Test

Australia has swept to an 82-run win in the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval to retain the urn with two matches to spare and leave England facing recriminations over another failed campaign.

Chasing a world record 435 runs to win on Sunday, England battled doggedly on day five but folded for 352 with left-armed quick Mitchell Starc taking three wickets and Scott Boland the last dismissal of Josh Tongue before tea.

“Three-nil is hugely satisfying for many reasons but particularly with how the chat before the series was how equally poised it was going to be,” Australia captain Pat Cummins, who took ⁠six wickets on his return from a back injury, told reporters

“This group’s amazing at just cracking on.”

Much of the talk in the build-up to the Ashes had been the age ​profile of the Australia squad, but Starc said the veterans had proved their worth.

“We do laugh at some of the comments that get back to us about how old we are,” the 35-year-old said.

“I’m sure experience plays a part going through your highs and lows. … That plays a big part in all of this.”

After eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, England have now lost the Ashes in three matches for the fourth consecutive tour while losing 16 of their last 18 Tests in the country.

Although two Tests remain, the latest surrender may top the previous tours for sheer disappointment.

There were expectations of a genuine contest, fighting words from England captain Ben Stokes and hope that “Bazball” might win the urn in Australia for the first time since 2010-2011.

All that was swept aside in Adelaide, where England ditched their trademark aggression, reverted to more traditional Test batting and were still beaten convincingly.

“We obviously came here with a goal in mind, and we haven’t been able to achieve it. It hurts, and it sucks,” England skipper Stokes said.

“They’ve been able to outdo us on a much higher level. … I thought we did incredibly well to take us where we did in this fourth innings.

“We couldn’t do what we came here to do, but there was some good stuff to come out of this game.”

The king of Adelaide

On day five while still needing 228 runs to win, England’s hopes were pinned on all-rounder Will Jacks and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith after they resumed on 207 for six.

Jacks turned his ankle when pushing off his crease for a run but battled on for 40 minutes until rain halted play.

England fans cheered, but it was just a passing squall, the ground soon bathed in sunshine.

The Surrey duo brought up a fifty-run partnership with the old ball and were soon spared spinner Nathan Lyon, who came off with a hamstring injury after cutting off a four in the field.

When the second new ball came, Smith attacked with gusto, smashing both Cummins and Starc for back-to-back fours.

But with the deficit trimmed to 150 runs, he threw the bat at a Starc delivery for a third time in succession and was caught for 60 by a ‌back-pedalling Cummins at mid-on.

Jacks played a steadier hand with tailender Carse, who finished 39 not out and hung ⁠tough with the all-rounder for 52 runs.

Home fans shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the pair reduced the deficit to under 100 runs, but Starc returned and Marnus Labuschagne flew in the slips to snuff out the danger.

Jacks, on 47, drove at a Starc ball that moved away off the seam, and Labuschagne dived to his left for another terrific one-handed catch, having removed Ollie Pope with a screamer in the slips on day ‌four.

Jofra Archer then tried to slog Starc but sent the ball down the throat of Jake Weatherald at deep point to leave England one wicket from defeat before Boland had Tongue sending another slips catch to Labuschagne.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey was named Man of the Match for a first-innings 106 and 72 in the second while Travis Head set up ‍the victory with 170 in the third innings, his fourth consecutive Test ton at Adelaide Oval.

“If he wasn’t before, he’s the king of Adelaide,” Starc said of Head, who also scored a match-winning 123 in Perth.

“He’s not going to have to pay for another beer [here]. I don’t know how he does it, but jeez, it’s bloody good to ‌watch.”

England coach Brendon McCullum says his side haven’t lived up to “high hopes and expectations” after failing to regain The Ashes, but that fans can expect his side to “show what we’re capable of achieving” in the final two Test matches in the series against Australia.

MATCH REPORT: England beaten to lose another Ashes in Australia

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Australia spinner Nathan Lyon will play no further part on the final day of the third Ashes Test and is a doubt for the remainder of the series because of a hamstring injury.

Lyon, 38, who became Australia’s second highest Test wicket-taker during the Adelaide Test, was injured diving in the field on the morning of the fifth day.

He clutched his right hamstring and left the field immediately.

Lyon took three wickets on the fourth afternoon to put Australia on the brink of a victory that will confirm a series win.

He went wicketless before his injury on day five, however, as England showed admirable fight.

There are just five days before the fourth Test begins in Melbourne on 26 December (23:30 GMT, 25 December), leaving Lyon with little time to recover. The final Test in Sydney follows five days after the fourth has finished.

Lyon, one of the greatest spinners of all time, suffered a calf injury during the second Test of the 2023 Ashes, which was a significant factor in England recovering to draw the series 2-2.

He bowled only two overs in the first Test of this series and then said he felt “filthy” after being left out of the second in Brisbane.

Marnus Labuschagne reacts sharply to take a brilliant diving catch at second slip to dismiss Ollie Pope for 17, as England fall to 31-2 on day four of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day four

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In front of his home crowd, Travis Head finishes unbeaten on 142 at the close on day three to help put Australia firmly in control of the third Test against England in Adelaide.

READ MORE: Head century drives England closer to Ashes defeat

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Harry Brook drops a tough chance to remove Travis Head, with the Australian opener on 99 with the home side on 202-4 and a lead of 287 on day three of the third Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day three

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Mitchell Starc bowls a “furious” Ben Stokes for 83, as his partnership with Jofra Archer is finally broken on 106 to leave England on 274-9 on day three of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day three

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England’s Brydon Carse dismisses Jake Weatherald lbw for one, but replays show the decision should have been overturned as Australia are made to regret their decision not to review, leaving the home side on 8-1, with a lead of 93, on day three of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day three

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Pat Cummins takes his second wicket of the innings as Joe Root is caught behind for 19 as England fall to 71-4 in their first innings, 300 runs behind Australia’s 371, as the home side take control on day two of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day two

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Joe Root avoids being given out for one after review shows an edge behind drops just short of Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, with England 42-3, still 329 runs behind Australia’s first innings score of 371 on day two of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day two

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England will hold discussions with cricket’s governing body with the aim of improving decision-making technology following a controversial error on the opening day of the third Ashes Test.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey survived a review for caught behind at the Adelaide Oval, only to later admit he edged the delivery bowled by England’s Josh Tongue.

Carey was given not out because the Snicko technology showed a discrepancy between the sound and pictures of the edge.

BBG, the company that provides Snicko, has admitted responsibility for the error.

At the close of play on day one, England head coach Brendon McCullum and team manager Wayne Bentley met with match referee Jeff Crowe.

Crowe confirmed the matter would be reviewed and England had a review reinstated for Australia’s first innings.

The England and Wales Cricket Board will also hold talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in an attempt to review and raise standards of the decision review system (DRS).

It is an ICC requirement for DRS to be in operation in all fixtures in the World Test Championship.

However, the ICC does not specify which technology providers should be used. In this instance, the Snicko system used in Australia is different from the Ultraedge employed for Tests in the UK.

Will Jacks gets his first Ashes wicket as he removes Usman Khawaja for 82, with the batter caught by Josh Tongue in the deep, leaving Australia 185-5 on day one of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day one

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England’s Jofra Archer gets two wickets in three balls, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green, in the first over after lunch as Australia fall to 94-4 on day one of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day one

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England face a series-defining third Ashes Test in Australia, knowing defeat will see their hosts retain the famous urn, but also have the chance of whitewashing their old enemy.

The match begins in Adelaide on Tuesday, where an unassailable 3-0 lead is in sight for the Aussies.

Australia won the first Test inside two days in Perth as Travis Head’s century made short work of his side’s target, while the Aussies needed only four days in Brisbane to secure the second match of the series.