Summary

  • Australia close day three on 45-1, leading by 282

  • England slump from 150-2 to 236 all out

  • Australia opt not to enforce follow-on

  • Malan (80) & Root (62) play well but their wickets lead to yet another collapse

  • Daily highlights programme on BBC iPlayer from 18:00 GMT

  • Listen to Test Match Special commentary by clicking the play icon

  1. Postpublished at 07:04 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    It's amazing how much a wicket changes things. Ben Stokes would've been watching from the sides thinking the ball was doing absolutely nothing.

  2. Postpublished at 07:03 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on BBC Test Match Special

    Now that was proper spin.

  3. Eng 150-3published at 47 overs

    Isn't it funny what a wicket does? Well not funny. It's really not funny, but you know what I mean. For what feels like the first time today Nathan Lyon finds real turn, an edge by Malan dropping just short of slip.

  4. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 07:01 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    #bbccricket

    Fran Adam: I’m sorry Joe Root is great but he needs to learn to leave the ball. Maybe in England when the bounce is lower and you can play with soft hands you know it’s lower risk but in Australia you can’t play like that. I guess that’s why he hasn’t made a 100.

  5. Eng 150-3published at 46 overs

    Malan 73, Stokes 0

    90mph from Cameron Green first up to Ben Stokes. Stokes is late on it. Green may not know how to defend his off stump at the moment but he can bowl.

  6. Postpublished at 06:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Again it's that bounce. Root didn't know whether he could go back or forward, and it just kicks a bit off the surface.

  7. Postpublished at 06:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on BBC Test Match Special

    That's rather come from nowhere, but Green has been probing away at that full length. That's the second time he's got Joe Root out in the series.

  8. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 45.4 overs

    Root c Smith b Green 62 (Eng 150-3)

    Who switched on? Cameron Green beat Joe Root once in the last over, did it again in this and then finally finds the edge. It flies comfortably to Steve Smith at second slip.

    Should Root have left it? Probably. He thumps his bat on the way off.

  9. Postpublished at 06:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Green has looked the most threatening of the Australia bowlers so far. It's the extra bounce he gets from being so tall.

  10. Postpublished at 06:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on BBC Test Match Special

    England made a lot of mistakes in the first two days. But they haven't had the rub of the green either. Going off for those 45 minutes last night was one thing that did go their way, though.

  11. Eng 150-2published at 45 overs

    It's sleepy in the beating sun in Adelaide. The atmosphere is nothing like that of last night when the crowd were roaring Starc and co in under the lights.

  12. get involved

    What to call a group of England wickets...published at 06:53 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Text 81111 (standard message rates apply)

    A 'tradition' of English wickets.

    Will, Milton Keynes.

  13. Eng 150-2published at 44 overs

    Malan 73, Root 62

    Wooooft. Root is well and truly beaten by a ball that zips from Cameron Green. That surprised Root too with the England skipper quickly withdrawing his gloves from the line of the ball.

    We haven't seen too much of that this morning.

  14. Postpublished at 06:49 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Steven Finn
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England have done well to get on top of Nathan Lyon. That doesn't mean going after him every ball, but just making sure he knows that he can't just settle in and bowl at them.

  15. Eng 148-2published at 43 overs

    We're now into the kind of negative responses I expected.

    Nathan Lyon, having swapped ends, almost makes an immediate impact as Malan skews a drive - the Aussies yelping in anticipation as it flies through the air.

    Much more secure a few balls later from England's left-hander. Malan cuts for four to move into the seventies.

  16. get involved

    What to call a group of England wicketspublished at 06:44 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    #bbccricket

    Kevin Stevens: A calamity of wickets.

    Matt Jones: Surely with how it makes you feel, it should a "murder" of English wickets.

    Sonney: A cascade of wickets?

  17. Eng 144-2published at 42 overs

    Malan 68, Root 61

    England have their first runs of the session but they come in slightly edgy fashion off their skipper's bat. Joe Root will tell you he played that. I'm not so sure.

  18. Eng 140-2published at 41 overs

    Not so far today, Mark.

    Cameron Green will begin the early evening session. The nearest cloud is still at least 30 miles away.

  19. get involved

    What to call a group of England wickets...published at 06:39 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    Text 81111 (UK only - standard message rates apply)

    I would imagine that a group of England wickets is "an expectation" these days.

    Mark, Warrington

  20. Postpublished at 06:38 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2021

    The Aussies are lining up on the boundary edge. Whisper is quietly but are they missing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood?

    Any team in history would, I guess.