3 w. ago England hold nerve to break Ashes drought in Australia with Boxing Day Test victory

Fourth Test, day 2: Australia 152 & 132, lose to England, 110 & 178-6Tourists charge to four-wicket win inside two days at MCGStop press. Hold the back page. Drag out the dusty bunting and book three more nights in Noosa. England have won a Test in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years, chasing down 175 runs in Melbourne to win by four wickets and ensure this Ashes series defeat will not end as an Ashes whitewash.Granted it was not a live victory, England simply dragging the scoreline back to 3-1 and doing so courtesy of a two-day heist on a pitch that made batting a lottery. But given the ordeal of this tour, and that grim run of 18 Tests without a victory on Australian soil, it was not insignificant either. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago England survive MCG mayhem to break Ashes drought in Australia with fourth Test victory

Fourth Test, day 2: Australia 152 & 132, lose to England, 110 & 178-6Tourists charge to four-wicket win inside two days at MCGStop press. Hold the back page. Drag out the dusty bunting and book three more nights in Noosa. England’s men have won a Test in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years, chasing down 175 runs in Melbourne to win by four wickets and prevent an Ashes defeat from becoming a whitewash.Granted it was not a live victory, England merely dragging the scoreline back to 3-1 and doing so courtesy of a two-day heist on a pitch that made batting a lottery. But given the ordeal of this tour, and that grim run of 18 Tests without a win on Australian soil, it was not insignificant either. Though robbed of three days’ play, their supporters could finally crack a smile. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago England survive MCG mayhem to break Ashes drought in Australia with win in fourth Test

4th Test, D2: England, 110 & 178-6, bt Australia, 152 & 132, by 4 wktsCrawley, Duckett and Bethell help set up win inside two daysStop press. Hold the back page. Drag out the dusty bunting and book three more nights in Noosa. England’s men have won a Test in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years, chasing down 175 to win by four wickets and prevent an Ashes defeat from becoming a whitewash.Granted it was not a live victory, England merely dragging the scoreline back to 3-1 and doing so courtesy of a two-day heist on a pitch that made batting a lottery. But given the ordeal of this tour, and that grim run of 18 Tests without a win on Australian soil, it was not insignificant either. Though robbed of three days’ play, their supporters could finally crack a smile. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago England break Ashes drought in Australia with victory in Boxing Day Test – live reaction

England chase down 175-run target for four-wicket win Over-by-over updates from Melbourne Cricket GroundTravis 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.“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. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Boxing Day Test 2025: Australia v England fourth Ashes Test, day two – live updates

Australia edge England in wild opening to Boxing Day Test Over-by-over updates from Melbourne Cricket Ground Live scorecard | Geoff Lemon on Australia’s bowlers“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). Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Stuart Broad slams MCG pitch after wickets tumble on first day of Boxing Day Test

The two seam attacks took advantage of a surface offering plenty of movement as 20 wickets fell in Melbourne

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3 w. ago The Harry Brook innings that showed England’s muddled minds amid Ashes carnage

Brook played true to England’s values on a day where 20 wickets tumbled — would they have been better served sticking to their positive approach throughout the tour?

Politics

3 w. ago Australia edge wild Boxing Day with England as 20 wickets fall in fourth Ashes Test

Fourth Test, day one: Australia 152 & 4-0; England 110Bowlers feast on green-tinged pitch on day one at MCGA record 94,199 spectators turned up to the MCG on Boxing Day and none will forget what they witnessed. An extraordinary 20 wickets tumbled on a pitch offering lavish movement and Cricket Australia were left fearing what would be a second multi-million dollar loss in this Ashes series.The first came in Perth, when that two-day series opener triggered the refunds and left visiting supporters scrambling for sightseeing trips. This fourth Test 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. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Australia edge England as 20 wickets fall on wild day one of Boxing Day Test

Fourth Test, day one: Australia 152 & 4-0; England 110Bowlers feast on green-tinged pitch on day one at MCGA record 94,199 spectators turned up to the MCG on Boxing Day and none will forget what they witnessed. An extraordinary 20 wickets tumbled on a pitch offering lavish movement and Cricket Australia were left fearing what would be a second multi-million dollar loss in this Ashes series.The first came in Perth, when that two-day series opener triggered the refunds and left visiting supporters scrambling for sightseeing trips. This fourth Test 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. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Nightmare start for England in response to Australia's 152 as 20 wickets tumble on day one of the Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Nightmare start for England in response to Australia's 152 as wickets tumble in Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Five wicket haul from Tongue has Aussies licked for 152 as wickets tumble AGAIN just before tea in the Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Australia cops a Tongue lashing with four wickets tumbling before lunch as England roars to life in Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Josh Tongue takes three wickets as England claim early Boxing Day advantage

Tongue dismissed Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and captain Steve Smith.

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3 w. ago Boxing Day Test 2025: Australia v England fourth Ashes Test, day one – live updates

Over-by-over updates from the MCG, hosts lead series 3-0 The Ashes top 100 | Follow us on Bluesky | And email Tim“And merry Christmas to you!” says Gareth Wilson. “If I can gently disagree with Andrew Benton, what is most galling, and slightly puts your lovely stat on runs difference to bed, is that Australia have not been amazing. They haven’t needed to be. Sure – one Travis Head innings, one Alex Carey Test, and some good Starc, but none of those by themselves should have been enough to go 3-squat up. ”England have faced a historically poor Aussie team and STILL blown it. It’s depressing, but hey, 0-0 right?“Love your work.” Thanks! The Christmas spirit is flowing. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Australia make bold selection for fourth Ashes Test after Nathan Lyon ruled out as Steve Smith returns

Steve Smith will return after illness and captain the hosts, but there will be no specialist spinner despite Lyon’s injury, with Todd Murphy snubbed in the 12-man squad

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3 w. ago Christmas weather forecast as cold health alert and frost warnings issued

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold health alert for parts of England from Christmas Day evening through to Boxing Day, warning of an impact on health services

Events

3 w. ago Stokes calls for ‘empathy’ for England players and pledges support for Duckett

Archer ruled out for rest of series with side strainPope dropped for MCG Test with Bethell and Atkinson inBen Stokes has called for the public and the media to show “empathy” towards his embattled England players. It comes as their Ashes campaign threatens to fully unravel in response to a guaranteed series defeat and allegations of excessive drinking during a mid-tour break in Noosa.Sitting 3-0 down going into the Boxing Day Test, England have been hit by reports that their downtime in between the defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide was akin to a “stag do”. The emergence of footage appearing to show Ben Duckett drunk and slurring his words on a night out has heightened things. Continue reading...

Sport

3 w. ago Wounded England must salvage more than pride in MCG Boxing Day Ashes Test

Can McCullum’s ‘horse-whispering’ still register against a rampant Australia hungry for a series whitewash?The world famous Boxing Day Test awaits England’s beaten cricketers and we are about to discover whether the mighty coliseum that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground becomes their arena of the unwell; whether pride can be salvaged or it is just another stepping stone for Australia in their pursuit of an Ashes whitewash.Last year a record 373,691 spectators passed through the turnstiles across five days as Australia overcame India in a slow-burn thriller. This fourth Ashes Test was tipped to top that remarkable figure potentially but that will hinge on it similarly going the distance. It also needs the locals to be energised still by a series that has already been won by their team – even if simply beating the old enemy is usually enough. Continue reading...

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