Ashes 2025 live score: Jofra Archer takes wicket of Mitchell Starc after he brings up fifty
England 21-0
Cummins goes full and finds a decent length but Duckett whacks him through cover on the up for another four runs.
Confident work from the left-handed opener.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:38
England 16-0
Oh! is the cry from the Australian slip cordon after Duckett whips Cummins through square leg for four runs.
He was right in front of his stumps though and missing that one would have put him in trouble.
Duckett is the type of player who likes to feel bat on ball. As such he goes chasing the ball wide of the off stump and almost gets a nick as the ball shapes past his outside edge.
Australia are in the game here.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:37
England 12-0
Starc continues and is finding some shape with the new ball.
Duckett drives on the up though and beats the in field on the offside to collect another four runs.
He then gets off strike and Crawley keeps Starc out for the rest of the over.
A watchful start for England.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:35
England 7-0
Pat Cummins has the ball in hand for the second over. He angles the ball into Crawley who turns it into the legside for another single.
Duckett is finding things more difficult than Crawley it seems. Cummins angles the ball across him and finds the outside edge.
Duckett plays it well though and the ball bounces short of third slip.
Boom! In response, Duckett punches the next ball through the gap at cover and earns the first four of England’s innings.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:28
England 1-0
The next hour is going to be tricky for England. Starc is bang on the money and getting the ball to move away from Duckett.
So much so it almost looks like a different pitch as Duckett plays and misses at three consecutive balls.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:25
Start of innings: England 1-0
Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand. There was some swing during Australia’s innings and he’ll be hoping to find some here.
Zak Crawley dinks him into the legside and calls Ben Duckett through for one.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:20
Archer the pick of the bowlers
Jofra Archer was by far the pick of the England bowlers and he’s picked up his third Ashes five-for.
Here are the England bowling figures:
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:17
End of innings: Australia 371 all out
Australia have been bowled out for 371 runs which is to England’s credit as the pitch at Adelaide seems flat and docile.
The fate of the game, and the series, will now rest in England’s first innings.
They need to bat for near to two days and notch up a huge score to put some pressure on the Australians whilst keeping them in the field during some hot days.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will be tasked with setting the tone. Playing positively but not risky.
It’ll be tough, especially early on with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc having the new ball, but if they can weather that period England could go big.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:16
Wicket! Lyon lbw Archer 9 (371-9)
Full and straight from Jofra Archer. Nathan Lyon is trapped in front of the stumps and the finger goes up.
That’s good for England as Lyon reviews and the height is just clipping.
Australia have been dismissed for 371 runs.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:08
Australia 371-9
Josh Tongue is on and is tasked with taking this last wicket. He starts well enough and only allows one run to go to Nathan Lyon.
Mike Jones18 December 2025 00:05
