SYDNEY: On one of its most dominant days of the summer, Australia set up a 303-run first-innings lead before declaring at 649-7 and then tore through England’s top order to close in on victory in the fifth test and a 4-0 Ashes series win.
After the Marsh brothers scored centuries to lead Australia into a commanding position, the bowling attack claimed four wickets to leave England floundering at 93-4 at stumps, still 210 runs behind, in oppressively hot conditions Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Skipper Joe Root was unbeaten on 42 and Jonny Bairstow was 17 not out at stumps, as England tried grimly to prevent a collapse reminiscent of its last appearance at the SCG in 2014 where it was bowled out in 31 overs to complete a 5-0 series loss.
“In many ways the last few days have summed up our trip,” England assistant coach Paul Farbrace said. “It’s been exceptionally tough, we’ve come up against a team that is playing very good cricket but the one thing that we’ve been talking about is making sure we keep on fighting and battling.”
Resuming at 479-4 on day four, already with a 133-run first-innings lead, the Marsh brothers combined for a 169-run partnership and each raised their hundreds in the first session.
The feat meant Shaun and Mitch Marsh became the first Australian brothers to combine for a century partnership since Stephen and Mark Waugh put on 197 together in the fifth test at The Oval in 2001.
“To be out there with Mitch, to both get our test century today for Australia, being out there and sharing each other’s emotions when we got to our hundreds, was an extremely happy moment,” Shaun Marsh said. “It’ll certainly be a day that we won’t forget.”
Mitch Marsh was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, bowled by Tom Curran (1-82) for 101, the delivery after reaching his century. Shaun Marsh was run out for 156 after lunch.
Tim Paine (38 not out) and Pat Cummins (24 not out) combined for a late flurry of runs before Smith’s declaration midway through the afternoon session.
After nearly 14 hours and 193 overs in the field, England’s second innings started poorly, losing Mark Stoneman (0) lbw to Starc (1-17) in the third over.
Stoneman reviewed the decision but replays showed the ball was hitting leg stump and the out decision was upheld, meaning England lost one of its two reviews early in the innings.
The blow was very nearly doubled the next ball as Cook edged to first slip, but the chance was dropped by Shaun Marsh to spare the opener, who had just become the sixth player to tally 12,000 test runs.
Only Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Ricky Ponting (13,378), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Rahul Dravid (13,288) and Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) have more test runs than the 33-year-old English batsman.
But Cook’s reprieve was short-lived as Lyon (2-31) produced a perfect ball to clip the top of off stump and remove the veteran opener in what may well be his last tour of Australia.
Inside two overs James Vince survived a referral for caught behind and a near miss in the slips, before Pat Cummins (1-12) had the batsman edging to slip again and Smith grabbed a catch at the second attempt.
Root batted bravely for the cause, including being hit twice by Starc, with the second blow needing a lengthy stop in play while the England captain’s right index finger was treated by medical staff.
England team officials confirmed after play that the finger injury was likely not serious and the captain would resume batting when play resumes Monday.
Lyon did get another deserved breakthrough when he trapped Malan on the back leg for five. Malan’s review was unsuccessful as England slipped to 68-4 and batting through the day will be increasingly difficult for the English batsman on a day five SCG wicket.
“I think (Lyon) is the key tomorrow,” Shaun Marsh said. “The wicket is definitely suiting his condition, especially with the left handers he’ll come into play.”
Australia regained the Ashes by winning the first three tests. The fourth match ended in a draw last week in Melbourne.
Dominant Australia push towards big victory in 5th Ashes Test
Dominant Australia push towards big victory in 5th Ashes Test
UEFA investigates English ref Coote over footage of alleged drug use at Euro 2024
- “A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said
- The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal
NYON: UEFA started another investigation into English match official David Coote on Thursday after a video allegedly showed him using cocaine during the European Championship.
“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said in a statement.
Coote worked as a video review specialist at Euro 2024, where match officials stayed at a hotel near Frankfurt. He was an assistant supporting the lead VAR official at eight games.
British daily The Sun published a video late Wednesday appearing to show Coote snorting the drug using an American banknote.
The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal. France won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.
Coote was suspended on Monday by the English match referees body after a different cellphone video circulated of him making offensive comments with friends about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. That body and the English FA started investigations.
UEFA already withdrew Coote from match duty for national team games this week after the first video was published.
The games he worked at Euro 2024 included host Germany’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 that included a controversial penalty award for handball. The lead VAR official at that game, Stuart Attwell, was involved in some of the tournament’s most debated decisions.
Sinner doping case could have been communicated more efficiently, ATP chair says
- A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September
- The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year
TURIN: There “could have been better communication” in explaining the rules involved in Jannik Sinner’s doping case, ATP Tour chairman Andrea Gaudenzi acknowledged Thursday.
However, Gaudenzi said at the ATP Finals that anyone hinting that a “double standard” was applied because of top-ranked Sinner’s status is “unfair because the rules have been the same.”
Sinner is playing at home this week for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive for an anabolic steroid in two separate drug tests in March.
The case wasn’t made public until August.
“I learned the day before we all learned,” Gaudenzi said in his first public comments on the case. He spoke in a round-table discussion with international reporters.
“And to be honest, I’m happy about that. I really thank the ITA (International Testing Agency) and our representatives there for intentionally keeping me and our entire team in the dark because that’s how it should be.
“It should be completely independent and that was agreed by the (parties). It was a shock, but obviously comforted by the evidence afterward.”
A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner.
“We are completely external and it’s (an) independent process,” Gaudenzi said. “I generally think has been a fair process. It was really done by the book and by the rules. Maybe there could have been better communication in explaining those rules, and that is something that I would urge every party involved to work better in the next time.”
ATP Finals future will be revealed
Gaudenzi said he plans to announce on Sunday the future host of the ATP Finals. The contract with Turin expires next year and there is an option to move the event to nearby Milan at a bigger arena being built for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia
- Green Falcons thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box
- Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball, but VAR showed the infringement was outside the box
MELBOURNE: Saudi Arabia had a goal disallowed in added time in a scoreless draw with Australia, a result that did neither side any favors in their bid to qualify for World Cup 2026.
Despite several chances in front of a sold out AAMI Park in Melbourne, the breakthrough both teams desperately needed never came.
The Saudis and their new French coach Herve Renard thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box.
But the flag went up, with one of his teammates offside.
“We had some good opportunities but we have to go give our opponent credit. First half we didn’t play very well,” said Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.
“We were not very good with the ball while they were sharp and energetic.
“We improved significantly in the second half, which is good,” he added.
“Overall, it’s a point and we move forward but certainly we can improve.”
The stalemate played into the hands of Group C leaders Japan and opened the door for Bahrain to leapfrog them as Asian qualifying reached the halfway mark.
Australia and the Saudis both have six points, four behind table-toppers Japan who can stretch their lead further when they meet Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.
Bahrain, on five points, host China later in Riffa and will move into second spot if they win.
Just the top two seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America, with third and fourth forced into another round of Asian qualifying.
Australia must now lift themselves for a difficult trip to Bahrain next week, while Saudi Arabia travel to Indonesia.
Popovic made just one change from the team that drew with Japan in Saitama last month with Standard Liege midfielder Aiden O’Neill in for Luke Brattan.
Renard, who was appointed a fortnight ago in place of Roberto Mancini, swung the axe with just four survivors from their last match, a goalless draw with Bahrain.
Both sides started at a frenetic pace and in a big moment on 12 minutes the referee awarded Australia a penalty after Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball.
But VAR showed the infringement was outside the box.
The first decent effort did not come until the 27th minute when Saudi midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci saved at the near post.
Gauci made another crucial stop on the cusp of half-time, charging off his line to pluck the ball off the feet of Feras Albrikan in a one-on-one situation.
Australia had the brighter second half, creating far more chances with Riley McGree and Duke whipping in shots that were blocked.
They had a glorious opportunity with seven minutes left when substitute Brandon Borrello beat the offside trap.
But instead of shooting he opted to pass and the chance was wasted, before the last-minute drama with the disallowed goal.
Maxwell’s power-hitting and Australia pace flatten Pakistan in a rain-shortened T20
- Match started after a three-hour delay and was shortened to seven over per side
- Pakistan made 64-9 in response to Australia’s 93-4, losing five wicket in first 15 balls
BRISBANE: Glenn Maxwell’s robust 43 off 19 balls helped Australia thump Pakistan by 29 runs in a rain-shortened first Twenty20 on Thursday.
After a nearly three-hour delay due to lightning and rain, the match was shortened to seven overs per side.
Maxwell powered Australia to 93-4 and Pakistan reached only 64-9 after slumping to 16-5 inside the first 15 balls.
Nathan Ellis (3-9) and Xavier Bartlett (3-13) ran through the top order before No. 8 batter Abbas Afridi’s unbeaten 20.
“Certainly had a lot of fun out there,” Maxwell said. “We thought we had enough on the board … the bowlers did a great job. There was a few of us who had packed our bags expecting the game to be called off, so it was a mad rush to get ready.”
Maxwell followed scores of 0, 16, 0 in the preceding one-day international series won by Pakistan 2-1 by smacking three sixes and five boundaries. He played some extravagant lap shots to third man against the pace of Haris Rauf (1-21) and Naseem Shah (1-37).
Maxwell fell in the penultimate over when he hooked Abbas Afridi (2-9) to backward square leg but Marcus Stoinis provided a final flourish with an unbeaten 21 off seven balls. Stoinis smashed 20 runs in Shah’s last over with two fours and six.
None of the top six Pakistan batters reached double figures.
Sahibzada Farhan hit Spencer Johnson for two successive boundaries off the first two balls he faced before mistiming a pull shot off the fourth ball and holing out at midwicket.
Mohammad Rizwan, in his first match as the Pakistan skipper, fell to the first ball when he top-edged Bartlett to point. Usman Khan was caught at third man in the same over.
Ellis struck twice in his first over when Babar Azam was caught in the deep and Jake Fraser-McGurk snapped his third catch as Irfan Khan also offered a tame catch at deep midwicket.
Pakistan was 24-6 in the fourth over when Salman Ali Agha scored only 4 in his debut T20, guiding a sharp, short Bartlett delivery to Australia first-time captain Josh Inglis on the run.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa clean-bowled Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah off successive balls in the last over to complete the rout.
“It was difficult to keep things normal in a seven-over game,” Rizwan said. “Got to give credit to Maxy, his style worked really well.”
The second T20 is in Sydney on Saturday, and the last in Hobart on Monday.
ICC Champions Trophy promo confirms Pakistan as host
- The video comes days after the ICC informed Pakistan that India had declined to play in the country
- Pakistan has said it is not interested in a hybrid hosting model adopted during last year’s Asia Cup
ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council’s promotional video for the Champions Trophy 2025 has portrayed Pakistan as the tournament host, with the global governing body for cricket promising a “thrilling competition” in a statement released on Wednesday.
The video comes just days after the ICC informed Pakistan that India had declined to play tournament matches in the country, prompting Pakistani authorities to rule out the hybrid hosting model adopted last year for the Asia Cup, where India played all its matches in Sri Lanka.
Political tensions between the two countries have led the Indian team to avoid traveling to Pakistan since 2008, with both sides only competing in multination tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
The ICC has not directly commented on the situation, though the promotional video clearly showed visuals communicating that the tournament will be arranged in Pakistan.
It promo displayed an unconventional logo, which the ICC said was designed to be “bold, loud, confident, and fun,” saying the visual identity was digital-first while calling it a dynamic, typographic logo.
“The two weeks of thrilling competition the event is renowned for is reflected in the bold and loud edge to the brand,” ICC Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya said in a statement. “The new elements are accompanied by the distinctive white jackets which nod to the history of the Champions Trophy and its unique, global appeal.”
The men’s Champions Trophy is set to return in 2025 after about eight years, with Pakistan clinching the title in the 2017 final against India.
The tournament was last held in England.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi that are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games scheduled to be held between February 19 and March 9.
