Summary

  • Cook 244* - highest score v Australia

  • Smith drops Cook on 66 & 153

  • Cook & Broad (56) add 100 for 9th wkt

  • Root 61, Woakes 26, Bairstow 22

  • Lyon, Hazlewood & Cummins - 3 wkts

  • Australia lead 3-0 in five-Test series

  1. Not outpublished at 124.1 overs

    Eng 392-8

    A brief respite at least from the short ball for Stuart Broad as Nathan Lyon comes into the attack.

    Not so much respite though - Lyon beats Broad's sweep and gets it onto the pads.

    Big appeal but Australia decide against the review. Wise - Broad got an under edge on that.

  2. Postpublished at 05:28 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport in Melbourne

    MCGImage source, BBC Sport

    A field that tells a batsman he won't be getting many full deliveries.

  3. Eng 392-8published at 124 overs

    Cook 190, Broad 11

    Oh look another short ball...Broad takes on a half-pull, half-hook shot and gets it up and over the keeper for four.

    Hazlewood mixes it up with a full one, but Broad jabs down on it and gets it away to gully.

    Broad jumps back and fends into off to get off strike. Two for Cook to face - he defends the first.

    And then smites the second away through the covers for four. Delicious shot. That takes Cook into the 190s...

  4. Eng 383-9published at 123.1 overs

    Hazlewood onto Cook's pads and again Cook takes the single on offer.

    Australia happy to let the opener take that run every time but Cook clearly has confidence in Broad.

    Here goes Hazlewood at the number 10 again...

  5. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 05:24 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Text 81111

    So basically, I can get onto the field during the Ashes for less than £10k? I'll take a deckchair with me and watch from the covers, thanks very much.

    Ben in Bristol

  6. Eng 382-8published at 123 overs

    Lead by 55

    Broad starts to moves to leg, Cummins follows him and England's number 10 angles his bat late and ends up chipping it over the slips for four.

    Yeesh. Broad follows that with a ugly swipe across the line, the ball evading the stumps.

    That's better - Broad stands tall, gets in behind and knocks it straight down.

    Cummins beats the bat as Broad tries to pull. That's the cue for Cummins to come round the wicket but Broad plays it really well, riding the bounce assuredly.

    The last ball slides way down leg and Broad leaves it well alone.

  7. How's stat?!published at 05:19 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Andrew Samson
    BBC Test Match Special statistician

    Alastair Cook has never carried his bat in 271 first-class matches.

  8. Eng 378-8published at 122 overs

    Cook is happy to trust Broad, dabbing away a length ball for a single off the first ball of Hazlewood's over.

    Broad then gets off the mark with a sort of short-arm chip into the off-side. Not conventional, but effective enough.

    Hazlewood aims at Cook's pads, with the England opener duly tucking it round the corner for one.

    Broad easily leaves one banged down leg and then nicely rides the bounce to glance away into leg for one.

  9. Eng 374-8published at 05:15 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Short ball into the body that Broad fends off.

    Short ball angled down leg that Broad swerves out of the way of.

    Short ball on off that Broad weaves back away from.

    Cummins staying on the right side of two for the over though - only the last was up near the head, the others targeting the midriff.

  10. Eng 374-8published at 120.3 overs

    Cook 183, Broad 0

    My colleague Matt Henry reckoned England would be all out for 410 at the start of the day.

    Will the tourists even get there? How long can Stuart Broad and James Anderson stick around with Alastair Cook? We know what type of bowling they'll have to cope with.

    Cook takes a single off Cummins, bringing Broad on strike with three balls left in the over...

  11. How's stat?!published at 05:10 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Andrew Samson
    BBC Test Match Special statistician

    Stuart Broad is batting with Alastair Cook for just the second time in 113 Test matches they have played together.

  12. Eng 373-8published at 120 overs

    Lead by 46

    Yeesh. Broad is now greeted with a vicious short ball that rises up at his face, with the number 10 arcing his head back.

    Didn't hit him too hard though and he's fine to continue.

    Stuart BroadImage source, Getty Images
  13. Not outpublished at 119.5 overs

    Hazlewood fires it down leg second up at Broad - appeal for caught behind.

    That hit his hip though and Australia wisely decide against a review.

  14. Postpublished at 05:05 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Ed Smith
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    Malan's inside edge earlier was a lot bigger than Curran's outside edge.

  15. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 119.3 overs

    Curran c Paine b Hazlewood 4 (Eng 373-8)

    No real deviation but there is a tiny nick on Hot Spot and Curran has to go.

    A good ball from Hazlewood, right in that corridor of uncertainty, drawing Curran into a prod and feathering through to Paine behind.

    Curran gets a chorus of boos from the MCG home crowd for not walking - boos which duly carry on to welcome Stuart Broad to the crease.

  16. Postpublished at 05:04 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Curran didn't respond or show any sign but there was a noise.

  17. Australia reviewpublished at 05:04 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Josh Hazlewood is on for Jackson Bird and will bowl from the Member's End for the first time in this Test.

    A pearler, Tom Curran plays at it and Tim Paine snaffles it behind. Australia go up in appeal - given not out. But the hosts review...

  18. Eng 373-7published at 05:01 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Cummins continues at Cook but can't get any purchase over the wicket so changes the angle to come round.

    Nothing much doing there either - two shortish balls that Cook can't work beyond the fielders in the ring. A maiden.

  19. Postpublished at 04:58 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2017

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport in Melbourne

    Cooler, breezier. A small amount of rain has been forecast. It feels like it might arrive.

  20. Eng 373-7published at 118 overs

    Lead by 46

    Cook drives square for one and gives Curran a maximum of four balls to face in this Bird over.

    The number nine plays them all calmly but for no runs.