38th over: England 127-5 (Stokes 19, Smith 0) Lyon to Stokes with Australian fielders crowding the bat on the offside on the brink of the teabreak. The England captain is hobbling around, likely with cramp, but is too quick to take his guard and Australia will get another over at Smith.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37th over: England 127-5 (Stokes 19, Smith 0) Green gets the breakthrough as the Brook-Stokes partnership ends at 56 runs. Jamie Smith comes to the crease after scoring only 52 runs in four innings across the opening two Tests, and is very nearly gone without adding to that tally. Much the same delivery that sent Brook packing almost lures Smith into a nick to Alex Carey, but the right-hander fails to even make fleeting contact. A hugely impressive first over of the day from the Australian all-rounder, just a no-ball and wicket coming from it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.09 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Brook c Carey b Green 45 (England 127-5)<\/p>\n Cameron Green is thrown the ball for the first time at Adelaide Oval and takes only three deliveries to silence at least some of his critics. Seam up, an awkward length, movement away from the right-hander, and Brook can\u2019t get his bat out of the way in time as he half-heartedly plays and edges behind.<\/p>\n Brook departs. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.13 EST<\/p>\n 36th over: England 126-4 (Brook 45, Stokes 19) Snicko is called into action and this time does its thing! Lyon pushes the ball behind Brook as the right-hander can\u2019t help but chase it and Australia rise as one to appeal for caught behind. The finger is raised before Brook reviews immediately \u2013 and replays show any sound came after the ball was well past the bat and on the way to clipping the thigh pad. Brook \u2013 and perhaps Snicko \u2013 survive, but Lyon looks threatening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35th over: England 125-4 (Brook 44, Stokes 19) Australia set a field for Brook suited to short-pitched bowling. The right-hander controls a pull shot through square leg where Cummins \u2013 he\u2019s back on the field \u2013 limits England to a single. Starc ends the over getting the ball to nip back into Stokes \u2013 perhaps a first sign of reverse swing.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.57 EST<\/p>\n 34th over: England 124-4 (Brook 43, Stokes 19) Stokes clips Lyon off his pads through midwicket for a couple before the off-spinner finds a testing line targeting the left-hander\u2019s off-stump. The rise in volume and frequency of Marnus Labuschagne\u2019s chatter might be a sign of Australia recognising that this partnership is threatening to get out of hand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33rd over: England 122-4 (Brook 43, Stokes 17) Mitchell Starc takes over from Scott Boland and unusually, for this series at least, is still without a wicket to his name even as England push into three figures. Harry Brook looks increasingly comfortable and brings up the 50-run partnership with Stokes with a slashing cut shot to the boundary.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32nd over: England 116-4 (Brook 38, Stokes 16) Nathan Lyon takes the ball with Pat Cummins taking a breather off the field. Brook angles the face of his bat to pick up a pair of singles behind square leg, while in between Stokes drives for one. The England captain could do with turning over the strike more and getting Brook on strike as much as possible at the moment.<\/p>\n Stokes plays a shot off his legs. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.51 EST<\/p>\n The drinks break in Adelaide has given Brian Withington time to let his mind wander far and wide towards a hopeful query: \u201cCall me an optimistic cynically naive old git, but I\u2019m sensing some signs of recovery here. Brook looking very determined, Stokes obdurate, the wicket flat and the sun bleedin\u2019 hot. What can go wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31st over: England 113-4 (Brook 36, Stokes 15) Boland leaked 24 runs from his previous three overs as Brook in particular set out to target the Australia quick. A tighter line ties down the England right-hander this time, until he ends the over easing a single to deep point. That\u2019ll be drinks \u2013 the second of the session with the mercury rising beyond 40C in Adelaide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.35 EST<\/p>\n 30th over: England 112-4 (Brook 35, Stokes 15) Brook punches Cummins down the ground for a single to leave Stokes with four deliveries to face. The England captain has no interest in playing at anything short or outside off before Cummins finishes his over and immediately leaves the field.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29th over: England 111-4 (Brook 34, Stokes 15) SIX! Harry Brook can only deny his natural instincts for so long as he charges Scott Boland and carves a drive beyond deep cover and over the rope. The right-hander comfortably picks up a pair of twos on either side of the wicket. A promising over for England, 13 runs from it, as they seem to be going after Boland.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.27 EST<\/p>\n 28th over: England 98-4 (Brook 23, Stokes 13) Pat Cummins returns with Ben Stokes on strike. That tale of course comes with plenty of history, often with the Australian captain in the ascendancy. But there is no way through Stokes\u2019 determined defence this time. A maiden over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.37 EST<\/p>\n Thanks Rob, for steering us through a session-and-a-half that often felt like a snapshot of the series so far. Stop me if it feels like you\u2019ve heard this one before … Australia\u2019s tail lifted the hosts closer to \u2013 but still short of \u2013 what past players and pundits have insisted would be a reasonable first-innings total at Adelaide Oval. Then, even after their own predictably fast start, England soon gave up any perceived advantage as they suffered a top-order collapse with three wickets falling for a mere five runs. For all the talk about how much this surface might favour the batters, and the old adage not to judge a pitch until both sides have taken their turn to swing the willow, half of the dismissals have come through catches in front of the wicket. Quality bowling? At times. Poor shot selection? Absolutely.<\/p>\n England now have little choice but to dig in and can at least cling to some hope of reaching Australia\u2019s 371 with Ben Stokes still at the crease, while dreaming of Harry Brook partnering his captain well into the afternoon. I\u2019ll be with you until stumps \u2013 please do get involved with an email<\/a> or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky<\/a> or X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Brook and Stokes fist bump. Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.38 EST<\/p>\n 27th over: England 98-4 (Brook 22, Stokes 13) Boland drifts onto the pads of Stokes, who tucks him through midwicket for three, and then Brook squirts wide of gully for a couple.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time for me to hand over to Martin Pegan for the rest of the day. Thanks for your company and emails; see you tomorrow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26th over: England 92-4 (Brook 20, Stokes 10) Lyon gets a bit of turn to Brook, who inside-edges into the leg side. One from the over.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s take a minute to celebrate this Australian team as a team and as a collection of individuals,\u201d write Felix Wood. \u201cThey\u2019ve gone about their business this series – ignored the noise and trusting each other that one or other of their mates will always stick their hand up.<\/p>\n \u201cFor England, I\u2019m not really sure where they go from here, but I think the situation they\u2019ve got themselves in over the No3 slot, where the incumbent is clearly not up for it but they\u2019ve pre-crowned his successor when he\u2019s clearly not ready and possibly will never be suitable sort of sums it up.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope though how it\u2019s ending doesn\u2019t make people forget how fun Bazball was for a while – nor that before it England were just as frustrating to watch, equally prone to collapse and frozen in fear to boot.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.12 EST<\/p>\n 25th over: England 91-4 (Brook 19, Stokes 10) Boland comes on for Starc and puts a long-off in place for Brook, who works a simple single into the leg side. Brook promised to rein it in and so far he\u2019s done exactly that, with just one boundary and lots of singles. And he\u2019s still scoring at a strike rate of 76.<\/p>\n Stokes gets his first boundary with a beautiful off-drive, a shot he played so often during his memorable maiden Test hundred at Perth 12 years ago.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.14 EST<\/p>\n 24th over: England 86-4 (Brook 18, Stokes 6) \u201cAwwww that\u2019s close to pad first!\u201d shouts Labuschagne when Stokes defends a ball from Lyon on leg stump. Stokes is almost strokeless, particularly against Lyon, and has 6 from 33 balls. That scoring rate would be a concern for most England players, but we\u2019ve seen Stokes do this many times before, most notably at Headingley in 2019.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23rd over: England 85-4 (Brook 17, Stokes 6) Starc is consistently bowling around 90-92 mph, which is some going for a 35-year-old in 39-degree heat.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22.2 overs: England 83-4 (Brook 16, Stokes 5) Stokes turns his back on a perfectly pitched short ball from Starc that hits him on the back of the helmet. Starc asks Stokes if he\u2019s okay, Stokes nods and the physio comes on to check for concussion. He\u2019s OK to continue.<\/p>\n Stokes gets hit on the helmet. Photograph: Quinn Rooney\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.13 EST<\/p>\n Drinks With temperatures approaching 40 degrees, the umpires call for an early drinks break. England trail by 289 runs and are in abundant bother.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22nd over: England 82-4 (Brook 15, Stokes 5) I thought the ball from Lyon to dismiss Duckett was a jaffa. In fact, replays show that it was a good rather than great delivery, one that maybe shouldn\u2019t have been getting through a Test opener.<\/p>\n Five dot balls in a row from Lyon to Stokes, although it was hard to concentrate with Marnus Labuschagne chatting away constantly between deliveries. Stokes has 5 from 24 balls, Brook 15 from 19.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21st over: England 81-4 (Brook 14, Stokes 5) Starc probes outside the off stump of Stokes, who isn\u2019t interested in playing out there. When Starc tightens his line Stokes defends solidly.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I sit here at the boundary at Adelaide Oval, I can\u2019t help but cast my mind to some of the comments below the line in the match report last night: 450 apparently constituted \u2018par\u2019 on this wicket,\u201d writes Angus Chisholm. \u201cPar works as a concept for golf, where performance is strictly a question of physical and mental ability, and where your main obstacle is the utterly dispassionate topography of wherever you happen to be playing. It doesn\u2019t work when your abilities are being tested, in a five-match series in a foreign country under the baking sun, by 11 other blokes who want to put you away with maximum severity.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20th over: England 80-4 (Brook 14, Stokes 5) Brook has started sensibly and looks happy to milk Lyon for singles, at least for the time being. Australia were in similar trouble yesterday, 90-odd for 4, but right now it\u2019s hard to see England mounting a similar fightback.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19th over: England 77-4 (Brook 12, Stokes 4) Yep, no messing around from Australia: Cummins off after a two-over spell, Starc on to bowl at Stokes. His first ball is too straight and worked through midwicket for three by Stokes.<\/p>\n Starc back in action. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.14 EST<\/p>\n 18th over: England 73-4 (Brook 11, Stokes 1) Lyon has a slip and silly point for Stokes, who plays a series of forward defensive strokes before waving his first run to deep point.<\/p>\n Given Stokes\u2019 struggles agianst Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins may bring himself off despite taking the wicket of Root.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17th over: England 71-4 (Brook 10, Stokes 0) Cummins has dismissed Root more than any other bowler in Tests.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! England 71-4 (Root c Carey b Cummins 19)<\/p>\n Pat Cummins dismisses Joe Root for the 12th time in Tests! It was a good delivery, slightly fuller than usual, and Root edged a defensive push through to Carey. Australia are just too good.<\/p>\n Pat Cummins celebrates taking the key wicket of Joe Root. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.29 EST<\/p>\n 16th over: England 64-3 (Root 13, Brook 9) Nathan Lyon continues after lunch and is milked for five relatively low-risk singles. Good batting.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15th over: England 59-3 (Root 11, Brook 6) Pat Cummins, who has a magnificent record against Joe Root, replaces Scott Boland after lunch. A huge LBW appeal against Root is turned down, with replays showing an inside edge onto the pad. It\u2019s an excellent start from Cummins though, an accurate and challenging maiden.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The players are back on the field. Australia are probably one good session away from retaining the Ashes.<\/p>\n Joe Root and Harry Brook wait to go out to bat. Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.18 EST<\/p>\n \u201cI really thought this was England\u2019s chance, Rob,\u201d says Luke Regan. \u201cMore fool me; the Aussies are too good as usual. How we nearly beat them in England I\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n \u201dWe\u2019ll also never know what would have happened if Pope hadn\u2019t gifted his wicket so meekly. Never a good sign when everyone knows what you\u2019re going to do before you do.<\/p>\n \u201dEven if we now scrape a score approaching parity, we aren\u2019t knocking them over cheaply without a frontline spinner to support Archer. This tour has truly become death, the destroyer of worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s an important point \u2013 parity is no good to England, they need a lead of at least 100. I should probably have written that in the past tense.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Lunchtime reading<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Lunch: Australia lead by 312 runs<\/p>\n 14th over: England 59-3 (Root 11, Brook 6) Lyon bowls the final over before lunch. He briefly moves around the wicket to Brook, who times a classy back-foot drive for four.<\/p>\n England will need plenty more boundaries like that after lunch. Australia are in charge at Adelaide Oval after a hideous mini-collapse from England, who lost three wickets for five runs in 15 balls. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett fell to excellent deliveries but the beleaguered Ollie Pope played a horrible shot to Nathan Lyon\u2019s third ball.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.36 EST<\/p>\n 13th over: England 53-3 (Root 10, Brook 1) Boland\u2019s first poor delivery is clipped to the midwicket boundary by Root. No pressure, Joe, all England need from you in an unbeaten double hundred.<\/p>\n That delivery aside, Boland\u2019s control has been immaculate, and later in the over he forces Root to inside-edge one onto the thigh.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the right decision was made on the Root review, but I wonder whether it was fair that Australia lose a review,\u201d writes Tom. \u201cThe umpire made a howler – Root smashed it – and the usual protocol is to check if it carried after it is given out, so Australia shouldn\u2019t have had to use a review. In any case, it wasn\u2019t definitive that it didn\u2019t carry, so it begs the question why there isn\u2019t an umpire\u2019s call decision on instances like these so that it doesn\u2019t cost a review.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12th over: England 48-3 (Root 6, Brook 1) Root negates an LBW appeal from Lyon by getting outside the line. Lyon is all over Root for the first part of the over, but Root puts some pressure back on the bowler with a crisp reverse sweep for four.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to talk about Pope,\u201d says Will Ellen. \u201cThere\u2019s vast billowing smoke swirling all around – but not because we\u2019re getting a new pontiff. You cannot have a No3 who at times looks like a No11. Skittish, erratic, nervous, desperate to hit the ball somewhere, anywhere, rather than build an innings. And averaging less than 15 against Australia. This was inevitable. Surely for his own good he needs to be taken out of the firing line?\u201d<\/p>\n The odd thing is that he looked a different player, a lot more composed, in the first innings at Perth. But this feels like the end, certainly as a No3.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11th over: England 42-3 (Root 1, Brook 0) Boland slips a cracking delivery past Root. Another maiden, his second in a row. In the last four overs Australia have taken thre wickets for five runs, on what was supposed to be a road.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Root is not out! Australia aren\u2019t happy, with Marnus Labuschagne and then Pat Cummins having a chat with the umpires.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s still being checked. I think it bounced but the more they look at it, the more you fear for Joe Root.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Root clearly inside-edged the ball onto the pad and through to the keeper \u2013 but it may not be a clean catch by Alex Carey. Sheesh, this is huge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.17 EST<\/p>\n Australia review for caught behind against Root!<\/p>\n There may be trouble ahead\u2026<\/p>\n Boland thinks he\u2019s got Root\u2026. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.16 EST<\/p>\n 10th over: England 42-3 (Root 1, Brook 0) Well that escalated quickly. <\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n If Pope gave his wicket away, then Duckett was undone by a gorgeous delivery. It curved onto middle stump from around the wicket, then spat past the edge to hit off stump. Majestic bowling from Lyon, who has moved past Glenn McGrath into second place on the list of Australian Test wickettakers: Warne 708, Lyon 564, McGrath 563. He\u2019s not filthy any more.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! England 42-3 (Duckett b Lyon 29)<\/p>\n Nathan Lyon has struck twice in his first over and England are in all sorts!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! England 41-2 (Pope c Inglis b Lyon 3)<\/p>\n Nathan Lyon strikes third ball! It was a desperate shot from Ollie Pope, who dragged a routine offbreak straight to Josh Inglis at short midwicket. Inglis\u2019s shoulder is apparently fine; Pope\u2019s future prospects may not be.<\/p>\n Lyon celebrates his return to the side with the wicket of Pope. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.13 EST<\/p>\n 9th over: England 40-1 (Duckett 28, Pope 3) Scott Boland replaces Mitchell Starc (4-0-20-0) and hits Pope on the glove with a short ball that follows him. Pope was caught in two minds and ended up just taking the blow. Boland ends an accurate first over by nipping one back to beat Pope on the inside. Not a great shot from Pope, who could easily have inside-edged that onto the stumps.<\/p>\n In other news, Josh Inglis is off the field with what could be a shoulder problem.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8th over: England 40-1 (Duckett 28, Pope 3) Ollie Pope flicks his first ball to fine leg for a couple.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! England 37-1 (Crawley c Carey b Cummins 9)<\/p>\n Pat Cummins makes the breakthrough with a sensational delivery! He went slightly wider on the crease and got the ball to straighten sharply from a good length. Crawley, pushing defensively, thin-edged it through to the keeper. No blame attached to Crawley there \u2013 that was a jaffa.<\/p>\n Crawley departs. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.02 EST<\/p>\n 7th over: England 37-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 28) After Crawley knocks Starc down the ground for three, Duckett clips expertly through midwicket for his fifth boundary. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if Australia have a look at Nathan Lyon before lunch, which is around 35 minutes away.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a bar in NYC,\u201d writes Rachel Clifton, \u201cbut watching on my phone (shout to Willow TV – $79 a year for all cricket!) and sharing the anxiety with the West Country bartender. Can Duckett make it past 30?!\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ll let you know in the next five minutes.<\/p>\n![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766032451_137_Martin_Pegan.png\")
Martin Pegan<\/p>\n![\"Rob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Rob-Smyth-003.jpg\")
Rob Smyth<\/p>\n