Ashes 2025 live score: tokes battling hard for England as Australia eye victory

This has been an outstanding spell from Michael Neser, giving virtually nothing away and challenging Ben Stokes particularly with nibble from a length. A maiden. 11-1-32-2 his figures so far.

Drinks. England make it through the first hour unscathed

Will Jacks needs to be careful. Another swipe at a Brendan Doggett short ball draws a cursory appeal from behind the stumps. There’s no touch on it but he looks eager to play at it.

Indeed they will. There are six leg side fielders as Brendan Doggett digs a couple in, drawing a flap down the leg side that Will Jacks fails to connect with but then a more confident, competent pull to one of the two men behind square on the boundary for a single.

It looks like traditional tactics to Ben Stokes as he takes strike.

A frisson of excitement for the Australia fielders as Will Jacks gloves one to leg, beaten by the bounce of Michael Neser. Travis Head is under the lid at boot hill but Jacks managed to get it further around the corner, anxiously trotting through for a run to fine leg. Jacks had a bit of strapping on his hand after being struck by Scott Boland earlier – we’ll see if Australia have another go at him with the short ball.

We didn’t see Cameron Green yesterday with the ball but the tall all-rounder may soon be amongst things, Green warming the legs and shoulders in the gully. His height could provide a different challenge with his capacity to generate steep bounce.

Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser continue for now.

This has been just about a perfect start from England. The odd ball is moving off the straight but there is nothing to cause undue concern, and the variable bounce, when it has occurred, has been outside of off stump. This partnership is up to 29 off 69 balls.

Fine batsmanship from Ben Stokes. A perfectly judged leave on length is perhaps a little closer to off stump than he would have liked but it forces Brendan Doggett fuller, giving him a half-volley that he can caress through the covers. He’s grafting hard but doing an excellent job.

Across Brisbane, Jacob Bethell has reached 50 for the England Lions as they look to battle back against Australia A. The hosts’ second-string still lead by plenty after thrashing 588/8d in their first innings. Would a Bethell ton put the pressure on Ollie Pope? He feels comfortably the most vulnerable of the England batters.

Brendan Doggett has also been brought into the attack.

How has that missed? An absolute peach from Michael Neser, angle in and nip away and very, very close to taking the off bail. A bit too much bounce. Neser throws his hands to his head.

A probing start from the stump-to-stump specialist. A couple of singles from the over.

A little bit of movement for Mitchell Starc, swinging one away from Ben Stokes’s bat to beat the England captain and then jagging one back at the left-hander. Stokes copes well. England continue to gradually whittle away that Australia lead.