England’s Ashes hopes have been left in tatters after falling 2-0 to behind to Australia after another dismal defeat in Brisbane.
The hosts reeled in a fourth-innings chase of just 65 for the loss of two wickets to secure victory with more than a day to spare in a ruthless performance. England had battled hard on day four with Ben Stokes (50) and Will Jacks (41) sharing a stand of 96 to drag them into the lead and raise hopes of an unlikely fightback. The pair showed excellent discipline and patience to make it through the first session of the day unscathed, producing the first wicketless session of the series so far, with their calm, considered approach contrasted with some of England’s batting last night. But just as they looked set to kick on, Jacks fell to a spectacular catch from Steve Smith before Michael Neser drew a feather behind from Stokes to remove the visiting skipper with England just 50 ahead. It was over quickly thereafter, allowing Australia to blast towards victory despite a hostile spell from Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson.
Mitchell Starc and the rest of the home side had dominated yesterday to close in on the win. After Starc (77) had impressed with the bat, England collapsed in a heap under the lights as they lost five wickets for 38 runs having been 90/1. It prompted more tough questions over the temperament and technique of Stokes’s side, who find the series all but over — the last side to come back from 2-0 down to win the Ashes were a Don Bradman-inspired Australia on home soil in the 1930s.
Follow all of the latest from the Gabba with our live blog below:
Ashes 2025 second Test - Australia v England, day four
- Australia seal second Test victory at the Gabba
- Australia chase down 65 in short order to go 2-0 up in the series
- Ben Stokes's fighting half-century had earlier given England faint hope before Michael Neser five-for
- Will Jacks falls to stunning Steve Smith catch to break big partnership
- No side has come from 2-0 down to win the Ashes since 1936/37
Ben Stokes says no room for 'weak men' in England dressing room
12:31 , Harry Latham-CoyleBeaten captain Ben Stokes has made it clear there is no room for "weak men" on England's faltering Ashes tour.
Stokes' side are 2-0 down with three to play after another deeply flawed performance in Brisbane and find themselves up against it on one of cricket's most fierce trips.
Coming off the back of a two-day thrashing in Perth, there are serious question marks over the ability of his England team to react to the big occasion and time is running out for them to find an appropriate answer.
Stokes did his best to instil some fighting spirit on the fourth and final day at the Gabba, batting for almost four hours in a doomed show of defiance that put a flighty top order to shame, and had strong words afterwards.
"There is a saying that we have said a lot here, that Australia is not for weak men," he said, after seeing the hosts chase down a tiny target of 65 with eight wickets intact.
"Teams who come to Australia can't be soft or weak, whatever it may be, because that's how it is out here: it's a tough place to come. You can't come to Australia and be weak but you also can't be in my dressing room if you are and there is none of that.
"We pick people on ability and skill but we also pick people on character and mentality. A few things obviously need to be addressed, I think, on that but deep down we've got characters who I know that can stand up to what we've got to do over the next three games.
"Nothing's guaranteed in life and nothing's guaranteed in sport but as long as you walk out there and think in your head, 'I'm going to fight all the way to the end here', that's all you can focus on."
Brendon McCullum claims England ‘trained too much’ ahead of second Ashes defeat
12:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleBrendon McCullum, the England head coach, has claimed that his side “trained too much” ahead of their heavy defeat to Australia at The Gabba.
England fell 2-0 behind in the Ashes as the hosts wrapped up an eight-wicket victory in Brisbane despite a battling partnership from Ben Stokes and Will Jacks early on day four.
The damage had long been done, though, with the tourists inferior in all facets as they failed to bounce back from defeat inside two days in Perth.
Brendon McCullum claims England ‘trained too much’ ahead of second Ashes defeat
Michael Neser reacts to his crucial spell
11:40 , ReutersAustralia quick Michael Neser said he will cherish his bowling performance at his home ground in Brisbane after he took a five-wicket haul in the second Ashes Test, helping the hosts to a comprehensive eight-wicket win.
Neser, competing in his first test in three years, broke the 96-run partnership between Ben Stokes and Will Jacks, dismissing both in his consecutive overs.
The right-arm pacer finished with five for 42 as Australia bowled out the opposition for 241 with a lead of 64 runs, setting themselves an easy target chased down in just 10 overs.
"I am sure I'll cherish this one," the 35-year-old told host broadcaster Fox Sports after his spell.
"It's a moment I'll never forget, having my family there.
"I think my sister's out there. I haven't seen her for a year and a half, so I am going to say hi to her."
Ben Stokes pinpoints England’s ‘obvious’ problem in damning assessment of second Test defeat
11:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleStrong words from Ben Stokes after England’s defeat, highlighting his side’s inability to handle pressure moments as key to their 2-0 deficit in the series.
Ben Stokes pinpoints England’s ‘obvious’ problem in damning assessment of defeat
When is the next Ashes Test? TV channel, date and start time for Australia vs England
11:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleHere’s everything you need to know as the series heads to Adelaide:
When is the next Ashes Test? TV channel, date and start time for Australia vs England
Brendon McCullum has also had a natter with BBC Test Match Special
10:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle"Disappointing to go 2-0 down,” McCullum says. “In a five-match series it makes things pretty tough.
"We have been here before and we have to make sure to stay tight as a group and iron out a couple of the chinks that we have shown in the last two Test matches.
"When you come to Australia you can't be below your best. You need to make sure you seize every opportunity.
"A few moments in this Test match that there was times we had ascendancy with the bat and we let that slip.
"Times where we didn't execute with the ball as well as we should have.
"Clearly our catching was an issue as well. Very hard to beat Australia at home if your going to be deficient in all those three areas."
What changes might England make?
10:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleYou’d imagine England will shuffle their bowling attack for Adelaide. Brydon Carse did not bowl with the consistency he would have liked to despite finishing with four first-innings wickets, and Gus Atkinson hasn’t managed to be particularly penetrating so far in the series. Will Mark Wood be fit? And what of Shoaib Bashir? He’s not gone well for the England Lions but the spinner was backed ahead of this Test despite being left out.
As for the batting order, Ollie Pope feels most vulnerable. Jacob Bethell made 71 today in that second-string game at the Allan Border Field across Brisbane.
England coach Brendon McCullum claims England were 'over-prepared' for second Test
10:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleSome perhaps slightly misjudged comments from Brendon McCullum to Channel 7 in Australia.
“I think we’ll probably have a beer tonight,” McCullum says. “Leading into this Test match, I think we over-prepared, to be honest. We had five intense training days and I think sometimes when you are in the heat in the battle, the most important thing is to feel a little bit fresh. I think the boys think a few days off and we’ll change a few of the training methods a little bit. We’ll look at the alternative methods over the next couple of days and start to plot and plan our way back into the series.”
Australia in position of supreme strength
10:18 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is just the small matter of a pair with a combined 871 wickets to come back in to this Australia team, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon likely to return to the bowling attack in Adelaide. Usman Khawaja may be brought back, too, at the top of the order.
It’s tough now to figure out who Australia might leave out, mind. Michael Neser is a certain starter, you’d say, after a standout performance in the second innings.
More from Ben Stokes
10:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle“I keep saying, it’s not a skill thing with this group. With bat or ball. They are incredibly skilled and gifted players with the ability to win games. By personal belief is that it is the mental side of how we are handling those moments of pressure, understanding the moment a bit better.
“Rooty getting a hundred is a good start. He’s a great example for the group. You look at the scrutiny that he was under when he came out here. After that game in Perth, he came and sat next to me and apologised to me. Then he said, ‘I’m going to get a big one for you next time’. That, to me, is an incredible mindset and mentality that everyone in that dressing room can ooze off. To go and do what he did this week, a lot of guys, myself included, can take a lot from that.”
Matt Prior asks Stokes what he can learn from 2013/14, a tour they were both on, where England capitulated in a similar situation: “Don’t panic. Don’t flap. Don’t waver. I know we can do this. I believe emphatically in the group.”
Ben Stokes continues his post-match media round with TNT Sports
09:56 , Harry Latham-Coyle“We can look back on moments in that game, and it is a common theme from the first game and before this series, that when the game is on the line, teams are able to handle that pressure better than us. We are a great team when we are ahead; when we are behind and needing to play catch-up, we are great. But when the game is on the line, we are not able to stand up to that pressure. It is something that for me, as captain, is starting to become quite obvious.
“It’s a mentality, it’s a mindset about how you take yourself out there in those situations. Test cricket has its own pressure anyway and how you handle yourself in those moments, how you get yourself in a clear space to make decisions is so important to be successful. I will be having conversations around that. We are 2-0 down, we’ve got three games left to do what we wanted to come here to do. I will be doing everything I can.
“A huge part of it was that we had to take so many wickets. Dropped catches can come back to bite you, and we saw that. If we’d held on to our chances, we wouldn’t have been batting last night. No-one means to drop catches, or not bowl an area you set plans to, but those kind of things can’t happen at this level. Look at Australia today and Steve Smith. Me and Will Jacks batted for three and a half hours together and an unbelievable catch brought them back in. Up against what we were like in the field, there is a massive difference.”
Ben Stokes damning on England's effort
09:51 , Harry Latham-CoyleThat was about as damning as I can recall Ben Stokes being about his teammates. He is right that in the pressure moments in this series, they have tended to wilt. He and Will Jacks showed plenty of application and fight in the first session today but there was much too much to do.
Where next beyond Adelaide? The tone of Stokes’s comments suggests that England will at the very least mull changes. Could Ollie Pope be vulnerable? You would expect the bowling attack to be shuffled slightly, at the very least.
Ben Stokes pulls no punches in an honest reflection on the Test
09:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle“Obviously it is very disappointing,” Stokes says. “A lot of it, to me, comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format. When the game is on the line, in small passages we’ve been able to drag the game back and then we’ve let it slip away. We’ve done that again this week. It’s very disappointing, in particular because of the ability of the players in that dressing room. I think we need to think a bit harder and a little bit deeper about those moments and what we are taking into those, show a bit more fight when it is needed.
“If I could put my finger on it, I’d be able to tell you. It’s definitely not a skills thing. When you know it is not down to skill, you have got to dig a little bit deeper and find what it is that we seem to keep doing in those big moments of the game.
“Not being able to execute your skill is something you can live with. No-one means to bowl away from the plan we are trying to do. Jofra and Gus set the tone very nicely when we first took the ball, but myself and Brydon let the game get away quite quickly. We will be having some conversations that I will keep in the dressing room.
“There is lots of communication. We can see what Australia are trying to throw at us and the plans they have. It is up to us as players to try and go out there with a plan to try and negate the threat. For me, it just seems to be a constant theme at the moment that when the game is in a pressure moment, Australia keep outdoing us. We need to find something because we are 2-0 down now and we need to sort it. I absolutely believe in that dressing room, the players that are in there and the coaching staff. We know we have got to win these next three games.”
Mitchell Starc is the player of the match
09:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle“Two wins. It was a hard-fought one for both teams and great to be on the right side of it. I’m still going ok, hanging in there.
“We’ve seen on this ground before that when the pitch is this hard, the pink ball goes soft pretty early. As a bowling unit, we bowled well across both innings. It was key to get a lead in the first innings and [Michael Neser] today was phenomenal in front of his family at his home ground.
“It doesn’t take much to get ready to go. I still try and bowl as quick as I can and hit the stumps every time. There is no better incentive for bowlers than to bat as long as you can to not have to bowl any more. We knew it was going to be better to bowl with the hard pink ball later in the day, so to bat as long as we did was really key for us to push that bowling innings as far as we could. Late in the day, we got those rewards. I’ll enjoy an extra day to put my feet up and get ready for Adelaide.”
England go 2-0 down in the series
09:39 , Harry Latham-CoyleDark days for England - 2-0 down and needing to do something achieved only once in history if they are to win the Ashes. And that was by Donald Bradman’s Australia on home soil.
A reminder that only one team in Test history has come from 2-0 down to win a series - Don Bradman’s Australia in the 1936/37 Ashes 👀 pic.twitter.com/kCrFNNPtGj
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 7, 2025
And here is Steve Smith
09:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle“It just felt right then to play a few shots. He was obviously bowling pretty quick with the short boundary behind me, so I thought I would try to hit a few up and get a hold of a couple. We were in a nice spot there and I tried to finish it quick. I’ve heard there is a bit of a storm coming around so I wanted to get it done.
“What was said stays on the field. It was good banter. He’s a good competitor and comes hard at you, it was good fun.
“I thought the boys played exceptionally well. The tail were unbelievable to extend, the bottom four batted for 53 overs which gave us the opportunity to get into the dark last night and take six wickets. They had a really good partnership today, and you never know what is going to happen with Stokes at the crease, but it was great to see the back of them and only have 60 to chase.”
Australia seal the second Test with a SIX 🏏
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 7, 2025
Who else? Steve Smith.
Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/U1gP09zeWJ
Australia win by eight wickets to go 2-0 up in the series
09:34 , Harry Latham-CoyleSteve Smith finishes 23 not out from just nine balls, taking Australia to victory. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson brought heat and hostility in their new ball bursts but it was never going to be enough.
Jake Weatherald ends unbeaten on 17 after a fine Test personally. Archer’s final figures are 5-0-28-0, which doesn’t really tell the story.
Australia win by eight wickets!
09:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleA mighty blow for six over the square leg boundary and Steve Smith blasts Australia into a 2-0 lead!
Australia 61/2 (9.3), target 65
09:28 , Harry Latham-CoyleJake Weatherald has no time for such distractions - in his bubble he remains, caressing a gorgeous check drive straight of mid-on for four. Australia one hit away.
Australia 57/2 (9), target 65
09:26 , Harry Latham-CoyleWell that’s livened things up. A bit of needle and niggle, which could be fun in the rest of the series. It would seem Ricky Ponting is into it, too, “champing” Jofra Archer on Channel 7 commentary in Australia.
“Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion,” Steve Smith seems to have said to the England fast bowler.
Six! Australia 56/2 (8.4), target 65
09:24 , Harry Latham-CoyleShort again, six! Steve Smith has a hoick and away it flies over fine leg. Meeting fire with fire and Australia need single digits.
Australia 50/2 (8.3), target 65
09:22 , Harry Latham-CoyleHave it! Steve Smith positively tonks Jofra Archer through midwicket, taking the short ball on. Archer’s riposte is excellent, whizzing one past the nose. A few verbals between the pair.
Four more, streakily this time! Top edged over the wicketkeeper. Enthralling, in a way, though ultimately futile for England.
Australia 42/2 (8), target 65
09:21 , Harry Latham-CoyleSteve Smith, with those Shivnarine Chanderpaul-esque eye blacks on, is off the mark. But this is good from England’s new-ball pair, Atkinson beating the edge of Jake Weatherald in the channel. Small victories for the tourists.
OUT! Marnus Labuschagne c †Smith b Atkinson 3 (6), Australia 41/2 (7.3), target 65
09:17 , Harry Latham-CoyleA brute from Gus Atkinson and he has a second!
Play that! Another sign of how tough things might have been for Australia had England managed more than their meagre total, Atkinson getting one to lift from a back of a length. A flick of a finger, a safe pouch in Jamie Smith’s gloves - still 24 needed...
Review! Australia 41/1 (7), target 65
09:14 , Harry Latham-CoyleJofra Archer launches into a vociferous appeal after striking Jake Weatherald on the pad. Very full and not dissimilar to his first innings dismissal, but surely going down? Yes, ball tracking confirms, after England review. Worth a go, one supposes.
Australia 38/1 (6), target 65
09:08 , Harry Latham-CoyleMarnus Labuschagne is in and off the mark with a little nurdle to leg. How many more can England take with them?
OUT! Travis Head b Atkinson 22 (22), Australia 37/1 (5.5), target 65
09:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleGus Atkinson, perhaps surprisingly continuing after dinner, twice finds the outside edge of an Australian bat, but there are just a couple of slips in, meaning each travels safely down to the fielder on the third man boundary.
But now he’s got one! Travis Head chops a ball that wasn’t there to cut on to his stumps. Now then?
Australia 33/0 (5), target 65
09:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is a storm brewing, it would seem, in Brisbane - both literally and for England, who are sure to face some tough questions. They are due to head to Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to play some golf and bond ahead of Adelaide, which I’m sure will go down well...
DINNER: Australia 33/0 (5), target 65
08:51 , Harry Latham-CoyleDoes it feel slightly ridiculous to have a 20-minute break when Australia are already halfway there and England have bowled just five overs? Perhaps.
DINNER: Australia 33/0 (5), target 65
08:46 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s pretty grim for England. A reminder that they fought back from 2-0 down in 2023 to draw the Ashes, and might have won it if not for rain in Manchester, but this is different. Those were two tight defeats, these are two drubbings, and no visiting side has ever come back to win the Ashes from that deficit Down Under.
DINNER: Australia 33/0 (5), target 65
08:44 , Harry Latham-CoyleFour singles from Jofra Archer’s third over. And that will be the dinner break. Australia require 32 more - their lower order can tuck in to their supper.
Australia 29/0 (4), target 65
08:39 , Harry Latham-CoyleTravis Head has a wild swing at a wide one from Gus Atkinson to end the over. 19 from Atkinson’s first couple, which may be all he gets.
SIX! Australia 29/0 (3.3), target 65
08:36 , Harry Latham-CoyleAll the way! Gus Atkinson strays on to the pads of Travis Head and finds himself launched over the square leg boundary. That’s a fair old whack.
And four more! Slashed straight of point.
Australia 19/0 (3), target 65
08:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleThat’s a seriously quick over from Jofra Archer. What might have been, perhaps, for England.
Australia 19/0 (2.3), target 65
08:32 , Harry Latham-CoyleJofra Archer is properly steaming in, emptying the tank in the knowledge that this will be a short spell. An inside edge from Jake Weatherald flies to the fine leg boundary at 93mph.
A rip-snorter beats the outside edge. It’s both good and depressing to see, I’d imagine, for the healthy English contingent at the Gabba.
Australia 15/0 (2), target 65
08:29 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe runs are flowing. Jake Weatherald clips Gus Atkinson for three with the England bowler too full, before Travis Head plants two short and wide balls through the covers for a combined six, the second beating Will Jacks to the boundary.
Australia 6/0 (1), target 65
08:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleA mournful rendition of Jerusalem from the England supporters draws appreciative applause from Joe Root. I don’t think William Blake intended it to be used as a lament.
Jofra Archer’s pace is up, touching 92.5mph with his second ball to Jake Weatherald, who taps it into the offside for a single.
Australia 4/0 (0.2), target 65
08:23 , Harry Latham-CoyleFree runs. Four byes down the leg side. Far from ideal.
Australia 0/0 (0.1), target 65
08:22 , Harry Latham-CoyleJofra Archer hits the top of Travis Head’s bat to start. Head clearly keen to play at it. 20 minutes or so until the dinner break.
Australia require 65 for victory
08:21 , Harry Latham-CoyleEngland were wasteful with the new ball in the first innings, too short and wide. Can Jofra Archer at least give them something positive to take to Adelaide?
Australia require 65 for victory
08:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleA word for Alex Carey after another outstanding display with the gloves - Mitchell Starc is surely nailed on for player of the match honours but Carey has been genuinely difference-making behind the stumps.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald are ready to go. Both will surely look to get this done as quickly as possible.
Australia's bowling figures
08:18 , Harry Latham-CoyleMitchell Starc 18-2-64-2
Michael Neser 16.2-2-42-5
Brendan Doggett 17-2-56-1
Scott Boland 17-4-47-2
Cameron Green 5-1-15-0
Travis Head 1-0-1-0
Marnus Labuschagne 1-0-3-0
“It feels good,” Michael Neser tells the host broadcaster. “There are still 60 to get but I’m sure I will cherish this one. I love the Gabba, the fans here, this is my home. The Ashes is such an event for Australia and to get a five-for is incredible. A moment I will never forget.”
Michael Neser takes his first 5fa in Test cricket! #Ashes | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/iR3qCOcy1V
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2025
England 241 all out
08:16 , Harry Latham-CoyleHere’s the England batting card:
Zak Crawley 44 (59) c & b Neser
Ben Duckett 15 (18) b Boland
Ollie Pope 26 (32) c & b Neser
Joe Root 15 (36) c Carey b Starc
Harry Brook 15 (21) c Carey b Boland
Ben Stokes 50 (152) c Carey b Neser
Jamie Smith 4 (11) c Carey b Starc
Will Jacks 41 (92) c Smith b Neser
Gus Atkinson 3 (13) c Smith b Doggett
Brydon Carse 7 (10) c Smith b Neser
Jofra Archer 5* (9) not out
Australia require 65 to take a 2-0 Ashes lead
08:12 , Harry Latham-Coyle
OUT! Brydon Carse c Smith b Neser 7 (10), England 241 all out
08:12 , Harry Latham-CoyleFive for Michael Neser, another catch for Steve Smith and that will be that! Australia require 65 for second Test victory.
Superb from the Queensland seamer on his home ground. He’s earned these rewards in an immaculate spell of seam bowling. Brydon Carse fends him to first slip. 3-10 in 5.2 overs in a spell that has surely sealed the win for Australia.
England 241/9 (75), lead by 64
08:09 , Harry Latham-CoyleA glorious pull to the square leg boundary from Jofra Archer, picking up where he left off in the first innings.
Here’s that Gus Atkinson dismissal, which you would have to say is a little soft for someone with a Test ton.
There goes Gus Atkinson... 😩
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 7, 2025
England are nine down.
Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/6F6mn1z3uj
England 235/9 (74.1), lead by 58
08:05 , Harry Latham-CoyleThese two have first-class bests of 108 (Brydon Carse) and 81 (Jofra Archer) respectively, if any England fans are still searching for faint hope.
Carse is having a swing at virtually every ball. No time for playing patiently now.
England 234/9 (74), lead by 57
08:03 , Harry Latham-CoyleBrydon Carse heaves to leg, with no-one quite sure initially where his hoick off Michael Neser has gone. It plummets back through the atmosphere and down in open acreage at deep backward square, with such height on it that England can come back for three.
England 231/9 (73), lead by 54
07:58 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnter Jofra Archer with Australia cock-a-hoop. A blazing cameo in the first innings but these are very, very different circumstances.
Steve Smith now has 209 catches in Test cricket, four behind record-holder Joe Root.
OUT! Gus Atkinson c Smith b Doggett 3 (13), England 231/9, lead by 54
07:57 , Harry Latham-CoyleAnother! The end is surely nigh for England!
Brendan Doggett finally has reward for his bumper barrage. Gus Atkinson tries to direct his pull down but only succeeds in picking out the midriff of Steve Smith at midwicket.
England 229/8 (72), lead by 52
07:55 , Harry Latham-CoyleRelentless stuff from Michael Neser. Brydon Carse is in.
OUT! Ben Stokes c †Carey b Neser 50 (152), England 227/8 (71.4), lead by 50
07:53 , Harry Latham-CoyleAnd Michael Neser has reeled in the big fish! Ben Stokes goes!
What a spell this is! It’s supreme seam bowling from Michael Neser, just back of a length and finding a smidgeon of away movement. That is enough to feather the edge of Stokes’s bat, with Alex Carey good again behind the stumps in holding on to it. A furious Stokes stomps away - England slip again into the mire.
England 227/7 (71.3), lead by 50
07:51 , Harry Latham-CoyleFull credit to Michael Neser for how well he has bowled today. It’s been hard graft at times but he has just nagged away, looking to hit that crack outside the right-handed batter’s off stump as often as possible and create doubt. His spell reads 3.3-1-5-1 - England just can’t get him away.
England 226/7 (71), lead by 49
07:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleAt what stage might Ben Stokes consider going on the offensive? He will have trust in Gus Atkinson but there are now just nine overs to the new ball, which will trouble the lower order. Regardless, he’s shown plenty of fight already.
50 for Ben Stokes! England 225/7 (70.1), lead by 48
07:46 , Harry Latham-CoyleBen Stokes goes to 50 from 148 balls, his second slowest in Test cricket. His slowest? Headingley in 2019. England may need something similarly epic if they are to have a hope. Just four boundaries so far in a captain’s knock.
Steve Smith takes stunner to break partnership
07:44 , Harry Latham-CoyleHere’s that Steve Smith catch. A gem.
Australia get the breakthrough 😩
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 7, 2025
Will Jacks goes for 41 ❌
Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/bIGoBp9Hhh
Not out! England 224/7 (70), lead by 47
07:43 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt looked like he had - but more importantly, there was an inside edge. Australia are out of reviews, too. A wicket maiden nonetheless from Michael Neser, who now has figures of 3-36 from 14 overs.
Review! England 224/7 (69.4), lead by 47
07:41 , Harry Latham-CoyleA big inswinger and rapping Gus Atkinson on the back pad - the umpire says no but Australia review. Was Atkinson outside the line?
Drinks! England 224/7 (69.1), lead by 47
07:38 , Harry Latham-CoyleA stunner from Steve Smith to snap the partnership at 96. Gus Atkinson is the new man.
OUT! Will Jacks c Smith b Neser 41, England 224/7 (69.1), lead by 47
07:36 , Harry Latham-CoyleA simply spectacular catch to break the partnership! Steve Smith, that is special!
He is so good in the cordon! Michael Neser nibbles the edge of Will Jacks’s bat but it flies fine with Alex Carey up to the stumps and Smith a little wider at first slip. But the Australia captain lunges at full length to his left and somehow snares it an inch or so off the ground with his left hand.
A fighting knock from Will Jacks but he has to go - and Australia have cracked England open again.
England 224/6 (69), lead by 47
07:32 , Harry Latham-CoyleThis partnership has now extended longer than either of England’s innings in Perth. Australia plough on with their contrasting approach from each end, Brendan Doggett banging it in, Michael Neser probing away. They’ve not bowled at all badly today but the wicket just hasn’t been forthcoming.
England 221/6 (68), lead by 44
07:29 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe physio trots out to do what he can and help Stokes back to his feet. Ouch. Two dot balls to end the over.
England 221/6 (67.4), lead by 44
07:26 , Harry Latham-CoyleOh no. Michael Neser shows his accuracy again as he thuds one right into Ben Stokes’s unmentionables. Stokes seems to get hit there more frequently than others. That doesn’t make it any more pleasant, mind.
England 220/6 (67), lead by 43
07:22 , Harry Latham-CoyleJust some signs that the England pair are starting to emerge, cautiously, from their shells. Ben Stokes backs away and flays, helping himself to a couple through the vacant cover region. Will Jacks also angles one through the gully to go to 39 as he continues to build his Test best score.
England 214/6 (66), lead by 37
07:17 , Harry Latham-CoyleMichael Neser relieves Mitchell Starc, with Alex Carey up to the stumps with a slip and gully beyond him. The 200th ball faced in the partnership is chopped to deep backward point for a single by Ben Stokes, who has 43.
Travis Head is still fiddling with that sore thumb like an idler. Two more singles arrive before the end of the over.
England 211/6 (65), lead by 34
07:13 , Harry Latham-CoyleWill Jacks ducks beneath the first of the bouncers but can’t resist having a dip at the next, failing to make contact. Brendan Doggett comes around the wicket to attack the ribs more deliberately, but Jacks is able to tug away at one that doesn’t quite get up to rotate the strike.
Dropped? Yes, but that’s mightily tough on Travis Head at short leg. Jacks turns one off the hip almost straight into the hands of the fielder in tight, but it goes so quickly that it just thuds off thumb and knee to the floor. A chance, strictly speaking, and it appears that it might have hurt Head.
England 209/6 (64), lead by 32
07:08 , Harry Latham-CoyleHere’s Brendan Doggett for some short stuff. A widely spread leg-side array awaiting a mistimed hook with Will Jacks on strike.
England 209/6 (64), lead by 32
07:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe crowd lift the volume as Mitchell Starc rumbles in, like a jumbo jet readying itself for takeoff with his long approach. He searches for a couple of yorkers but can’t quite find them.
Almost! A leading edge from Ben Stokes falls short of the bowler.
England 206/6 (63), lead by 29
07:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleA Ben Stokes drive to the left of the point sweeper earns him a couple. England ticking along.
England 203/6 (62), lead by 26
06:57 , Harry Latham-CoyleMitchell Starc’s bounce is just beginning to trouble Will Jacks, who is up on his toes well but needs to be a little careful not to chop on with his defensive stroke. A couple of balls taking the inside half of the bat.
England 201/6 (61), lead by 24
06:53 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is plenty of batting to come, of course, for England, although extending this partnership as far as possible feels key. Will we see either become more proactive? The steady approach seems the sensible one and is very much working for now.
England 200/6 (60.3), lead by 23
06:50 , Harry Latham-CoyleWill Jacks brings up the England 200 with a handsome clip through midwicket. Nice shot. He moves to 30.
England 195/6 (60), lead by 18
06:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleA single apiece for the England batters as they settle back in.
Cameron Green will bowl from the other end. He looked threatening after a belated introduction earlier.
England 193/6 (59.2), lead by 16
06:44 , Harry Latham-CoyleBen Stokes needed a new bit of willow before the break and it appears Will Jacks’s bat has also broken. Out trots Matthew Potts without a replacement, allowing Stokes to send a message up to the dressing room.
Jacks is ready to go once more.
England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:41 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt will not be Travis Head to resume - Mitchell Starc offers a rather different threat. A slip and a gully waiting behind Will Jacks with leg-side protection, too, if Starc wishes to go short from around the wicket.
England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:36 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe resumption nears. Batting conditions should remain good for the next little while and then become a bit tougher later if England can continue to stretch the innings out. Make no mistake, they are still in real bother but the application shown thus far has been encouraging.
One doubts it will be Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne to pick up where they left off with the ball before tea, but you never know.
Tea! England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:29 , Harry Latham-CoyleOver at Allan Border Field on the other side of town, Jacob Bethell has fallen for 71 with the England Lions still up against it against Australia A. Asa Tribe, though, has gone to his 100 - the 21-year-old had a breakthrough season to help Glamorgan back into Division One of the County Championship and has already played international cricket for Jersey.
Tea! England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleVery, very, very good from England. 59 runs added in two hours in a disciplined display of defensive batting that has hauled them into the lead. Conditions have been easier than last night but the pitch has still offered something to the Australian attack, but Ben Stokes and Will Jacks have shown real restraint and can now set about swelling the advantage further. What do they need to really threaten an unlikely victory? Anything over 150, still a long, long way off, might give them some hope.
Tea! England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Tea! England 193/6 (59), lead by 16
06:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleNothing silly from the England pair, who have batted superbly in this session. Ben Stokes has 36, Will Jacks 25 - the partnership is worth 65 and England lead by 16.
England 192/6 (58.2), lead by 15
05:59 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt will be dibble dobble rather than fizzy leg-breaks from Labuschagne. Will Jacks flicks him to fine leg for a couple.
England 190/6 (58), lead by 13
05:58 , Harry Latham-CoyleA decent start from the part-timer. Australia also have Marnus Labuschagne as a spin option if required - although he has bowled plenty of seam in the Sheffield Shield this year, too - but you’d say this is a big tick for England to have Head operating before the break.
He rattles through the over to ensure that Australia will get one more in before the interval. And it will be Labuschagne to deliver it!
England 189/6 (57.1), lead by 12
05:56 , Harry Latham-CoyleNow then - here’s Australia’s off-spinner. No, not the left out Nathan Lyon but Travis Head, who you may remember took a couple of wickets at Lord’s in 2023 when Lyon went down injured.
England 189/6 (57), lead by 12
05:55 , Harry Latham-CoyleInto the final ten minutes before the tea interval. It would be a sickener for England were they to lose one now after so much hard graft. Ben Stokes has now faced 106 balls for his 36. Bedding in, as he had to. Will Jacks has 21 from 60.
England 185/6 (56), lead by 8
05:49 , Harry Latham-CoyleSix off the over - but an encouraging one for Australia. They will feel another chance is surely coming.
England 183/6 (55.2), lead by 6
05:47 , Harry Latham-CoyleEdged over Green in the gully! The leaping behemoth couldn’t quite get his big right paw to it, Ben Stokes venturing down the track but squared by Scott Boland and fortunate not to fall. Away it goes for four.
England 179/6 (55), lead by 2
05:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleA reminder of the danger that still lurks for England immediately arrives as Ben Stokes whooshes past a ball from Cameron Green that just leaves him.
But the 50 partnership is up between these two - 51 in 136 balls in a display of real patience and pluck. Much needed.
England lead! England 178/6 (54.2), lead by 1
05:42 , Harry Latham-CoyleA mistimed pull from Will Jacks takes England in front. Fine work from these two this morning, but much more to be done.
Scores level! England 177/6 (54)
05:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleEngland have reached parity! A scrambled single into the covers levels the scores from Will Jacks. Australia will bat again. And there was much rejoicing.
England 176/6 (53), trail by 1
05:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleAn outstanding start from Cam Green, beating the bat immediately and then getting one to keep a little low on a lunging Ben Stokes. Back-to-back maidens for Australia.
England 176/6 (52.1), trail by 1
05:32 , Harry Latham-CoyleRight, here is Cameron Green for the first time in the innings - Australia’s tallest and second-quickest seamer. He’s got plenty of skill, of course, but I fancy there will be a fair few short balls, too.
England 176/6 (52), trail by 1
05:31 , Harry Latham-CoyleA beaut! Scott Boland nips one away from Will Jacks to beat the outside edge. High-class seam bowling. A maiden.
England 176/6 (51), trail by 1
05:26 , Harry Latham-CoyleBrendan Doggett continues to slam the ball into the surface, with Ben Stokes looking rather more comfortable than Will Jacks. Four singles take England ever closer to parity, though.
England 172/6 (50), trail by 5
05:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleA clip to the fine leg fence brings Ben Stokes his third boundary as he climbs to 26, before rotating the strike with a single. Australia’s lead is down into single figures.
England 167/6 (49), trail by 10
05:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleAustralia have also gone short to Ben Stokes, with three fielders in the deep between forward square leg and fine leg, plus one halfway back and a short leg. This will fatigue Brendan Doggett but Australia do have five seamers on which to call. He’s doing a good job so far, mind, keeping the pace high and Stokes tied down with an accurate barrage.
The trouble is that the leg-side heavy field leaves plenty of space on the off-side. Ben Stokes backs away and whacks into it for three, with Doggett forced to retrieve like a loyal labrador. Stokes’s bat is broken; out come a selection of replacement Gunn & Moore’s.
Scott Boland returns at the other end.
England 164/6 (48.1), trail by 13
05:09 , Harry Latham-CoyleWill Jacks is living dangerously - a bit of a flap at a sharp bouncer from Brendan Doggett that could end up anywhere. It lands safely and trickles down towards fine leg. Doggett had overstepped, so it wouldn’t have mattered, but this will be encouraging Australia to stick with the ploy.
Jacks was hit in the helmet, too, which will require a check.
England 162/6 (48), trail by 15
05:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleEngland have left or defended nearly three-quarters of the balls bowled in this first session — they’ve got their approach spot on so far. Ben Stokes has nipped off for a comfort break and is ready to resume.
England 162/6 (48), trail by 15
05:03 , Harry Latham-CoyleThis has been an outstanding spell from Michael Neser, giving virtually nothing away and challenging Ben Stokes particularly with nibble from a length. A maiden. 11-1-32-2 his figures so far.
Drinks. England make it through the first hour unscathed
England 162/6 (47), trail by 15
05:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleWill Jacks needs to be careful. Another swipe at a Brendan Doggett short ball draws a cursory appeal from behind the stumps. There’s no touch on it but he looks eager to play at it.
England 161/6 (46.2), trail by 16
04:56 , Harry Latham-CoyleIndeed they will. There are six leg side fielders as Brendan Doggett digs a couple in, drawing a flap down the leg side that Will Jacks fails to connect with but then a more confident, competent pull to one of the two men behind square on the boundary for a single.
It looks like traditional tactics to Ben Stokes as he takes strike.
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