1h agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 3:59am
Ashes 2025 live: Australia vs England second Test at the Gabba
4m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 5:07am
88th over – How many can Australia get after drinks?
So, it’s going to be almost entirely up to Mitchell Starc to push Australia’s lead even further.
He, of course, is more than a capable bat and one of the better Test match No. 9s.
And against the pink ball, his batting average rises over four runs to 24.85.
But its’s Boland on strike to the first ball of the Archer over.
The Victorian does well to shovel a short ball behind square and rush through for a single.
Starc on strike with two slips behind him.
He lets one go outside off.
That’s a lovely shot from Starc! Wide on a good length from Archer, and Starc rocks back and punches through point for a boundary.
Archer fires in a yorker next up – it’s well directed, but Starc has his wits about him and defends to the off-side.
It’s the fifth ball of the over and Starc decides Boland can take the sixth. He works it through midwicket for a single.
And Boland is not made to play, leaving outside off. A disappointing end to the over for England.
6m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 5:06am
Will England be better with the bat?
Still not feeling great about bowling England out again… surely they won’t be throwing the timber at wides again?
– Chris
I must admit, this pitch looks like a beauty. The conditions are sensational as well.
If England bats with any sort of discipline, there is a big total here for the taking.
As we’ve seen though, that is a HUGE if.
12m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 5:00am
87th over – Atkinson to continue
A little too straight to start from Atkinson but Starc turns down the single to protect Boland.
A better delivery from Atkinson and Starc defends it on off stump. Australia more than happy to eat up some time in the sunlight here.
Atkinson with a big slower ball wide outside off stump, just 115.4 km/h, and Starc leaves it alone with a wry smile. I don’t mind that change-up there. Surprised they’ve not done more of it.
Starc has a wild swat on the off side here, but again turns down the single with two balls left in the over.
A bouncer from Atkinson there back at 141.5 km/h and Starc ducks under it. Can they keep him on strike?
Stokes having a discussion with Atkinson about what the field should be here.
A wide yorker from Atkinson, smart stuff. Starc can’t get to it and England will have a full over at Boland after drinks.
Henry Hanson will take you through to tea when play resumes.
16m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:56am
86th over – Archer finally gets his radar right
Archer continues around the wicket to Starc. He’s not quite got it right yet this morning.
A little too straight again, and it’s defended down the pitch by Starc.
Archer gets short again and Starc punches it away on the off side for another dot ball.
BEATEN! Archer finally gets his length right and surprise, surprise, he’s beaten Starc all ends up with an absolute peach that flies over middle stump.
Another lovely delivery from Archer, this is more like it. Starc goes to play at it, but pulls out at the last second.
Fuller again and Starc drives upplishly and picks up a single with all the fielders out on the boundary. Boland on strike with one ball left in the over.
A good length delivery on off stump, but Boland is able to defend it comfortably enough to point.
21m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:51am
85th over – Atkinson continues after his breakthrough
Atkinson stays around the wicket to Starc, who pulls out as the bowler runs in for the first delivery.
EDGED! Well bowled from Atkinson fuller again, catches Starc’s outside edge, but the ball doesn’t carry to the keeper.
BEATEN! Starc goes for an almighty heave to Cow Corner but doesn’t make contact.
Another good length delivery from Atkinson aimed at the stumps and Starc defends into the off side. Australia’s run rate has finally dipped below five.
Another good delivery from Atkinson and Starc awkwardly bunts it down to deep mid on and calls Boland through.
Atkinson goes with a shorter one at Boland’s ribs with a short leg in, and Boland awkwardly defends it.
Three slips in, he’s got to get Boland driving.
BEATEN! That’s the length! Gets the ball to move away ever so slightly outside off stump and Boland’s forward defence has no answer to that.
25m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:47am
84th over – Starc begins to farm the strike with Boland out there
Archer back of a length again to Starc, who initially tries to play at it but then pulls out at the last moment.
We’ve got some strike farming happening here! Starc turns down a single on the leg side after Archer gets too straight again.
It appears he doesn’t have a lot of trust in Scott Boland, who is the new man at the crease.
Archer sprays another one down the leg side and Smith dives full length to his right and saves four byes. Poor that from Archer.
BEATEN! A better line and length from Archer and it nibbles away from Starc and beats his outside edge.
Archer gets a little too straight once again and this time Starc calls Boland through, leaving him one ball to face.
Too short from Archer and poor line as well, too far outside off, and Boland’s able to leave that easily. Another distinctly average over from Jofra. He’s got to get the tailender playing.
27m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:45am
Caught behind! Carey nicks off as Atkinson strikes!
Atkinson finally gets his Ashes wicket and it’s the big one of Alex Carey!
He enticed Carey with one that was a little fuller but quite wide, and Carey flashes at it but nicks it through to Jamie Smith, who’s got his catching gloves on today it seems.
That’s the length Atkinson needs to be at in order to give himself a chance at nicking people off.
A fine innings from Carey comes to an end and England will hope to wrap this up quickly now.
Carey c Smith b Atkinson 63 (69) FOW: 8-416
30m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:42am
83rd over – Atkinson continues
Atkinson continues around the wicket to Carey, who is 60 off 67 deliveries. The first ball is left alone outside off stump.
Atkinson gets too short and straight and is pulled away by Carey into the leg side for three runs. This pitch still looks great for batting, it must be said.
A better length from Atkinson, probing on that off stump line, and Starc defends down the wicket.
BEATEN! That one took off from Atkinson after pitching! Starc goes for another wild swipe outside off and makes no contact.
Aims one at Starc’s body but it’s again too short and Starc defends it into the off side and picks up a quick single.
Both these guys have been too short so far today.
34m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:38am
82nd over – Archer to share the new ball
Jofra Archer is thrown the ball here, replacing Ben Stokes. He too is operating exclusively from around the wicket.
CHANCE! Archer goes for a well-directed short one and Carey tries to ramp it and gets no purchase at all. He’s lucky that’s not gone to a fielder.
Archer’s short again and Carey tries to get on top of it, but again doesn’t make decent contact and the ball trickles into the slips cordon.
Gets a little too straight with the next delivery and Carey works it off his hips for a single to fine leg.
BEATEN! Gets one in a decent area to Starc, who plays and misses with a loose waft outside off stump.
BEATEN AGAIN! A little wider and Starc goes for another wild hoick on the off side and plays and misses once again.
FOUR! Too straight from Archer and Starc works it off his hip for a boundary. A really, really poor first over from Archer there.
His speeds were in the low-mid 130s, well below what we know his quickest to be, and the radar was all over the place.
Archer always seems to warm into his spells, but he needs to be right on it here. England cannot afford looseners.
39m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:33am
81st over – Atkinson gets the first crack with the new ball
The second new ball has been taken and it’s Gus Atkinson who gets first use of it ahead of Jofra Archer.
Righto, time to lock in here if you’re England.
The first ball squares up Starc, but he’s able to pick up a single on the off side.
Atkinson’s got 0-79 but he’s bowled a lot better than those figures suggest. Can he get a few cheap ones here?
Gets nice and full to Carey first up and draws out a false drive. The ball gets to the man at gully on the half-volley.
Good length again from Atkinson and Carey can’t do anything but dead bat it at his toes.
A little fuller from Atkinson and Carey defends it into the off side and calls Starc through for a quick single.
Atkinson aims one at middle and leg again and Starc defends down the pitch. He’s been a little too straight this over.
BEATEN! A better line that time from Atkinson and he beats Starc’s outside edge. A decent over first up with the newie.
43m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:28am
80th over – Stokes tests out Starc before new ball
This is the last over before England can take the second new ball. Stokes to continue.
Stays around the wicket and cramps Carey up, producing another dot ball.
Stokes gets a little fuller and Carey drives it into the off side for a single. He’s timing the screws out of the ball today.
A good delivery aimed at off stump and Starc can do nothing but defend it into the off side. Stokes in a nice rhythm here.
A little too short from Stokes that time and Starc works it away past backward point for two more runs. He’s raced to 12 off 15 deliveries.
Another full one aimed in at Starc’s pads and he defends down to mid on.
A bit too short and straight and Starc works it off his hips for a single.
48m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:23am
79th over – Carse’s short stuff gets punished by Starc
FOUR! Poor delivery from Carse again, short and wide rubbish, and he’s slapped through the covers. It’s a no ball as well. Good God.
FOUR MORE! Oh this is absolute tripe from Carse. Shorter and wide again and it’s dispatched by Starc.
Carse is completely ruining any momentum Stokes is building on the other end.
SHOCK! HORROR! Carse bowls a full one that has a chance of hitting the stumps, and yields a dot ball. It’s not rocket science, this stuff.
Much better again from Carse and Starc is defending into the off side.
A full delivery again gets Starc driving, but he mistimes it to the man placed at mid off. Three straight dots for Carse from three straight fuller deliveries.
BEATEN! Starc goes for a waft outside off stump and doesn’t make any contact. A good finish to a poor over.
53m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:18am
78th over – Stokes almost removes Starc with a beauty
Stokes staying around the wicket to Alex Carey. He starts with a good length delivery that’s driven down the pitch.
Carey cuts the next one away to the man in the deep for a single and Stokes gets a look at Starc here.
Fuller from Stokes first up, but Starc leaves it alone. That was a little too wide.
Stokes drops it a little shorter and Starc is defending on the back foot.
BEATEN! Lovely delivery from Stokes. Gets it on a good length again and the ball beats Starc’s outside edge. That’s where they’ve got to be.
Another good length delivery outside off and Starc works it into the off side for a single to retain the strike.
57m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:15am
77th over – Mitchell Starc is the new man at the crease
FOUR! Carse continues to stay short and Carey gets under it and ramps it over the slips cordon.
Someone’s got to tell Carse to get a little fuller, this is bordering on ridiculous.
BEATEN! Carse stays short and Carey goes for an agricultural-looking pull shot and doesn’t make any contact with the ball.
Short again from Carse and too straight and Carey works it off his hips for a single to bring Starc on strike for his first ball.
Starc drops a short ball into the off side and calls Carey through for a quick single. Stokes goes for a shy at the stumps but it’s well away from hitting the target.
Back of a length again and Carey swats it towards deep point and picks up another single. Carse has been far too short again today.
RISKY! Fuller from Carse and he draws a drive out of Carey and almost gets a wicket out of it, but the ball drops before the man in at catching cover. That’s better, Brydon!
59m agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:12am
Caught behind! Stokes removes Neser!
Michael Neser’s got to go!
Stokes goes a little shorter and the bounce does Neser in and he’s caught behind by Jamie Smith!
Great stuff from Stokes and exactly the start the England skipper will have been hoping to deliver his team.
Neser c Smith b Stokes 16 (41) FOW: 7-383
1h agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:09am
76th over – Stokes builds the pressure before wicket
Stokes stays around the wicket to Carey and has the keeper defending on the back foot.
A good length delivery from Stokes and Carey works it away through point for a single to bring up his half-century off just 52 balls.
(Getty Images)
This is the type of innings from an Aussie keeper in previous generations that have broken the backs of England.
Stokes finds a good length again at Neser, but it’s a little too wide and left alone.
The next ball is a little shorter and Neser defends it on the back foot for no run.
BEATEN! THAT’S the length Stokes! He gets a hair fuller and induces the big drive out of Neser and the ball juuust sneaks past the outside edge.
1h agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 4:04am
75th over – Carse to partner Stokes with the old ball
Brydon Carse gets the job alongside Stokes and he starts around the wicket to Carey and is tucked into the leg side for a single.
Pretty conventional field in as Neser takes strike and Carse tests him with a bouncer straight away.
Another short delivery from Carse and Neser’s able to duck under this very easily.
Carse pitches it a little fuller next up, but it’s too straight and Neser works it away on the leg side for a single.
There is absolutely no sideways movement happening with this old ball.
Another short one from around the wicket, but it’s too wide from Carse and Carey leaves it alone.
Short again from Carse and Carey works it away off the back foot for a single to retain the strike. It seems Carse hasn’t learnt a whole lot from yesterday.
1h agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 3:59am
74th over – Stokes to start things off for England
The England skipper has grabbed the ball to start the day. There are seven overs before the second new ball is available.
I wonder how much Archer and Atkinson we see before then.
Stokes is around the wicket to Carey and starts with one on the pads. It’s well stopped by the diving man at midwicket. Nice positive shot from Carey.
The Barmy Army is starting the day with Jerusalem in the background as Carey works one into the off side off the back foot for the first run of the day.
Stokes comes over the wicket to Neser. He finds a good length with the first delivery and Neser is forward and defending down the pitch.
Another good length delivery from Stokes, this time a little wider outside the off stump. That’s much better than yesterday’s lengths from England.
Stokes drops the next one a little shorter and Neser defends on the back foot this time.
Another good length delivery to end the over and Neser defends it into the off side. Tidy start from the England skipper. No sign of last night’s cramps.
1h agoSat 6 Dec 2025 at 3:58am
The players are making their way onto the ground
There’s a real buzz around the Gabba here as both England and Australia make their way onto the ground.
The conditions are absolutely superb — perfect for cricket really.
Alex Carey and Michael Neser at the crease. Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett to come.
How much can Australia add?
