The Ashes Recap: Follow the action from Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and England
Scott Boland has lit up the G once again to smash through the England before opening the batting in the second innings. Stay across the latest action from the MCG here!
Cricket: Australia are eyeing an Ashes whitewash - and the bulk of the bumper crowd on hand at the MCG is hoping to watch it happen.
The Aussies may have wrapped up the series inside just 11 days, but they’re keen to put the foot on the throat even in the absence of star bowling duo Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Can they continue to roll, or will BazBalling England finally provide some stern resistance?
Follow the latest below, with play set to start at 10.30am EDT (7.30am WA time).
Key events
26 Dec 2025 - 03:24 PM
Analysis
26 Dec 2025 - 03:12 PM
STUMPS AUSTRALIA 0-4 lead by 46 runs
26 Dec 2025 - 02:59 PM
SCOTT BOLAND IS GOING TO OPEN AT THE G!
26 Dec 2025 - 02:49 PM
ENGLAND ALL OUT 110
26 Dec 2025 - 02:22 PM
CARSE HOLES OUT!
26 Dec 2025 - 02:09 PM
NESER REMOVES STOKES
26 Dec 2025 - 02:02 PM
BOLAND’S ON FIRE AT THE G
26 Dec 2025 - 01:50 PM
BOWLED HIM! Smith’s gone
26 Dec 2025 - 01:41 PM
BOLAND GETS BROOK
26 Dec 2025 - 12:57 PM
ROOT’S GONE! England in tatters!
26 Dec 2025 - 12:38 PM
WICKET Crawley ct Smith b Starc
26 Dec 2025 - 12:35 PM
WICKET Bethell LBW Neser 1
26 Dec 2025 - 12:28 PM
WICKET Duckett ct Neser b Starc 2
26 Dec 2025 - 11:57 AM
INNINGS BREAK - AUS ALL OUT 152
26 Dec 2025 - 11:54 AM
TONGUE HAS FIVE AUSTRALIA ALL OUT 152
26 Dec 2025 - 11:51 AM
BOWLED HIM NESER GOES!
26 Dec 2025 - 11:48 AM
Starc goes Australia eight down!
26 Dec 2025 - 11:35 AM
GREEN’S RUN HIMSELF OUT
26 Dec 2025 - 10:42 AM
CAREY GOES, STOKES STRIKES
26 Dec 2025 - 10:30 AM
Jaffa gets Khawaja
26 Dec 2025 - 09:34 AM
LUNCH - AUSTRALIA 4-72
26 Dec 2025 - 09:06 AM
BOWLED HIM SMITH FALLS!
26 Dec 2025 - 08:28 AM
Tongue gets Marnus again
26 Dec 2025 - 08:17 AM
WEATHERALD FALLS!
26 Dec 2025 - 07:59 AM
BOWLED HIM! Head b Atkinson 12
26 Dec 2025 - 07:05 AM
Richardson is back
26th Over: ENG 9-106
Boland nearly takes a screamer caught and bowled but it comes off his hand.
Tongue survives a maiden.
England pass 100
Atkinson is hogging the strike and he slaps Neser baseball style down the ground for four.
Defecit down to 50 runs.
Hammered! Repaers the stroke but gets it over cover this time for for more.
25th Over: ENG 9-97
SIX! Short ball and Atkinson gets it high and fine over the rope.
Misses the rest.
CARSE HOLES OUT!
There are three men deep on the legside but Brydon Carse still takes on the short ball.
It comes off the edge and floats high towards Scott Boland who does well to keep track of it and take a smart catch.
23rd Over: ENG 8-90
Full Twenty20 mode as Carse advances but misses with the big heave down the ground.
Atkinson is down the wicket, flicking one off the hip.
Seven’s Alison Mitchell calls this innings a new low for England.
“This whole innings is a serious low point for England. Not an easy time for them between going three- nil down and coming here with all the stories that came out in between. Reviews, ECB looking into levels of drinking in Noosa.”
Greg Blewett calls it a crazy day of cricket. Hard to argue.
” And on the flip side of that, when England did all their good work with the ball, the opening bowlers were thinking they wouldn’t have to bowl again. It has been a crazy day of cricket and there’s still a lot left.”
22nd Over: ENG 8-88
Carse joins Atkinson at the crease.
He’s wrapped on the hand by one that spits sharply as he whinces through for a single.
NESER REMOVES STOKES
EDGED AND GONE.
First ball in a new spell and Stokes goes for a late cut and just drives it straight to Steve Smith at second slip.
Another one down!
21st Over: ENG 7-83
Gus Atkinson in. Has a Test match 100 to his name.
Gets four with a whip off the pads and then opens the face to get two to third-man.
BOLAND’S ON FIRE AT THE G
Will Jacks is cut in half, and it takes the inside edge on the way through to Carey.
Boland has taken three for spit in four overs to open up England again!
20th Over: ENG 6-77
Richardson gets too straight, and some hard running gets Will Jacks three through backward square.
Loose! Stokes just jabs at one half-heartedly and is lucky not to edge.
Steps down and works a single wide of point.
LBW shout, but an inside edge saves Jacks, it’s also a no-ball.
Jacks pops one up awkwardly to the gap at midwicket.
