England go a decade without Ashes glory as Australia wrap up series in 11 days, with Mitchell Starc taking three wickets on final day in Adelaide
Updated 21/12/2025 at 06:59 GMT
England's dream is over, with Australia retaining the urn once again. Jamie Smith and Will Jacks entered Day 5 in Adelaide needing to lead the tourists to a miraculous recovery, but Mitchell Starc again did the damage to seal a series victory in the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance men's Ashes. Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Highlights: Australia wrap up Ashes series win as England's record chase falters
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Australia have won the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance men's Ashes series with two matches to spare.
England arrived in Adelaide knowing they needed nothing less than a victory, with Brendon McCullum's men 2-0 down after demoralising eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane.
The tourists looked to have dismissed Australia for an achievable target of 371 in the first innings on what was a good batting pitch, but yet another top-order collapse saw them make 286 in response.
Travis Head then scored 170 to power Australia to a commanding lead of 434, leaving England needing the biggest fourth-innings run chase in Test history if they were to keep the series alive.
The middle order faltered late on Day 4 to leave the visitors needing a near-miracle - but Will Jacks and Jamie Smith didn't get the memo, performing well early on the final day, either side of a rain delay.
The departure of veteran spinner Nathan Lyon due to a hamstring injury only added to the hope.
Smith in particular raced to a half-century, but seemed to get a little too eager after a run of boundaries. An ambitious shot fell into the grateful hands of returning captain Pat Cummins in what proved to be the key wicket.
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Smith gets overexcited, key wicket falls shortly after half-century
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Mitchell Starc was the bowler for that crucial moment, and the man of the series so far produced a further two - Jacks and Jofra Archer - before Scott Boland wrapped up proceedings with England falling 82 runs short.
The 3-0 lead means the urn will remain in Australia until at least 2027, which will result in a full decade of dominance.
England's last series win came in 2015, and the most recent Down Under was in 2010/11.
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Ben Stokes and co. will now play for pride, hoping to avoid another series whitewash. The 2006/07 and 2013/14 tours both saw 5-0 losses, while 2017/18 and 2021/22 both ended 4-0 with one draw.
The remaining two Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney, are live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Starc, who has rapidly racked up 22 wickets in the series, said after the win at the Adelaide Oval: "[It feels] bloody good! It’s nice to work for it.
"Bit of a flat wicket and they played pretty well but I think they are the ones you cherish more when you have to work for it. I can’t fault anyone today. It was awesome.
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'Execution hasn't been anywhere near good enough' - Stokes
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"The wicket didn’t do as much as we thought it probably would with the newer ball but shame for Nath [Lyon] to go down as well, thought he would have done a great job with the harder, newer ball, and the rough as well.
"But again we just found a way, which is just a feature of this group for a number of years now. Even at times when stuff isn’t going our way, we can find a way to get ourselves over the line.
"There’s been a lot made outside the group about Pat not being there for the first two. This week he was phenomenal, and he was the Pat Cummins we know and love.
"It’s been an all-round performance with the ball, certainly with the bat, the two guys playing at home this week have had a phenomenal week, so really pleased with them as well."
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The winning moment as Australia clinch Ashes glory in just 11 days
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On Australia's ageing heroes, Starc added: "100%, we do laugh at some of the comments we get about how old we are, but I think that plays a part [in] how calm this group is.
"It certainly hasn’t always been going our way with the rub of the green and I think that is certainly led by Pat and Andrew and how they have gelled this group over a number of years.
"So I’m sure experience plays a part in going through the highs and lows but I think the levelness of this group, being able to find a way in those situations and probably forgetting about things that haven’t gone our way, I think that plays a part in all this."
Cummins, who missed the first two Tests, spoke of the "good old-fashioned grind" it took to overcome England, who pushed Australia further than he would have liked in the third Test.
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Australia produced 'good old-fashioned grind' to retain urn - Cummins
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"I think that’s when we’re at our best [under pressure], you can’t really rush things here in Australia," he said.
"You kind of will it to happen, but it doesn’t really work that way. It’s good old-fashioned grind a lot of the time, I love the toil from all the guys. It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but pretty happy."
Man of the Match and local hero Alex Carey, who struck 106 runs in the first innings and 72 in the second, said: "We know England are such a good cricket team and we're going to be challenged right to the end today it was a real grind."
"It’s been a lot of fun, this Adelaide crowd has been something special. Very special moment, having the family, to score a hundred and look up to the heavens [following the passing of his father] was very special."
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'Absolutely wonderfully held!' - Labuschagne the hero again as Jacks goes
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Marnus Labuschagne, who has been just as influential throughout the series so far and produced the excellent catch to dismiss Jacks on Sunday, said: "The position we're in now, a little bit of nerves there with some really good batting by Jamie Smith and Will Jacks.
"We held firm as we have been all series, patient, and you know it is a great feeling to be where we are."
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Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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