 426.
Updated at 19.58 EST
81st over: Australia 340-7 (Cummins 4, Starc 2) Archer with the new ball. Starc flicks at the second and England plump for a review for a catch down the leg side. Nowhere near.
80th over: Australia 335-7 (Cummins 3, Starc 0) Impressive work from Tongue who has plugged away this morning, producing occasional venom from a friendly face.
Updated at 20.59 EST
WICKET! Inglis c Smith b Tongue 10 (Australia 335-7)
Questions, questions! from Tongue. A fourth wicket as Inglis flurries behind to Jamie Smith.
Josh Tongue celebrates after dismissing Josh Inglis on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.45 EST
78th over: Australia 332-6 (Inglis 8, Cummins 2) Stokes’s 50th Ashes wicket was a snorter, the ball right into Carey’s rib, fended away in mid-air to the waiting Brook. The lead is 417.
“I’m an American from America. New to cricket. Has England been playing cricket for very long, or are they kind of new to this? They don’t seem very good, tbh.” David Slider, i think you’re being mischievous.
ShareWICKET! Carey c Brooks b Stokes 72 (Australia 329-6)
Stokes gets his man. Carey looks bitterly disappointed after flicking a bouncer to le gslip where Brooks holds on with both hands.
Alex Carey is caught off Ben Stokes for 72 on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.43 EST
78th over: Australia 328-5 (Carey 72, Inglis 6) Brick upon brick.
“Just finished a burning shift in the bar and making noodles,” writes David Kalucy, “you think England is going to bat for a draw?” I think England are rinsed enough that they may be caught between batting for a draw and frolicking towards the highest chase in Test history.
77th over: Australia 325-5 (Carey 71, Inglis 4) England think they’ve got Inglis – he’s given out lbw on the field – but he reviews and the replay shows an inside edge onto the pad. Predictably snicko doesn’t agree, but the TV pictures are clear enough that it doesn’t matter. Bowler Stokes rocks his head back in disappointment.
76th over: Australia 320-5 (Carey 69, Inglis 2) Tongue is having a decent showing with the ball and has probably booked his ticket for Melbourne and Sydney. He’s big and tricksy and full of attack.
“Wolfish abandon. I quite like the sound of it,” writes Abhishek Chopra.
“England used to have Sibley who was all elephantish calm.”
Elephantine calm is exactly what England could have done with this series.
75th over: Australia 317-5 (Carey 68, Inglis 1) Stokes’ fifth over of the morning. Carey with a twinkle toed boundary through point. The sky is gloriously blue by the way.
ShareWICKET! Head c Crawley b Tongue 170 (Australia 311-5)
Head walks off the turf and down the tunnel, but not before saluting the crowd. The end of a talismanic innings comes after he launches into a hook but doesn’t have quite enough umph, flaying Tongue instead down to Crawley, who does well to hold on after staring into the sun at deep square leg.
74th over: Australia 311-5 (Carey 63) Tongue makes the breakthrough with his first over of the morning.
Travis Head acknowledges the crowd after being dismissed for 170 runs during day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.16 EST
73rd over: Australia 309-4 (Head 165, Carey 61) Stokes is testing, varies his length, throws in a slower ball, but to no avail.
“What kind of total do you think Australia will be looking for to out them safe? 500 or more?” I think 500ish Charles Esche, especially with a bit of inclement weather possible tomorrow morning.
72nd over: Australia 304-4 (Head 165, Carey 61) But there goes the pressure valve, as Head flays two four off Carse with wolfish abandon. Thirteen from the over, and the lead creeps towards 400.
Travis Head smacks a pair of boundaries off Brydon Carse at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersShare
Updated at 19.17 EST
71st over: Australia 291-4 (Head 154, Carey 60) Just a couple off Stokes’s over, who is once again leading by example. It must be exhausting.
70th over: Australia 289-4 (Head 153, Carey 59) Head hadn’t looked quite so on it this morning, but now upper cuts with a swagger off Carse to bring a to bring up his 150 off 205 balls.
Updated at 18.57 EST
69th over: Australia 279-4 (Head 144, Carey 58) Another goodly over from the indefatigable Stokes.
The batter who has faced the most balls in this series is not Travis Head but Ben Stokes: 422 balls, 160 runs, 16 fours v Head: 411 balls, 353 runs, 36 fours and eight sixes. A whole different ball game, says Tim de Lisle, whose sofa I have borrowed for the night.
Updated at 18.47 EST
68th over: Australia 276-4 (Head 142, Carey 57) Carse’s first ball is short and wide and thumped to the boundary by Carey. A diving stop by Smith saves any further blushes and that’s all Australia can milk from the over.
Updated at 21.02 EST
Play!
67th over: Australia 272-4 (Head 142, Carey 53) Stokes has the ball. Hair swept back and regal. Running in to the strains of the Barmy Army’s Jerusalem. On the ball. Just one single from it.
Ben Stokes bowls to Alex Carey on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.19 EST
“Do you think that England just haven’t got what it takes,” asks Andrew Benton, “or is it that they haven’t got it together? Is there a brilliant, Aussie-whipping, team hiding in there somewhere? Hocus-pocus, batters and bowlers, please focus!”
I still think they could pull it off. And if they’re going to, today would be the day to do it. Some good news for England – a morning’s rain is due tomorrow.
Updated at 21.03 EST
Pitch watch
The consensus is, it hasn’t deteriorated.
The highest Test match chase is 418 says Steven Finn, and after that point it becomes an uphill task.
The good news is that Ben Stokes in a maroon vest, his mullet on point, is bowling in the nets.
Updated at 21.04 EST
A post-mortem email. Too soon, Matthew Lawrenson, too soon.
“If England lose this series, as it looks as though they will, and badly (ditto) – what will happen afterwards? The usual routine is appointing a committee who recommends reorganising County Cricket to benefit the England team. As the current regime has pretty much ignored County Cricket, what do you think they would think of next?”
Surely they can’t reorganise county cricket again. They’ve only just found some kind of settlement after the Strauss report. But maybe they might start paying attention to Championship performances. Or stretch it over a full summer again.
Should England need inspiration, they need look no further than the Big Bash, where Brisbane Heat have chased down the greatest BBL run chase at the Gabba.
Just watching Travis Head on the highlights, bristling through his moustache to 142 not out. Carey starts the day unbeaten on 52. Geoff might be enjoying Bazball’s demise below.
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Tanya Aldred
Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks.
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball – and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.
Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks,
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball- and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.