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Bowlers dominate in record-breaking Boxing Day at MCG
Oliver Caffrey, AAP • December 26th, 2025 8:40 pm
Michael Neser was all smiles after claiming Jacob Bethell's wicket on a day of carnage at the MCG | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
The most wickets have fallen on day one of an MCG Test in 123 years as England's broken Bazballers again crumbled against Australia's fearsome pace attack.
After skittling Australia for 152 in just 45.2 overs, England fared significantly worse with the bat as they were incredibly rolled for 110 just 12 minutes before stumps on Boxing Day.
Victorian hero Scott Boland, Australia's No. 11, was dropped off the fifth ball of the only over as a nightwatchman, then hit the final delivery of the day to the boundary as the hosts reached 0-4 in their second innings.
A pitch with 10mm of grass proved a dream for fast bowlers as 20 wickets tumbled - the most on the first day at the MCG since 25 fell in 1902.
Local hero Scott Boland took three wickets, then came out as nightwatchman | Photo: James Ross/AAP
The combined score for the day is 266/20, getting close to the 24 wickets that fell over five days during the 2017 Ashes Test at the MCG.
Australia declined to pick a frontline spinner in a home red-ball Test for the first time in almost 14 years in a sign of the fast-bowling carnage that was about to come.
All 75 overs sent down by both teams on Friday were from eight quick bowlers
Even esteemed former pacemen Brett Lee and Stuart Broad criticised the pitch for being too much in the quicks' favour.
England paceman Josh Tongue starred with 5-for-45 for the third five-wicket haul of his Test career as the demoralised tourists gained a boost following captain Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first.
Josh Tongue picked up a five-wicket haul as England skittled the Aussies early on day one | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
But the joy was short-lived for England, collapsing to 16/4 in only eight overs, with star batter Joe Root one of the victims.
The only partnerships of note during the whole day was efforts from Australia's Michael Neser and Cameron Green and England's Harry Brook and Stokes.
Brook charged Australia quick Mitchell Starc (2/23) from the first ball he faced and continued counter-attacking.
But that approach was never going to be sustainable, and he made a game-high 41 from 34 balls before being trapped lbw by Boland (3/30).
Mitchell Starc was the centre of attention after taking the wicket of Zak Crawley | Photo: James Ross/AAP
From 66/4, England were then obliterated again as Neser and Boland ripped through the middle and lower order to put Australia in a commanding position for their goal of a 4-0 series lead.
The first Test of the summer in Perth lasted just two days, leading to a significant financial loss for Cricket Australia.
But with this MCG pitch behaving, arguably, worse for batters than that Perth Stadium surface, the match is heading for another early finish.
Neser, dropped for the Adelaide Test after taking a five-wicket haul at the Gabba, responded in terrific fashion with a team-high 35 with the ball and 4/45 with the ball.
Australia made three changes, headlined by fit-again Jhye Richardson's first Test for Australia in more than four years.
Richardson and Neser joined Starc and Boland in a four-man pace attack, with captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon sidelined due to injury.
But Richardson was required to bowl just four overs, as the in-form men of Starc, Boland, Neser and a one-wicket cameo from Green took down England.
Australia crashed to 91/6 just after lunch, but Green and Neser were starting to frustrate the bowlers with a 52-run stand.
But Green had to go for 17 after indecisively taking off for a quick single, with Brydon Carse following up his own delivery and hitting the stumps.
The 26-year-old Green has endured a difficult series with the bat, the lowlight being a rash shot to be bowled in Brisbane.
Green's spot came under scrutiny ahead of this Test, with Australia weighing up whether to recall fellow allrounder Beau Webster.
Ben Stokes and England teammates were all smiles after seizing early control on Boxing Day | Photo: James Ross/AAP
Starting to recover at 143/6, Australia collapsed again when Green was run out, losing 4-for-9 in an abrupt end to the innings.
Australia had slipped to 72/4 at lunch as Tongue justified Stokes' call to bowl first in the fourth Test.
Tongue claimed the prized wicket of Steve Smith (nine), back after recovering from the vertigo symptoms that ruled him out of Adelaide, with a ball that moved back to skittle his stumps.
Recalled quick Gus Atkinson (2/28), back for the injured Jofra Archer, bowled with great control to remove in-form opener Travis Head.
After retaining the Ashes in only 11 days, Australia are trying to continue England's tour of misery by completing a 5-0 whitewash for the first time since 2013-14.
Marnus Labuschagne's catching has been a feature of this series, particularly some of his takes in Adelaide, but batting-wise the No. 3 is stumbling to the end of 2025 with an average of 21.91 this year.
It is the third time in their past five Tests Australia have chosen not to select a spinner, with Lyon dropped for day-night matches in Kingston and Brisbane.
Despite Australia leading 3-0 and having already retained the Ashes urn, interest in the Boxing Day Test is as strong as ever, with a record crowd of 94,199 in at the MCG on day one.
Tune into Sport Nation for live ball-by-ball commentary of The Ashes series - the fourth Test continues from 12pm Saturday - thanks to SEN.
