72 m. 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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2 h. 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 h. 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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7 h. 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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15 h. 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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22 h. ago 'I received heartbreaking Ashes news in toilet on Christmas Day'

A former England bowler has recalled the painful moment he found out he'd been dropped during a rare successful Ashes tour Down Under

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40 h. ago Australia mull over spin question as Todd Murphy enters mix with plenty to play for

Off-spinner not guaranteed spot in XI but may have key role against a side that will try to clear the boundaryIt would really be something. A Victorian spin bowler – one from St Kilda Cricket Club, no less – walking out on Boxing Day to play an Ashes Test in the shadow of the Shane Warne Stand at the MCG. Todd Murphy is not much like Warne in most respects: quiet, modest, thoughtful, bespectacled, a student of the even tempered practice of off-spin bowling rather than the lavish excess of leg-spin. But still. The links that do exist are too appealing to ignore.Not that Murphy is guaranteed to play the fourth Test in place of the injured Nathan Lyon, with Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, prevaricating about whether to pick four frontline fast bowlers plus an all-round seamer in Cameron Green or Beau Webster. But in picking him as the lone option in the squad, Australia have already given their spinner more positive feedback than Shoaib Bashir has received from England, who have re...

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46 h. ago Five big Boxing Day Ashes Tests: Botham, Pietersen and Warne

Opening salvos before a huge MCG crowd are often among the most memorable meetings between Australia and England – here are five crackersIn the first session Australia set off at a lick, surging to 102 without loss with David Warner’s 83 the crux. Warner would go on to notch his 21st Test century, but not without a spot of drama when one run shy. Pity poor Tom Curran, who thought he had claimed Warner on 99 after the batter had spooned to mid-on and the eager hands of Stuart Broad. However, a replay revealed the England bowler had overstepped and his maiden Test wicket was snatched from his grasp. Continue reading...

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60 h. 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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68 h. ago Steve Smith captains Australia in Boxing Day Test as Pat Cummins plays no further part in Ashes

Fast bowler takes precautionary decision after back problems

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5 d. ago Pat Cummins is in rare air as an Ashes captain. Can his Dad's Army go around again? | Geoff Lemon

He’s achieved an Ashes feat that few others have. But he’s still missing an outright win in EnglandStarc breaks England hearts again as Australia retain the AshesWhile it took longer than expected on the fifth day in Adelaide, eventually it was done. A series won, the Ashes retained for another year and a half until they next go up for grabs in England. For Pat Cummins, this makes three consecutive Ashes series captained without giving up the urn. The feat leaves him in sparse but fine company: the others to do it are Joe Darling, Don Bradman, Richie Benaud, Mike Brearley, Allan Border and Mark Taylor.It made things neater that Steve Smith missed this third Test, having captained the first two wins in Cummins’ absence, so that it didn’t feel like the full-time captain was swooping in to hoover up the stand-in’s lunch. Those situations can be odd, like Adam Gilchrist filling in to lead what was very much Ricky Ponting’s team, captaining two wins in India in 2004 before Ponting return...

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5 d. ago Dominant Australia defeat England in third Test to retain Ashes – live reaction

Australia win by 82 runs as England fall short of record run chase in Adelaide Ashes top 100 | Get the Spin newsletter | Email James66th over: England 214-6 (Smith 9, Jacks 11) Smith pushes a single off Lyon. It’s the only run off the over. Oohs and ahhs from the Aussie fielders, I wouldn’t say Marnus is quiet exactly.65th over: England 213-6 (Smith 8, Jacks 11) Smith drives Cameron Green for three more but it was uppish and not too far away from the bowler’s gargantuan wing span in his follow through. Jacks then nearly nicks off with a loosey goosey drive. Gah. To channel Ray Winstone in The Departed – I’m here to tell you there are ways to get out and ways to not get out, getting out caught and bowled to a loose drive is not a way to get out. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago England Ashes hopes suffer major blow as Australia on brink of another Test win

England trail by 227 runs heading into Day Five of the third Ashes Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval

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5 d. ago Ashes LIVE: England facing quickest Ashes defeat since 1921 as Nathan Lyon removes Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley to help Australia close on series win

Ashes RECAP: Re-live all of the action from day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval with Daily Mail's live coverage as Australia rapidly close in on retaining the urn.

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5 d. ago England require Ashes miracle but avoid further humiliation as Australia on verge of victory

England were left on 207 for 6, needing a 228-run miracle on day five in Adelaide, while Australia require four more wickets to seal a 3-0 lead

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5 d. ago Ashes LIVE: Nathan Lyon removes Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley in quick succession to leave England facing series defeat

Ashes LIVE: Australia take a commanding 356-run lead into day four of the third Test in Adelaide, after a Travis Head clinic. With six wickets in hand, the Aussies will be hard to stop

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5 d. ago Australia close on Ashes victory over England on day four of third Test – live reaction

Australia are four wickets away from retaining the urn after Nathan Lyon strikes late at Adelaide Oval68th over: Australia 276-4 (Head 142, Carey 57) Carse’s first ball is short and wide and thumped to the boundary by Carey. A diving stop by Smith saves any further blushes and that’s all Australia can milk from the over.67th over: Australia 272-4 (Head 142, Carey 53) Stokes has the ball. Hair swept back and regal. Running in to the strains of the Barmy Army’s Jerusalem. On the ball. Just one single from it. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australia on cusp of Ashes triumph as Nathan Lyon dulls England’s glimmer of hope

Third Test, D4: Australia 371 & 349; England 286 & 207-6Spinner strikes late as tourists briefly threaten record run chaseThere was a time when England players threw around phrases like “the more the better”, such was their confidence in the chase. But tasked with knocking off a world record 435 runs to stop Australia winning this Ashes series at the earliest opportunity, one suspects similar words were not uttered on Saturday.Instead, having picked up six cheap wickets first thing to set up this unlikely five-session challenge, it was first about seeing where they could get to by stumps. The upshot was 206 for six from 63 overs which, while progress of sorts on this malfunctioning tour, means Australia will go into the final day of this third Test within touching distance of an unassailable 3-0 lead. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australia on verge of Ashes triumph as Lyon dulls England’s glimmer of hope

Third Test, D4: Australia 371 & 349; England 286 & 207-6Lyon strikes after tourists briefly threaten record chaseThere was a time when England players threw around phrases like “the more the better”, such was their confidence in the chase. But tasked with knocking off a world-record 435 runs to stop Australia winning this Ashes series at the earliest opportunity, one suspects similar words were not uttered on Saturday.Instead, having picked up six cheap wickets first thing to set up this unlikely five-session challenge, it was first about seeing where they could get to by stumps. The upshot was 206 for six from 63 overs which, while progress of sorts on this malfunctioning tour, means Australia will go into the final day of this third Test within touching distance of an unassailable 3-0 lead. Continue reading...

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6 d. ago Ashes LIVE: Pat Cummins breaks vital partnership with the crucial wicket of Joe Root, as England's hopes of rescuing Ashes series begin to slide out of view

Ashes LIVE: Australia take a commanding 356-run lead into day four of the third Test in Adelaide, after a Travis Head clinic. With six wickets in hand, the Aussies will be hard to stop

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