Summary
That’s all you need from me for now. Stay tuned for all the analysis and reaction from Ali, Geoff, Barney, and the rest of the crew.
I’ll hand you over to the first cut of the match report, filed as England fans celebrated in the Melbourne evening sunlight. See you in Sydney.
Australia have questions of their own to answer, chiefly the status of Cameron Green. He has long been Cricket Australia’s golden boy but the returns are diminishing despite his extraordinary all-round talent. He’s averaged just 18.66 with the bat in four Tests and 52.66 with the ball with his captains seemingly reluctant to put his body under much strain in the field. Beau Webster was unlucky to be dropped in the first place and he will be disappointed if he’s not offered an opportunity at the SCG.
Further up the order, Marnus Labuschagne entered the series on a hot streak but averages just 24.85, while Usman Khawaja’s 30.60 probably earns him a farewell Test on his home ground but little more thereafter.
Attention now turns to the final Test of the series in Sydney. Presumably England will have to replace Gus Atkinson – the third pace bowler to break down this tour. Jacob Bethell has cemented his place in the line-up, and any question marks over Ben Duckett can probably be deferred until the English spring. Brydon Carse wasn’t at his best in Melbourne, does he get a rest? And what about Will Jacks, the non-bowling number 8 who scored just five in the first innings?
Ben Stokes has a satisfied smile as reflects on England’s first victory in Australia since the 2010/11 tour.
These tours are tough so obviously we are over the moon that we managed to get on the right side of this, it’s a good feeling.
It means a lot. We play for so many different things and the support of the Barmy Army, supporting us around the world, means a lot. The guys out in the middle, it means a hell of lot to us as players, and we know there will be some pretty sore heads tomorrow.
After the couple of days building up to the Test match there was quite a lot thrown our way and to be able to come out here, put in a performance like we did there on the that kind of tough surface and just make sure that we stayed focused on the task at hand and try to beat the Australian team which we managed to do. A lot of credit has to go to the players, staff, all the management to be able to make sure the focus was completely and utterly on the cricket so very proud of the guys here.
I think way the cricket was played, short and sharp, it was very tricky. We looked to go out there and take the positive approach to everything and it was favoured towards the bowlers. So the way we went about it today was exactly the right way of trying to chase that down. You can’t let good bowlers run up and just be constantly on a line and length. Chasing down 170 and the way that we did I think was fantastic. There was bravery, we were courageous in the way we operated and definitely it was the way to go about it.
Steve Smith is magnanimous in defeat:
Credit to England, they came out today and didn’t let us get away. And the way they started with the bat, they were aggressive, got a few away and softened the ball so it didn’t offer as much from that point, so credit to them for the way they played.
Josh Tongue is named player of the match
The England paceman also receives the Johnny Mullagh medal for his 5/45, 2/44, and 1*.
It’s what dreams are making of, to get a five-for and my name on the honour’s board is a pretty special feeling.
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I have absolutely no idea who the player of the match should be. Josh Tongue for his seven wickets? Harry Brook for his 41 and 18*? Jacob Bethell for his 40?
At 852 balls that is the third shortest completed Test ever played in Australia. The second shortest was the opening Test in Perth.
Here is England’s boy wonder Jacob Bethell after his stellar 40:
Lovely to come in and make an impact and more importantly to win. 93,000 yesterday, 90,000 today, it’s incredible and it’s nice to have it as a win.
I think going on the first innings it was kind of identifying that the ball was doing a lot and I probably didn’t have enough conviction to go out there and try to put the bowlers off, but the second innings especially when you are chasing low totals, it was pretty clear that you had to go in there and try to get them off that length as quickly as possible.
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More from Root, on the Barmy Army:
Just look at the people that are here, they travel to the other side of the world to support this team and they do it everywhere and we are lucky to have them. Really pleased that they can enjoy this alongside us too. Very special and we are lucky with the support we get.
And on Jacob Bethell:
His use of the crease made it difficult for the bowlers to hold length and operate where they wanted to. But it takes courage and a lot of skill. Outstanding, that’s why he will have a bright future in international cricket.
After 15 defeats and two draws in Australia, Joe Root can finally celebrate a victory.
Obviously to lose the series is disappointing but it was important that we showed a lot of character for the rest of the series. The way we’ve responded has been excellent. It was fast forward with the surface we were presented with but we adapted to it as much as we can and the way we approached things with the bat today got the Test match.
Tip of the hat to the under-fire pair of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell. The former finally Bazballed England some momentum at the top of the order, then the latter batted superbly to top score with 40 and justify his controversial selection.
England win by four wickets!
A preposterous Boxing Day Test ends after just two days. Finally, England win a Test match in Australia.
32.2 overs: England 178-6 (Brook 18, Smith 3) Target 175: The winning runs are leg-byes as Richardson strays onto Brook’s pads. Nothing over the top about England’s celebrations as players from both teams make their way onto the outfield to shake hands. England’s players then break off to salute the Barmy Army.
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32nd over: England 174-6 (Brook 18, Smith 3) Target 175: Starc ends the over with a bouncer that Smith ducks under. Over to Harry Brook to seal England’s first Test victory in Australia in years.
31.5 over: England 174-6 (Brook 18, Smith 3) Target 175: Brook tries to reach the target with a scoop, but fails to connect. Then he gives himself room and drills a fierce drive that’s parried in the covers… off a no-ball! One run to win…
31.4 over: England 172-6 (Brook 17, Smith 3) Target 175: Jamie Smith settles some of England’s growing nerves by calmly nudging his first ball off his pads for three. Brook then leans into a sumptuous whip off his toes for four! England are one shot from victory…
WICKET! Stokes c Carey b Starc 2 (England 165-6)
Starc hits his line and length and Stokes is perilously close to offering a leading edge return catch in the bowler’s follow through. He perishes next ball though! Not a great delivery so Stokes throws the kitchen sink at it but can only send an edge at warp speed behind the stumps where Carey takes an excellent catch leaping high and claiming the mark arms stretched over his head.
England, what are you doing?
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31st over: England 165-5 (Brook 13, Stokes 2) Target 175: Brook defends Richardson from the crease then steps out of his ground only to clobber a drive straight to mid-on. The bowler then offers a juicy half-volley outside off but Brook tries to send it to Mars and mistimes his drive back to the same fielder. Is Richardson setting up the bouncer? Yes he is, but Brook is on it in a flash, rolling his wrists over the pull shot for four down to fine-leg. Brook (unsurprisingly) is in a hurry and charges down the pitch again, misses his shot, and is lucky not to lose his leg stump.
Then, out of nowhere, Australia review for a catch behind. Did Brook get an inside edge? No. That was a Hail Mary from Smith and Carey and it comes to nought.
England require ten to win.
30th over: England 161-5 (Brook 9, Stokes 2) Target 175: Brook gets off strike early, which allows Starc a concerted spell against one of his bunnies this series. Stokes defends assuredly, including against one superb inswinging yorker, and gets off the mark with a neat couple off his toes.
14 runs/5 wickets.
With the match on the line skipper Smith recalls his strike bowler, Mitchell Starc, to the attack.
29th over: England 158-5 (Brook 8, Stokes 0) Target 175: Ben Stokes digs out his first two deliveries as the crowd applauds the wholehearted Richardson. Can the England skipper be there to shepherd the final 17 runs required for victory?
“Given the bounce has been demonstrably formidable already, why on earth did Cam Green not get a bowl?” wonders Gervase Greene. “He’s now a number 7 bat, and clearly the runs have not been sufficient to justify his spot. Something different might - just might - have made a difference… no?”
WICKET! Root LBW Richardson 15 (England 158-5)
Richardson replaces Boland. He oversteps for a couple of no-balls, then he overpitches to allow Root to drive a couple down the ground. England are in cruise control squeaky bum time! Like Crawley earlier the serene set batter misses a straight one and perishes LBW. This one is less plumb with a review indicating umpire’s call on contact with leg stump, but Richardson celebrates nonetheless and the outcome of this match teeters back into the balance…
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28th over: England 154-4 (Root 13, Brook 8) Target 175: Brook dabs Neser behind point for a couple then lofts a half volley over mid-off for a swaggering four. The target is now just 21 away.
Today’s attendance is broadcast as 92,045. That is an awful lot. Cricket Australia will be cursing the two-day finish, knowing how many of those patrons would be willing to return on days three, four, and five.
27th over: England 146-4 (Root 12, Brook 1) Target 175: Joe Root is playing his 18th Test in Australia and he has yet to celebrate a victory Down Under. The breaking of that drought inches closer as Brook misses a slog scoop but in the process distracts Carey standing up to the stumps, allowing the ball to scoot unopposed to the backstop fence for four.
Only 29 more runs required.
Drinks: England require 34 runs. Australia need six wickets.
One way or another this Test match has not long to go.
26th over: England 141-4 (Root 12, Brook 0) Target 175: Neser continues, but he gifts England four byes, angling the ball down the legside that Carey – up to the stumps – cannot drag in. Otherwise Root is happy to present the full face of his bat to anything straight and defuse some of the tension that rose in the previous over.
25th over: England 137-4 (Root 12, Brook 0) Target 175: Harry Brook wanders out of his crease and is beaten on his outside edge first up. Then Boland pins him on his crease with an in-ducker. Brook advances again but can only find cover with a checked drive. Suddenly the MCG is a crucible of nervous energy.
Australia require six further wickets, England 38 runs.
WICKET! Bethell c Khawaja b Boland 40 (England 137-4)
Gah! Jacob Bethell throws away the player of the match award but still walks off the MCG to a hearty round of applause. Tired of accumulation he stepped to leg and slashed a drive straight to Khawaja in the covers. Over to another Englishman to see the job through.
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24th over: England 136-3 (Bethell 40, Root 11) Target 175: Neser replaces Starc but England keep knocking the ball around, finding the gaps, running hard, chipping away at this run chase. Whether the pitch has flattened, the ball has softened, or the bowlers are erring, the past hour or so has played out very differently to the manic action preceding it.
23rd over: England 133-3 (Bethell 39, Root 9) Target 175: Hearts in mouths briefly as Bethell rocks back and ramps Boland just short of the fielder on the third boundary. Otherwise it’s more patient accumulation from England, reducing the runs required to 42.
22nd over: England 127-3 (Bethell 38, Root 4) Target 175: Starc is into his eighth over and he continues his poorest innings of this series so far. Wide to Bethell, short to Root, England milk singles to bring the target within 50 runs.
21st over: England 122-3 (Bethell 35, Root 2) Target 175: Bethell tucks Boland off his hip to get off strike, which brings Carey up to the stumps as Australia try to suffocate Joe Root as he stares down a pair. Dot, dot, dot, dot, runs! The veteran opens the face of his bat to turn a regulation forward push into a checked cover drive. One of England’s greatest is up and running.
20th over: England 119-3 (Bethell 34, Root 0) Target 175: Bethell fails to put away a Starc long hop, then he’s a coat of paint away from a jaffa taking his off stump. The 22 year old responds by dancing down the pitch and crunching an off drive that just – only just – clears the diving Travis Head at mid-off. Another belter from Starc takes Bethell’s leading edge but squirts safely into the offside for a couple more runs. Brimful of confidence and match awareness this has been a superb little knock from Bethell, one that may yet turn into an early career defining one.
England require 56 to win.
19th over: England 112-3 (Bethell 27, Root 0) Target 175: England require 63 more runs for victory. The MCG is buzzing.
WICKET! Crawley LBW Boland 37 (England 112-3)
The definition of risk is obviously subjective. Bethell advances to Boland only to be bounced back in his crease. Then he steps to leg and swings a big drive on the bounce down to third.
With the strike rotated Crawley misses a straight one and he’s plumb LBW. Oh England.
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18th over: England 111-2 (Crawley 37, Bethell 26) Target 175: Starc returns by bowling over the wicket and sending inswingers down to the left-handed Bethell, who defends compactly from the crease and rotates strike. Offered width, Crawley returns the honour, as England chip away at the target with rare composure. Bazball has done its job. It’s broken the back of the run-chase, scattered the field, ruined the attack’s pitchmaps, and means England can nurdle their way to victory without taking any further risks.
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17th over: England 108-2 (Crawley 36, Bethell 24) Target 175: “After his exploits in Noosa, it’s nice to see Duckett do well and finally find some semblance of form in the Ashes and kickstart England to what might be a famous (infamous?) victory,” emails Colum. “Crawley and Bethell appear to have their eyes in and are riding their luck. Crawley might just be the first player in this match to reach fifty. On a pretty rank pitch, described by Graeme Swann as a snake pit, I think only Bazball England could pull off this chase against Starc and co.”
No luck-riding required this over as Boland suddenly looks military medium as the ball softens and the pitch behaves itself. It might no longer be the Victorian’s surface and time for a New South Welshman to shake things up. Over to Mitchell Starc…
Hello from the Members Area of the MCG where this cricket writer is wondering how to fill the next three days. Do any of our Melbourne readers know of anywhere that does social dancing? As a ballroom hobbyist I’m feeling like there must be some holiday dances to go to…
16th over: England 104-2 (Crawley 34, Bethell 23) Target 175: Neser finds a tight line and length that England struggle to get away. Crawley remains composed though and pushes his side into triple figures as the crowd, almost as one, remove their hats to salute the late Shane Warne. With the Victorian spinner’s name reverberating around his old stomping ground Bethell swivels and pulls a boundary to reduce the target to 71.
15th over: England 97-2 (Crawley 32, Bethell 18) Target 175: Bethell unfurls that cover drive again, but only earns two for his elegance. Then there’s some cat and mouse between batter and fielders. Carey retreats back to his conventional station, allowing Bethell to step out of his crease to leg and mistime a swipe towards the offside. Then he advances down the track only for Boland to spot him, dig one in short, and bruise England’s boy wonder on his right shoulder. Further evidence that even if the shotmaking doesn’t come off, when executed Bazball can force bowler’s off their lines and lengths – and on a surface this capricious that is a sizeable part of the battle.
14th over: England 95-2 (Crawley 32, Bethell 16) Target 175: Neser shares responsibility for Australia after the interval but he starts too short and wide to Crawley, who guides a neat dab behind point that Bethell’s speedy running turns into three. Strike rotated, the cricket Gods demonstrate further that they are on England’s side this afternoon as Crawley gets a regulation edge that flies for four in the gap between second slip and gully. Then he flat-foots a lofted two off the leading edge that lands safely in the covers.
England are now just 80 runs from victory.
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13th over: England 85-2 (Crawley 23, Bethell 15) Target 175: This is remarkably remarkable. Bethell’s international career could have gone down in flames one delivery after Tea but instead he forces Boland off his length and England have all the momentum again as the target drops to 90.
Then Bethell caresses a drive through extra cover for a textbook four.
Bethell reverse scoops the opening delivery for two. I’m not sure I’m qualified to narrate this any more.
Boland to resume to Bethell after the interval. Carey is standing up to the stumps. Here we go.
What we can assume is the sixth, and final, session of the fourth Ashes Test is imminent. Australia need eight wickets. England require 98 runs. I’ll be perched on the edge of my seat for the next 150 minutes.
“For more than a decade I’ve been arguing that it’s silly that Test teams routinely pick average specialist opening batsmen, given that nowadays all bowlers get bounced and most of them are good at basic defensive shots,” emails Thomas Jenkins. “What’s the point of selecting an average specialist opening batsman who could be out at any point to a new ball jaffa when you’re avoiding picking good bowlers largely because they can’t play shots? I say pick those good bowlers who can only play a forward defensive and put them in at the top of the order. If they get out, you’ve lost your worst batsman. If they see off a few overs of the new ball, you could be golden.”
“I don’t know what England thought they were going to achieve by sending a number 9 out at number 3, but it ended very predictably,” emails Andy Roberts (not that one). “If England keep swinging like this, I can’t see them winning.”
Andy, the only way I can see England winning is if they continue to keep swinging like this! After all the hype about Bazball this tour, this is perhaps the first time we’ve seen it implemented with gusto. Yes, it clearly relies on good fortune, but Crawley and Duckett made a mess of Starc’s line and length for the first time this series, and demonstrated that Neser can be hit off his length if the ball-striking is good enough.
Is it capable of winning a five-Test series? Demonstrably not, but I’d rather we saw it in full flow than the muddled neither nowt nor sommat fare of Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
Tea: England 77-2 chasing 175
12th over: England 77-2 (Crawley 22, Bethell 9) Target 175: Crawley pinches a canny leg-bye to rotate the strike just as Richardson was settling into a decent line and length to Bethell. The opener then might have questioned his decision as he aims a lazy pull that is caught by the diving Carey down the legside, only for nobody to appeal with any conviction, then he misses with a windy whoosh outside off stump!
And that’s Tea.
11th over: England 76-2 (Crawley 22, Bethell 9) Target 175: A buzz swirls around the MCG as hometown hero Scott Boland is thrown the ball. Immediately he gets prodigious movement off a length that whistles down Crawley’s legside, then he’s on the spot, rapping the right-hander above the knee roll on his back pad. The Victorian is adamant it’s LBW but the on-field call indicates impact outside the line of off stump. AUSTRALIA REVIEW and it is quickly determined the initial call was correct. Decent forward-and-across defensive technique with bat and pad together to counter exactly that delivery.
After coming over to Crawley, Boland switches around to the left-handed Bethell and he sends down a beauty that almost clips the top of off stump after seaming miles off the deck. England’s bemulleted young hope responds with a classical on drive that is the picture perfect response to questions around his place in this XI.
Despite that boundary, Boland is appreciably more threatening than the rest of Australia’s attack. He looks to be the key to this match now.
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10th over: England 70-2 (Crawley 22, Bethell 4) Target 175: Now Bethell comes to the crease, and after an opening delivery no-ball he top-edges an attempted pull that lands safely behind square on the off side and trots away for four runs. Why won’t this match be normal for a few minutes?
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WICKET! Carse c Green b Richardson 6 (England 65-2)
Crawley and Carse nurse easy singles before the England allrounder almost swings his shoulders from his sockets sending a giant mow down to cow corner for two. He goes again next ball and almost swings himself airborne, only to send a top edge straight down the throat of third, where Green hangs on unconvincingly. After years of pain Jhye Richardson has a long-awaited Test wicket.
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9th over: England 61-1 (Crawley 21, Carse 3) Target 175: Starc’s spell survives into a fifth over and it begins with Carse stepping to leg and mowing a lofted single to midwicket. Crawley then checks a couple of strokes that could easily have gone to hand on another day but is lucky to see them fail to find the palms of the bowler or straightish mid-on. When he decides to follow through with his shot he creams a drive through extra cover to extend the dippiness.
8th over: England 56-1 (Crawley 17, Carse 2) Target 175: This is wild. Not Jacob Bethell at three, but England’s new ball bowler. Richardson replaces Neser in the attack, Crawley rotates the strike, then Carse tries to send his opening shot to the moon! He doesn’t, but the statement of intent is obvious. This is chaos. What would Boycott think? The pinch hitter then calmly guides a single behind point, the first of a trio of neatly nurdled singles in a row as Richardson finds a decent line and length.
Brydon Carse walks out at number three… it’s Nighthawk time!
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WICKET! Duckett b Starc 34 (England 51-1)
Starc’s fortunate his captain allows him to bowl a fourth over, and it’s his first to begin with a line and length delivery. He can’t repeat the trick though and is lucky Duckett fails to connect with a wild delivery wide outside off stump. The line tightens but England’s left-handed opener defends stoutly then drives a couple through the covers to pass 3,000 Test runs. He’s had a ghoulish series but he still averages 40.55 from 42 caps. Adrenaline coursing though his body Duckett back cuts another poor Starc effort through third for four more, to bring up England’s 50!
Then Starc makes a mess of Duckett’s stumps with a full straight yorker. Redemption of sorts for a disappointing spell. Duckett walks off with a very handy 34 from 26 deliveries. He has given England the momentum, finally, after a horrible week in the spotlight.
7th over: England 51-1 (Crawley 15) Target 175
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6th over: England 45-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 28) Target 175: Ben Duckett has had more luck in the past 17 minutes than in the rest of the tour put together. He welcomes Neser to the crease for the bowler’s third over by skewing a mighty hoick away to the vacant third region for four. Emboldened by the knowledge he may be touched by God, Duckett then attempts another scoop, this time executing it perfectly and sending the Barmy Army wild with a six over fine-leg! Smith is now trying to plug holes all over the place, which means the concession of easy singles if England are alert – which Duckett is.
5th over: England 34-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 17) Target 175: Full and swinging from Starc, too quick for Crawley’s booming drive outside off stump. The bowler straightens up and traps England’s opener on the back pad. It’s a decent shout for LBW but it’s declined on-field. Australia review! No bat involved…pitched in line…impact umpire’s call on the outer margin of the longer spigot of the leg-stump bail. Very close. Strike rotated Duckett hangs in his crease and drives uppishly down the ground for two, crashes a couple more through the covers, then clips three off his pads as Starc continues his erratic opening spell.
Momentum with England. Can they capitalise?
4th over: England 26-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 10) Target 175: BAZBALL! Where have you been all tour? Crawley stands and delivers to Neser, clobbering a length ball miles over the sightscreen for a sweetly timed six. Then he remains in his crease, rocks back and square drives for four! Strike rotated Duckett steps miles outside off and misses an attempted scoop, then gets caught on the crease by one that seams into him from around the wicket.
Anyone with day three tickets, the forecast is for cloudless ssies and a top of 29 tomorrow. Enjoy your daytrip to the seaside.
Starc drops Duckett
3rd over: England 15-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 10) Poor again from Starc. Full and wide to start the over, then recalibrating onto Duckett’s pads to allow the left-hander to double his score in the same manner he opened his account. Starc puts his foe on notice with a beauty that beats the shoulder of the bat, to which Duckett responds by stepping down the pitch and to leg only to miss a wild swipe and for the ball to whistle past the pegs. Then STARC FAILS TO HOLD ONTO A RETURN CATCH! It wasn’t easy, spinning away from his fingertips in his follow through, but it wasn’t as tough as the screamer from earlier in the series. Duckett compounds his rare stroke of luck by slapping a wide long-hop for a couple.
Very Bill Lawry voice: It is all happening at the MCG.
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2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 4) Michael Neser shares the new ball, sending down his heavy, length deliveries, right-arm over the wicket to the right-handed Crawley. The Englishman is watchful twice, then sashays away to turn a decent ball into a half-volley and chip it over the infield for a couple, much to the delight of the Barmy Army. A more conventional two follows with the lanky man of Kent whipping off his hip down to fine-leg.
The received wisdom of the retired internationals on the telly is that England should approach this like a white ball chase. This appears to be how they have set off, and clearly it suits the character of this pair.
1st over: England 5-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 4) Starc is uncommonly short for his first couple of deliveries. Crawley takes the first in his midriff then runs a legbye to get the chase underway and rotate strike. Starc then gifts Duckett the dream delivery – full and on his pads – and the left-hander doesn’t need an Uber to guide that to the square-leg fence. He misses out next ball too with Starc dropping short and wide only for the big slash to connect only with thin air. After four balls out of character Australia’s spearhead finds his range, beating the shoulder of Duckett’s bat with one that holds its line. Then it’s ugly all round… the delivery is full and wide, but the the batter had already stepped to leg making him unable to reach the third buffet ball of the over.
Following that out-of-sorts over, Starc rushes off for a change of spikes.
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Aside from the funny business happening on the 22 yards of rolled grass conditions are perfect. Glorious afternoon sunshine bathes the MCG, it’s about 20C, and there’s a gentle cooling breeze. Mitchell Starc has the new ball, Zak Crawley is on strike…
The two teams are back out in the middle. There’s an hour of play before the Tea break. WinViz reckons England will win from this position three times out of four. I think WinViz might have been hammering the Christmas chocolate liqueurs.
Or is this another opportunity for Australia to ram home their ascendancy? Mitchell Starc with another first-over wicket? Scott Boland to further improve his minuscule MCG average?
Is this finally England’s moment of redemption? After his week from hell can Ben Duckett anchor a successful chase? Will Jacob Bethell arrive as a Test cricketer?
Thank you very much Rob. What a ludicrous Test this has been, and will doubtless continue to be, regardless of the outcome.
After just four and a half sessions of play the final act is already on stage. England need 175 runs, Australia ten wickets (assuming Gus Atkinson takes guard with his dodgy hammy). For England it would mean the highest score of the match, in the fourth innings. For Australia it likely means a second two-day Test victory of the series.
I’ll hand over to Jonathan Howcroft for the England runchase. And yes, we really are heading into the fourth innings after 109.4 overs of play.
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WICKET! Australia 132 all out (Richardson c Crawley b Stokes 7)
One shot too many for Jhye Richardson, who hacks a Stokes short ball miles in the air and is caught by Crawley at cover. England need 175 to win this preposterous Test match.
That’s the same total Australia were chasing on this ground in 1998, when Dean Headley and Darren Gough bowled England to a famous victory.
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34th over: Australia 131-9 (Smith 23, Richardson 7) Smith again takes a single off the first ball of the over. Richardson shows why Smith trusts him by swivel-pulling Carse excellently for three runs. Later in the over he plays an even better shot, rifling a drive down the ground for four. Australia lead by 173.
33rd over: Australia 122-9 (Smith 21, Richardson 0) Steve Smith takes a single off Stokes’ first ball, exposing the No11 Jhye Richardson – but he gets in line when he can and survives the rest of the over. Richardson, as my colleague Jonathan Howcroft points out, is a pretty good No11: he has a first-class batting average of 22.
Stokes is limping slightly as well.
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32nd over: Australia 121-9 (Smith 20, Richardson 0) So what does Steve Smith do now?
WICKET! Australia 121-9 (Starc c Root b Carse 0)
This is getting silly. Yesterday Brydon Carse dismissed Mitchell Starc off what looked like an uncalled no-ball. Today he gets Starc with the seventh ball of the over after being called for a no-ball even though it looked like he had a bit of his foot behind the line.
Not that England will care. Starc was undone by another fine delivery that took the edge and was snaffled by Joe Root at first slip. Carse has four, England have nine.
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WICKET! Australia 120-8 (Neser ct and b Carse 0)
And another one goes by. Michael Neser tries to turn Carse to leg and gets a leading edge back to the bowler, who pouches a good catch to his left.
That’s the 28th wicket of the match. We’ve only had 107 overs of play.
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31st over: Australia 119-7 (Smith 19, Neser 0) That’s the second time today that Stokes has struck with the fifth ball of a new spell.
WICKET! Australia 119-7 (Green c Brook b Stokes 19)
A poor shot from Cameroon Green, who follows a seaming lifter from Ben Stokes – a ball he could left all day long – and is smartly caught by Harry Brook at second slip. Are England still in this game? Not a clue, but I do know Australia’s lead is 161.
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30th over: Australia 119-6 (Smith 19, Green 19) Tongue is bowling very straight, particularly to Cam Green, but at the moment it’s Carse who is looking the more dangerous bowler. England need a wicket pretty soon.
29th over: Australia 116-6 (Smith 18, Green 17) Smith edges Carse fractionally short of Brook, diving forward at second slip. Later in the over he plays and misses at a snorter and, like Head earlier in the day, almost bursts out laughing at how difficult batting is on this pitch.
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28th over: Australia 114-6 (Smith 17, Green 16) A maiden from Tongue to Green. England will have to make the highest score of the match to win, just as Australia did at Perth last month.
27th over: Australia 114-6 (Smith 17, Green 16)
Smith is not out!
It wasn’t umpire’s call – it was missing leg stump and England lose a review. They have two remaining.
England review for LBW against Smith! A full ball from Carse seams between the legs of Smith and flies down the leg side for four byes.
Carse continues to target the stumps, leading to an LBW review later in the over. Jamie Smith looked very confident. It might be umpire’s call, in which case Steve Smith will be not out.
26th over: Australia 110-6 (Smith 17, Green 16) A profitable start for Australia, with Green hitting Tongue for successive boundaries. The first was an edge wide of second slip, the second a routine flick to fine leg.
An overthrow from Bethell makes it 12 from the over.
The afternoon session is about to begin. Josh Tongue will continue the spell he began before the break.
“Morning/evening Rob, from a sunny Melbourne Zoo,” writes OBO royalty Guy Hornsby. “I was at the G for yesterday’s chaos, a perfect example of England hope dashed by its own frailty. Despite all the afternoon gloom, it was a stirring day, ticking off a bucket list experience in the cauldron of cricket with my brother and daughter, and a host of English and local nerds. That’s what it’s all about after all, eh?
“What a time to be an England bowler, though. Putting the shifts in, only to be slowly broken by our batters’ profligacy. I’m not sure this pitch will be remembered fondly, whatever the result (who am I kidding!). It’s not an even contest between bat and ball, whatever your metric, which is a huge shame.”
Lunchtime reading
Lunch: Australia lead by 140 runs
25th over: Australia 98-6 (Smith 16, Green 6) After clipping Carse for two to get off the mark, Green ducks into a nasty delivery that hits him on the left arm. A thick edge for four is the last incident of another manic session, in which six wickets fell for 94 runs in 24 overs and England lost Gus Atkinson – possibly for the rest of the series – to a hamstring injury.
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24th over: Australia 92-6 (Smith 16, Green 0) Amid the clatter of wickets, this is an important knock for Cameron Green. He’s averaging 19 with the bat in this series and has found some weird and wonderful ways to get out.
For now it’s Steve Smith’s who’s on strike to Josh Tongue. He survives an LBW appeal (too high), nails a majestic on-drive for four and is beaten by a cracking delivery.
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23rd over: Australia 88-6 (Smith 12, Green 0) Australia’s lead is now 130 runs.
WICKET! Australia 88-6 (Carey c Brook b Carse 4)
This is getting a bit farcical. Alex Carey has gone for four, caught smartly by Brook at second slip after fiddling at a wobble-seam delivery. He was probably unsettled by a ball earlier in the over that exploded past the edge. It was nicely bowled by Carse but we’ve now had 26 wickets in less than 100 overs of play.
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22nd over: Australia 87-5 (Smith 11, Carey 4) Alex Carey walks to the crese with around 15 minutes to play until lunch. He gets off the mark in typically crisp style, punching a drive through mid-off for four.
“I’m going to get my Happy New Year to you in now, since I doubt this Test match is going to get much closer to the end of 2025,” writes Paul Cockburn. “In all the years you’ve been watching this stuff, has there ever been such a gulf between what was hoped for in this Ashes series, and what transpired? Even if England drag a win out of this or the next, the Ashes were still gone in just 11 days. And, let’s face it, Australia are going to put up just enough runs this time out for England to be done yet again.”
In my cricket-watching lifetime, the only series that comes close is 1989. But this has been the most dispiriting Ashes series I can recall.
WICKET! Australia 83-5 (Khawaja c sub b Tongue 0)
Another two-day Test is incoming. Usman Khawaja has gone for nought, flapping a surprise bouncer from Tongue straight to the substitute Ollie Pope at long leg. Australia lead by 125 runs.
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21st over: Australia 82-4 (Smith 11, Khawaja 0) That was the last ball of the over, Carse’s first after replacing Ben Stokes.
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WICKET! Australia 82-4 (Head b Carse 46)
Travis Head is bowled by an utterly unplayable delivery from Brydon Carse. It pitched on a length and snapped off the seam to trim the off bail as Head tried to play the line. Head walks off smiling, almost laughing at the futility of it all.
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20th over: Australia 79-3 (Head 46, Smith 8) Head scrunches a very full delivery from Tongue through the covers for three more. He’s looking hella dangerous now; in fact Australia already lead by more (121) than England scored in the first innings (110).
“I love the idea that for the sake of this becoming a contest, England could have the best batting conditions of the match in their second innings,” writes Paul Billington. “But what if, all of a sudden, they start batting like complete berks? I’m concerned that, in the words of Blur, it really really really could happen.”
When days four and five seem to fall through you/Well just let them go.
19th over: Australia 73-3 (Head 43, Smith 5) Wowsers. Head gets down on one knee to larrup Stokes over mid-off for four. He could be on course to equal Michael Slater’s Ashes record of three second-innings centuries in the 1998-99 series.
“G’day Rob,” writes Sarah Bacon. “Accustomed as I am to random gambling and/or investment ads during the cricket, I was somewhat flummoxed by a service called lovehoney. What the ....?!!!”
What’s wrong with celebrating a popular sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees?
18th over: Australia 68-3 (Head 38, Smith 5) Steve Smith, who has had problems of his own against Tongue, drives his first ball assertively through the covers for three. That’s a nice statement of intent.
Marnus Labuschagne v Josh Tongue in this series
26 balls
7 runs
3 wickets
2.33 average
WICKET! Australia 61-3 (Labuschagne c Root b Tongue 8)
I take it all back: the third umpire has given Labuschagne out. He pushed at a fine delivery from Tongue, who is rapidly becoming his nemesis, and was caught very low by Root at first slip. The ball definitely bounced – but the third umpire concluded, rightly I think, that it bounced off Root’s fingers after he managed to get them under the ball. If so, it was a cracking catch.
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England think Labuschagne has been caught at slip – but it’s gone to the third umpire and you know what that usually means.
17th over: Australia 61-2 (Head 37, Labuschagne 8) With England probably down to three seamers, Australia don’t need to force the pace too much. Three low-risk singles from Stokes’ latest over take the lead to 103.
16th over: Australia 57-2 (Head 34, Labuschagne 7) Labuschagne looks okay after those two blows on the hand. He’s trying to leave Tongue as often as possible; the result, in this case, is a maiden over.
15th over: Australia 57-2 (Head 34, Labuschagne 7) Head edges a frustrated Stokes through the slips for four. He didn’t pretty well to soften his hands and ensure the edge fell short of the fielders; the four runs were a bonus.
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Drinks After an eventful first hour, Australia lead by 93. England have confirmed that Gus Atkinson is being assessed for hamstring soreness.
Head dropped on 26 by Jacks!
14th over: Australia 51-2 (Head 28, Labuschagne 7) Head slaps Tongue to point, where Jacks drops a fairly straightforward chance above his head. He lost sight of the ball and could only tip it over the bar with his right hand.
That could be a very costly moment for England; Travis Head is not the kind of man you want to drop at any time, least of all in a low-scoring game.
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13th over: Australia 48-2 (Head 26, Labuschagne 7) Labuschagne screams with pain after Stokes hits him on the glove for the second time in three balls. That sounded phenomenally painful. Labuschagne dusts himself down and then thick edges his first boundary all along the floor.
This pitch is not good.
Gus Atkinson is off the field receiving treatment. If he has pulled his hamstring you’d imagine his series is over.
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12th over: Australia 42-2 (Head 26, Labuschagne 1) Labuschagne works Tongue off the hip for a single to get off the mark. A quiet over.
11th over: Australia 40-2 (Head 25, Labuschagne 0) Weatherald now has 146 runs at 21 in his debut series. Batting hasn’t been easy at times, and he did spank an initiative-seizing 72 at the Gabba, so we should probably cut him a bit of slack.
“If he had been brought on earlier, Tongue could have had Boland as both the second and third victims in a hat-trick,” writes Andrew Goudie. “Has that ever happened before?”
Not in a Test match. I don’t know about first-class cricket but it’s very rare for the last man out to be the first man in next time round, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it had never happened in first-class cricket.
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WICKET! Australia 40-2 (Weatherald b Stokes 5)
Ben Stokes strikes in his first over. Jake Weatherald tried to leave a beautiful delivery, bowled from around the wicket, that snaked back off the seam to ping the off stump. Lovely bowling.
Stokes has come on for Gus Atkinson, who has a problem with either his thigh or his hamstring. It doesn’t look great actually.
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10th over: Australia 39-1 (Head 24, Weatherald 5) Tongue’s hat-trick ball is full, straight … and clipped confidently through midwicket for three by Weatherald. Head plays a false stroke later in the over, inside-edging between his legs for a single.
Tongue would love to break this partnership and get stuck into Labuschagne and Smith, two players he has troubled in his short Ashes career.
“Robert Wilson referencing Ballymena Academy brings back bad memories of my Shane Warne-inspired leg breaks being dispatched to the boundary when playing for Downpatrick thirds,” says Patrick Peake. “Niche Northern Irish cricket discussion.”
As longtime sufferers readers will know, this is the place for a niche Northern Irish cricket discussion.
9th over: Australia 35-1 (Head 23, Weatherald 2) An interesting tactic from Atkinson, who bowls a very wide, 61mph slower ball to Head. Not that Head cares: he carts it cheerily over mid-off for a couple.
Now then: Josh Tongue, who is on a hat-trick, is about to come into the attack.
8th over: Australia 32-1 (Head 21, Weatherald 1) Head almost chops on for the second time in the match, this time off the bowling of Carse. But Mother Cricket is his friend today and the ball flashes past the stumps for a couple of runs. Head is looking dangerous – when doesn’t he – and moves to 21 from 24 balls with a scything back cut for four.
Carse had started well but that was a poor over, 10 from it. Australia lead by 74.
“Greetings Rob from Chicago!” writes JH. “If you knew nothing else about this Test but found out that Scott Boland and Travis Head were batting at the start on day two, what would you guess the score would have been?”
Off the top of my, erm, head, Australia 400 for 9 (Head 245*).
7th over: Australia 22-1 (Head 12, Weatherald 0) The new batter Jake Weatherald leaves his first three deliveries, prompting Atkinson to move around the wicket. The chance almost reaps an instant reward when Weatherald is beaten by a jaffa. Batting still looks extremely tough when the bowlers get it in the right areas.
WICKET! Australia 22-1 (Boland c Smith b Atkinson 6)
Atkinson gets rid of the nightwatchman with an excellent delivery. It straightened off the seam to take the edge, and Jamie Smith took a good catch to his right.
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6th over: Australia 22-0 (Boland 6, Head 12) Carse, who has good rhythm this morning, bowls an excellent maiden to Head. He beats the outside edge, then goes up for LBW after nipping one back off the seam. Too high, probably an inside edge too.
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5th over: Australia 22-0 (Boland 6, Head 12) A rank bad ball from Atkinson is larruped for four by Head, who follows that with a drive through mid-off for two. Those runs take him to 400 for the series; nobody else on either side has made 300.
After Head pulls lustily over midwicket for three, Boland drives confidently through mid-off for a couple more. Eleven from the over; Australia lead by 64.
“Dear Rob,” writes Andrew Benton. “I saw this and wondered if you’re a light-box user. And then thought, naa, he’s following the Ashes instead. Much better for the spirit!”
Haaa. I left Orkney in 2022, alas, though the place – and the people – will always have a place in my heart.
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4th over: Australia 11-0 (Boland 4, Head 3) Carse gets some extravagant movement to the right-handed Boland in his second over of the day. Boland misses a couple of deliveries, then almost pops a return catch. The early signs are that the heavy roller hasn’t taken any life out of his pitch.
3rd over: Australia 11-0 (Boland 4, Head 3) Atkinson’s fourth ball is fractionally too full, allowing Head to time two runs down the ground. The rest of the over is on the money and Head defends accordingly; he has 3 from 10 balls.
Even at Perth, when he yahooed that astonishing 69-ball century, Head took a little while to get his eye in.
2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Boland 4, Head 1) A minor surprise to start the day: Brydon Carse takes the new ball once again. He has struggled early on in this series and many people expected Josh Tongue to be promoted to new-ball duty.
Head does well to repel a nasty short ball before flicking the first run of the day to long leg. Australia get four bonus runs when a poor ball from Carse deflects away off Boland’s thigh pad. England can’t afford a false start with the ball.
“Greetings from chilly Lübeck,” begins Sairam, “where the mercury level dropped below zero during the day for the second time this week but not enough to douse my spirits to follow proceedings of the Boxing Day Test.
“As a supporter of neither team but a keen follower of Test cricket, I can’t help but wonder how many teams have either makeshift No3 like South Africa with Mulder, India and Pakistan with a revolving door of players, or inexperienced players like Jacob Bethell. This is a far cry from even a decade ago when almost every top side had a stalwart at first drop. Do you think that this is due to top teams deploying the wobble seam more regularly or is it due to the advent of T20 franchise tournaments luring the next gen of players?”
That question deserves a four-page feature rather than a stream-of-consciousness answer. The stats support your hypothesis: in the 2020s, No3s average just under 35 in Tests, as compared to 40 in the 2010s and 43 in the 2000s.
Travis Head walks out to bat with his opening partner Scott Boland. Imagine if you had predicted, on the first morning at Perth, that Australia would use four openers in the first four Tests – and that Usman Khawaja would not be among them.
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“Dear Rob,” writes Robert Wilson. “I’ve got skin in the game as I am trying to arrange an all-night viewing sesh for day (night) three in an unexpectedly swish Aussie backpacker hostel near Stalingrad (in Paris). Logistically, it’s quite a lot of ducks to get in a row and punters fagging all the way in from below-zero Versailles or somesuch only to catch four overs while nursing a lukewarm Newky Brown might have views.
“But seeing the highlights, I didn’t feel the pitch was as mega-jalapeno as some claimed. Yesterday’s turnstile innings seemed a perfect mix of often tack-sharp bowling, tasty pitch and Ballymena Academy Third Eleven batting (I watched the Duckett dismissal frame-by-frame and I still don’t even understand).
“I’m hoping it will settle down and I need you to agree. Tell me we’ll get at least three hours tomorrow. These ****ers will roast me sinon.”
Jo’burg 1999 it was not.
“Hi,” writes Ruth Purdue. “I don’t know if this was sent yesterday but I found it fascinating.”
“Yesterday was the like the first round of Hagler v Hearns from 1985,” writes Simon McMahon. “Both came out swinging and landing heavy blows, but already the outcome feels inevitable, it just being a matter of when the knockout punch will be delivered. Like in Nevada, early in round/day three seems likely...”
So much depends on the pitch. England could have the best batting conditions of the match in their second innings.
Twenty wickets fell at the MCG yesterday, the most on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909. The great and the good were not impressed.
“G’day Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Merry Xmas to you and the OBOers - hope you’re well! I’m looking for a quick pick-me-up in the morning session, as I’ve been dealing with heart palpatations that are more pronounced than usual (it has nothing to do with my festive diet and everything to do with the Newcastle performance overnight).
“My daily routine at stumps during these Ashes has been to immerse myself English opinions on Bazball/Noosa booze-ups. I’ve been enjoying Steve Harmison’s views, which are generally pretty sensible, while James Anderson’s almost complete disinterest/emotional detachment is also refreshing.
“For what it’s worth, I think the ‘investigations’ into the Duckett / Bethell bender are way over the top:
It’s Australia.
It’s hot.
It’s XMAS.
“The batters can barely find off stump, let alone their hotel rooms. Let the boys have a bloody drink!”
Guess who just got back today? Those wild-eyed boys that had been away. This was a day of brittle, over-caffeinated cricket, on an MCG pitch streaked with faint green ridges. But it was also a day when the boys were, however briefly, back in town.
Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell have been the two protagonists in the grainy, Zapruder-style footage from England’s six-day, mid-series jig-about by the sea. True to apparent recent form, both were here for a good time not a long time as England were bowled out for 110 in 29.5 overs. Both batted like men groping for the light switch in the dark against a new ball that seamed the width of the bat at times.
For a while, Boxing Day 2025 felt like a re-enactment of Boxing Day 2010. We’re talking an amateur historical re-enactment, given the lower intensity and higher number of participants with private lives under investigation, but still, the broad shape of the thing was much the same. You had England choosing to bowl on a cloudy morning and finishing off the hosts in time for an early tea. The original instance lasted 42.5 overs, this repeat lasted 45.2, only 15 deliveries between them.
Yet this year’s edition felt different for more reasons than just a higher scoring rate that yielded 152 all out versus 98 all out last time around. In 2010, England owned the day, a Jimmy Anderson swing masterclass ripping out a paralysed middle order, Chris Tremlett lopping off top and tail like a légumier preparing string beans. The rehash was a less complete bowling effort that drew a strangely faltering batting response: chop-ons and leg-side nicks and run outs, occasionally the bowling team via Josh Tongue remembering to pitch the ball up before rocketing through someone’s defences.
A record 94,199 spectators turned up to the MCG on Boxing Day and none will forget what they witnessed. An extraordinary 20 wickets fell on a pitch offering lavish movement and it left Cricket Australia fearing a second multimillion-dollar loss in this Ashes series.
The first of these came in Perth, when a two-day bunfight triggered mass refunds and had visiting fans scrambling to book sightseeing trips. This fourth Test always had the ingredients for a repeat, not just a surface with 10mm of grass but also a touring side in England who, having lost the Ashes and with criticism flying, looked broken before the coin even went up.
It actually landed in their favour here, Ben Stokes calling correctly, inserting his opponents without hesitation, and watching Josh Tongue skittle Australia for 152 before tea. Tongue was full value for his figures of five for 45, with his natural angle in, fuller length, and wobble seam asking more questions than one of the University Challenge Christmas specials.
However, for all the echoes of England’s famous Boxing Day performance here in 2010, there was also a nagging sense that, this time, it was signposting an ordeal for the batters. That ordeal ultimately came to pass in a crazed final session when England fell to 16 for four inside eight overs and, courtesy of Michael Neser’s four for 45, ended up 110 all out in 29.5.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, over-by-over coverage of the second and final day at the MCG. After a first day that was somehow both bonkers and kind of predictable, Australia will resume on 4 for 0 in their second innings, a lead of 46.
Nobody has a clue whether the spicy Melbourne pitch will get easier for batting on day two – or even tougher as the pitch quickens up. There are parallels with the first Test at Perth, when England took a first-innings lead of 40 and were hammered by eight wickets a few hours later. But precedents and logic don’t seem to count for much – not in a world where Will Jacks is England’s spinner, Scott Boland is opening the batting for Australia and England are under the pump due to a combination of Noosa and Neser.
The only guarantee is that today’s play will not be dull. Might as well just strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride.
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