Key events
Ali Martin
It was hard to know whether it was a message to Australia or his own bowlers. Ben Stokes signed off from a frustrating second evening in Sydney by swapping words out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Seemingly reacting to something said by Labuschagne as the hosts made a rapid reply to England’s 384, Stokes was heard saying “shut the fuck up” at the end of the over he had just bowled. He then walked over and put an arm around his opponent’s shoulder to continue the exchange.
As the umpires, Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney, moved in, Stokes walked away after giving Labuschagne a squeeze. As per the ICC code of conduct, the England captain could be reprimanded under clause 2.12 regarding “inappropriate physical contact”.
Geoff Lemon
When Shane Warne called his biography No Spin, it wasn’t a recommendation. Speaking for the dead is unacceptably presumptuous, but his record in life was loud and clear in backing his guild. Teams should always give themselves the option of spin bowling was his common contention.
Nor is allegiance of style the only factor. His old teammate Jason Gillespie, as pure a paceman as they come, had the same view watching the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. “You need that variety,” he said on radio, shaking his head.
Australia didn’t have it. Instead, they had an innings of 97.3 overs with three specialist fast bowlers, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and a sprinkle of part-time guff. They had an England innings that was allowed to pull away, with partnerships of 169, then 94, then 52, while Joe Root went on to his highest score in Australia of 160 and England their highest score of the series, 384.
It would have been helpful to turn to specialist spin when Root and Harry Brook were coasting on the first day. It would have been helpful to save Mitchell Starc from bowling a fourth spell. Or when Scott Boland was called back for the 71st and 73rd overs before taking the new ball in the 81st. Or when Beau Webster bowled a desultory over of off-spin, a garnish atop his few offerings of spongy medium pace. Those five overs were the total contribution asked of a man picked in a specialist bowling spot at No 8.
Preamble
Rob Smyth
Hello and welcome to live coverage of day three at the SCG. There’s a big first session comi- ah, I can’t be bothered. Sure, the first session will shape the rest of this match, and may tell us whether Travis Head is going to make a third matchwinning century of the series, but it’s impossible to escape the end-of-term feeling that has pervaded this Test so far.
We’re used to anticlimactic final Tests in an Ashes series, particularly when England play in Australia. This feels flatter than the rest, mainly there was such expectation ahead of the series. Two dead rubbers? It’s not what we thought, and it’s not what we pictured, when we were imagining the 2025-26 Ashes.
There isn’t even the jeopardy of a potential whitewash; the series will end either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. Right here, right now, 4-1 looks more likely. A poor bowling performance from England allowed Australia to charge to 166 for two, a deficit of 218, in only 34.1 runs. Travis Head is 91 not out from 87 balls; the nightwatchman Michael Neser has 1 from 15.
Neser was struck nastily on the elbow just before the close, a reminder that this pitch – though largely good for batting – is on the capricious side. If England, particularly Matthew Potts, find their length this morning they can force their way back into the game.
In the context of the match, this is a big first session. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.
