Ashes 2025: Nathan Lyon’s massive wickets end England hopes of record run chase in third Test at Adelaide Oval

Thank you for joining us for yet another enthralling day of Ashes cricket.

Australia well and truly on the cusp of victory.

We will see you tomorrow for the fifth and final day of the Adelaide Test.

Wow, what a series Alex Carey is having.

What a player he has become.

Elevated up the batting order, his half century this morning made him the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a 50 and a 100 in the same match.

He then backed it up with another sublime wicketkeeping performance, standing up to the stumps to Scott Boland and completing a sharp stumping late in the day.

Speaking to Fox Cricket, he’s saying the game, and the series, isn’t quite won yet.

“We’ll reflect on today and come up with plans for tomorrow,” Carey says.

“We know these guys are quality players right to the end and we want to keep on working hard right to the end.”

And when pressed on his stellar contributions, the wicketkeeper is typically modest.

“I always want to contribute to helping this team win games of cricket…so far so good but like I said, I don’t look so far ahead,” Carey says.

“I’ll probably reflect and jump in the pool tonight and get home to the kids and come back tomorrow and really look forward to it.”

To be fair, jumping, or falling, into the pool has served Carey well in the past…

England fought hard today.

They played about as well as they could’ve hoped for.

But, the tourists begun day four so far behind the eight ball, it just wasn’t enough.

They end the day with just four wickets in hand and still 228 runs away from what would be a record run chase, after beginning the final session just two down and with a glimmer of hope.

All of Australia’s bowlers contributed in that final session.

Pat Cummins continued his triumphant return to the Test match arena, prising the all important wicket of Joe Root, but it was Nathan Lyon who produced the real magic.

As shadowed lengthened and as the pitch began to deceive the English batters, Lyon delivered the ball that, barring something truly remarkable, won the Ashes for Australia.

Ben Stokes was hardly into his innings when he was beaten all ends up by one that drifted in, pitched in the rough, and turned just enough to fly past his futile forward defence and kiss the top of off stump.

Australia will begin day five needing just four wickets to claim a series clinching victory.

Can Travis Head make another telling contribution before stumps?

The Adelaide Oval might collapse if he does.

Will Jacks is defending.

He comes around the wicket for the day’s final stanza.

Jacks defends the final ball of the day.

God bless ’em, the Barmy Army are as vocal as ever on the hill.

Smith is surrounded by men. Leg slip, slip, short leg, bat pad.

The England batter does well to keep his cool as the trumpet continues to be blasted, albeit slightly more drowsily, by the BA.

Smith works one into the leg-side for a single.

Will Jacks is doing some gardening, hoping to ensure this is the final over of the day.

Less than two minutes remain in the day’s play.

Jacks works a single before Smith defends.

That’s over.

We’ll squeeze another in.

Flighted and very slow from the hometown hero, Will Jacks comes forward and defends.

Jacks gets a looped fully, but can only pick out cover with his drive. No run.

Jacks plays out a maiden over.

We’ll probably be able to squeeze another couple in before stumps.

Jamie Smith is on one run from the first 19 deliveries of his innings.

He’s beginning this over with a similar mindset, coming forward and defending to a couple that pitch in the rough, puff up some dust and turn into the right hander.

Outside edge! Not a chance, though, The ball stays very low and the ball flies from the edge of Smith’s bat and cannons into the lower half of Alex Carey’s pads.

A dot to end the over.

Four! Will Jacks opens the over with a lovely drive back past Travis Head, who is continuing his spell.

That boundary takes England past 200.

Shout! Turn and bounce from Head and Jacks is playing and missing. But there’s a clear noise before the ball is pouched by Alex Carey.

Carey isn’t convinced, but Australia sends it upstairs….

Nope, nothing on that. Snicko shows a flat line as the ball passes the bat. I think the noise must’ve been bat on pad.

Australia loses a review.

A dot to end the over.

Here you go.

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Chance! Turn and bounce from Lyon as the ball shaves Will Jacks’s edge before ballooning off his front pad. The ball falls safe.

Sweep! Jacks is down and sweeping. It’s aerial but safe. The ball bounces well before reaching the fielder at deep backward square leg.

Jamie Smith is back and punting the ball into midwicket to end the over.

Pat Cummins knows how to work this Adelaide crowd.

He throws the ball to Travis head once more.

The part timer is in and Jamie Smith is forward and defending and squirting one behind point.

Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne both scamper after it to ensure there’s no run to be had.

Smith sees out the over.

Will Jacks goes full BazBall and attempts to reverse slog sweep Nathan Lyon to the boundary. He cops a ball on the body instead.

Wow. Jacks tries the same stroke, but this time absolutely creams the ball well forward of point for a boundary.

A slip, leg slip and short leg for Lyon to play with as Jacks pushes one back down the ground.

Edge to the end the over! But it’s straight to ground. Marnus collects at slip.

He hasn’t shown it on this tour, but Jamie Smith is undeniably a special player.

England needs something exceptional from him here.

Alex Carey is up to the stumps. Jake Weatherald at short leg. Cam Green in the gully. Marnus Labuschagne at a very fine first slip.

Smith is pushing down the ground for no run.

Carey returns to a more orthodox position as Smith defends and then pushes to mid-off.

And Carey is back breathing down Smith’s neck for the final ball of the over.

The ball keeps low but Smith gets his forward defence to it in time to keep it out.

And Australia has four to get.

There’s a slip, a leg slip and a short leg in place for the new batter, Will Jacks.

He’s defending the first two balls well and just about seeing off the last.

That’s the end of yet another wonderful over from Nathan Lyon.

3-8 he has nabbed in this current four over spell.

Woah, it’s another beauty from Nathan Lyon and England is falling over in Adelaide.

Nathan Carey fires in a slider. Zak Crawley is playing for spin, but it goes straight on.

The England batter is well out of his crease as Alex Carey collects and has the bails off in a flash.

Crawley departs after an admirable, dogged knock.

Zak Crawley is attempting to play into the off-side.

Zak Crawley is playing a lone hand out there at the moment and he continues on his merry way, clipping Scott Boland through midwicket for a boundary to  begin the over.

A single brings the new batter, the under fire but precociously talented Jamie Smith.

He takes guard with Alex Carey back from the stumps and with a slip and short leg in place.

It’s a good leave to begin. The ball seams in a mile from outside off. It flies just past the pegs.

Streaky! The ball catches the edge of Smith’s bat and flies, on the bounce, to Cam Green in the gully.

That’s the end of another probing Boland over.

Wow. What an absolutely picture perfect delivery from Nathan Lyon.

Flighted, drifting in, pitching and turning fiercely.

The ball flies past Ben Stokes’s futile forward defence and into the very top of off stump.

It’s a ball worthy of winning any game.

And one that may well have one the series for Australia.

Wow.

“You’re not getting too much better than that,” says Phil Tufnell on commentary. 

“Great delivery.”

Nathan Lyon comes from around the wicket with a short leg in place.

Zak Crawley opens the over with consecutive reverse sweeps. Both are met well. The second is worth a single.

Two slips in place, as well as a short leg, as Lyon comes around the wicket to Stokes.