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  1. Postpublished at 04:40 GMT 7 December 2025

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    It is about earning the right. You cannot keep thinking attack, attack, attack.

    When I bowled, I could bowl some good spells and create pressure. Sometimes you have to absorb that.

    You can't just hit your way out of it. England have shown some application from these two.

  2. Eng 155-6published at 43 overs

    Trail by 22 runs

    Brendan Doggett starts his spell with three dots.

    Then, Ben Stokes gets down on one knee and places one through the covers for four. Lovely shot.

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    Get Involvedpublished at 04:37 GMT 7 December 2025

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    Michael Neser of Australia bowlsImage source, Getty Images

    I may sound like Sir Geoffrey Boycott, but everything you see of the England team says arrogance and stupidity. By historical standards, this is a poor [Australia] team.Sadly England are worse. If England score 300 today nothing changes.

    Robin, Cambridge

  4. Postpublished at 04:35 GMT 7 December 2025

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Our tailenders, let's not just slot it down their throats...

  5. Eng 151-6published at 42 overs

    Trail by 26 runs

    Michael Neser is getting it to nip about! Two near misses for Ben Stokes - playing and missing at one and seeing another fly close to an edge.

    150 up for England.

  6. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 04:31 GMT 7 December 2025

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    Will Jacks of England drives the ballImage source, Getty Images

    Cannot understand why England didn’t use a nightwatchman at any point yesterday. Sent Jamie Smith out with 25 minutes left and Jacks out with about 10 mins to the close. With how flat the pitch looked yesterday (pre-twilight) imagine the benefit of having even one more recognised bat to come.

    Sam, St. Lucia

  7. How's stat?!published at 04:31 GMT 7 December 2025

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    Mitchell Starc has already got 18 wickets in the series.

    If he can takes two of the last four wickets, he will be the second player in Ashes history to have two 10-wicket hauls in the first two games of the series.

  8. Eng 149-6published at 41 overs

    Trail by 28 runs

    The first crowd "oooh" of the day as Mitchell Starc just misses Ben Stokes' outside edge. Starc is looking very serious as he walks back to his mark.

    Three singles.

    In comes Michael Neser.

  9. Postpublished at 04:27 GMT 7 December 2025

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Stokes and JacksImage source, PA Media

    You feel with this partnership they have to play with great sense. Australia will know if they get one, they will probably go up in the gears. Ben Stokes and Will Jacks will try take it deep.

  10. Eng 146-6published at 40 overs

    Trail by 31 runs

    Ben Stokes plays out five dot balls.

    Alex Carey comes up to the stumps and goes through a few stumping motions.

    Four byes down leg. That probably wasn't in the plan.

  11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 04:22 GMT 7 December 2025

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    Up at 3.45am. I'm praying for a Christmas miracle from Ben Stokes. However, I suspect I'll be going back to bed in less than two hours.

    Nick, Birmingham

  12. Eng 142-6published at 39 overs

    Trail by 35 runs

    Well, it's been a quiet opening 20 minutes or so on day four.

    England have added eight to their tally - one boundary and four singles. There hasn't been any threat of a wicket. Australia haven't appealed for a thing.

    At the change of ends, Will Jacks is having his hand bandaged. He was struck by a short delivery in Scott Boland's previous over.

  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 04:16 GMT 7 December 2025

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    At least if they are golfing they will score double figures...

    James, Cleethorpes

  14. Postpublished at 04:16 GMT 7 December 2025

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I always thought here in Australia we get enough talking points with the cricket out in the middle - that always happens.

    I think this England side give us far too much with the answers they're giving the press.

    Look at Marcus [Trescothick] last night.

  15. Eng 140-6published at 38 overs

    Trail by 37 runs

    Ben Stokes is looking remarkably calm at the non-striker's end. One leg crossed over the other, leaning on his bat as Scott Boland prepares to send down his 12th over of the innings.

    Alex Carey stands up to the stumps.

    Will Jacks wears a short delivery on his gloves but later turns the final ball of the over into the leg side to retain the strike.

  16. Postpublished at 04:12 GMT 7 December 2025

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    If they're competing and working hard and really giving it everything out there, and they have got this gap, then do what you like, but it hasn't been like that.

    What they have produced on the cricket field has not been good enough. They have failed thus far, and they're packing up their stuff and going on a golfing trip to Noosa.

    That is going to look awful.

  17. Postpublished at 04:10 GMT 7 December 2025

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    They're [England management] asking them to play this style of cricket and as long as you play the style of cricket that they're asking for, they seem to be OK with the outcome.

    I respect leadership groups that do it their way, but you're going to get judged on it. At the minute, they're getting it wrong.

    As we speak, they look like they're going to go 2-0 down.

  18. Eng 139-6published at 37 overs

    Trail by 38 runs

    Ben Stokes clips the penultimate delivery of the over through mid-wicket for four. Nicely timed.

  19. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 04:08 GMT 7 December 2025

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    England winning this Test match is more difficult than Headingley in 1981. In this match we do not have the bowlers to get the wickets as we had back then.

    Simon, Torquay

  20. How's stat?!published at 04:07 GMT 7 December 2025

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    England will have all their hopes pinned on a Ben Stokes special today. Across all Ashes Tests in his career, Stokes has consistently averaged better in the second innings compared to the first innings.

    All of Stokes' four hundreds in Ashes Tests have come in England's second innings.

    Ben Stokes in Ashes Tests

    • First innings - 667 runs at 25.7 average (zero hundreds, six fifties)
    • Second innings - 927 runs at 46.4 average (four hundreds, two fifties)