Australia v England Ashes recap - Travis Head century tightens hosts' grip on Ashes after dominant display on Day three of third Test
Updated 19/12/2025 at 09:27 GMT
TNT Sports brings you live text coverage of the third Ashes Test, with England in trouble in their must-win encounter in Adelaide. Skipper Ben Stokes battled alongside Jofra Archer to leave the tourists 85 behind at the end of their first innings. A couple of early wickets provided hope, but Australia are now motoring. Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Highlights: Archer excels with the bat before more Head magic puts Australia in control
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Day Three of third Test highlights
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Highlights: Archer excels with the bat before more Head magic puts Australia in control
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Swann: England's spin development fundamentally wrong
After a day where England's part-time spinner Will Jacks was left with the unenviable task of bowling 19 overs, going for 107 in the process, former great tweaker Graeme Swann took aim at the way the country develops their spin bowlers.
Swann is particularly aggrieved how spinners are often not selected early, and sometimes late, in the domestic season with the excuse that conditions are not conducive to them.
England show fight but Australia in total control
Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer put on a 106-run partnership in the first session of Day 3, but Australia established a big lead of 356 by the end of play, led by Travis Head's unbeaten 142.
Australia will resume their second innings at 271-4 with Alex Carey unbeaten on 52, eyeing his second century of the Test.
Beginning on 213-8, Stokes (83) and Archer (51) put the pressure back on Australia, bringing the first-innings deficit under 100, before Mitchell Starc bowled the England skipper for the sixth time in Tests and the tourists ended up 286 all out.
Stokes did not bowl in the Australian second innings, clearly carrying an injury which England will hope is not serious, and in his absence England were too wide to Head who was able to cut and pull behind square as he piled on the runs.
England were aided early when Jake Weatherald (1) opted not to review a leg before to Brydon Carse, when replays showed the ball pitched outside leg stump, and Marcus Labuschange went after a sluggish 13 by nicking Josh Tongue to Harry Brook at slip.
After tea, Usman Khawaja (42) gifted England a wicket, mistiming a cut off Will Jacks to Jamie Smith, and Cameron Green soon followed to the same Tongue and Brook combination.
Carey immediately gave the momentum back to Australia, scoring quickly, and it was only when Head approached his fourth consecutive century at the Adelaide Oval that the nerves set in and, crucially, Brook dropped a difficult chance off Archer on 99.
Head then scored his second ton of the series and from that point onwards he and fellow South Australian Carey remorsefully added to the lead - and will look to increase the pain for England in the morning.
Stumps on Day Three
Australia 271-4 (Head 142, Carey 52), Lead: 356
Overs 66
Jacks bowls the last over of the day and is guided through the cover by Head for another boundary. A huge last session for Australia adding 152 runs after losing two early wickets.
Australia 265-4 (Head 138, Carey 51), Lead: 351
Overs 65
Just the single off the penultimate over of the day. These two now happy to resume their assault on day four.
Australia 265-4 (Head 138, Carey 50), Lead: 350
Overs 64
Carey thwacks a way too short ball wide of mid on for a boundary and then brings up his half ton - to add to his hundred in the first knock.
Australia 256-4 (Head 136, Carey 43), Lead: 341
Overs 63
Carey slaps the last ball of the over inside mid off and adds another three to the total as he closes in on another half-century.
Australia 251-4 (Head 136, Carey 38), Lead: 336
Overs 62
Mostly a good over from Jacks but the last ball was in the slot and Head is only just short of a six, with the ball bouncing just inside the extra cover boundary. That is the 100 partnership up between the two South Australians.
Australia 243-4 (Head 129, Carey 37), Lead: 328
Overs 61
With Stokes clearly not fit to bowl, the other seamers are rotating with short spells and Tongue is back for his 12th over. Stokes gamely, if a bit gammy, chases a cover drive to the boundary from Carey off the last ball.
Australia 237-4 (Head 128, Carey 33), Lead: 322
Overs 60
Head comes down the wicket and smashes Jacks over his head. Archer is a little slow at wide long off allowing Head to get another couple off the last ball.
Australia 230-4 (Head 122, Carey 32), Lead: 315
Overs 59
A delicate cut between wicketkeeper and the wide fly slip sees Head get another boundary. Carey hits the last ball of the over past the bowler and Root just manges to stop a four at long off.
Australia 220-4 (Head 115, Carey 29), Lead: 305
Overs 58
A better over from Jacks with just the single coming off it.
Australia 219-4 (Head 114, Carey 29), Lead: 304
Overs 57
Carse bowling as tight a line as he has done through the series. No sign of getting a wicket though. With this pair confident of getting runs at the other end.
Australia 218-4 (Head 113, Carey 29), Lead: 303
Overs 56
Head comes down the wicket and lofts Jacks over the covers for a boundary. With the hundred now in the bank, you would expect him to attack now.
Australia 211-4 (Head 107, Carey 28), Lead: 296
Overs 55
Carse bowling a tight line to a heavily off side field. England stopping the glut of runs now at least.
Australia 210-4 (Head 106, Carey 28), Lead: 295
Overs 54
Jacks back into the attack and he concedes just one run, more by virtue of good fielding in the covers than him hitting the right areas.
Australia 209-4 (Head 105, Carey 28), Lead: 294
Overs 53
Carse replaces Archer. England would have hoped for a wicket from their spearhead, but that Brook drop may look very costly in half an hour or so.
Australia 208-4 (Head 104, Carey 28), Lead: 293
Overs 52
Carey gets a single off ther first ball and then Head comes down the ground and smashes Root over his head for a one-bounce four. That is his fourth consecutive century at the Adelaide Oval, his second of the series and 11th in all.
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Head hits second century of series to build commanding Australian lead
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Australia 202-4 (Head 99, Carey 27), Lead: 287
Overs 51
Brook puts Head down low to his left in the gully. It was struck firmly but those have to stick. He stays on 99 for another over.
Australia 201-4 (Head 99, Carey 26), Lead: 286
Overs 50
The crowd are on edge after Head scores two off the first ball to bring up Australia's 200. He thinks of going for a suicidal quick single but is rightly sent back. Root keeps a tight line though to keep him on the brink.
Australia 199-4 (Head 97, Carey 26), Lead: 284
Overs 49
The partnership passes the half-century mark. They came together in a fairly awkward situation as two quick wickets fell, but Carey in particular has pushed along the run rate to put pressure back on England.
Head will look to reach his ton in the first over after drinks.
Australia 197-4 (Head 96, Carey 25), Lead: 282
Overs 48
Carey pushes just short of Stokes at short cover, after which the England skipper rubs his head as his sunglasses dig into his skull awkwardly. Head is just a boundary away from another Test century now.
Australia 193-4 (Head 93, Carey 24), Lead: 278
Overs 47
A fine fourth ball of the over from Archer who gets prodigious swing and beats the inside of Carey's bat. That is England's first maiden since the third over of the innings.
Australia 193-4 (Head 93, Carey 24), Lead: 278
Overs 46
England just can't stop the drain of runs flowing as Carey takes the pressure off his state mate taking four of the five runs from the over.
Australia 188-4 (Head 92, Carey 20), Lead: 273
Overs 45
A good over from Archer bowling over 140km/hr and retaining good control. England are denied a rare maiden as Carey pushes through point for a single off the last ball.
Australia 187-4 (Head 92, Carey 19), Lead: 272
Overs 44
Head living a bit of a charmed life as he comes down the ground and cloths the ball with it landing just to the left of Carse. The runs keep leaking quickly with these two at the crease though.
Australia 182-4 (Head 90, Carey 16), Lead: 267
Overs 43
It's a double bowling change with Archer at the other end and he starts waywardly with a bowl which deflects to fine leg for four. Head maybe a little jittery now he's in the 90s as he is sent back by his partner as he looked for a quick single.
Australia 177-4 (Head 90, Carey 15), Lead: 262
Overs 42
Root comes into bowl and does so on a good line. Head is now into the 90s. This pair's partnership is already 28.
Australia 174-4 (Head 89, Carey 13), Lead: 259
Overs 41
Carey pushes a ball past the catcher at short extra cover with the ball racing to the boundary for his second four. He is scoring at a run a ball at present. Stokes hasn't bowled today and seemed to be holding his groin in the field.
Australia 169-4 (Head 89, Carey 8), Lead: 254
Overs 40
A fine diving stop from Duckett on the deep cover boundary prevents a four off the last ball of the over, but the lead has now passed 254.
Australia 162-4 (Head 85, Carey 5), Lead: 247
Overs 39
Carey gets off the mark cutting a wide ball from Tongue to the point boundary. As well as England have done, these two could get the game beyond England quickly.
Australia 156-4 (Head 84, Carey 0), Lead: 241
Overs 38
Head hits Jacks for a big six over long on with Carey coming to the crease to join his fellow South Asustralan at the crease.
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Wicket! Green c Brook b Tongue 7
Australia 149-4, Lead 234
Overs 37
Tongue beat Green with the previous delivery and then draws the edge with Brook catching well stooping forwards at slip. Game on!
Australia 147-3 (Head 76, Green 7), Lead: 232
Overs 36
Green immediately gets off the mark driving through the off side and then adds another three with an edge down to third man.
Wicket! Khawaja c Smith by Jacks 40
Australia 138-3
That is a gift. Jacks bowls a half tracker outside off stump and Khawaja tries to cut the ball but only succeeds in edging to the England wicketkeeper.
Australia 138-2 (Head 75, Khawaja 40), Lead: 224
Head keeps taking on the short ball and does not have too much control as a hook this time lands in front rather than over Crawley, who is very much in the game at fine leg.
Overs 35
Australia 136-2 (Head 74, Khawaja 39), Lead: 221
Overs 34
Head comes down the wicket and smashes over Jacks and to the boundary for four. Thereafter, it is a better over and the Aussie opener was beaten by prodigious turn off the last delivery.
Australia 132-2 (Head 70, Khawaja 39), Lead: 217
Overs 33
A solid second over after tea as Tongue concedes just a single, bowling a line at Head's body restricting his scoring areas.
Australia 131-2 (Head 69, Khawaja 39), Lead: 216
Overs 32
Not the start England wanted as Jacks serves up a post-tea buffet for Khawaja and he takes him for 12 runs including two fours.
Tea
Australia 119-2 (Head 68, Khawaja 27), Lead: 204
Overs 31
Carse came close to getting Head out in the last over before tea as a top edge from the Australian opener is just too high for Crawley on the fine leg boundary.
England had a fine morning but though they acquitted themselves creditably in the middle session, with just the wicket of Marcus Labuschange falling (to Tongue for 13), Australia remain well in command and the tourists will have to strike early and often when play resumes after tea.
Day 3
Welcome to TNT Sports' live text coverage of the third NRMA Insurance men's Ashes Test.
England made a promising start to the day as Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer built a 100 partnership, and trailed by 85 at the end of their first innings.
Australia were quickly one down before lunch after Jake Weatherald's wicket was mistakenly not reviewed by the hosts.
Marnus Labuschagne followed him back to the dressing room after the interval, but Usman Khawaja and Travis Head have since stabilised.
Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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