Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Summary

  • Australia close day three on 45-1, leading by 282

  • England slump from 150-2 to 236 all out

  • Australia opt not to enforce follow-on

  • Malan (80) & Root (62) play well but their wickets lead to yet another collapse

  • Daily highlights programme on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iPlayer from 18:00 GMT

  • Listen to Test Match Special commentary by clicking the play icon

  1. Goodbyepublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Well, another day's play comes to an end and England once again have a huge mountain to climb when they come back tomorrow.

    For now, you can read Matthew Henry's match report of today's play here.

    There are plenty of video clips for you to watch on the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sport app and website and you can catch the full TV highlights on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iPlayer at 18:00 GMT.

    We'll be back again tomorrow as play starts at its normal time of 4:00. See you then!

  2. Postpublished at 11:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021


    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú cricket correspondent on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    If England were to save this game it will take a pretty special effort. Two people will have to bat a long time. Second time, there are a number who will have to get their heads down or will be out of the team.

  3. Postpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    England batter Dawid Malan to TMS: "It was disappointing. To have fought our way back, it was frustrating to get another 100 runs and leave the door open for them.

    "Compared to what we're used to in England, the pitch is a lot better to bat on.

    "Australia will still get two cracks at us under the lights. If I was them, I would have done the same.

    "Lyon gets more bounce that any other off-spinner I've faced. It's hard to drive him. He nags away all day.

    "If we knew why the collapses happened, we would stop them. Hopefully we can put in some performances as a team."

  4. Postpublished at 11:56 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    England will have to bat for 120 overs, facing two new pink balls under lights to get a draw out of this.

  5. Postpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc: "I’ve always thought the pink ball behaves more like a white ball than a red – I’m not sure that means anything with my bowling. I’ve just had a knack of taking wickets with it, I’ve not changed my gameplan, my role is still the same, though it’s been a bit different this week with no Pat and Josh.

    "Nathan Lyon was fantastic, he’s been world class for a long time. He was fantastic, especially in that second session. For us quicks to bowl in partnership with him and knowing he was going to do a fantastic job was key in how well we went in that second session. Nath is a big part of our bowling attack and we saw even with Joe in the first innings and again tonight there’s a bit of purchase there for the spinner and Nathan took full advantage of that."

  6. Postpublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Simon Mann
    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    How much different would this series be if England had a spinner of Nathan Lyon's quality in their team?

  7. Postpublished at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021


    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú cricket correspondent on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    Take out Starc and Lyon, this was a second-string Australia attack. The figures endorse that. It adds to the feeling of England wasting an opportunity.

  8. Postpublished at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Australia spinner Nathan Lyon to ABC: "It was an outstanding day. We're pretty happy.

    "England played me pretty well in the first session, but we went back to basics.

    "There were two world-class players which batted well, which they are allowed to do. We were leaking both ends, but as soon as we controlled one end, you create opportunities.

    "We're not rocket scientists, but if we do the basics, we'll create opportunities."

  9. Postpublished at 11:46 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Ben Stokes was in a pretty hopeless position. He battled hard early in his innings, and Chris Woakes offered him some solid support.

    But once Woakes departed, he had to try and free his arms and make something happen. His 34 was entertaining, but there wasn't much else he could do other than swing hard.

  10. Postpublished at 11:43 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021


    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú cricket correspondent on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    England will be thoroughly dejected. That was a really disappointing two-thirds of a day.

    Media caption,

    The Ashes: Jos Buttler caught for nought by David Warner off Mitchell Starc's delivery

  11. Postpublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    You don't want to turn it into batters v bowlers, because that is detrimental. From a bowlers' perspective, England's batters were shown how to play by Australia. I was surprised Australia didn't enforce the follow-on, but they are playing the long game with England.

  12. Postpublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

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  13. Postpublished at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021


    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú cricket correspondent on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    Pope had a great opportunity. The stage was set for him. He looked nervous and frenetic.

  14. Postpublished at 11:38 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Joe Root and Dawid Malan should have made the most of being 'set' and kicked on. That is certainly true.

    But the real issues lie with England's openers continually failing to lay them a platform, and the middle order unable to back Root and Malan up.

  15. Postpublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021


    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú cricket correspondent on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special

    That is the most disappointing day of the series, by a comfortable margin. To collapse as they did, after the way the first session went, made the next two so disappointing.

  16. Postpublished at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Australia are in complete and utter control. They lead by 282 runs with two days' play remaining.

    A reminder that England were 140-2 before an inevitable batting collapse followed.

    We'll bring you some analysis shortly and I suppose we should probably take a look back on what happened.

  17. Close of play - Aus 45-1published at 17 overs

    Lead by 282

    Joe Root bowls the final over. He is definitely getting some turn and bounce, looking like England's most threatening bowler so far. Which says a lot.

    And that ends a miserable day for England.

  18. How's stat?!published at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Andy Zaltzman
    Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Test Match Special statistician

    This is the fifth time in six Ashes Tests in Australia that Australia have taken a first-innings lead in excess of 200.

  19. ouch!

    Aus 45-1published at 16 overs

    Robinson gets some awkward bounce that clips Michael Neser on the elbow and they scramble a two as it dribbles past Jos Buttler.

    Nasty. He recovers enough to punch through the covers to add two more to Australia's ever-growing lead.

  20. Postpublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Just the one over for Joe Root, which got England a run out.

    Ollie Robinson replaces him.