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To sum up: the good news, for anyone still awake, is that England’s bowlers whistled through Australia this morning, taking six quick wickets. Tongue looked the real deal. The bad news is that England are chasing the highest fourth innings score in Test history and Duckett is already out.
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“The next two hours are going to be disturbing, chilling, and terrifying. They are going to be a Technicolor-vivid documentation of total psychological disintegration, and resultant wild demented slashing. Yes, I am watching The Shining again. HERE’S STARCY!” I’m feeling a lot better now Paul Griffin. Time for me to find the coffee in a foreign kitchen, while England stiffen their sinews over lunch. Back shortly.
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Lunch – England need 430 to win
2nd over: England 5-1 (Crawley 0, Pope 1) I don’t think I can bear to watch Pope – but he escapes the strike immediately with a push into the covers and Crawley sees off the rest of the over and takes England through till lunch -with a bit of time wasting for good measure.
Duckett did briefly – for one ball – look in command as he pinged a Cummins half volley through midwicket for four. But then the needless nibble.
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Updated at 20.55 EST
WICKET! Duckett c Labuschagne b Cummins 4 (England 4-1)
A regulation nibble to second slip with bent knees.
Pat Cummins celebrates taking the wicket of Ben Duckett at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.42 EST
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Starc sprints away from the trees in full green bloom lining one end of the Adelaide Oval – he’s such a wonder in full flight – almost Holdingesque. Crawley ignore the first, nibbles at the fourth and is beaten. A maiden.
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Updated at 20.40 EST
England need 435 to win.
Australia lost 6 for 38 this morning. One might almost say it was careless, if their lead wasn’t already 434.
Still, we can dream, can’t we Gervase Greene?
“Just as all your flint-hearted colleagues are whooping it up at the Graun’s Xmas drinks after-party, smirking at ‘poor old Aldred suffering on the couch as Australia grind out a 600-run lead…’
Turns out you’ve got a potential cliff-hanger on your hands, with the mother of all Baz-chases set to transform this series. That’ll learn ‘em!”
The highest fourth innings run-chase in Test history will be a piquant final chapter to the Bazball story. Though I am beginning to regret that last Baileys for the road. Anyway, the players are already out and Starc has the ball.
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WICKET! Boland c and b Archer (Australia 349 all out and lead England by 434)
Super ball from Archer, nasty, brutish and short. Boland fends into the offside and is caught by a diving Archer in his follow-through.
Jofra Archer dives to catch Scott Boland off his own bowling at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.40 EST
84th over: Australia 349-9 (Starc 7, Boland 1) Excellent work by England’s bowlers this morning, who have rushed (almost) through the Australian card in about an hour and a half. Those two wickets spruce up Carse’s figures no end.
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WICKET! Lyon lbw Carse 0 (Australia 344-9)
Carse on a hat-trick! Lyon is trapped on the crease by a perfect nut. He reviews with one hand and walks off with the other.
Brydon Carse celebrates after taking the wicket of Nathan Lyon at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersShare
Updated at 20.57 EST
WICKET! Cummins c Brook b Carse 6 (Australia 344-8)
Feet in cement, bat wafty, Brook collects.
Brydon Carse celebrates after taking the wicket of Pat Cummins on day four of the third Ashes Test. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 20.09 EST
83rd over: Australia 344-7 (Cummins 6, Starc 3) Archer giving nothing.
Dear Tanya,
You “still think England can pull it off” (your reply to Andrew Benton, earlier)
What on earth have you seen to support such optimism ?
it seems clear that the Aussies are better in every way.”
Hope, Colum Farrelly, that Bazball will throw us a crumb, just once this series.
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82nd over: Australia 340-7 (Cummins 4, Starc 2) Carse returns to take the new ball at the other end. Just a single from it. England have stuck at their task but the lead is an ominous 426.
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Updated at 19.58 EST
81st over: Australia 340-7 (Cummins 4, Starc 2) Archer with the new ball. Starc flicks at the second and England plump for a review for a catch down the leg side. Nowhere near.
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80th over: Australia 335-7 (Cummins 3, Starc 0) Impressive work from Tongue who has plugged away this morning, producing occasional venom from a friendly face.
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Updated at 20.59 EST
WICKET! Inglis c Smith b Tongue 10 (Australia 335-7)
Questions, questions! from Tongue. A fourth wicket as Inglis flurries behind to Jamie Smith.
Josh Tongue celebrates after dismissing Josh Inglis on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.45 EST
78th over: Australia 332-6 (Inglis 8, Cummins 2) Stokes’s 50th Ashes wicket was a snorter, the ball right into Carey’s rib, fended away in mid-air to the waiting Brook. The lead is 417.
“I’m an American from America. New to cricket. Has England been playing cricket for very long, or are they kind of new to this? They don’t seem very good, tbh.” David Slider, i think you’re being mischievous.
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WICKET! Carey c Brooks b Stokes 72 (Australia 329-6)
Stokes gets his man. Carey looks bitterly disappointed after flicking a bouncer to le gslip where Brooks holds on with both hands.
Alex Carey is caught off Ben Stokes for 72 on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.43 EST
78th over: Australia 328-5 (Carey 72, Inglis 6) Brick upon brick.
“Just finished a burning shift in the bar and making noodles,” writes David Kalucy, “you think England is going to bat for a draw?” I think England are rinsed enough that they may be caught between batting for a draw and frolicking towards the highest chase in Test history.
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77th over: Australia 325-5 (Carey 71, Inglis 4) England think they’ve got Inglis – he’s given out lbw on the field – but he reviews and the replay shows an inside edge onto the pad. Predictably snicko doesn’t agree, but the TV pictures are clear enough that it doesn’t matter. Bowler Stokes rocks his head back in disappointment.
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76th over: Australia 320-5 (Carey 69, Inglis 2) Tongue is having a decent showing with the ball and has probably booked his ticket for Melbourne and Sydney. He’s big and tricksy and full of attack.
“Wolfish abandon. I quite like the sound of it,” writes Abhishek Chopra.
“England used to have Sibley who was all elephantish calm.”
Elephantine calm is exactly what England could have done with this series.
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75th over: Australia 317-5 (Carey 68, Inglis 1) Stokes’ fifth over of the morning. Carey with a twinkle toed boundary through point. The sky is gloriously blue by the way.
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WICKET! Head c Crawley b Tongue 170 (Australia 311-5)
Head walks off the turf and down the tunnel, but not before saluting the crowd. The end of a talismanic innings comes after he launches into a hook but doesn’t have quite enough umph, flaying Tongue instead down to Crawley, who does well to hold on after staring into the sun at deep square leg.
74th over: Australia 311-5 (Carey 63) Tongue makes the breakthrough with his first over of the morning.
Travis Head acknowledges the crowd after being dismissed for 170 runs during day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.16 EST
73rd over: Australia 309-4 (Head 165, Carey 61) Stokes is testing, varies his length, throws in a slower ball, but to no avail.
“What kind of total do you think Australia will be looking for to out them safe? 500 or more?” I think 500ish Charles Esche, especially with a bit of inclement weather possible tomorrow morning.
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72nd over: Australia 304-4 (Head 165, Carey 61) But there goes the pressure valve, as Head flays two four off Carse with wolfish abandon. Thirteen from the over, and the lead creeps towards 400.
Travis Head smacks a pair of boundaries off Brydon Carse at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersShare
Updated at 19.17 EST
71st over: Australia 291-4 (Head 154, Carey 60) Just a couple off Stokes’s over, who is once again leading by example. It must be exhausting.
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70th over: Australia 289-4 (Head 153, Carey 59) Head hadn’t looked quite so on it this morning, but now upper cuts with a swagger off Carse to bring a to bring up his 150 off 205 balls.
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Updated at 18.57 EST
69th over: Australia 279-4 (Head 144, Carey 58) Another goodly over from the indefatigable Stokes.
The batter who has faced the most balls in this series is not Travis Head but Ben Stokes: 422 balls, 160 runs, 16 fours v Head: 411 balls, 353 runs, 36 fours and eight sixes. A whole different ball game, says Tim de Lisle, whose sofa I have borrowed for the night.
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Updated at 18.47 EST
68th over: Australia 276-4 (Head 142, Carey 57) Carse’s first ball is short and wide and thumped to the boundary by Carey. A diving stop by Smith saves any further blushes and that’s all Australia can milk from the over.
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Updated at 21.02 EST
Play!
67th over: Australia 272-4 (Head 142, Carey 53) Stokes has the ball. Hair swept back and regal. Running in to the strains of the Barmy Army’s Jerusalem. On the ball. Just one single from it.
Ben Stokes bowls to Alex Carey on day four of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 19.19 EST
“Do you think that England just haven’t got what it takes,” asks Andrew Benton, “or is it that they haven’t got it together? Is there a brilliant, Aussie-whipping, team hiding in there somewhere? Hocus-pocus, batters and bowlers, please focus!”
I still think they could pull it off. And if they’re going to, today would be the day to do it. Some good news for England – a morning’s rain is due tomorrow.
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Updated at 21.03 EST
Pitch watch
The consensus is, it hasn’t deteriorated.
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The highest Test match chase is 418 says Steven Finn, and after that point it becomes an uphill task.
The good news is that Ben Stokes in a maroon vest, his mullet on point, is bowling in the nets.
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Updated at 21.04 EST
A post-mortem email. Too soon, Matthew Lawrenson, too soon.
“If England lose this series, as it looks as though they will, and badly (ditto) – what will happen afterwards? The usual routine is appointing a committee who recommends reorganising County Cricket to benefit the England team. As the current regime has pretty much ignored County Cricket, what do you think they would think of next?”
Surely they can’t reorganise county cricket again. They’ve only just found some kind of settlement after the Strauss report. But maybe they might start paying attention to Championship performances. Or stretch it over a full summer again.
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Should England need inspiration, they need look no further than the Big Bash, where Brisbane Heat have chased down the greatest BBL run chase at the Gabba.
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Just watching Travis Head on the highlights, bristling through his moustache to 142 not out. Carey starts the day unbeaten on 52. Geoff might be enjoying Bazball’s demise below.
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Preamble
Tanya Aldred
Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks.
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball – and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.
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Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks,
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball- and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.
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