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Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo club record for goals in a calendar year, and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga.

French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo’s tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first-half header.

The victory allowed Los Blancos, second, to cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to one point before the Catalans visit Villarreal on Sunday.

“To do like Cristiano did, my idol, the best player in Real Madrid’s history and a world great, it’s an honour for me,” said Mbappe, who turned 27 on Saturday.

Gaining a third consecutive win across all competitions, after managing just two in the previous eight games, marginally eases the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso, even though the performance was still underwhelming.

“We’ve got some time now to analyse and reflect where we are now,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the winter break.

“We want to do better, we’re self-critical, we got the three points and now we’ll use this time and try to start the year better.”

Sevilla, who thrashed champions Barcelona 4-1 in October, started strongly with veteran Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez heavily involved.

Odysseas Vlachodimos made a fine save to thwart Fran Garcia at the other end, and as the minutes ticked by, Madrid began to find more of a foothold.

Bellingham headed the hosts in front at the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodrygo Goes whipped in a dangerous free-kick.

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The Brazilian forward was booked for diving before the break as he tumbled in the box under little pressure.

Sanchez landed the ball on the roof of Thibaut Courtois’s net before the break with an acrobatic effort.

Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda was sent off at half-time for dissent, but his team plugged away in search of an equaliser regardless.

Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe headed against the crossbar and whipped a shot narrowly wide, while Vlachodimos fended off another effort from the forward.

Sevilla defender Marcao clumsily slid in to foul Bellingham after 67 minutes and was sent off for a second yellow card, hampering his side’s chances of adding to Alonso’s struggles.

Madrid almost scored a second when Mbappe teed up Rodrygo, who lifted the ball into the air and then lashed it towards goal, but Vlachodimos superbly tipped it onto the crossbar.

Eventually, Mbappe got the goal he craved from the penalty spot after Juanlu clumsily brought down Rodrygo.

The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe copied Ronaldo’s trademark celebration and said it was a nod to the Portuguese great, Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

“I wanted to give him a wink because he’s always been kind to me,” said Mbappe.

“He was my idol as a kid, I have a very good relationship with him, he’s a friend now.”

Madrid were awarded another penalty when Bellingham went down in the box, but it was ruled out after a VAR review showed Sevilla defender Oso got the ball.

The referee then gave Madrid another penalty as Sow fouled Rodrygo on the edge of the box, but the offence was just outside the area and it was again scrapped.

Mbappe whipped the free-kick narrowly over the top corner as he battled in vain to go beyond Ronaldo’s mark, but he will have to try again in 2026.

“Scoring 59 goals is not easy, he’s got quality and talent — it’s hard to stop him in training,” said Courtois, who called on the whole team to take a step forward next year.

“Hopefully 2026 comes with trophies, but for that we have to improve our level,” he added.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo rose to seventh even though they could only draw 0-0 at struggling Real Oviedo, while Levante held Real Sociedad 1-1. Osasuna thrashed Alaves 3-0 to go 12th.

READ: Dominant Australia outplay England to retain Ashes

A dominant Australia collected the last four wickets they needed Sunday to win the third Test and retain the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket, crushing the dreams of an England side who finally showed some fight.

England’s dogged resistance on day five at Adelaide Oval lasted into the second session before Scott Boland removed Josh Tongue for an 82-run victory to ensure the famous urn remains in Australian hands.

The tourists needed a win to keep the five-match series alive after being crushed by eight wickets at Perth and Brisbane, with two more Tests still to play at Melbourne and Sydney.

But despite showing more grit, they were again outplayed by an Australian team who suffered a setback with spin wizard Nathan Lyon hurting his hamstring and hobbling off.

Chasing 435 was always going to be a huge challenge, with no side ever reeling in more than 418 to win in Test history, but England at least gave it a crack as they scored 352 all out.

Their demise in just 11 days is the joint-second quickest in more than a century since the 1921 series was completed in eight days, with their “Bazball” style of ultra-attacking cricket exposed.

England’s capitulation over three Tests is a far cry from the pre-Ashes hype where they were touted as having their best chance in a generation to win a series in Australia.

And it made a mockery of former fast bowler Stuart Broad’s claim that the hosts had their weakest side in 15 years, written off by others as a “Dad’s Army”.

The reality for Ben Stokes’s men is that England have now gone 18 Tests since winning in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11.

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Their last three trips yielded one-sided scorelines of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0, with more of the same on the cards unless there is a dramatic shift in their fortunes.

They resumed on 207-6 with Will Jacks on 11 and Jamie Smith two.

Smith showed early intent by slog-sweeping Lyon over deep midwicket for six, then banged another off Cameron Green as the Barmy Army fans broke into Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”.

After four days of searing heat and sunshine, the lights were on with dark clouds looming, and after 40 minutes, the players went off as fine rain returned.

It was a passing shower, and they were back out 40 minutes later with lunch pushed back by half an hour.

Lyon limped off soon after the restart after pulling a hamstring in sliding to save a boundary.

He was sent for scans and ruled out of the rest of the Test, later seen on crutches with rest of the series for him in peril.

When Mitchell Starc took the new ball, Smith began hitting out, crunching two fours in a row, and it proved his downfall when he skied to Pat Cummins at midwicket.

Will Jacks produced his highest Test score of 47 and steered England’s chase below 100.

But he fell to another spectacular catch from Marnus Labuschagne, diving to his left in front of wicketkeeper Alex Carey after an edge off Starc.

Starc struck again to send Jofra Archer packing before Boland took out Tongue, sparking huge celebrations.

England took six wickets before lunch on Saturday to wrap up Australia’s second innings for 349 with Travis Head slamming 170.

They then survived for two sessions, but the wheels came off courtesy of Lyon.

He bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes before tempting Zak Crawley down the wicket to be stumped by Alex Carey for 85, with Cummins accounting for danger man Joe Root on 39.

It was left to Smith and Jacks to ensure it would go to a fifth day.

READ: Ashes 2025: England ‘flat’ as Zak Crawley admits Australia ‘a better side’

DUBAI: Sameer Minhas’ marathon knock followed by Ali Raza’s splendid bowling display helped Pakistan thrash India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup U19 final here at the ICC Academy on Sunday.

Set a daunting 348, the Indian batting lineup faltered under pressure and were skittled for only 156 in 26.3 overs.

Indian opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi came out all guns blazing and hit a quick-fire 26 from 10 deliveries. As a result, India were 32 in 2.2 overs.

However, skipper Ayush Mhatre was sent back for two, and soon after, the Men in Blue batting lineup collapsed.

Pacers Ali Raza and Mohammad Sayyam combined to send back Aaron George (16) and dangerous Vaibhav Suryavanshi in back-to-back balls, which put India in dire straits at 49-3 in 4.1 overs.

The Green Shirts continued to pile up pressure and cut through the Indian middle order. Vihaan Malhotra (7), Vedant Trivedi (9), and Abhigyan Kundu (13) stayed at the crease for a short time, which left India reeling at 82-6 in 12.3 overs.

At one stage, it looked like India would not cross the 100-run mark, but they eventually did, thanks to some sloppy fielding from Pakistan and Deepesh Devendran’s knock, who top-scored for his side.

He made 36 from 16 with the help of six fours and two maximums.

For Pakistan, Ali Raza outfoxed Indian batters with a four-wicket haul while Huzaifa Ahsan, Abdul Subhan, and Mohammad Sayyam contributed with two wickets each.

Earlier, Pakistan capitalized on the decision to bat first against India and racked up 347/8 in their allotted 50 overs.

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Hamza Zahoor and Sameer Minhas provided a brisk start, adding 31 in 3.3 overs before the former was caught after scoring 18. He hit two sixes and a boundary in his knock.

The wicket brought Usman Khan to the crease, who then stitched a 92-run partnership for the second wicket with Minhas, which brought the score to 123 in 16.4 overs.

Khilan Patel provided the much-needed breakthrough for India, removing Usman, who made 35 from 45 with the aid of three fours and a six.  Meanwhile, it continued on and reached half a century.

However, it was the third wicket stand of 137 runs between Sameer Minhas and Ahmed Hussain, which put Green Shirts in a position to score a big total.

Sameer Minhas reached the century on the third ball of the 28th over with a four and continued while Ahmed Hussain departed after making 56 off 72 balls.

At this stage, Pakistan were 260-3 in 37.3 overs.

But India made a comeback in the last phase of the innings and restricted Pakistan’s scoring rate, including the prized wicket of Minhas.

The right-hander was eventually caught after amassing 172 off just 113, peppered with 17 fours and nine sixes.

For India, Deepesh Devendran stood tall among the bowlers and picked up three wickets in his quota of `10 overs.

READ: BBL 15: Babar Azam’s Sixers crush Thunder in Sydney derby

Jack Edwards produced a match-winning five-wicket haul after half-centuries from Babar Azam and Josh Philippe powered Sydney Sixers to a commanding victory over arch-rivals Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 derby on Saturday.

Chasing a challenging target of 199, Thunder were bowled out for 151 in 19.1 overs, undone by a ruthless Sixers bowling display led by Edwards, who ripped through the top and middle order to seal the Sixers’ first win of the season.

The chase began in disastrous fashion for Thunder as Edwards struck twice inside the first three overs, reducing them to 17 for three.

Early pressure told, and although Sam Billings attempted to steady the innings, momentum remained firmly with the Sixers.

Cameron Bancroft struggled for fluency during a brief stand with Billings before Joel Davies ended his stay, dismissing him for a laboured seven.

A counter-attack followed when Shadab Khan joined Billings, with the pair adding a brisk 49 runs for the fifth wicket in just 22 balls to briefly revive Thunder’s hopes.

Jack Edwards, however, returned to break the partnership, removing Billings for a well-made 51 off 28 balls, an innings that included three fours and four sixes.

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Shadab Khan continued to fight, scoring 41 off 31 deliveries with three fours and two sixes, but he too fell to Edwards, who completed his five-wicket haul in the 18th over.

With only minor contributions from the lower order, including Chris Green’s 13, Thunder’s resistance ended at 151.

Earlier, the Sixers laid the foundation with a dominant batting effort, scoring 198-5 after being asked to bat first.

Babar Azam and Daniel Hughes struggled to break free against disciplined new-ball bowling, managing 33 runs in 26 balls before Reece Topley removed Hughes for 25.

Josh Philippe joined Babar, and the pair launched a decisive counter-attack, adding 140 runs for the second wicket in just 79 balls to seize complete control of the innings.

Babar, who had endured two modest outings earlier in the tournament, gradually found his rhythm after a cautious start and brought up his maiden BBL half-century from 38 balls.

His innings came to an end in the 18th over when he attempted to hit a short ball from Topley, finishing with a composed 58 off 42 balls, including five fours and two sixes.

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Topley also removed Ben Dwarshuis (1) in the same over to briefly check the scoring rate.

Josh Philippe, however, carried on and looked set for a century before Nathan McAndrew struck twice in the final over, dismissing skipper Moises Henriques (2) and then Philippe himself.

The wicketkeeper-batter top-scored with a fluent 96 off 57 balls, striking ten boundaries, including four sixes.

The Sixers closed on 198 for five, setting a formidable target that proved well beyond the Thunder’s reach.

Topley finished with three wickets for Thunder, while McAndrew claimed two. Shadab Khan went wicketless, conceding 33 runs from three overs.

The result handed Sydney Sixers their first win of BBL 15 after three matches, while the Thunder slipped to their second consecutive defeat of the tournament.

READ: Star batter axed as India name T20 World Cup 2026 squad

ADELAIDE: Opener Zak Crawley said the mood in the England dressing room was “flat” on Saturday as they stared down the barrel of losing the Ashes 2025 within three Tests, admitting Australia were the better side.

England are still 228 runs adrift from the mammoth 435 the hosts set them to win in Adelaide, with just four wickets left and a daunting task ahead on day five.

Should they lose, the five-match series will be decided with Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, still to come, after Australia won the opening two clashes in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets.

“They’re just flat,” said Crawley, who hit a composed 85, of his teammates. “We came here to win the Ashes, we’re always an optimistic team, an upbeat team, and we’ll try and put up as much fight as we can.”

“Obviously very disappointing,” he added. “It’s an uphill battle from here, but the boys are going to give it a good crack tomorrow.”

Zak Crawley at least found form with the grittiest of knocks, adding 78 with Joe Root, then 68 with Harry Brook, defending well and attacking loose balls.

He was undone when spin wizard Nathan Lyon tempted him down the wicket to be stumped by Alex Carey.

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Crawley said while he was at the crease, he always believed England had a chance.

“When you’re at the crease, you never consider that the game’s over, you always think like that as long as you’re there,” he said.

“When you get out, obviously, those feelings change. But when I was out there, I felt like we had great players at the crease and coming in.”

England headed to Australia with high hopes, but it has been mostly one-way traffic despite the series being hyped beforehand as having the hallmarks of being a classic.

Crawley admitted England had been outplayed by a better side.

“They’re a very, very good side. I feel like it was always going to be tough coming here, against them,” he said. “They were the favourites going into it, and they’ve proven why.”

“Obviously, we’ve been slightly short of our best, but a lot of credit has to go to them. They’ve not allowed us to be our best.”

READ: Babar Azam closes in on Chris Gayle’s T20 record

SYDNEY: Pakistan batting star Babar Azam has put himself within touching distance of a major T20 landmark during the Big Bash League (BBL) 15, as he edges closer to breaking a long-standing record held by West Indies great Chris Gayle.

Representing Sydney Sixers in his maiden BBL campaign, Babar endured a quiet start to the tournament, managing just 11 runs across his first two appearances.

However, the right-hander rediscovered his touch in the high-voltage Sydney derby against Thunder on Saturday, producing a composed and timely knock that underlined his class.

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After a cautious beginning, Babar settled in and brought up his maiden BBL half-century off 38 deliveries.

He was eventually dismissed in the 18th over while attempting to take on Reece Topley, walking back with a well-crafted 58 from 42 balls, an innings decorated with five fours and two sixes.

The half-century marked Babar’s 107th score of 50 or more in T20 cricket, achieved in 331 innings. He is currently fourth on the all-time list for most 50-plus scores in the shortest format.

Australia’s David Warner leads the standings with 121 such scores, followed by India’s Virat Kohli on 114, while Gayle sits third with 110.

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With four more 50-plus scores, Babar Azam will surpass Gayle’s record, and the numbers suggest the milestone is well within reach.

Sydney Sixers still have at least seven group-stage matches remaining in BBL 15, with further opportunities likely should they progress to the playoffs.

Babar’s return to form also played a decisive role in the derby clash. He shared a match-defining 140-run second-wicket partnership with Josh Philippe, lifting the Sixers to a formidable 198 for five against their arch-rivals.

READ: Star batter axed as India name T20 World Cup 2026 squad

MUMBAI: Defending champions India have sprung a major surprise ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, leaving out star batter and vice-captain Shubman Gill from the 15-member squad announced for the home tournament.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the squad on Saturday as India prepare to defend their crown in the global event, which will run from February 7 to March 8.

The Men in Blue will be aiming to lift the T20 World Cup for a record third time, having defeated South Africa in the final of the 2024 edition.

Gill’s omission is the headline decision from the selection panel, with the prolific right-hander failing to make the cut despite being a regular feature in recent white-ball squads.

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Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in his first ICC tournament as captain; meanwhile, all-rounder Axar Patel has been named vice-captain in Gill’s absence.

The selectors have also opted for a fresh balance in the batting group, leaving out Jitesh Sharma while backing Rinku Singh.

Another notable inclusion is Ishan Kishan, who returns to the T20I setup after last featuring for India in November 2023 against Australia. His recall adds depth to the wicketkeeping options alongside Sanju Samson, while also bolstering the left-handed presence in the top order.

Before the World Cup, India will face New Zealand for three ODIs and five T20Is. The same squad will feature in the T20I series, scheduled from January 21 to January 31 in preparation for the marquee event.

India squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

READ: Kavem Hodge ton sees West Indies save follow-on in New Zealand Test

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Kavem Hodge scored his second Test century on Saturday as the West Indies reached 381-6 at the end of the third day of the third Test, 194 runs behind New Zealand and avoiding the follow-on.

The 32-year-old crawled to his century off 224 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and being dropped on 74 by Daryl Mitchell, who shelled a difficult chance at slip off Ajaz Patel.

He faced 33 balls to get through the 90s, including a long stoppage on 97 after he was hit by a painful blow in the box by a Michael Rae delivery.

Hodge shared in an 81-run partnership with Justin Greaves, which edged the visitors closer to the follow-on target of 375, and fifty stands with Tevin Imlach as well as Alick Athanaze.

Hodge was unbeaten on 109 at stumps with Anderson Phillip the other not out batsman on 12.

New Zealand received a spark from an unlikely source when Mitchell trapped Greaves lbw for 43, just his fourth Test wicket in his 35th match.

Batting suddenly looked a lot harder, as Roston Chase came and went, trapped lbw by Patel.

The West Indies said their leading batsman, Shai Hope, would not have batted on Saturday because of food poisoning, but Kemar Roach, who suffered a hamstring injury on day one, would bat if required.

Phillip came to the crease and should have been out for two when edging Patel to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, but New Zealand did not appeal. He was then dropped on eight from Patel’s bowling by Rae at mid-on.

Jacob Duffy had 2-79 from 31 overs, while Patel took 2-94 in 33 overs to end his unwanted record of being the bowler to take the most Test wickets without a single one at home.

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Patel’s 86th Test wicket was his first in New Zealand, bowling Athanaze in the middle session, some 2,562 days since his first Test in New Zealand and with his 394th ball on home soil.

England’s Billy Bates, who took 50 wickets between 1882 and 1887, all in Australia, has regained the dubious honour in the Test history books.

New Zealand made a breakthrough straight after lunch as Imlach fell for 27, caught behind by Blundell from the bowling of Rae.

Hodge and Athanaze combined for a 61-run partnership with the latter playing a series of nice drives and flicks as he looked to find form.

Having confidently moved to 45, a moment of indecision saw Athanaze gift Patel his wicket. He attempted to leave a ball well down the legside, only for it to deflect off his inner thigh and onto the stumps.

The West Indies resumed on Saturday at 110-0 and added only one run before Duffy struck in the second over as John Campbell edged to Tom Latham at second slip without adding to his overnight 45.

It ended the first West Indies century opening stand since February 2023.

Duffy doubled up when he bowled Brandon King, who had begun the day on 55, for 63.

New Zealand declared their first innings on Friday at a mammoth 575-8, anchored by Devon Conway’s epic 227 and captain Latham’s 137.

READ: Anthony Joshua knocks out Jake Paul to win Netflix boxing bout

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their controversial Netflix-backed boxing match in Miami on Friday.

The fight at the Kaseya Centre, which saw both men reportedly splitting a mammoth purse of $184 million, had triggered alarm across boxing due to the gulf in physical size and class between Britain’s two-time former world champion Joshua and Paul, an internet personality who has forged a lucrative career through a handful of novelty boxing contests.

In the event, however, Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less accomplished opponent, before his superior size and power eventually told in the later stages of the eight-round fight, with a sixth-round knockout.

A lacklustre contest descended into farce at times, with Paul repeatedly dropping to the canvas and grappling with Joshua’s legs.

At one stage, even referee Christopher Young appeared to be losing patience, warning the fighters in the fourth round: “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”

As Paul tired, the 6ft 6in (1.85m) tall Joshua began to land punches with more regularity, and after knocking down the 6ft 1in American twice in the fifth round, the end came swiftly in the sixth.

Joshua backed the 28-year-old into a corner and, after teeing up Paul with a crunching left, delivered the knockout blow with a right to the chin that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas.

“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua, 36, admitted afterwards. “But the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him.

“That was the request leading up, and that was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”

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Anthony Joshua, meanwhile, praised Jake Paul for lasting into the later rounds.

“I want to give him his props; he got up time and time again,” Joshua said. “It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.”

Paul, meanwhile, his mouth bloodied from Joshua’s final assault, said he believed his jaw had been broken, but was satisfied with his performance.

“That was fun. I gave it my all,” Paul said. “I had a blast. I think my jaw is broken by the way. But Anthony’s one of the best to ever do it, so. I’m gonna come back and get a world championship.

“I just got tired, to be honest, like it was so much handling his weight. I think with better cardio, I could have kept it up and kept on fighting. But he hits really hard.”

Friday’s made-for-streaming contest, which came just over a year after Paul had fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a much-derided Netflix fight, had been widely panned throughout boxing, with many warning that Paul risked serious injury.

Yet the devastating first or second round knockout by Joshua that most had predicted failed to materialise as Paul scrambled desperately to stay outside of the 2012 Olympic champion Joshua’s range.

Joshua, fighting for the first time in 15 months, always looked the more threatening fighter, landing 48 of 146 punches thrown compared to Paul’s meagre total of 16 punches landed.

The Briton is now turning his attention towards a money-spinning bout against compatriot and fellow former world champion Tyson Fury next year.

“We shook off the cobwebs, and I can’t wait to roll into 2026,” Joshua said. “And if Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, let’s put on some gloves and fight.”

READ: Australia four wickets from Ashes glory as England cling on

ADELAIDE: An unrelenting Australia were four wickets from retaining the Ashes at the close of play in the third Test on Saturday as England clung to a dying hope that they could chase a record 435 to save the series.

England had clawed their way to 207-6 at the end of play in Adelaide with Will Jacks on 11 and Jamie Smith two, still 228 runs from their target.

They lost big guns Zak Crawley (85), Joe Root (39), Harry Brook (30), and Ben Stokes (5) in the final session, with Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins doing the damage.

England must win to keep the five-match series alive after being crushed by eight wickets at Perth and Brisbane. Australia, as holders, only need a draw to retain the urn.

With attendance over the first four days swelling to more than 200,000, a record for the Adelaide Oval, which has been hosting Tests since 1884, they faced a daunting task.

No team has ever chased down more than 316 at the venue, while the biggest successful run chase in Test history was 418 by the West Indies against Australia at St. Johns in 2003.

England took six wickets before lunch to wrap up Australia’s second innings for 349, with Travis Head slamming 170 and Alex Carey 72.

It left them with 10 minutes to bat before the break, but disaster struck in the second over when Ben Duckett, on four, edged Cummins to Marnus Labuschagne at second slip.

Number three, Ollie Pope, has struggled all series and was widely seen as on his last chance with Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings.

He failed to deliver again, gone for 17 with Labuschagne taking a stunning one-handed catch at full stretch in the slips, again off Cummins.

Watchful opener Crawley built a 78-run stand with Root, who needed a big score to save his side but had no answer to Cummins again.

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The Australian skipper removed him for a 13th time in Tests, more than any other bowler, with a furious Root berating himself after prodding at a full delivery and feathering to Carey.

Crawley brought up a well-deserved 50, and with an uncharacteristically subdued Brook began a rebuild before his partner badly mistimed a reverse sweep and was bowled by a classic Lyon off-break.

With the pitch deteriorating, Lyon unleashed another trademark delivery to bowl Stokes, then tempted Crawley down the wicket to be stumped by Carey, leaving England’s Ashes campaign in tatters.

Australia resumed at 271-4 with Head on 142 and Carey 52, and they feasted early on some mediocre bowling.

Stokes didn’t turn over his arm on Friday, with assistant coach Jeetan Patel saying he was “knackered” after a stoic 83 with the bat.

The England captain opened the attack on Saturday, but Head quickly got to work and reached his 150 with a boundary through backward point, earning a standing ovation from his home fans.

Targeting a maiden double-century, Head pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue with Crawley in the deep, doing well to get underneath it in glaring sun.

Carey added 20 as he set his sights on back-to-back centuries after an emotional first innings 106.

But he was taken at slip by Brook off Stokes, with Josh Inglis (10) following soon after, caught behind by Smith off Tongue.

With the new ball taken, Brook collected another slip catch to remove Cummins (6), this time off Brydon Carse, who trapped Lyon lbw next ball.

Scott Boland was the last man out, caught and bowled by Jofra Archer with Tongue taking 4-70.

READ: Amorim takes aim at Man Utd youth stars over ‘entitlement’