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  1. Aus 247-3published at 49 overs

    This was beautifully played by Steve Smith a little earlier.

  2. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 09:31 GMT 5 December 2025

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    GabbaImage source, Reuters

    Let's face it, Australia bowl better than England and they sure as hell don't gift their wickets like England do - half of England's battles are with themselves.

    Dan Gee, Bristol

    Can’t see this England bowling attack getting the Aussies out twice. They can’t sustain a line and length.

    Paul, Devon

  3. Aus 247-3published at 48.4 overs

    England bowlers have taken 35 wickets at 25.6 in the night session in day-night Tests, although this attack is slightly different in style compared to previous ones the tourists have brought with them.

    Gus Atkinson has hands on his head after scambled seam delivery strikes Cameron Green on the pad, but there was a chunky inside edge on it.

  4. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 09:30 GMT 5 December 2025

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    So a new ball cannot be a new cherry today. A new lychee? A new grape? A new royal gala? None of these work really. Change is not always progress.

    Myles Runham, West Norwood

  5. ouch!

    Aus 246-3published at 48.1 overs

    We have a short break in play after Cameron Green gets a nasty wrap on the glove of his bottom hand following a delivery from Gus Atkinson which climbed on him.

    The physio is on for treatment and a sympathetic word.

  6. How's stat?!published at 09:25 GMT 5 December 2025

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    England bowlers - Average in day/night Tests

    Session 1 - 23.5

    Session 2 - 43.3

    Session 3 - 25.6

  7. Aus 245-3published at 48 overs

    Jofra Archer gets the first over with the 'new' ball but there's not much movement, although runscoring is not particularly easy either with just a leg bye and a single off Cameron Green's bat.

  8. Postpublished at 09:19 GMT 5 December 2025

    BallImage source, Reuters

    England succeed where Australia failed last night in getting the pink ball changed following a split near the seam.

    Cue boos from the Aussies at the Gabba.

  9. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 09:17 GMT 5 December 2025

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    England are facing a double whammy here. If they don't take wickets tonight - they will face a heavy deficit - and then have to face Starc with a new ball under the lights!

    Awali Camel, UK

  10. Aus 243-3published at 47 overs

    GreenImage source, EPA

    Plenty of beverages being sunk by the Aussie faithful at the Gabba. England's players unfortunate enough to be fielding on the boundary will "cop a spray" as our Antipodean cousins would say .

    Gus Atkinson wrestles one back England's way with a maiden over to Cameron Green.

  11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 09:14 GMT 5 December 2025

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    It may not be the worst England side to travel to Australia, but if Australia finish tonight 50+ ahead with wickets in hand, this team may be the first to lose the Ashes after four days of play.

    Steve, Kent

  12. 6 runs

    Eng 243-3published at 46 overs

    Steve Smith's Shivnarine Chanderpaul-esque little black stripes certainly seem to be doing the trick.

    He picks up the length of another short-pitched delivery from Jofra Archer which is much straighter and he simply leans back and let's it glide off the face and over the heads of England's cordon and the rope for six.

    Tremendous execution.

  13. Postpublished at 09:11 GMT 5 December 2025

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Steve Smith seems to be doing alright at the moment. Those black stripes under his eyes, he seems to be lining it up quite nicely.

    Cameron Green and Smith have looked quite solid.

  14. Aus 237-3published at 45.2 overs

    Steve Smith gets away with one here, perhaps.

    He attempts to hook a short ball from Jofra Archer and top edge sends the ball sailing over the head of England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for four.

  15. Postpublished at 09:09 GMT 5 December 2025

    Jack Leach
    England spinner, sat with the BBC Sport live text team

    If I'm honest with the pink ball, there's not much difference in bowling spin, but for the seamers it swings more with the new ball, but it gets softer quicker.

    When the lights come on it will nip around a bit, but that is due to the overheads more than the ball.

    In terms of Steve Smith with black strips of tape under his eyes, it will probably make no difference, but the batters will struggle to pick the pink ball up later in the session.

    The fact you're playing in the day, twilight and night, each situation will bring different conditions.

  16. Aus 233-3published at 45 overs

    Gus Atkinson starts after the interval for England.

    Not a huge amount of movement, but a lot of it is about the glare off the pink ball which makes batting tricky as much as anything else.

    Cameron Green has no issues picking up a short ball from Atkinson at the end of the over and rides the bounce to hook it for four through deep backward square.

  17. Postpublished at 09:04 GMT 5 December 2025

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    When India played here, Australia scored quickly at night. The ball went soft, Jasprit Bumrah was bowling and they still scored quickly.

    From now on here, England have got to shine the ball as much as they can so there's some heat on one side. It should start to move a bit.

  18. Postpublished at 09:03 GMT 5 December 2025

    Right, England's players are stepping out under the floodlights at the Gabba for this crucial session.

    Steve Smith and Cameron Green following shortly behind them.

  19. From Norfolk club player to Australia's Test XIpublished at 09:02 GMT 5 December 2025

    Jake WeatheraldImage source, Getty Images

    He scored his maiden Test half-century earlier but only a couple of summers ago, Jake Weatherald was the overseas professional in Great Witchingham in Norfolk.

    Former England bowler Monty Panesar - an Ashes winner in 2009 and 2010-11 - was among his club-mates.

    Described as a "life-and-soul-of-the-changing-room kind of guy", he ended the club season with 604 runs in 19 games, including a century and five fifties.

    You can read more on Weatherald's time in Norfolk here.

  20. What's happened so far...published at 09:00 GMT 5 December 2025

    Done the school run? Made it to the office? Been out for a full English breakfast?

    If you're just joining our coverage of day two of the second Test from Brisbane here's a quick reminder of what's happened so far.

    England resumed their first innings on 325-9 and Joe Root and Jofra Archer managed to add another nine runs before Marnus Labuschagne took a superb diving one-handed catch at deep square to remove the latter for a Test career-high 38. Root walked off the field unbeaten on 138*.

    Archer thought he’d made the crucial breakthrough in the ninth over of Australia's innings, when a beauty of a delivery to Travis Head brought an edge only for Jamie Smith to drop out...

    Jamie Smith doubtless breathed a sigh of relief when Head fell on 33 after he sent Brydon Carse skywards and Gus Atkinson pouched the catch.

    Head's fellow opener Jake Weatherald, however, continued to play fluently and brought up the fastest Test half-century by an Australian opener in a decade when he passed 50 fifty in 45 balls shortly before lunch.

    Archer trapped the left-hander lbw for 72 shortly after the interval to give England their second wicket with the scoreboard on 146.

    Labuschagne also peeled off a half-century of his own as he Steve Smith put on 50 for the third wicket, only for England captain Ben Stokes to capture the wicket of the former, caught by Jamie Smith.

    Ominously for England, Steve Smith looks ready to grind it out and he is currently 24 not out off 43 balls and at the crease with Cameron Green who is unbeaten on 22 from 25 as Australia reached tea on 228-3 - a deficit of 106 runs.