Australia win by five wickets
Australia have got there, winning the Sydney Test by five wickets and taking the series 4-1. In truth, however, it was a very messy end to it all with some comical running between the wickets by Alex Carey and Cameron Green, although Green crunched a couple of nice boundaries to finish unbeaten on 22.
It's kind of fitting in a way for a series littered with batting mistakes from both sides - but Australia have made fewer, and found big individual innings when it mattered. They have been comfortably the better team, but England should have been able to push them closer. While the Ashes were decided in Adelaide, England have been better (at times) during the last two Tests.
1st Test, Perth: Australia won by eight wickets
2nd Test, Brisbane: Australia won by eight wickets
3rd Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 82 runs
4th Test, Melbourne: England won by four wickets
5th Test, Sydney: Australia won by five wickets
2nd Test, Brisbane: Australia won by eight wickets
3rd Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 82 runs
4th Test, Melbourne: England won by four wickets
5th Test, Sydney: Australia won by five wickets
16
8
3
7
Crowd update
As Australia close in, a final attendance figure:
Today: 25,847.
Total attendance across the Ashes is 859,580. The third highest attendance for a Test series in Australia. Would probably have broken one million we a few more days of play.
10
4
1
1
Surely not?
An awful mix-up and Marnus Labuschagne has been run out with 39 needed. He was keen to finish the game in a hurry. Australia can't mess this up, can they? They've had a number of messy moments during the series and this shaping as another. They still have a good amount of batting, though. Regardless, some terrific drama to end the series. It's been a very good Test match.
1
3
1
8
Khawaja falls!
No fairytale finish for Usman Khawaja as he drags on against Josh Tongue for 6. Joe Root straight up to shake his hand as he begins the final walk off. Salutes the ground to a standing ovation. Performs the Sajdah on the outfield. An iconic moment in Australian cricket
2
6
3
1
Jacks' ripper! Here comes Khawaja
Will Jacks has produced a wonderful delivery, spinning back sharply from the rough outside off to bowl Steven Smith through the gate. It brings Usman Khawaja to the crease for the final time in Test cricket and he was given a guard of honour by the England players amid huge applause from the crowd. Can he control his emotions and see Australia to victory?
Matt Roller with a great stat: Jacks has as many wickets in the series as Leach in 2021-22, and Giles in 2002-03. One away from Swann in 2013-14.
3
6
1
2
Cummins on T20 World Cup
Pat Cummins is sounding confident about the upcoming T20 World Cup. He only played once in this Ashes, having a big say in Adelaide, but has been included in the 15-player squad. He spoke on Fox Cricket during the first session today:
"I had a scan last week and it was all really positive and as good as it could be," Cummins said "I'm having a little deload for a couple of weeks and I'll start bowling next week and I'll be ready for the T20 World Cup.
"Lots and lots of hours from the medical staff and coaches, and they've been unbelievable. It's worked out exactly as we'd hope, so we're very happy."
In a subsequent interview with Channel 7, Cummins said that had the Ashes been alive until the end he would have play "at least one" of the last two Tests.
3
1
1
Lunch: Australia 71 for 2
It should still be a formality for Australia from here with 89 more needed, but England have struck with what has become the final ball of the session with Jake Weatherald somehow getting caught down at fine leg from a top edge. A terrific catch by Matthew Potts, and a good short ball from Josh Tongue. Weatherald finished 34 off 40 balls. A middling score. The debate around his position will rumble on. One of the big questions now is whether Usman Khawaja will get a final bat in Test cricket.
3
2
2
2
Head's magnificent series finished
Travis Head has skied one into the on side to bring a close to his prolific series: he finishes with 629 runs at 62.90 - the ninth most ever for Australia in an Ashes series and fourth highest in Australia. He said the other day that it was "likely" he would remain at the top of the order. It seems a no-brainer for the selectors. Will it be Head or Starc for the Compton-Miller Medal?
2
4
2
Heated scenes...Snicko again!
It's kicking off a bit. In the seventh over, England reviewed for an edge against Jake Weatherald, which was given not out on the field, but despite a murmur on Snicko the TV umpire, Kumar Dharmasena decided there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the decision. Ben Stokes talked to Ahsan Raza, suggesting there was no consistency from earlier in the series, then tensions rose between some of the England players and the Australia batters. Chris Gaffaney walked in from square leg to get in between the players. Carse got very close to Weatherald at the end of the over, not that this is really at of the batter's fault.
Snicko was in the spotlight during the third Test in Adelaide which led to calls for ICC to fund consistent technology around the world. The bizarre situation in Australia is the Ultra Edge, which is considered superior to Snicko but is more expensive, is used in the BBL.
1
3
1
Solid start for Australia
It's been pretty comfortable for Australia so far. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald making brisk inroads into the target. Not for the first time, England's new-ball bowling has been wayward. Ben Stokes, who has been fielding at first slip, did not entrust it to Matthew Potts this time, promoting Josh Tongue alongside Brydon Carse. They burnt a DRS in the opening over when Head got an edge onto a yorker from Carse. It's an important innings for Weatherald; if he can take Australia to victory, it could go a long way to securing his spot for the Bangladesh series in August.
1
3
1
Australia set 160
Mitchell Starc has wrapped up England's innings, having Josh Tongue caught at mid-off, meaning Australia will be chasing1 160 to take the series 4-1. They should win from here, but England have a glimmer, especially if they can nip out a couple early. On the other hand, Travis Head could decide the game by lunch. Starc, meanwhile, finishes with 31 wickets at 19.94.
From Sampath: Mitchell Starc has dismissed 14 of the 15 England players in this series at least once. Matthew Potts the only exception, who faced just one ball off Starc.
Starc also one of five men to take 30 or more wickets in a Test series in the last 20 years (since Warne's 40 in '05):
Johnson 37 vs Eng 13/14
Ashwin 31 vs SA 15/16
Ashwin 32 vs Eng 20/21
Bumrah 32 vs Aus 24/25
Starc 31 vs Eng 25/26
Ashwin 31 vs SA 15/16
Ashwin 32 vs Eng 20/21
Bumrah 32 vs Aus 24/25
Starc 31 vs Eng 25/26
3
8
1
30 for Starc
Mitchell Starc has ended Jacob Bethell's magnificent innings, the left hander getting a top edge through to Alex Carey, and with it Starc has reach 30 wickets for the series. On only eight previous occasions as a player reached that mark and scored two fifty-plus scores in the same series. The last Australia bowler to take 30 wickets in a series was Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14 Ashes.
5
2
2
Great news about Damien Martyn
This is really good to hear. Damien Martyn, who was taken ill with meningitis on Boxing Day, has been released from hospital on the Gold Coast.
"He's still got a bit of a journey to go to be fully recovered, but it's terrific and wonderful to know he's back home and his family express their gratitude and thanks for all the support," close friend Adam Gilchrist when relaying the news on Fox Cricket.
"The word from the medical staff was the ambulance officers who treated him as soon as they saw him could not have done it any more perfectly, which nipped the infection in the bud. He still has a bit of a journey to go, it was extreme, but great news."
3
9
1
Vote...
Target chat...
1
1
2
4
Second new ball
We've reached the 80-over mark so Australia can take the new ball. England have edged the lead up to 133 in the first five overs of the day. Matthew Potts began with a cracking back foot drive against Beau Webster and Jacob Bethell hasn't felt the need to protect him too much. Last night Bethell suggested the new ball could make scoring easier with its hardness. They may be some interesting tactics ahead. The first delivery with the new ball, delivered by Mitchell Starc, is clipped through midwicket by Bethell to take him to 150 from 243 balls.
1
1
2
New SCG record
This just in from Cricket Australia:
The 2025-26 Ashes Pink Test is now the most-attended SCG Test match ever.
A crowd at the start of play on Day 5 of over 15,000 takes the overall attendance to over 200,000 for the first time.
The previous record was 195,253, set in a six-day Test v England in 1946-47.
1
1
Khawaja's final day
This is it for Usman Khawaja. The final day of an 88-match Test career. Will he get a bat? He was asked last night about the chances of being promoted up the order and played down that scenario.
"I don't think so. Not after Heady has been absolutely creaming them, and Jake has started off well too," Khawaja said on ABC. "I would just like to get these runs.
"It's not going to be easy. Well sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. You know what small run chases are like. You either do them really easy or you have to work for them."
The SCG is where Khawaja's began in 2011 and was revived in 2022 with those twin hundreds against England. He made 17 in the first innings and has admitted he struggled with the emotions when he arrived at the crease.
9.58am update Khawaja leads Australia onto the field
Give or take some modern exceptions, the inherent fragility of batting has always hung heaviest on its openers, a sense that was never far from the start of a Khawaja innings. He could be a bit handsy outside off, or get stuck too deep in his crease. There were times he would get right in front of the stumps to flick through leg but play so late, the bowler's arm was almost up in appeal. But that sense of jeopardy and vulnerability made him more endearing. Openers end up carrying the deepest scars in this format, never alone when walking out but more often than not, among the very first casualties trudging back alone. He's got a few to show for it, as he admitted at his farewell press conference. The reward, though, is an average of nearly 50 while opening. And also, ultimately, a place in that broader Aussie strain of charmingly idiosyncratic batting styles, alongside the Gilchrists, Hugheses, Labuschagnes, Warners, Heads and Smiths. In his own distinct way, of course, which is rather the point.
Can England pull off a huge shock?
Welcome, everyone, to the final day of this Ashes. Some of these Tests have been very short, but this one is going (most of) the distance. England are 119 ahead with two wickets. Australia firm favourites, but is there some late drama in store? Jacob Bethell was magnificent yesterday and it'll be on him to try and find another 50 runs or so. A reminder, too, that England will be without Ben Stokes in the attack which is a massive blow.
At times like this it's often fun to look to the past: how about 1994, when South Africa defended 117? Or 2010 when Australia defended 176 against Pakistan? More recently, however, Australia have comfortably chased targets against India (2025) and Pakistan (2024).
1