Ashes 2025 live score: Stokes strikes as England bid to fight back against Australia on day three

Alex Carey gets himself in a mess having been surprised by a short ball first up from Jofra Archer. Away off the top of the bat it loops but well short of the two slips and Zak Crawley in the gully. Very similar to his first ball last night, which Ben Duckett failed to grasp.

Much like Atkinson, Archer finds a little bit of away movement from the tall left-hander Starc. He errs in line, though, allowing Starc a clip off the hips that adds four to his tally. The lead is 78.

Ben Duckett has been moved out of the gully after shelling those two chances yesterday evening. No lavish movement on offer for Gus Atkinson, although he does manage to find appreciable nip to beat a timid Mitchell Starc push to close a tight over.

Jofra Archer, as anticipated, is brought on at the other end.

Four from Ben Stokes’s latest set of six – and the new ball is due.

Gus Atkinson will have first use of it.

Short and wide from Brydon Carse and clapped through the covers by Mitchell Starc – a poor ball dealt with effectively, and it’s a no-ball, too. And again! Flayed this time over the top, but four more to extend Australia’s lead and bring up the 400.

The field spreads with Carse much too short this morning, and now given a bit more licence to go to the bouncer if he desires. He does not – that might be his last for a little bit.

A good ball from Ben Stokes, that, angle in from around the wicket and then standing up off the steam to beat the outside edge of Mitchell Starc’s bat. The new ball is just a couple of overs away but Starc may not much mind a bit of purchase out of the pitch.

Mitchell Starc is the new man, a useful No 9 in any circumstance. Brydon Carse drops short to Alex Carey, who niftily lifts the ball over the slip cordon with an angled bat for four.

A quick single gets Starc off the mark and draws a wild throw from Ben Stokes. Fine leg backs it up. Stokes is called into action soon after as Starc crunches a drive to his left, with the England skipper safely behind it. The lead is 56.

England strike! A bit of lift in the channel from Ben Stokes, a fairly loose, hard-handed drive from Michael Neser and a safe snag from Jamie Smith behind the stumps. A partnership of 54 is broken.

And there is Alex Carey’s half-century – a fine hand from the wicketkeeper-batter, made typically breezily from just 52 balls to lift Australia into a lead that now numbers 49.

Brydon Carse shares starter duties, with Carey tucking a single into the leg side. A short ball makes sure that Michael Neser is fully alert, with a calm bob beneath it suggesting he very much is. A flick to deep backward square leg gets him going for the day.

Carey pinches the strike as a cut takes him to 49.

The first run of the day is nudged just backward of point by Alex Carey, with Michael Neser through quickly for a sharp single to wake up the legs.

Four solid blocks from Neser see out the first over of the day.