1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 2:55am
Live updates: Australia vs England
9m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:36am
The fiendish quiz
Anecdotally, I heard that this Ashes quiz was a bit too hard.
Well, get over it.
Here’s the Ashes quiz, just in case you missed out last time.
16m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:29am
Scott’s bowling
Scotty needs a rest!!! for a day or two!
– Damien from Claremont
(Getty)
Scott Boland is renowned for his accuracy and consistency. Top of off, nibbling in and away off the seam, locked in all day. But this morning has been rough for the big 36-year-old.
He’s looked nothing like the owner of spells of 3-2 off two overs and 6-7 off four overs as Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook have all scored freely. It’s left him with figures of 0-39 off seven overs at lunch, and that’s after a relatively stingy second spell of 0-10 off three overs.
It’s not just the numbers, he really struggled to find his line and length with the new ball.
Obviously there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge in this innings, this Test and this series, but after he struggled in England in 2023 — with figures of 2-231 from his two games — this morning’s performance continues a trend.
As it stands, his economy rate of 5.57 is the third-worst of his career.
22m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:23am
LUNCH: England 4-105 (Stokes 4, Brook 28)
(Getty Images)
Very much Australia’s session in this opening Ashes Test of the summer.
The hype ahead of the first ball was such that anything less than a wicket or a six would feel like an anticlimax – so just a defensive stroke into the on side was pretty meah.
But Mitch Starc, who was absolutely brilliant, took the first of his three wickets in that very first over and Australia went on from there.
The Aussies well on top, England four down while going at 4.56 runs an over.
England needs this partnership to stand up – Harry Brook has been effusive in getting to 28, while Ben Stokes was gifted an easy start in his brief stint in the middle.
The only problem for Australia? Scott Boland was poor in his seven overs. He’ll need to step up.
But Australia can have little to be down about as they tuck into their lunch.
24m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:20am
23rd over – Mitch Starc will bowl the last before lunch
Stomachs grumbling? One last over from Mitch Starc to see out before you can eat though.
SHOT! WOW! Harry Brook advances and powers the ball over mid off for a boundary! That’s a remarkable shot!
BROOK GOES DANCING DOWN THE PITCH AGAIN! This time he gets an inside edge and it’s squirted out to midwicket, just a single.
Two slips, a gully and leg slip for Stokes, who looks to leave and gets a bottom edge onto the ball that falls safely down on the off side.
Lovely shot from Stokes, punching the ball straight to mid off for no run.
Nice shot from Stokes, just a clip back down the ground to long on for a couple of runs. Nicely timed, just a bit too full from Starc.
Stokes leaves the last.
29m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:16am
22nd over – Cameron Green is off after one, wicket taking over
Nathan Lyon is back though, switching ends.
Ben Stokes defends his first delivery into the off side.
Floated up and drifted towards the stumps there next up, with Stokes just punching the ball back down the ground for a single to get off the mark.
Brook clips past square leg and gets a single.
Stokes drives another simple shot down to mid on. Very easy runs to get off the mark there for Stokes, just giving the England skipper an easy out. Not great bowling from Lyon.
Solid defence from Brook.
Brook clips over a diving Lyon for another single to that long on – who should be up for me. England are on the ropes, why not keep them there? It’s far too defensive from Lyon.
34m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:10am
21st over – Starc comes into the attack
A plan? Get Starc in to target Ben Stokes?
He has to bowl at Brook first, and it’s a dot first up.
Still just two slips and a gully there, and it’s the gully Cameron Green who fields after Brook clips towards him.
Solid defence from Brook at a ball that gets a bit of extra bounce.
More good pace from Mitch Starc, again he’s up over 142kmh, and that squares Brook up.
Brook goes for a little wander down the pitch, swings like he’s playing a tennis match and gets nothing on it. It’s just bizarre.
No runs from that over, another brilliant one from Mitch Starc, who is head and shoulders above everyone else so far.
35m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:09am
Very, very slowly
Loving the start. Are we bowling our overs extremely slowly??? The over rate is awful!
– Steph in Melbourne
Steve Smith can expect a fine in the mail, I’d expect.
38m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:06am
LBW! OLLIE POPE IS OUT!
A full delivery, looked a bit leg side but umpire Menon put the finger up straight away!
Ollie Pope has had a think about it and then decides to review.
Is it going down the leg side? NOPE! Umpire’s call, and Ollie Pope has to go!
He’d looked so good, Ollie Pope there, 46 off 58.
But England are in trouble at 4-94.
41m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:04am
20th over – Cameron Green comes into the attack
So much talk about how the rebuilt back of Cameron Green will stand up to bowling, some of which were answered in the Shield last week.
He starts with a ball that gets a bit bigger on Ollie Pope and the diminutive England number three expected and it’s just a single to point.
Brook pulls on a swivel to backward square leg for a single.
FOUR! Driven by Ollie Pope, who is playing so well straight. That was over pitched by Green and he paid the price.
Too full, too leg side and a lovely shot to get a few more for Ollie Pope – he’s timing it very nicely so far. Three for him there.
Very wide, Brook slaps at it and gets a single to the covers as England keep ticking things along.
44m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 4:00am
19th over – It’s GOAT time!
Nathan Lyon has been warming up for a bit, and Steve Smith has noticed so he is going to get a couple at least before lunch.
One slip and a bat pad in place, Brook is tempted outside off by a floater that he pushes to cover for no run.
Now much more of a slap, the ball slicing away towards backward point for a single.
Ollie Pope pushes through the fielder at cover for a single – nice, slashing drive through Khawaja, who took most of the pace off it. Just a single.
Brook drives that one very nicely between point and cover for a couple more – that’s a gorgeous stroke. Nothing extravagant, just good cricket.
He hops back and slaps the next to point for a single.
Turn for Lyon, Pope lets it come into him and he cuts it away for a single to third man.
50m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:54am
18th over – Doggett has another one
His fifth over of the spell, split by drinks, for the debutant.
Brook tries to clip the ball to mid on but there’s no run there.
Bouncer from Doggett, Brook gets under it very nicely. He would be so keep to smack that delivery over square leg, but there is a man back on the rope square, and at wide fine leg, as well as third man. The Aussies are aware of the threat he poses behind square.
Brook clips away for a single to switch up the strike.
Pope drives outside off, but there’s no run. 129kmh there from Brendan Doggett – the Aussies could do with another 144+ blast from Starc I think.
Solid defence from Pope that time.
Outside off, left alone by Pope.
56m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:48am
17th over – Boland continues
(Getty Images)
Two slips and a gully, the rest of the field is quite scattered.
Solid defence from Harry Brook to mid on.
Solid defence again from Brook, although this time the ball barely goes anywhere, just rolling around threateningly at his feet, Brook looking at it like a cartoon grenade about to blow.
Straight from Boland, clipped to mid on for no run.
Wide, Brook attempts a cute little cut but picks out Green at gully. That was a no ball from Boland. He’s not having a good morning so far.
Brook gives that one a bit more welly, to mid on, but Starc fields it.
HANG ON! Starc slid as he went to get that ball and he’s a bit slow to get up… Oh my word, that’s something to keep an eye on…
Solid defence from Brook again.
MIX UP! Brook set off for a run, Pope rightly said no with as much force as he could muster, but Marnus Labuschagne missed hitting the stumps and gave away an overthrow.
57m agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:47am
Barmy Army is really going through it
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:44am
16th over – Doggett will have another
Pope clips Doggett to backward square leg for a single.
And now Brook dabs a straight-ish delivery to midwicket for a single.
Down the leg side, Pope is interested but can’t get bat on it to tickle the ball down to fine leg.
Wide, short and Pope cuts to backward point for a single.
Brook fends another ball to midwicket, Doggett seemingly targeting the leg side a lot more when Brook is on strike, begging him to have a swing at him over towards square leg.
Pope can’t time an on drive to end the over.
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:43am
No question who the Aussies are most afraid of
(Getty Images)
For the most part today Australia has resisted the urge to go overly defensive with its fields. Remember back in 2023, there were almost immediately sweepers on the off-side rope to protect that boundary, but everyone was up and attacking this morning.
That was until Harry Brook arrived at the crease.
Steve Smith has a man out three-quarters of the way to the square leg boundary for Brook, but more interesting is the fielder halfway to the fence at mid-off. It’s giving Brook an easy single down the ground if he wants it, and is still encouraging him to go over the top if he wants, but those Duckett-style boundaries down the ground are being prevented.
Already it is changing Brook’s approach. He’s backing away and looking to play through point, which remains mostly vacant. Unfortunately for Australia, Brook has the most remarkable hand-eye coordination so just about any shot is a viable option.
EDIT: Okay, Smith has now moved that straight man wider and put a man on the rope at backward point. Aaaaand Brook has driven one down the ground for four anyway. He’s a freak.
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:43am
But what a fun 30 runs it will be
Brook keeps playing like he is, he’s going to last about 30 runs if he’s lucky.
– StuieD
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:40am
15th over – Boland carries on
And Pope takes a quick single, dropping the ball into the off side and setting off. Good running from this pair.
Two slips, a gully and the men back on the leg side, as Boland comes into Brook who clips the ball straight to midwicket for no run.
SWING AND A MISS! A BIG SWING, TOO! What an absurd shot to play! Harry Brook is not going to die wondering, if anyone expected anything else. But that would have been bad shot if he was standing on deck at a baseball stadium.
FOUR! Lovely shot – perfectly driven back past Scott Boland, who has not got his length right at all today. A perfectly played, very orthodox shot.
Solid defence from Brook, who backs away as he defends.
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:36am
14th over – Doggett carries on
Oh good ball! Doggett gets that one to nip back off that exaggerated Kookaburra seam and Pope, who had looked to cut, was almost chopped in half.
Pope defends much more solidly this time.
FOUR! Lovely weight transfer to punish a fuller, leg-side delivery through midwicket.
Full, down the leg side, Pope can’t quite glance it down to fine leg.
Pope is telling someone near or above the sightscreen to sit down. Lovely shot! That’s a great shot from Pope, getting over the ball and putting to deep backward point. Cameron Green chases it and keeps it to three runs for the English pair.
Bouncer to tempt Harry Brook, but he’s not interested with two men back on the leg side and it’s a dot to end the over.
1h agoFri 21 Nov 2025 at 3:31am
13th over – Scott Boland has been swung around
A bad first spell from Scott Boland, but would you back him to bowl poorly two spells in a row?
He’ll be more comfortable over the wicket to the right handers and he sends the first one nicely in towards the top of off stump, that fourth-stump line and Pope shoulders arms to leave the ball to fly through to Carey behind the stumps.
This is better from Boland, consistent length, that ball being flung down the corridor of uncertainty.
Ollie Pope gets behind his bat and defends solidly.
Gorgeous shot, just a push back down past him and Ollie Pope will sprint through to take three runs. Just a nicely timed shot.
Two slips and a gully for Brook, Scott Boland gets a bit of extra bounce and that surprises the Englishman.
