'Short back and sides' - England claim wicket of Marnus Labuschagne one ball after unusual moment in second Ashes Test
By Alex Livie
Published 05/12/2025 at 09:25 GMT
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The NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes series is in full flow, with Australia and England doing battle in the second Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. The match is finely poised during the second day of play, but England were able to claim the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne in slightly bizarre circumstances. Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
'Short back and sides for the ball' - An unusual trim before key wicket
Video credit: TNT Sports
England were striving for wickets during a tough evening session of the second NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes series Test in Brisbane when they prised out Marnus Labuschagne one ball after an unusual moment.
Jofra Archer took the wicket of Jake Weatherald shortly after the tea break, but Labuschagne and Steve Smith rebuilt as the light began to fade.
The pink ball was starting to deviate a little more than earlier in the day, but England were looking flat as Labuschagne and Smith repelled all that was sent down at them.
Ben Stokes and his bowlers enquired about the state of the ball - as Australia had done at the same stage on the first day - but the umpires were not prepared to change it.
But they did agree to do some running repairs on the ball. A close-up shot showed a tuft of seam had come up and a pair of scissors were pulled out of a pocket to make an intervention.
"A short back and sides for the ball," Steven Finn said on TNT Sports commentary. "You can see the writing still firmly on it. 37 overs old."
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The third umpire was seen patrolling the boundary with a box of balls, and Finn suggested England would love to have been able to pick a different one.
"Inside that briefcase is a box of balls England would love to get their hands on," Finn said. "Australia tried many times to change the ball during this period yesterday."
But with the original ball in hand following the delay, Stokes tempted Labuschagne to fish at a ball and he feathered a catch behind to Jamie Smith.
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Huge wicket as Stokes sees off Labuschagne
Video credit: TNT Sports
Labuschagne had to depart for a fine 65, with Finn suggesting the break in play could have impacted the Australia batter.
"The captain Ben Stokes as he so often does," Finn said. "A tiniest flick on Snicko.
"I just wonder whether the ball getting the haircut there has broken Labuschagne’s concentration."
Finn, a former England international, suggested fielding teams can try to break a batter’s concentration when things are not going their way.
"Sometimes as a fielding team, you think about how you can break the rhythm and concentration of the batters," Finn said. "We’ve seen Rishabh Pant do it for India in the World T20 final. He went down with an injury and broke the South Africans’ concentration; India ended up turning that game around.
"Just little instances like that can disrupt the flow of the batter.
"Labuschagne, it was an out-of-character shot for the way he had been playing today. He had been so decisive, but he was neither here nor there, so that maybe broke his confidence."
England are looking to fight back in the series after losing the opening Test in Perth.
The tourists, on the back of Joe Root’s maiden Test ton in Australia, posted 334 in their first innings.
Australia made their way to dinner on the second day on 228-3.
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Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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