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England are on the brink of losing the second Ashes Test after Australia put themselves in contention to inflict an innings defeat at The Gabba.

With Australia resuming on 378-6 and holding a 44-run lead, it was imperative that England made quick inroads into the tail on Saturday.

Instead, the Baggy Greens added another 133 to reach 511 all out ahead of the night session where their bowlers would have the advantage.

At least 177 runs are needed to make Australia bat again, but England only managed a measly 134-6 by stumps as the home side’s bowling attack dominated.

Australia dominate with bat and ball

Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc starred with the bat, hitting 13 fours during a knock of 77 after Alex Carey had departed for 63.

Each of Australia’s batting lineup reached double figures as England struggled with the ball, Brydon Carse posting the best figures of 4-152 with Ben Stokes ending up with 3-113.

England wickets keep falling…

Harry Brook is OUT for 15 âŒ

Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ ? pic.twitter.com/QV5W05MZpf

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 6, 2025

Once Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made their way to the crease, the onus was on ensuring that England made it to the fourth day, and the openers delivered 48 runs for the first wicket.

However, in what is becoming trademark fashion, England collapsed from 90-1 to 128-6, Crawley’s initial 44 being in vain as the remainder of the top five posted starts before being dismissed.

Ollie Pope made 26 with each of Duckett, Joe Root and Harry Brook all adding 15 apiece, knocks that will have no bearing on this match.

Starc, while carrying a fitness issue, Michael Neser and Scott Boland each took two wickets to leave England on 134-6 after just 35 overs.

Barring a miraculous comeback, the formalities will be completed on Sunday with England facing a battle to avoid a whitewash series defeat based on the respective performances of the two teams thus far.

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Joe Root of England (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) England captain Joe Root remains confident about his team’s chances in the day-night second Ashes Test, despite Australia gaining a 44-run advantage on day two in Brisbane.Root’s outstanding knock of 138 not out, his first century in Australia, helped England reach 334 in their first innings.Australia responded strongly, reaching 378-6 by the end of play. The hosts benefited from England’s imprecise bowling and missed catching opportunities on a pitch showing signs of wear.”It’s clear we weren’t at our best… but we took those wickets in a cluster, which shows the nature of this game,” Root told TNT Sports, referring to Brydon Carse removing Cameron Green and Steve Smith within four deliveries.”More work to do, but we’re well and truly in this game. It is different fielding to a pink ball, we practise really hard, just one of those days when things didn’t stick to hand. We’ll keep backing ourselves. We need to take four wickets,” he added.”It’s a simple game. Energy and positivity. We know our best cricket can turn a game very quickly. If we are anywhere near our best this game can turn in our favour.”Root celebrated his 40th Test century, marking a significant milestone in his career.”I tried not to approach anything different to the last couple of years,” he said. “Any time you contribute in an Ashes it means a huge amount. The most enjoyable thing was to get into a position to get us in the game.”

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This is an important series for Smith, playing in an Ashes for the first time. He was promoted to the England team at the beginning of the 2024 summer at the expense of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow with this tour in mind.

Smith has made an exceptional start to his Test career. Before the Test at the Gabba he averaged almost 47 with the bat. His glovework has often been tidy.

But there have also been signs that the 25-year-old has some challenges to overcome.

Since making a stunning 184 not out and 88 in the second Test against India in July, then following up with 51 in the first innings of the third Test at Lord’s, Smith’s highest score in seven knocks is 33.

He looked increasingly lethargic as the India series wore on, with both his batting and keeping suffering as a result.

The Surrey man was in uncharted territory in a series where each of the five Tests went to the final day.

Because he is not the first-choice keeper for his county – Foakes takes the gloves at The Oval – he was experiencing a workload like never before.

This Ashes will be similar – another five-Test series. Yes, the first Test in Perth was over in only two days, but there are other challenges to throw to a keeper in Australia.

The steep bounce and true carry should be an advantage, yet takes some getting used to, and the fearsome heat can be sapping.

The edge off Head appeared to take Smith by surprise. It was a superb delivery from Archer, nipping away from round the wicket. In a spell where Archer averaged 89.3mph, he got one to leap at Head, and the ball was still on the rise when it got to Smith.

Moving to his left, Smith got both hands to the ball, only to parry in the direction of the slips, who could not grab the rebound.

“That was a beauty from Archer, it went quickly to Jamie Smith but you’ve got to take those chances,” said former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special.

Former wicketkeeper Matt Prior, part of the England team when they won the Ashes in Australia in 2010-11, said on TNT: “It’s the worst place in the world to be, having just dropped that catch.

“He didn’t do a lot wrong. He got done for a bit of pace, a bit of extra bounce here at the Gabba. It hit him quite high on the gloves.

“That’s a chance you’d want to be taking more times than not.”

According to data analysts Cricviz, Smith’s glovework stands up to other keepers in Test cricket.

This was only the fourth drop of his career, having held 54 previous chances. Smith has a 93% catching efficiency in Tests and for all wicketkeepers in Tests since the start of 2024, the efficiency is around 89%.

Interestingly, of the four drops in his Test career, three of them have been against left-handers.

Smith is also playing in a pink-ball match of any kind for the first time.

The debate over whether England should have sent more players to a floodlit match between England Lions and a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra in the weekend before this Test was tempered by the vastly different conditions in Brisbane when compared to the capital.

While Smith has had five training sessions with the pink ball in the run-up to this Test – two of them under lights – he was out for a second-ball duck in England’s first innings and dropped the first chance that came his way.

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There is set to be just one Premier League match played on Boxing Day this year.

We’re now in December, so excitement for Christmas is building, but for football fans, it is the day after which usually provides the main event.

Leftover turkey, scavenging selection boxes and getting set up in front of the TV for a day of uninterrupted football. Bliss, right? Not this year.

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On 26 December, there will be just one match played in England’s top tier: Manchester United vs Newcastle United, slated for an 8pm start.

Thankfully, this year is set to be an exception rather than a new normal, with the Premier League blaming a calendar congested by expanded European tournaments, and Boxing Day falling on a Friday.

“The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football,” the Premier League said in a statement in October.

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“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions.

“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.

“With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday.”

Normal Boxing Day service will resume in 2026, the Premier League have confirmed (Image credit: Getty Images)

It is, in FourFourTwo’s opinion, a relief that the league wants to protect what they term themselves an ‘important tradition in English football.’

There will still be a full slate of Boxing Day action in the Championship, League One and League Two, perhaps a chance to spotlight some of those divisions, but it will not be the same without a full line-up of games from the top tier.

Football fans will only need to wait an extra day this year, however, with seven Premier League games slated for 27 December.

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Joe Root has finally recorded an Ashes century in Australia to help England edge an absorbing opening day of the second Test in Brisbane.

England’s greatest batsman came to the crease with his team on 5-2 after just 2.3 overs with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope both being dismissed by Mitchell Starc for ducks.

However, with England’s backs against the wall and aided by some timely knocks from several teammates, Root compiled a magnificent 135 from 202 balls to take the tourists to 325-9 at stumps after the first three sessions of the day/night Test.

On his 30th attempt, Root reached the milestone that has defied him throughout his career, making three figures for the 40th time in Tests.

WHAT A MOMENT ?

JOE ROOT FINALLY HAS HIS FIRST CENTURY IN AUSTRALIA! ??

? Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/5kggVrFowl

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 4, 2025

Root, Archer frustrate Australia skipper Smith

Nevertheless, it will be Root’s and Jofra Archer’s epic unbeaten 61-run stand for the last wicket that will make the headlines after Australia captain Steve Smith appeared to purposely slow the game down to reduce the chances of his openers having to face the pink ball late in the day.

Such was the shamelessness of the ploy that it became acceptable at one point for Ben Stokes, like he has done in the past, to declare on a below-par score with the view of progressing the game and taking a chance to make early inroads.

Instead, England went on the attack as Archer combined power and composure to make 32 off 26 – his best-ever Test knock – to contribute to England’s best-ever 10th wicket partnership at The Gabba in just 7.2 overs.

Jofra Archer just hitting sixes for fun out there ??

? Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/00DWVm58Vh

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 4, 2025

Once England got within 10 minutes of the close, it was Root’s and Archer’s turn to slow down the game, but there will likely be ramifications for both teams after a full day of Test cricket only featured 74 overs.

Crawley justifies England faith

Earlier in the day, Zak Crawley bounced back from a pair of ducks in Perth with a superb 76 off 93, the kind of innings that Stokes and Brendon McCullum demand.

Harry Brook made 31 off 33, Stokes made 19 before running himself out and Will Jacks also added 19 ahead of becoming one of Starc’s six victims.

While the course of the game remains very much in the balance, England will claim a moral victory ahead of their attempt to stay ahead of Australia on day two.

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Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (PTI Photo) Sachin Tendulkar commemorated the birth anniversary of his late coach Ramakant Achrekar with a social media post on Wednesday. He shared a nostalgic photo on his X platform account.

Sachin Tendulkar recalls how Sathya Sai Baba blessed him for 2011 World Cup

“Another day where I miss your presence… a little more so than usual. Happy heavenly birthday Achrekar Sir. Your legacy lives on through all the lives you touched and players you made. Thank you for everything,” the former Indian batter wrote. Achrekar, who mentored numerous Indian cricketers, received the Dronacharya Award in 1990 and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2010. He passed away in January 2019. In Mumbai’s cricket circles, Achrekar was a distinguished figure who trained more than twelve international cricketers. Sachin Tendulkar, his most renowned student, began his international career at 16 and went on to set numerous batting records.Tendulkar maintains the record for the highest run total in international cricket. He scored 34,357 runs in 664 international matches with an average of 48.52, including 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries.In Test cricket, he accumulated 15,921 runs across 200 matches, averaging 53.78. His achievements include 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries, the most in Test cricket history.Tendulkar’s One Day International career spans 463 matches with 18,426 runs, the highest by any batsman in this format. He became the first male cricketer to score a double century in ODIs and achieved 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries.His career reached a pinnacle when India won the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in Mumbai.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE RAW RESULTS
DECEMBER 1, 2025
GLENDALE, ARIZ. AT DESERT DIAMOND ARENA
STREAMED LIVE ON NETFLIX
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin

Attendance: WrestleTix reports today that 9,235 tickets were distributed so far; arena set up for 9,614. The arena has a capacity of 19,000 spectators when configured for concerts.

JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOW

PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch contributor Kurt Cadet to review WWE Raw LIVE. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.

Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Raw. Weâ€ll read your emails live during the post-show.

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Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller†(or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).

If you canâ€t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller†and “pwtorch†in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.

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FIFA have confirmed details of the match schedule rollout for next year’s World Cup, with a live broadcast to take place 24 hours after Friday’s draw.

For the first time at a World Cup draw, the venues and kick-off times for all 104 matches won’t be released on the same day as we learn the groups — with FIFA instead placing the games in the best location based on the time zones, of which there are four for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The full schedule will be revealed at 12 p.m. EST (5 p.m. GMT), with FIFA saying president Gianni Infantino will be “joined on stage by FIFA legends” to go through the games and give analysis.

“The match allocation process that follows the draw aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams and spectators while, where possible, enabling fans all over the world to watch their teams play live across different time zones,” FIFA said on Monday.

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“The final version of the match schedule will be available in March, once the FIFA and European play-offs have taken place and the final six slots have been filled.”

Friday’s World Cup draw takes place at 12 p.m. EST in Washington.

Forty-eight teams, or placeholders when taking into account the six who have playoffs to come in March, will be divided into four pots of 12 teams, using the latest FIFA World Rankings list. Each World Cup group will consist of one team from each pot.

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Former WWE star Killer Kross wants top Judgment Day member to become WWE Champion.

Killer Kross, formerly known as Karrion Kross, has now shared his thoughts on Finn Balor. Speaking to Square Family Wrestling, Kross opened up on Balor and heaped him with praise and the desire to see him win the World title.

“Heâ€s really, really tough. I donâ€t know what his current weight is, obviously, heâ€s on the lighter side but Finn hits harder than most heavyweights, and heâ€s tougher than most heavyweights. Guy is a complete freak of nature and heâ€s one of my favorite opponents Iâ€ve ever had in my entire career. Heâ€s really, really good.”

Despite his immense talent, ‘The Prince’ is yet to climb the top of the ladder and has found hope from Kross, who believes he ‘deserves it’.

“Heâ€s really underrated and I hope Finn becomes world champion again because he deserves it.“

Balor and Kross share a vivid history, having faced each other in singles action in 2021. However, both times, Kross defeated Balor for the NXT Championship.

Balor has now been away from a World title for nearly a decade. At SummerSlam 2016, Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins to crown himself the first-ever Universal Champion. However, he had to soon relinquish the title following a shoulder injury.

Also, in the same interview, Kross opened up about the time he first met his wife Scarlett Bordeaux.

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The final day of group play in the 2025 NBA Cup began with six spots in the knockout rounds still up for grabs and three straight winner-take-all games to decide a group. It was as climactic a day as the NBA could have hoped for when instituting the in-season tournament.

When the dust cleared, eight teams were left standing. Here’s how they’ll line up in the knockout round

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NBC Cup quarterfinal matchups

East (Dec. 9)

No. 4 Miami Heat at No. 1 Orlando Magic (6 p.m. ET, Prime)

No. 3 New York Knicks at No. 2 Toronto Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET, Prime)

West (Dec. 10)

No. 4 Phoenix Suns at No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime)

No. 3 San Antonio Spurs at No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET, Prime)

Each quarterfinal game will be played at the higher seed’s arena. The winners of each game will then advance and face their conference’s other winner in the semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 13. The championship game will take place on Dec. 16, also in Las Vegas. All of those games except for the championship will count toward regular-season records.

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Before that, here’s how the winner take-all-games all went down on Friday.

West Group C: Spurs win after Nuggets†second-half collapse

In a stunning comeback, the San Antonio Spurs erased an 18-point deficit to defeat the Denver Nuggets, 139-136, and win Group C in the West.

Toward the end of the first half, Denver had pulled away completely behind a big run, outscoring San Antonio 41-18 in the second quarter. The lead was 15 points at halftime.

But Denverâ€s hot streak slowed in the third quarter, giving the Spurs a chance to catch up. San Antonio went on an 18-3 run at the end of the third, overcoming a double-digit deficit and taking the lead by capitalizing on multiple Nuggets turnovers. In total, the Spurs scored 30 points off Denver turnovers, with the Nuggets committing 17 turnovers throughout the game.

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The two teams traded leads throughout the fourth quarter. But as Denverâ€s turnovers woes continued, San Antonio took advantage.

Jamal Murray finished with a game-high 37 points, but even his hot third quarter wasnâ€t enough to put the Nuggets over the top. Devin Vassell scored 35 points and hit several key baskets in the second half to boost the Spurs†lead, with Julian Champagnie adding 25 points and 10 rebounds.

San Antonio finished 3-1 in the group stage to advance to the knockout round.

West Group A: Thunder hold off Suns in Jalen Williams’ season debut

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 19-1, and 4-0 in NBA Cup play.

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They still haven’t achieved their final form — starting center Isaiah Hartenstein was out Friday — but got much closer to it with the return of Jalen Williams, who missed the season’s first 19 games due to a pair of wrist procedures.

Despite Williams not having the biggest debut (11 points on 3-of-12 shooting, 8 assists) the Thunder kept winning in a 123-119 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take Group A in the West. With a +75 scoring differential, the Thunder will be the top seed in the Western Conference’s knockout round.

It was again Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making everything work for OKC, with the reigning MVP posting 37 points on 10-of-20 shooting plus 8 assists and only 1 turnover. Six different OKC players scored in double-figures.

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OKC needed pretty much all of them, as the Suns didn’t go quietly. A 15-point fourth-quarter lead nearly disappeared for the Thunder, but an and-1 from Gilgeous-Alexander gave them just enough breathing room that Phoenix never got the ball with a chance to take the lead.

East Group B: Desmond Bane lifts Magic over Pistons

The Desmond Bane trade bore some fruit for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup on Friday.

Behind 37 points from Bane, the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-109 in a winner-take-all game that decided the Eastern Conference’s Group B. With a 4-0 record and +64 score differential, Orlando will have the top seed in the East’s knockout round.

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It was nearly another thrilling win for the Pistons, who erased a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and had their own star posting a big night with Cade Cunningham’s 39-point triple-double. The Pistons held the lead up to 2:11 left in the fourth quarter, but a Bane and-1 gave the Magic an advantage they never gave back.

The result also gives the Pistons their second straight loss, after previously tying a franchise record with 13 straight wins.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks clinched Group C with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Miami Heat grabbed the wild card in the East as the only non-group winner with a 3-1 record. The four East teams in the knockout round will be the Magic, Toronto Raptors, Knicks and Heat, seeded in that order.

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NBA Cup scoreboard

NBA Cup standings

East Group A

• Toronto Raptors (4-0, +55)*

• Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2, +26)

• Washington Wizards (1-3, -77)

East Group B

• Orlando Magic (4-0, +61)*

• Boston Celtics (2-2, -17)

• Detroit Pistons (2-2, +21)

• Philadelphia 76ers (1-3, -39)

East Group C

• New York Knicks (3-1, +35)*

• Milwaukee Bucks (2-2, +4)

• Charlotte Hornets (0-3, -46)

West Group A

• Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0, +75)*

• Phoenix Suns (3-1, +31)**

• Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2, +45)

• Sacramento Kings (0-4, -66)

West Group B

• Los Angeles Lakers (4-0 +46)*

• Memphis Grizzlies (3-1, +14)

• Los Angeles Clippers (2-1, -20)

• Dallas Mavericks (1-3, -21)

• New Orleans Pelicans (0-4, -17)

West Group C

• San Antonio Spurs (3-1, +26)*

• Denver Nuggets (2-2, +23)

• Houston Rockets (2-2, +14)

• Portland Trail Blazers (2-2, -31)

• Golden State Warriors (1-3, -32)

* = clinched group title
** = clinched wild card

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