The Ashes: England trail on first innings in Brisbane as Australia punish wayward bowling and five dropped catches

The Ashes: England trail on first innings in Brisbane as Australia punish wayward bowling and five dropped catches | Cricket News

December 5, 2025:

England were punished for wayward bowling and a catalogue of dropped catches as Australia carved out a first-innings lead on day two of the pink-ball second Ashes Test at The Gabba.

Replying to England’s Joe Root-inspired 334 all out, Australia reached 378-6 by stumps for a lead of 44 as Steve Smith (61), Marnus Labuschagne (65) and Jake Weatherald (72) each passed fifty after feasting on short, wide and full deliveries.

England shot into life in a two-wicket 57th over with the expensive Brydon Carse (3-113) bowling Cameron Green (45) and removing Smith as Will Jacks produced a stunning one-handed catch, at which point Australia were 292-5 and 42 runs in arrears.

Score summary – Australia vs England, second Ashes Test

England 334 all out after 76.2 overs in first innings (elected to bat): Joe Root (138no off 208 balls), Zak Crawley (76 off 93), Jofra Archer (32no off 26); Mitchell Starc (6-75), Michael Neser (1-43), Scott Boland (1-87)

Australia 378-6 after 73 overs in first innings: Jake Weatherald (72 off 78 balls), Marnus Labuschagne (65 off 78), Steve Smith (61 off 85), Alex Carey (46no off 45); Brydon Carse (3-113 from 17 overs), Ben Stokes (2-93)

But Alex Carey (46no), who had been dropped first ball by Ben Duckett at gully in that eventful Carse over and then again on 25 by Root at slip off Gus Atkinson, guided the hosts through to the close and into a decent spot from which to push for a 2-0 series lead after victory inside two days of the Perth opener.

Duckett also grassed Josh Inglis (23) at gully on 21 before captain Ben Stokes (2-93) rearranged the No 7’s stumps, while Michael Neser (15no) was shelled by Carse at cover as England spilled five catches all told.

There had been sloppiness in the field from England earlier on with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith dropping Travis Head on three off the bowling of Jofra Archer (1-74), with that blunder costing 30 runs before their destroyer in Perth holed out off Carse for 33.

Australia feast on freebies as England bowlers toil

Head, opening again after his 69-ball hundred in the first Ashes Test, and Weatherald crunched a first-wicket stand of 77 from 79 balls after the innings had started with three successive maidens as England’s discipline disappeared.

There were free-scoring fifty-plus stands throughout the order, despite the visitors tightening up after tea as Weatherald – whose 45-ball fifty was his first in Tests in his second match – was pinned lbw by Archer and Ben Stokes had Labuschagne caught behind on the cut.

Labuschagne continued his love affair with pink-ball Tests, passing fifty for the ninth time in 16 innings in the format as he upped his tally of runs to 1,023 at an average of 63.93.

England’s short-ball tactic in the night session, performed with a replacement Kookaburra after the initial one had gone out of shape, did not reap rewards to start with as Green collared Carse, but the same batter was then surprised by the fuller one and castled as he backed away to leg.

Smith – batting in Shivnarine Chanderpaul-esque ‘eye blacks’ to counter the glare of the floodlights – then saw his hopes of a 13th Ashes hundred ended by Jacks’ stunner on the run at backward square.

There was a feeling of positivity for England after Root’s first Ashes century on Australian soil – one that ensured Australia great Matthew Hayden would not have to walk nude around the MCG – had guided England to 325-9 by stumps on day one.

But that quickly evaporated the following day once a superb diving catch from Labuschagne at deep backward square snapped a 10th-wicket stand of 70 off 58 balls between Archer (38 off 36) and Root (138no off 206) in the third over of the morning.

Belief returned for England with Carse’s two wickets in four balls under the lights but Australia are now well on top.

Ashes series in Australia 2025-26

All times UK and Ireland

First Test (Perth): Australia beat England by eight wickets
Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
Third Test: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (11.30pm) – Adelaide Oval
Fourth Test: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
Fifth Test: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground

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