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by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

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

    What can Harry Brook do here? He likes playing his shots and showing what he can do but he needs to look solid in defence.

    A good battle ahead.

  2. Eng 127-3

    Jacob Bethell and new batter Harry Brook exchange singles.

  3. Get Involved

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

    Re 03:22. Jacob is a bold choice for a girl. Maybe 'Beth' would have more chance of getting Jess' approval?

    George in Perth, Australia

    Ah, erm... of course, I meant Jacob as in the nickname for Jacobine.

    (I didn't, I'm scrambling, reading clearly isn't my strong suit on night shift number four).

  4. Eng 125-3

    Cameron Green returns to the attack - how he'd love to pick up a wicket after dropping Ben Duckett in the first session.

    Jacob Bethell punches him into the off-side for four.

    Two balls later, a bouncer swings wildly in the air and completely wrong-foots wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Four byes.

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

    Joe Root of EnglandGetty Images

    Joe Root will feel hard done by. He did not refer it straight away and probably thought it was pretty close.

  6. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Joe Root's series is over. A studious defence.

    Some feast and famine over his series but he ends on a low score.

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Root lbw b Boland 6 (Eng 117-3)

    Red... red... umpire's call - clipping the leg bail!

    Joe Root departs for 6 (37) and Scott Boland has a deserved wicket.

    A huge 40 minutes before tea beckons.

  8. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    England's Jacob Bethell (L) talks with teammate Joe RootGetty Images

    That was one of those that must be close. Joe Root wants a review - it did nip a bit.

  9. England review

    Who else but Scott Boland??? Joe Root has been given out lbw!

    But after a brief consultation with Jacob Bethell, he sends it upstairs.

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

    The wind is coming from different directions today. It tends to be a little bit warmer coming from the west.

    It feels about 30 degrees or more out there.

  11. Eng 117-2

    Mitchell Starc finds the time for a mid-over giggle with umpire Ahsan Raza.

    He's targeting Jacob Bethell with a bit of short stuff - Starc, not umpire Raza. Bethell pulls and misses at one, prompting brief interest in a caught behind, but safely defends or sways away from the rest.

    Maiden.

  12. Get Involved

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

    Sitting here listening with my one-day old daughter, thank you England for giving me a good few sessions. Her delivery was a little unorthodox, was packing the car ready for hospital when my partner Jess couldn't wait any longer and gave birth in our bathroom and I had to catch the baby! Great set of mitts I must say - get me in that cordon! Thanks for calling a difficult series, you made it palatable. P.s - name is still pending hoping for some second-innings centurions to offer up as suggestions to my partner.

    Anon

    Congratulations to Jess, but you forgot to add your own name!

    Jacob must be surging into contention?

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

    Jacob Bethell of EnglandGetty Images

    Jacob Bethell has done well since he has come in. People were saying they haven't seen much of him this series but he is looking good here.

    Scott Boland is building pressure, however, challenging the batters every ball.

  14. Eng 117-2

    I suspect it won't be long before Scott Boland has a wicket next to his name.

    He beats Jacob Bethell's edge with another nipping beauty and then floors Joe Root with one that kicks up and is inside-edged into the batter's body.

    0-13 from 10 overs for Boland.

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

    There is still something in this pitch for the bowlers. There is a little bit of seam movement and it is carrying through nicely.

    But both Jacob Bethell and Joe Root are going well.

  16. Get Involved

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

    What is it with cricket that we don’t have injury substitutions? Ben Stokes clearly has an injury, and yet is slated to likely bat (albeit down the order?) Surely the sport has a duty of care to the players, particularly not to make their injury worse? And whoever employs them (under central contracts?) certainly has a health and safety employment obligation?! We have seen this too much în recent times. Surely we don’t have to wait for a career to be prematurely ended in such circumstances to sue to bring cricket in line with other sports?

    Julius, Weybridge

  17. Drinks - Eng 116-2

    Bethell 55 (89), Root 6 (29)

    Seven runs off the final over before drinks, including a single for Joe Root to take him to 400 runs for the series.

    England trail by 67 runs with eight wickets in hand - it would take a monumental collapse from here for Australia to not have to bat again.

  18. 50 runs

    50 for Jacob Bethell

    Eng 113-2

    Jacob Bethell punishes a short delivery from Mitchell Starc to the point boundary to bring up his maiden Ashes half-century off 87 balls.

    Surely he'll be in possession of the number three berth come June's series against New Zealand? He's done enough to justify a run in the side (although a big first innings contribution wouldn't go amiss).

  19. Eng 109-2

    Jacob Bethell adds three to his tally to move onto 49. He was waving to the dressing room midway through the over and is now making some repairs to the toe of his bat.

    He'll be on strike to Mitchell Starc for the 29th over.

  20. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Ben Duckett made 42, his best score in this Ashes, but a disappointing end overall with no fifty-plus score across the five matches.

    It's the fifth instance an English opener hasn't crossed the 50-run mark after playing at least five matches in an Ashes series.

    Instances of an England opener with zero fifty-plus scores in an Ashes series (min. five Tests played):

    • Archie MacLaren in 1902 (134 runs at 26.8 average, Best - 47*)
    • Cyril Washbrook in 1950-51 (173 runs at 17.3 average, Best - 34)
    • John Edrich in 1972 (218 runs at 21.8 average, Best - 49)
    • Adam Lyth in 2015 (115 runs at 12.8 average, Best - 37)
    • Ben Duckett in 2025-26 (202 runs at 20.2 average, Best - 42)