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25th over: England 97-9 (Atkinson 16, Tongue 0) SIX! There seems little point in Gus Atkinson digging in and he launches Boland over the rope at fine leg. He didn’t quite middle that but there was enough off the pace of the shorter ball to carry it all the way.
ShareWICKET! Carse c Boland b Neser 4 (England 91-9)
Brydon Carse can’t resist a shorter delivery but his pull shot takes a top edge and picks out Scott Boland at long leg. The local hero is having one of those days and can’t step away from the spotlight even while resting in the deep.
24th over: England 91-9 (Atkinson 10, Tongue 0)
Won’t someone think of the cricket boards?
Matthew Lawrenson is one who is concerned: “Hope the MCG have plans for all the food and drink they planned to use over the next 4 days, and that they have insurance for refunded tickets.”
… while Abhishek Chopra has a novel idea: “Looks like we could have two Tests for the price of one at the MCG.”
23rd over: England 90-8 (Atkinson 9, Carse 4) Carse starts the Boland over by stepping down the pitch and opening up with a wild swing. If nothing else, it seems to be the style of the times. Carse defends more soundly from there before working a straight ball away for a single, and Atkinson adds one with a flick off the hip.
Updated at 07.19 CET
22nd over: England 88-8 (Atkinson 8, Carse 3) England’s rearguard is yet to take hold and Ben Stokes is now back in the pavilion. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse usually ensure there is plenty of action when they are in the middle and both keep the scoreboard ticking over – the latter driving off the stumps for two, the former picking up the same when edging a straight delivery.
ShareWICKET! Stokes c Smith b Neser 16 (England 83-8)
Michael Neser comes back into the attack and Alex Carey is back up at the stumps. Stokes tries to steer a wider ball square of the wicket but an edge takes it to Smith for a sharp catch in the slip cordon.
21st over: England 83-7 (Stokes 16, Atkinson 6) Scott Boland has three wickets and there is a reasonable chance that Australia will bat for a second time on day one of the Boxing Day Test. Atkinson isn’t one for hanging around and he flicks off his pads to the boundary then adds two more to third.
With 17 wickets falling on day one of an Ashes Test at the MCG for the first time in more than 120 years, the questions will no doubt turn to whether the pitch has been set up for a fair fight between bat and ball.
It has been mentioned several times on the commentary that 10mm of grass was left on the pitch today, while it was cut to 7mm this time last year.
That’s drinks with the players likely to play through to 6pm local time.
Stephen Herzenberg in Pennsylvania wonders if Brook wasn’t aggressive enough against Boland?
“Notwithstanding the criticism of Harry Brook in this series for unhinged aggressiveness, it seems he might have gone on the offensive more against Boland – especially after Carey stood back. Someone has to try to disrupt Boland’s metronomic consistency.”
ShareWICKET! Jacks c Carey b Boland 5 (England 77-7)
Boland gets his third with a delivery that launches from the off-stump line and cuts through Jacks. The inside edge is faint but Carey has no doubts from behind the stumps.
20th over: England 77-6 (Stokes 16, Jacks 5) Richardson drifts down the leg-side and Jacks punishes him with a clip for three. There is a half-hearted appeal against Jacks for lbw but Richardson has overstepped anyway.
19th over: England 69-6 (Stokes 15, Jacks 1) Scott Boland has two wickets with the promise of more to come as he has the ball talking off his home deck and bowls Jamie Smith. Jacks comes in and reads straight from the Harry Brook play book as he charges Boland first ball with a hearty swing and a miss. He eventually picks up a single when stepping down the track and slogging again.
We have a new Ashes record crowd with 93,442 fans at the MCG enjoying, or otherwise, all the action as 16 wickets have fallen with about an hour of play still to come.
93,442 fans at the MCG on day one of the fourth Ashes Test. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPShareWICKET! Smith b Boland 2 (England 68-6)
Boland sneaks through Smith’s shaky front-foot defence with an off-cutter that travels a long way back into the right-hander. An inside edge and a touch of pad aren’t enough to prevent the ball crashing into middle stump.
18th over: England 68-5 (Stokes 15, Smith 2) Richardson has made a tidy return to Test cricket and bowls just the second maiden of the innings even on what has proven to be a difficult deck for batting.
Tony McKnight was in touch about the time Harry Brook was setting his innings alight, but fair to say he would remain unimpressed by the England top order in this Ashes series.
“Ollie Pope is probably experiencing a little schadenfreude right now, as he ponders why he was dropped and not Duckett, who cannot see out more than a dozen balls without without gifting his wicket. Meanwhile, the anointed one, aka Jacob Bethell, lasts five balls for one run. Joe Root can’t remember the last time he came out to bat with a ball more than 20 overs old. What a shambles.”
ShareWICKET! Brook lbw b Boland 41 (England 66-5)
Scott Boland traps Harry Brook on the crease with a delivery that nips back with an off-cutter to the right-hander. The finger goes up to end an entertaining innings with two sixes and two boundaries in the 41 from 34 balls. Brook doesn’t even think about reviewing and Australia get the breakthrough. Must admit I didn’t see Brook falling that way.
17th over: England 68-5 (Stokes 15, Smith 2)
16th over: England 62-4 (Brook 40, Stokes 12) Richardson has so far contained Brook better than most as the England firebrand perhaps wants a look at him first. Brook takes a single with a flick off the hip through square leg.
15th over: England 61-4 (Brook 39, Stokes 12) Brook entertains with his more creative strokes but still has classical style up his sleeve. A sublime drive through cover is only kept inside the boundary by Travis Head diving to save a run.
14th over: England 56-4 (Brook 35, Stokes 11) Jhye Richardson takes the ball for the first time on his return to Test cricket after a four-year absence. Brook flicks the ball off his pads for a single and Richardson then has the ball shaping nicely across the left-hander Stokes. He draws the England skipper into a loose drive that bounces higher than expected and over the angled bat.
13th over: England 55-4 (Brook 34, Stokes 11) The field is spread for Brook which allows him to find an easy single to point. Stokes adds a couple more with a cover drive, using his wrists to angle the ball away from off-stump.
12th over: England 52-4 (Brook 33, Stokes 9) SIX! Harry Brook continues to play the game on his own terms with a breathtaking counterattacking innings. Brook punishes a slightly shorter ball from Neser with a slog over the rope at deep mid-wicket, with Stokes quickly looking more comfortable with two through cover and a boundary down the ground.
11th over: England 39-4 (Brook 26, Stokes 3) Scott Boland comes into the attack and Alex Carey steps back from the stumps even with Harry Brook on strike. Brook flicks a single off his pads but Stokes is left merely trying to survive as Boland finds his typically difficult line and length. Even a well-timed drive straight down the ground can’t get past the Australia quick. That’s drinks. And, dare I say, I need one as much as the players.
10th over: England 38-4 (Brook 25, Stokes 3) Stokes gets off the mark with a comforting and classic drive through cover. That brings Alex Carey up to the stumps as an anchor on Harry Brook’s hopes of dancing down the pitch. Stunning glovework as Carey collects and swiftly lifts the bails almost sends Brook on his way. The England batter raised his back foot and only barely had it back down just as the keeper touched the stumps. Mitchell Starc reminds us all that he might be human after all as a misfield in the deep allows Brook to take three.
9th over: England 30-4 (Brook 20, Stokes 0) SIX! Ridiculous brilliance from Harry Brook as he begins the over charging Mitchell Starc and smashes England’s chief tormentor over cover and well beyond the fence. Brook ends the over stepping outside the line and swatting a bouncer over the keeper for four. In between he picks up three runs with an unorthodox swipe through mid-wicket. Maybe he has found the secret to the best form of defence after all …
8th over: England 16-4 (Brook 7, Stokes 0) Another quality over from Neser as he has the ball working off the pitch and nearly draws an edge from Root. The England No 4 can’t survive much the same two balls later and is gone for a second duck in the series.
ShareWICKET! Root c Carey b Neser 0 (England 16-4)
Joe Root can only get an outside edge to a straighter delivery from Michael Neser that barely moves away off the seam. There is a quick review to make sure the ball travelled to Carey but by then Root is already on his way back to the pavilion.
Michael Neser dismisses Joe Root. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.09 CET
7th over: England 15-3 (Root 0, Brook 6) A relatively serene over from Starc as Brook picks up a single to deep point and Root is happy to leave anything outside off-stump. Root won’t be in any hurry from here, even if his batting partner usually knows no other way.
Pananjady Swathi has found inspiration in the chaotic opening to England’s innings.
Will England flatter again only to deceive?
Will they give more than they receive?
After skittling the Aussies out
They seem to be going walkabout
They seem to have nothing up their sleeve
Updated at 05.52 CET
6th over: England 14-3 (Root 0, Brook 5) Brook steps down the track again and swings full of gusto only for the nick to fly wide of Green in the gully to the boundary. Neser swings the ball back into Brook as England pick up a leg-bye while Australia throw their arms in the air in a hopeful appeal.
5th over: England 9-3 (Root 0, Brook 1) Mitchell Starc has Zak Crawley nicking off again and England lose their top order within five overs. Not sure what game Harry Brook has been watching, if any, as he walks to the crease and charges the left-armer first ball but fails to connect with a wild swipe. Australia send a fielder back to the rope on the off-side but might have been better leaving the temptation there for Brook. A more sensible shot to third allows Brook to get off the mark.
ShareWICKET! Crawley c Smith b Starc 5 (England 8-3)
Zak Crawly can’t resist defending away from his body at a delivery that Starc coming from around the wicket has travelling across the right-hander. The heavy nick flies to Steve Smith in the cordon and suddenly Australia are back in control.
Steve Smith takes the catch. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.47 CET
4th over: England 8-2 (Crawley 5, Root 0) Red-hot over from Michael Neser as he bowls around the wicket to find Jacob Bethell’s edge then comes back over the wicket to have the ball shaping away from Joe Root. The England No 4 swings early at his first delivery and only just misses nicking off.
ShareWICKET! Bethell c Carey b Neser 1 (England 8-2)
Michael Neser is all over Jacob Bethell as he wraps the England No 3 on the pads but the ball is travelling over leg-stump. Just two deliveries later Neser draws an edge from the 22-year-old. It’s a fine nick but that’s enough for the finger to go up and after a long discussion Bethell chooses not to review.
Jacob Bethell leaves the field after being dismissed by Michael Neser. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.41 CET
3rd over: England 8-1 (Crawley 5, Bethell 1) Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; Mitchell Starc gets the early breakthrough for Australia. The left-armer was made to wait until his second over this time but now has 23 wickets for the series. The 22-year-old Jacob Bethell steps out at No 3 in front of more than 93,000 fans and immediately gets off the mark with a clip off his pads for a single to mid-wicket.
ShareWICKET! Duckett c Neser b Starc 2 (England 7-1)
Ben Duckett’s tough week gets tougher as a loose shot and a leading edge pops up to Neser for a simple catch at mid-on.
Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Ben Duckett. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.33 CET
2nd over: England 4-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 2) Michael Neser takes the new ball after picking up a five-for the last time he bowled for Australia in the second Test at the Gabba. Crawley almost gifts him another wicket from the first ball of the over, as the opener chases an outswinger but is fortunate not to connect with a full-blooded drive. Crawley settles and picks up a single to point before Duckett gets off the mark with a square drive for two.
1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 0) Mitchell Starc immediately finds a testing line outside Zak Crawley’s off-stump. The England opener survives the first four balls before an outside edge off a straighter delivery is enough for Crawley to get off the mark to cover. Ben Duckett will hope to again let his batting do the talking after being in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but is almost on his way first ball. A bump ball flies to Cameron Green at gully and draws half-hearted appeals and a quick review from the third umpire.
Mitchell Starc has the ball in hand with Zak Crawley on strike as England have a full session to bat on day one. Here we go …
Updated at 05.16 CET
Jack Snape is at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test and has found a celebration filled with colour even under dark skies in Melbourne. The crowd is beyond 90,000 …
Brian Withington has a follow up on the punt that now seems much bigger than the one Ben Stokes took when sending Australia in to bat.
“Further to earlier anxiety, son and partner did make it inside the ground with their ‘first come, first served’ secondary market tickets. I’m feeling quietly vindicated in the unsolicited Christmas present, as they had only obtained official tickets for days three and four.
“Talking of Christmas presents, in addition to some of these generously donated Australian wickets, they got engaged in the Botanical Gardens yesterday [no euphemism intended], so it’s turning into quite the memorable trip already.”
Gervase Greene (no relation, I’m told) is giving Cam Green the benefit of the doubt for his run-out that sparked a collapse of nine for four.
“Pity about the run-out. It was Neser’s call – he was the one running to ‘the danger end’. And he [Neser] was certainly quick in taking off. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. They have to keep the singles coming, which is never without risk. A shame, though, as Green looked quite in control.”
Josh Tongue finishes with 5 for 45 while Cameron Green’s senseless run out helped spark a collapse of nine for four as Australia are skittled for 152 before tea on day one of the Boxing Day Test. Tongue was certainly the pick of the bowlers with movement in the air and off the seam on a green deck, while Gus Atkinson also helped England get on top with the early wicket of Travis Head and the first breakthrough after lunch when dismissing Usman Khawaja.
It was never likely to be an easy day for batting after Ben Stokes won the toss and sent Australia in to bat first in overcast conditions. But too many batters failed to make the most of their hard-earned starts with Michael Neser the top scorer on 35. Both sides are now in the rooms for tea before Australia come out needing to make early inroads into England’s top order while the conditions are perhaps still in the bowler’s favour.
Updated at 05.07 CET
Australia all out for 152
Josh Tongue draws an edge from Scott Boland and Harry Brook does the rest at second slip. The England quick has a five-for at the MCG and will begin his first over in Australia’s second innings on a hat-trick.
Josh Tongue ends the innings with five wickets. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.01 CET
WICKET! Neser b Tongue 35 (Australia 152-9)
Josh Tongue gets the ball shaping into Michael Neser and it takes a fine delivery to end a critical knock. That was moving in the ball and got a little more off the deck.
ShareWICKET! Starc c Stokes b Carse 1 (Australia 152-8)
Ben Stokes pulls down a superb catch running back from mid-off after Starc mis-times a lofted drive. Replays show Brydon Carse was incredibly close to overstepping – and I’d say has – but England are having one of those days.
45th over: Australia 152-8 (Neser 35, Richardson 0)
Ben Stokes takes a catch to dismiss Mitchell Starc. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson/PAShare
Updated at 04.59 CET
44th over: Australia 152-7 (Neser 35, Starc 1) Mitchell Starc might be getting sick of saving his batting brethren in this series but he begins his latest critical knock digging out a yorker from Josh Tongue for one. Tongue is a bit wide to Neser as the Australia pair end the over failing to even take a single as Bethell dives in the covers to prevent a boundary. That’s surely a side-effect of the recent run out but Bethell has been lively in the field all day.
43rd over: Australia 151-7 (Neser 35, Starc 0) Cameron Green fails to go on to a significant score even after making a start for the third time in the series as pressure continues to mount on his place in the side. Carse gets a cracker to jag back into Neser but somehow misses everything as the ball trickles over middle stump on the way to four byes. That’s enough to have Neser opening up to punish a slightly wider ball over cover for a boundary.
Updated at 04.43 CET
WICKET! Green run out 17 (Australia 143-7)
Oh, Cameron Green, what have you done? Once again the all-rounder has done all the hard work then found a way to throw away his wicket. Green drops the ball on to the offside and sets off for a quick single. But Carse pounces on the ball and throws down the stumps as even a diving 2m-tall Australian can’t make up the ground in time. Green walks off even as the run out is reviewed.
Cameron Green is too late to the crease. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson/PAShare
Updated at 04.45 CET
42nd over: Australia 143-6 (Green 17, Neser 31) Tongue returns after being the pick of the bowlers on day one and almost makes an immediate impact as Neser edges the first ball of the over but soft hands help it drop short of slip. Neser then unloads with three consecutive boundaries on the drive as four leg byes from a yorker bring up the 50-run partnership.
41st over: Australia 127-6 (Green 17, Neser 19) The Australian pair have little trouble dealing with Carse as they work the ball into gaps whether the England quick pitches it short or fuller. Green gets a couple of singles through square leg, while Neser finds two through point and his own pair of ones on the off-side. It might be time for Tongue to return.
Updated at 04.31 CET
40th over: Australia 121-6 (Green 15, Neser 15) Ben Stokes continues his lengthy spell – broken up by the drinks break – into an eight over. Green eases a wider delivery to cover for one as the all-rounder looks increasingly comfortable.
Updated at 04.31 CET
39th over: Australia 120-6 (Green 14, Neser 15) Brydon Carse returns to the attack after failing to strike earlier in the day. Neser is comfortable ducking under anything short while Carse finds a better range back of a length that draws a play-and-a-miss from the Australian. Maiden over.
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Martin Pegan
Thanks Tim. And merry Boxmas to you and all. The Ashes might already be settled but England still have small – and big – wins to gain and have certainly made the most of their fortune at the toss. But that also does the bowlers a disservice with Josh Tongue (three for 32) in particular impressing at the MCG. With Australia beginning the second half of the day on 120 for six, their new No 7 Cam Green has an opportunity to silence his many critics with a knock that could drag his side back into the fourth Test.
I’ll be guiding us through to stumps. Send your predictions, thought bubbles and other musings with an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X.
ShareDrinks: Australia edging back into it?
38th over: Australia 120-6 (Green 14, Neser 15) Neser gets enough on a drive to send it squirting past gully for four. He’s been standing outside his crease, so maybe England need to post a short leg in his armpit, or have Jamie Smith stand up to the stumps, Carey-style. Or maybe Neser wouldn’t be bothered: by the end of the over, he’s gaily slashing over the slips for four more.
And that’s drinks, which means it’s time for me to hand over to Martin Pegan. Thanks for your company, correspondence and bulletins from the bucket-list seats on Level 4. As Martin has just said to me, Happy Boxmas!
Updated at 04.17 CET
37th over: Australia 111-6 (Green 14, Neser 6) Atkinson gets a rest now as Tongue comes back. His first ball is a loosener and so is his second. Cam Green clips a full toss for four, then pulls a long hop for four more. Tongue, who took his wickets from the other end, finds some rhythm and collects four dots.