Summary

  • England close on 207-6 in chase of 435

  • Australia need four more wickets to win series and retain Ashes

  • Crawley (85) shows good appliance and top-scores with 85

  • Cummins and Lyon both take three wickets

  • Australia all out for 349 with Head making 170 and Carey 72

  • Stokes bowls seven-over spell as England take 6-38 at end of Australia innings

  • Third Test, day four, Adelaide

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

Send us your views

  1. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 53.3 overs

    Crawley st Carey b Lyon 85 (Eng 194-6)

    That's the big one.

    Zak Crawley is done by the one that goes straight on.

    He just shuffled down the pitch slightly, tries to push the ball towards mid-off but misses as he plays for the turn that doesn't come.

    Momentum has taken him just out of his crease and Alex Carey whips off the bails to give Nathan Lyon his third wicket.

  2. Eng 193-5published at 53 overs

    Target 435

    Zak Crawley moves to 85 with a single before Jamie Smith faces up for the first time in this innings.

    He plays out four dot balls from Scott Boland and there is about half an hour left in the day.

  3. Postpublished at 06:27 GMT 20 December 2025

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Jamie Smith and Will Jacks are handy, but Zak Crawley is the man.

    Crawley is the one that Australia will want to get rid of.

  4. Eng 193-5published at 52.1 overs

    Target 435

    So much rests on Zak Crawley now and he continues to impress, whipping the first ball of the Scott Boland over through the leg side for four.

    He's going to need help, though, and Jamie Smith is his latest batting partner.

  5. Postpublished at 06:24 GMT 20 December 2025

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Ben Stokes is bowled by Nathan LyonImage source, Getty Images

    That is a massive wicket.

    That has turned pretty big. Maybe a reverse sweep could have kept it out.

    Very well bowled.

  6. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 52 overs

    Stokes b Lyon 5 (Eng 189-5)

    Beauty from Nathan Lyon.

    Massive wicket for Australia with Ben Stokes bowled by a ripper.

    Not much the England skipper could do as this one pitches on middle and leg and turns sharply to hit the top of off.

    About as good as it gets for an off-spinner to a left-hander. Australia are closing in.

  7. Postpublished at 06:21 GMT 20 December 2025

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Nathan Lyon is coming around the wicket, so there is a change of angle to Zak Crawley. England have not put the reverse sweep away.

  8. Eng 188-4published at 51 overs

    Target 435

    A rare loose ball from the returning Scott Boland and Ben Stokes crashes it away through the covers for four.

    Under 250 required but England aren't even halfway there yet.

  9. Postpublished at 06:16 GMT 20 December 2025

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Ben StokesImage source, Getty Images

    England are working hard here. They have not lost wickets in clumps, and they have rebuilt each time one has fallen. Back to good old-fashioned Test cricket.

  10. Eng 183-4published at 50 overs

    Target 435

    Zak Crawley is still going and adds four with a strong sweep in front of square off Nathan Lyon.

    He pushes a single into the off side before Ben Stokes sees out the last two balls.

  11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 06:12 GMT 20 December 2025

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

    Harry Brook walks off dejectedImage source, Getty Images

    Oh Harry, oh England. All that hope of record breakers after a mere 50 partnership whilst always the feeling of collapse or calamity is just around the corner. Same old England. Can same old Stokes save us? Anything to hang glimmers of hope on now and prolong the inevitable.

    Nathan, Etton

  12. Eng 178-4published at 49 overs

    Target 435

    Thanks, Mike.

    A big, big 50-something minutes left in the day and you feel that England need to avoid any further damage to have any chance.

    Mitchell Starc continues and, with the left-handed Ben Stokes now in, he is back over the wicket.

    The Australia quick needs to be careful in his follow through having already been given two official warnings for running on the danger area.

    Doesn't seem to be any issues this time. Maiden.

  13. Eng 178-4published at 48 overs

    Ben Stokes immediately takes a single into the covers and Zak Crawley sees out the rest of Nathan Lyon's over without scoring.

    Can this pair get through to the close unscathed? Here's Sam Drury to find out.

  14. Postpublished at 06:06 GMT 20 December 2025

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Harry Brook reacts after being dismissedImage source, Reuters

    Just when England were looking good.

    Harry Brook is stood there, and he asked the umpire, 'Did that bowl me?'

    That is a big wicket for the Australians and a big blow for England.

  15. Postpublished at 06:03 GMT 20 December 2025

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    Harry Brook is bowled by Nathan LyonImage source, Getty Images

    Oh no, what has Harry Brook done? It always looks ugly when the reverse sweep is played wrong.

  16. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 47.2 overs

    Brook b Lyon 30 (Eng 177-4)

    A huge wicket.

    Harry Brook advances and goes for a reverse sweep off the returning Nathan Lyon and finds himself swiping at thin air.

    Meanwhile the ball passes the bat and goes on to hit leg stump. It's an ugly dismissal, but missed reverse sweeps invariably look that way.

    A promising partnership of 68 comes to an end - here comes the captain.

  17. How's stat?!published at 06:02 GMT 20 December 2025

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    Zak CrawleyImage source, Getty Images

    Zak Crawley is in his danger zone. It is the 16th time he has reached 70 in Test cricket. Nine of the previous 15 times, he has been out in the 70s.

  18. Eng 175-3published at 47 overs

    A few powerful shots from the England batters off Mitchell Starc, but they find the fielders.

    Harry Brook and Zak Crawley both pull to a fielder at deep square, and the latter then reaches the man at a similar position on the point ropes.

  19. What you've missed on day fourpublished at 06:00 GMT 20 December 2025

    Just waking up?

    After a miserable day three, England's chances looked all but over... and, well, they still do but they have shown some fight in Adelaide.

    Travis Head and Alex Carey thrashed it around a bit early on day four but their partnership was broken by Josh Tongue, who removed Head for 170.

    England then proceeded to run through Australia in quick time, taking 6-38 to wrap up the innings.

    Ben Stokes got Alex Carey, Tongue then removed Josh Inglis before Brydon Carse took two in two with the new ball and Jofra Archer finished it off.

    Just a Test record chase of 435 to win then...

    Pat Cummins removed Ben Duckett in the two overs possible before lunch and then got rid of Ollie Pope - helped by a stunning catch from Marnus Labuschagne at second slip - in the afternoon session.

    However, Zak Crawley and Joe Root came together and batted very nicely for the remainder of the session to raise hopes, ever so slightly, of a famous England win.

    Instead, Cummins returned after tea to have Root caught behind - the 13th time he's dismissed him in Tests - and end a 78-run stand.

    Root was furious with himself but since then Crawley, who has reached his half-century, and Harry Brook have continue the fight.

    They've added 67 for the fourth wicket with just shy of another 260 still needed.

  20. Postpublished at 05:55 GMT 20 December 2025

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    It has been a very un-Crawley-like innings.