Australia surged to an eight-wicket win over England in the second Ashes test, taking a 2-0 series lead as England faltered on day four under a pace assault led by an unlikely hero, Michael Neser. The breakthrough performance, supported by sharp fielding from captain Steve Smith, saw Neser claim 5-42 in his first Test in three years, leaving England to chase 65 in the day-night clash at the Gabba.
England’s Gus Atkinson picked up two scalps, but opener Jake Weatherald remained unbeaten on 17 and Smith finished 23 not out, guiding Australia to the target after the dinner break and condemning England to their 15th defeat in 17 Tests in Australia.
A tense moment featured England seamer Jofra Archer trading words with Smith in the middle, only for Smith to hammer two fours and a six off him as he played with heightened intensity.
Smith sealed the victory in style by launching Atkinson over deep square for six, triggering a roar from the 27,888-strong home crowd.
“Archer was bowling quickly with a shorter boundary behind me,” Smith explained. “I aimed to seize a few opportunities, especially with a storm looming, to get things done. What I said to Archer stays on the field. It was good banter—he’s a tough competitor who comes hard.”
England captain Ben Stokes described the Test as “very disappointing,” noting that mental pressure and fight were lacking. “A lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up under pressure,” he said. “We need to think more clearly and show more resistance.”
Stokes battled for 152 balls to reach a 50, but with Adelaide next and three matches remaining, restoring belief will require a remarkable effort from England.
Historically, only one team has recovered from 2-0 down to win a five-match Test series in nearly 150 years—Don Bradman’s Australian side in the 1936/37 home Ashes.
In Brisbane, England offered little sign of summoning a Bradman-esque resurgence, while Australia could become stronger. Brisbane’s three-man pace unit of Scott Boland, Neser, and Brendan Doggett performed admirably, supporting the standout Mitchell Starc.
With Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon expected to return at Adelaide Oval, crowds might see a more formidable Australian attack. Yet on this occasion, the pace trio did most of the heavy lifting late on day three, leaving England needing 44 more runs when play resumed on 134 for six.
Stokes and all-rounder Will Jacks deserve credit for weathering the opening session and pushing England past 200, but as the day wore on, the Gabba pitch offered uneven bounce. Neser’s delivery clipped Stokes’ edge and clattered into his groin, a painful moment that briefly halted England’s momentum before the captain recovered to top-score with a fifty.
The pivotal moment arrived when Neser trapped Jacks with Smith taking a spectacular one-handed slip catch, ending a 96-run partnership and sparking a collapse that saw England bow out for 241.
- Reuters
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