Mitchell Starc returns and Brook blocks him into the offside then calls Stokes through for a quick run.
Stokes then does the same and dives for the crease but doesn’t really need to.
Bang! Brook cuts Starc away for four and brings up the fifty partnership between these two,
It’s what England needed and Brook himself is closing in on a half-century.
(Getty Images)
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:46
Nathan Lyon is back into the attack and gets worked away by Brook and then Stokes for a single apiece.
Brook takes another one off the last ball to keep the strike.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:40
England trail Australia by 258 runs but they’re chipping away at that total.
This has been a good partnership, it’s worth 42 now.
(REUTERS)
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:33
Boland continues to hone in on a length after Cummins bowls a tidy over for just one run.
Brook is solid and defensive. He seems to have put those ‘shocking shots’ back in the locker during this innings.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:31
Where has this come from?
Harry Brook dances down the wicket and smashes Scott Boland over the fielder at point and knocks it for six!
England take their total over 100 as well.
More runs for Brook, he flicks the ball off his hip for a couple and then drives through cover for two more.
Brook is starting to accelerate but he’ll need to remain focused and bat long today.
13 runs from the Boland over.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:23
He’s rotating his bowlers in short spells which could be down to the heat today. But, it also keeps the batters on their toes, they can’t settle against a single bowler and are always resetting their mindset.
Stokes ducks underneath a bouncer but already there are signs that Australia are switching things up. Cummins has bowled more variations in this over to try and test Stokes.
The England captain handles it but it’s a maiden.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:18
A few more runs from Boland’s latest over as Stokes collects three and Brook eases a drive wide of the man at gully for a couple more.
Six come from the over and in a period where scoring runs is tough to come by that’s a positive for England.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:14
Brook takes another single from Lyon. He’s now up to 20 and has reined in a lot of his natural attacking instincts.
Stokes has 10 at the other end and the partnership is 21.
That’s a start but England will need these two to bat for as long as possible.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:11
He replaces Starc and finds a good length straight away which challenges Harry Brook.
Brook takes him for a single.
Boland then overpitches to Stokes who drives him beautifully down the ground for four!
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:09
Stokes is facing a lot of deliveries and is finding it more difficult to find gaps and rotate the strike.
It’s all patient and slow build up for the tourists. One of Nathan Lyon’s latest over.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 03:01