Ashes LIVE: Smith, Webster look to extend Australia’s lead at SCG

1 day ago 3

1 of 1

9.08am

Captains cranky: Smith and Stokes maintain rage as hosts assume control

Your daily slice of Malcolm Knox gold for pre-play reading:

Stokes, let it be said, was towering in adversity. With the ball, he ran in like one of those Survivor contestants who, having burnt their last bridge, can rely only on their own self. His figures – 17 wicketless overs for 47 runs – won’t show it, but he was consistently England’s most dangerous bowler, passing the edge repeatedly and maintaining speeds at and around 140kmh throughout a sapping and dispiriting day. He did all of his work with the older ball, too, arguably putting self-sacrifice above strategic sense.

England’s bloopers were hardly Stokes’s fault. He didn’t drop the catches or bowl the long hops, and the three reviews were wasted thanks to his teammates’ opinions. When some of the miscreants glanced over their shoulder to see their captain wincing in pain or bent over in despair, you wondered how thin England’s “no consequences” philosophy was wearing. If anyone has dramatised the consequences of defeat in this series, it’s the man who has been let down by his lessers.

The column in its entirety can be accessed here.

9.04am

Recap of day three

Steve Smith moved to second on the all-time list of Ashes runscorers behind only Sir Donald Bradman after hammering his 37th Test century – and 13th against England – as Australia’s batsmen inflicted further misery on the tourists at the SCG on Tuesday.

Smith and Travis Head posted sparkling centuries to push the home side closer to a 4-1 series victory. Australia batted the entire day to reach 7-518 at stumps, a lead of 134 runs.

Australia set a commanding platform from which to push for a potential innings victory, given England’s underwhelming batting throughout much of the series, on a day when Usman Khawaja fell cheaply in his final Test.

Head’s 163 was the seventh score of 150 or more in his Test career, and it was just 12 runs shy of his highest score of 175, against the West Indies in 2022. He racked up his 600th run of this series.

“Beggars can’t be choosers. It’s a pretty shit stat, isn’t it,” Head said with a laugh. “I’d much rather 160 or 170 than zero to 10. I won’t complain about that.”

Smith (129 not out) brought up his fifth century at the SCG and his first since Australia’s clash with South Africa in January 2023.

Read the full stumps report here.

Steve Smith walks off at stumps on day three, unbeaten on 129.

9.00am

Would anybody like to dance with Steve Smith?

Steve Smith is a solid dance partner. Very experienced. Just ask Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, and Alex Carey and Cameron Green. And Beau Webster, who is out there with him right now, kicking his heels up to A Hard Day’s Night.

Smith, unbeaten on 129, was in his hallmark Ashes exhibitionist form yesterday at the SCG. England’s bowlers and fielders tried to trip him up midway through the mashed potato, but the 36-year-old was too smooth. Turned out he was more bothered by distractions from the crowd than anything Ben Stokes and co could serve up.

That Matthew Potts was the one serving up the second new ball just about sums up England’s predicament. And you have to really feel for Potts, who could yet become a symbol of his team’s ignominious tour (also feeling for Will Jacks after dropping Head, as countless viewers around world simultaneously stated they would not have dropped Head in those circumstances).

That was day three of the fifth Test in Sydney. Jan McGrath day. The day on which Head brought up his 12th Test century and Smith his 37th. The day England burned their last two reviews on the nightwatchman, Michael Neser (24). The day Smith surpassed England’s Jack Hobbs (3636 runs) to become the second-highest scorer in Ashes history. Given Don Bradman’s 5028 is likely unassailable, it should be a moment in which to revel. Revel also in the fact Australia’s innings has now produced seven 50-plus partnerships, which must be close to some sort of Test record but I do not know the answer to this.

Today is day four, and Smith (129) and Webster (42) resume to presumably bat for as long as humanly possible given there are two days to go and they have to bat last. A declaration unlikely, you’d think. Or will England take an early wicket and take that decision out of Australia’s hands?

First ball at 10am AEDT.