Summary

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Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham & Elizabeth Botcherby

  1. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Bowlers average in the first 10 overs of a new ball in this series

    • Australia - 22 wickets at 21.0 average, 32.0 strike rate
    • England - 14 wickets at 31.4 average, 50.0 strike rare

  2. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Steve Smith of Australia celebrates after reaching his half centuryGetty Images

    Steve Smith is in the mood today. He is set on three figures.

  3. 50 runs

    Half-century for Smith

    Brydon Carse gets to share the new ball with Matthew Potts.

    His second ball is a half-volley to Steve Smith who caresses it through point for four.

    A meaty biff down the ground from Smith off Carse's final ball of the over echoes around the SCG and brings him a 95-ball half-century.

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

    England captain Ben StokesGetty Images

    England need to think about who is going to maximise the ball best. The body language of the England fielders looks done at the moment.

  5. Aus 328-4

    Usman Khawaja of AustraliaGetty Images

    Ben Stokes loves doubling down on a struggling player.

    Matthew Potts takes the edge of Usman Khawaja's bat with his second delivery but the Aussie left-hander played it with soft hands so it dribbles through to the slip cordon.

    A couple of balls later Potts traps Khawaja deep in the crease with one that nips back into his thigh pad, prompting an enthusiastic but ultimately fruitless appeal.

    Khawaja gets one in his zone at the end of the over and stylishly drives Potts straight back through mid-off for four.

  6. new ball

    England take new ball

    New cherry taken.

    Matthew Potts limbering up at the SCG.

    A show of faith? Blind, or otherwise.

  7. Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Graph showing where Jacob Bethell bowled to Australia and the runs scores off those deliveriesCricViz

    Jacob Bethell kept it tight in his five overs so far today with 30% deliveries hitting the stumps. He didn't overpitch it much either with 73% deliveries in the 4-6m length range.

  8. Aus 324-4

    Steve Smith twitches, fidgets and fiddles between deliveries. He and Usman Khawaja pick up a single apiece off Will Jacks.

  9. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    I definitely miss watching a bowler set a batsman up for a dismissal like Jimmy Anderson used to do. There doesn’t appear to be any of that now.

    Ralph in Preston

  10. Aus 323-4

    Will Jacks continues after drinks. There are a couple of chaps holding champagne wandering around about behind the bowler's arm, which causes a brief delay to proceedings.

  11. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Ben Stokes is doing the donkey overs with the old ball when he is England's best bowler. You want your best bowlers with the ball at its freshest.

  12. Australia trail by 62 runs at drinks

    Time for a bit of liquid refreshment at the SCG.

  13. Aus 322-4

    Usman Khawaja advances down the pitch to Ben Stokes and...defends. It takes the edge of his bat, but does not carry to Harry Brook in the cordon and races away for four instead.

    The Barmy Army pipe up, hoping to provide a bit of inspiration to the perspiration from Stokes et al.

  14. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    England will be pleased with this because Australia are not going along too quickly.

    They will have to be so on it with the new ball and will need to catch better than they have done.

  15. Aus 318-4

    Will Jacks wheels away round the wicket to the uber-cautious Usman Khawaja, who has five runs off 27 balls. Australia slowly but surely chipping away at England's lead.

    There's going to be an attack at some point, but Australia want some more runs in the bank before then.

  16. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Ben Stokes has definitely been the pick of the bowlers. He has got good length and quick enough. I would love to see him with the new ball.

  17. Aus 317-4

    Ben Stokes with a maiden over to Steve Smith.

  18. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    So that's four wickets in six Tests at 25 now for Jacob Bethell. Does he ever bowl in first-class cricket given the ECB never let him play? Looks pretty nice with the bat, too. Imagine if the ECB actually let him play cricket and develop!

    Adam G, New Zealand

  19. Jim Maxwell
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    How are England planning on getting these wickets? Their new ball bowling outside of Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue looks inadequate and there is one due soon.

    Some aspects of this series have been so disappointing.

  20. Aus 317-4

    Australia's Usman KwajaGetty Images

    Will Jacks into the attack now as Ben Stokes momentarily leaves the field to change his spikes. Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith with a single apiece.

    Australia are fully into their grind England down mode here.

    One of those phases in the game where Australia have consistently outperformed England. When the roles are reversed England seem to just get bored in these situations.