Summary

  • Australia win Ashes

  • Hosts take 3-0 lead in five-Test series

  • Victory sealed before tea on final day

  • Malan 54; Hazlewood 5-48

  • 'Damp patches' delay start by 3 hrs

  • Rain leaks through covers overnight

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance, Amy Lofthouse and Mandeep Sanghera

  1. Movement - umpires and officials looking at the pitch again.

    I've not seen anyone try and bowl on it, which seems like common sense to me, but apparently that's very much outlawed...

  2. It's no Edgbaston...

    More from Trevor Bayliss, speaking to ABC: "It needs a bit of sun. They're not the Edgbaston groundsmen, that's for sure! It shows that this is probably the driest ground in Australia.

    "It's going to be an interesting day's cricket. From any cricketer's point of view it's never the best hanging around. I'm sure if the roles were reversed the same questions would be asked."

  3. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    With the weather how it is, I wouldn't expect it to dry that quickly.

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    Joseph Trotter: 'Damp patch' would also quite suitably describe England's performance this series.

  5. Vic Marks
    Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    It's alarming to here Bayliss say that. The pitch was like a rock yesterday.

  6. How much training would it take to get 566 koalas to be able to cover a pitch competently?

  7. Koala watch

    .Getty Images

    There is an amazing story in today's Times about Australia captain Steve Smith and koalas.

    Smith is an investor in a start-up company, Koala, which makes mattresses, and they have an almighty koala adoption programme going on.

    From Will MacPherson in The Times: "For every run the Australia captain scores, the company adopts a koala, and for every catch he takes it adopts 20 (as well as 30 for a runout and 100 for a wicket).

    "So far this series he has 426 runs and seven catches — 566 koalas!"

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    John Levick: It could be worse..I remember oil stopped play in Headingley a few years ago when Australia were just starting to bat in their second innings. I don't know how it got into the pitch but both captains decided to call off the match.

    Oil on pitch at HeadingleyGett

  9. Pitch 'unacceptable'

    BaylissGetty Images

    England coach Trevor Bayliss, speaking to ABC: "There was five or six small, wet patches. At this stage you can still push your finger into the pitch. If the wicket isn't in the same place as it was yesterday, it makes batting more difficult and maybe a bit more dangerous. A few of those spots are right on a length.

    "We will go with whatever the umpires say. That doesn't stop any team in our position arguing the point but if they say it's' ready to play then we're ready to go."

    Is it unacceptable to play on? "At the moment it is."

  10. Anyone else want to see what happens when Mitchell Starc bowls at 90mph into playdough?

    From a safe distance, of course...

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    Alan Taylor: Waca groundstaff not getting a Christmas bonus this year.

  12. From the press box

  13. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    They could play the game, with the view that if it hits a damp patch and you get out, you're not out! It's like in the street: "It's my bat and I'm not out."

  14. Just to clarify, IF this match was drawn, and England won the remaining two Tests and drew the series 2-2, they would keep the Ashes...

  15. PitchPA

    Waca chief executive Christina Matthews, speaking to ABC: "I've been here six years and it's the first time it's been under 35 degrees. Last time I saw the hairdryers on the pitch was in grade cricket.

    "The hessian got wet. It's been unbelievable yesterday - blustery and wet. In their effort to get things going, they've been slow to get the hessian back on. The curator says to me beyond 11:00 they think they'll be fine.

    "They have to satisfy the match referee. I don't think any pitch today is going to satisfy England. We don't normally have these conditions. Reacting to it is a little bit different."

  16. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    There's three umpires and Steve Smith currently out looking at the pitch. There's a patch that's outside the off stump that is damp. You can see more rain away to the left hand side.

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    That's the spirit...

    Bobbie Hough: Call it off!

  18. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport in Perth

    In other news, Mitchell Starc has a bruised heel and will be assessed after this game. Rain, a Starc injury. The stars are aligning for England. Starc will be able to bowl today, weather permitting.

    Mitchell StarcGetty Images

  20. Umpire Chris Gaffeney says that the pitch has to be the same for both sides and "at this stage we believe the pitch has been altered overnight."

    The four umpires are down at the wicket with Steve Smith right now.