Summary

  • Australia beat England by 82 runs to win third Test and secure Ashes with two games to spare

  • Starc, Cummins and Lyon take three wickets each for hosts

  • Smith adds 60 for England and Jacks 47, while Carse ends 39 not out

  • Off-spinner Lyon sustained hamstring injury on day five and is doubt for rest of series

  • Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Sport reaction at top of page

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Live Reporting

Mike Peter, Sam Drury and George Booth

  1. 'It hurts and it sucks'

    England captain Ben Stokes: "That dream that we came here with is now over, which is incredibly disappointing.

    "Everyone is obviously hurting and quite emotional about it. We've got two more games to go and that's where the focus needs to switch to now.

    "We came here with a goal in mind and we've not bee able to achieve that. It hurts and it sucks but we ain't going to stop."

    On the difference between the sides: "The constant execution. If you look at that, Australia have just been able to execute things on a way more consistent basis than us. Both with the ball and the bat, and in the field.

    "They've been able to outdo us on a much higher level. We showed it for passages in these first three games and this week again, I thought we did to take it to where we did in this fourth innings.

    "I thought we were on for another heist this morning when Jamie Smith and Will Jacks were playing so well. But look, we can't do what we came here to do but there's some good stuff to come out of this game."

  2. 'We knew what was on the line'

    Player of the match Alex Carey speaking at the post-match presentation: "We knew what was on the line coming into this match and I thought the boys stayed really present, played what was in front us. We know England are such a good cricket team and we're going to be challenged right to the end today it was a real grind. But for the boys to all chip in throughout the series so far has been a lot of fun.

    "Travis [Head] is something special. Four Test hundreds at the same venue. I know how good he is, he is one of the best players.

    "I guess I'm lucky to play a lot of Sheffield Shield cricket here and I guess it's a familiar surface. Against a really good bowling attack we were challenged throughout the day and Usman Khawaja came back in the group at late notice and played really well, not surprising from such a good player.

    "Having the immediate family here to look up at the heavens and score a hundred was something special."

  3. Justin Langer
    Former Australia batter on TNT Sports

    It's been a great display from Australia throughout the series.

    They've been relentless with their pressure with the ball and, at the end of the day, they've just been too good for England.

    That's the reality. They've been too good over the three Test matches.

  4. 'The boys were excellent today'

    England head coach Brendon McCullum, speaking to TMS: "Not so much about tempo. It is about being able to make good decisions in pressure moments.

    "For us, from the get-go, it has never been about scoring rates.

    "It is about respecting what is coming at you, present in the moment. You identify what the levels of risk are, but what the opportunities are and make sure how to counter that.

    "Be able to apply press when you need to and absorb pressure when you need to.

    "I don't think we have got that balance right in the previous encounters in the series.

    "You sit there and go, if we had cottoned onto that earlier then we would have been more competitive.

    "I think the boys were excellent today. They showed some great application. They bounced of each other and tried to take the game as deep as they could. We didn't get there, but I thought it was a fine achievement."

  5. Get Involved

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    Hats off to Australia. They read our tactics from day one and gave us a solid beating.

    Dan, Manly

  6. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    There has been positives from this Test match. The way we bowled yesterday morning and got 6-38. You take that to Melbourne.

  7. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    We've now had 12 occasions when a team has wrapped up a five-match Ashes series after going 3-0 after the Third Test.

    Australia have done it on 11 occasions, and in each of the past four Ashes in Australia in 2025-26, 2021-22, 2017-18 & 2013-14.

    England have done it just the once, way back in 1928-29 in Australia.

  8. Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England had to adapt and change the tempo a bit.

    England went 3.5 an over, which is unusual for them in the last couple of years.

    It shows they have got fight left in them.

  9. 'We just found a way'

    Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc, speaking on TNT Sports: "It feels good. They made us work for it.

    "A bit of a flat wicket and they played pretty well but another Ashes win and it's been a great atmosphere all week, all series.

    "Can't fault anyone today, that was awesome.

    "Wicket didn't do as much as we thought it would do with the newer ball and a shame for Nathan Lyon to go down as well, we thought he'd have done a job with that harder, newer ball out of through as well.

    "We just found a way, which is a feature of this group over a number of years now. Even at times when it's not going our way, we can find a way.

    "Another fantastic day."

  10. Get Involved

    Click on 'Get involved' at the top of this page

    This very much feels like a “what if” series. But I think the reality is the Aussies are just much better.

    Tom, Bristol

  11. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    It has been a thoroughly professional [from Australia]. Australia have out-thought England in many situations. You have got to take your hat off.

  12. Both sides shake hands and head to their respective supporters, with England acknowledging the superb support The Barmy Army offered from Adelaide's grassy bank.

    Nathan Lyon has returned to the stadium and is hobbling around on crutches.

  13. Sir Alastair Cook
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    A moment Scott Boland will never forget. He goes down in history as the man who took the wicket to win the Ashes.

    That is a special moment for any player and any team. A feeling you can never replicate in your life.

    Australia deserve it. England will feel an air of regret over these three games.

  14. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    Australia retain the Ashes. They're in a group hugging each other and celebrating.

    Two day game, four day game, at least this one has gone into the fifth day.

    England have played at a different tempo in this game. They have knuckled down and seemed to be more flexible in their approach.

  15. wicket

    WICKET - Australia retain the Ashes
    Breaking

    Tongue c Labuschagne b Boland 1 (Eng 352 all out)

    That's the urn!

    Scott Boland draws an edge from Josh Tongue and Marnus Labuschagne takes another catch at second slip, a far simpler one than previous efforts.

    The Australia side bundle together in the middle in celebration - they've won the series at the earliest opportunity by winning three Tests inside 11 days.

  16. Eng 351-9

    84 runs needed

    Josh Tongue is the last man out of the dressing room for England.

    He immediately gets off the mark with a single to mid-wicket.

  17. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    How's your luck? Short and wide, have a dart at it and Jofra Archer hits it to the bloke who is at wide third man. That was a bit unlucky.

  18. wicket

    WICKET

    Archer c Weatherald b Starc 3 (Eng 349-9)

    Jofra Archer slaps one to deep point!

    A touch short and wide from Mitchell Starc, Archer chases it and finds Jake Weatherald who's sweeping a little way in from the rope.

    A third scalp for Starc, and Australia are one wicket from taking the Ashes.

  19. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Mitchell Starc now has 50 wickets in Tests in 2025 at an average of 17.5, going on par with his tally in 2016 (50 wickets at 22.6 average) for the most wickets he's taken in a calendar year in the format.

    Of the 73 occasions an Australian has taken 40 or more wickets in a calendar year in Tests, only Bert Ironmonger in 1931 has a better average than Starc's performance this year.

    Best average in a calendar year for Australia in Tests (Min. 40 wickets)

    • Bert Ironmonger (1931) - 14.2 average, 42 wickets
    • Mitchell Starc (2025) - 17.5 average, 50 wickets
    • Stuart Clark (2006) - 17.8 average, 42 wickets
    • Glenn McGrath (2002) - 18.1 average, 49 wickets
    • Shane Warne (1994) - 18.2 average, 70 wickets

  20. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Alex Carey drops a catch! He is human.

    I'm confident for Melbourne and Sydney. I think we are going to see something from this side. I think finally they have woken up a bit.