England 98 runs from victory at tea, eight wickets in hand

27 Dec 2025, 01:42 · CNA · Join

Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fourth Test - MCG, Melbourne, Australia - December 27, 2025 England celebrates after England's Brydon Carse gets the wicket of Australia's Alex Carey REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fourth Test - MCG, Melbourne, Australia - December 27, 2025 England's Josh Tongue, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse celebrate after taking the final wicket of Australia's 2nd innings REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fourth Test - MCG, Melbourne, Australia - December 27, 2025 Australia's Steve Smith batting REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fourth Test - MCG, Melbourne, Australia - December 27, 2025 England's Ben Stokes prepares to bowl REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

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MELBOURNE, ‌Dec 27 : England were 77 for two in their second innings at tea on day two of the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, needing 98 runs for victory.

* Opener Zak Crawley was 22 not out, with Jacob Bethell on nine.

* Mitchell Starc bowled opener Ben Duckett for 34 ‌off 26 balls, breaking a 51-run partnership with Crawley.

* ‌Brydon Carse, promoted from the tail to number three, managed six before he was caught slogging off Jhye Richardson.

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* Australia were bowled out for 132 in their second innings, losing their last four wickets for 34 runs after resuming on 98 for six after lunch on a glorious ‍afternoon.

* Carse led England's bowling with 4-34, while skipper Ben Stokes took 3-24.

* Fast bowler Gus Atkinson came off injured with a left hamstring strain in a major blow for England's hopes of winning a first test in Australia in 15 years. Atkinson ‌had removed nightwatchman Scott Boland caught behind for six in the sixth over of the morning.

* Carse and Josh Tongue, who took 5-45 in the first innings, grabbed two wickets apiece in the morning session ⁠as Australia collapsed in a ‌4-27 burst.

* Carse captured the key wicket of Travis Head, bowling the opener for 46, before having wicketkeeper Alex Carey caught in the slips for four.

* Tongue had number three Marnus Labuschagne ‍caught in the slips for eight and number five Usman Khawaja caught for ⁠a duck with a miscued pull-shot to fine leg.

* Australia lead the five-test series 3-0 after wins in ‌Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

England 98 runs from victory at tea, eight wickets in hand

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