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
24th Over: AUS 4-70
Tongue continues, where about six minutes away from lunch.
Overpitched and Khawaja pushes two past mid-on.
FOUR! Too full, and Khawaja puts more power on it this time to go straight down the ground.
23rd Over: AUS 4-64
Atkinson replaces Carse.
Leading edge beats a diving backward point and goes for three.
Carey is beaten defending outside off.
Leaves the rest.
22nd Over: AUS 4-61
Full and Carey drives two down the ground.
Overpitched and Carey goes through the covers for two more.
21st Over: AUS 4-57
Short, wide and Carey cuts three forward of the point from Carse.
Short and Khawaja nearly pulls straight to midwicket as it holds up in the wicket
20th Over: AUS 4-54
Alex Carey to the crease has arguably been Australia’s best batsman.
Gets off the mark with a single fine as Khawaja flicks two square.
These two now have a mouantain of work to do.
BOWLED HIM SMITH FALLS!
Tongue has Smith again!
Third time he’s got him in Test cricket.
Smith goes to drive and it decks through the gate to knock over the top of off stump!
All out 98 on the cards?! Tongue is on fire at the G.
18th Over: AUS 3-51
Khawaja misses out on the full toss, flicking it straight to the fielder.
Gets a hold of the next one with two squares to bring up 50 for Australia.
Beaten next ball as Khawaja hangs the bat out.
Too straight, and there’s another single off the pads.
17th Over: AUS 3-48
Khawaja jumps across to flick a single fine off Carse
FOUR! Short and Smith pulls through vacant square leg.
Rain in the air
Our man Jackson Barrett has informed that it’s started to drizzle at the ground but there’s no movement from the groundsmen yet.
Smith plays out a maiden to Tongue.
14th Over: AUS 3-43
Carse back on after an expensive opening spell.
Too full, and Khawaja drives two through the covers.
On the hip, and he gets one into the legside.
