ABC Cricket Podcast

Australia sealed the Ashes 4–1 with a composed five-wicket win on day five at the SCG, finishing the series in control when it mattered most.England’s resistance ended early, losing their final two wickets for 40 as Mitchell Starc completed a defining series with 31 wickets. Chasing 160, Australia had a few untidy moments but were never seriously threatened, with Alex Carey striking the winning runs.Corbin Middlemas and Ed Cowan reflect on a series decided by moments. England had chances, but Australia consistently won the big ones. Travis Head’s 600-plus runs shaped the series, Starc earned Player...

Jacob Bethell gave England something they have lacked for much of this series: belief.Arriving at the SCG without a first-class century to his name, the 22-year-old played an innings defined by control, patience, and authority, announcing himself on the Ashes stage and dragging England back into a contest that had been slipping away.Australia still hold the upper hand, but Beau Webster again underlined his growing importance. His unbeaten 71 rescued Australia’s innings, before he returned to take wickets with off-spin, including the key dismissal of Ben Stokes, on a surface offering more than ex...

Travis Head set the tone early, igniting the match with another decisive hundred that lifted the tempo and left England exposed. Once Head departed, Steve Smith took over, delivering a century built on discipline, patience, and total control. It was vintage Smith, marked by patience, clarity, and an absolute refusal to take the bait, as Australia seized command of day three.Corbin and Ed then turned to the man of the series debate, weighing Mitchell Starc’s wickets against Head’s match-shaping hundreds, before deciding the conversation could wait.Australia’s depth again became a key ta...

England had the chance to bat Australia out of the contest on a high-quality SCG wicket, but despite a superb 160 from Joe Root, they failed to fully capitalise, leaving the door open once again.Root’s innings was the class act of the day, controlled, chanceless, and warmly received by the SCG crowd. Yet from a position of dominance, England were dismissed for a total that felt light given the conditions, missing the opportunity to put the game beyond Australia’s reach.Australia responded through Travis Head, whose aggressive, authoritative batting shifted momentum back toward the...

England finished day one of the fifth Ashes Test firmly on top after play at the SCG was called off early, leaving a sense that both the cricket and the crowd were short-changed.After winning the toss and batting first, England reached 3 for 211 from just 45 overs, with Joe Root 72 not out and Harry Brook 78 not out building an unbroken stand that Australia struggled to break. The pair batted with control and clarity, cashing in on a surface that looked good early and is expected to deteriorate as the Test wears on.Corbin and Ed focus...

Usman Khawaja announces his retirement, Corbin and Ed reflect on a career that spanned eras, conditions, and expectations. They unpack his late-career peak, the scrutiny that followed him, and the comments that surfaced again around preparation, media pressure, and how players are judged as they age.Attention then turns to the SCG. The weather, the pitch narrative, and the recent run of shortened Tests come under examination, alongside the selection calls that still matter despite the series being decided. Todd Murphy’s case, the balance of the XI, and the pressure points across the top seven are al...

The two-day Boxing Day Test continues to spark a wider conversation about the state of Test cricket. Corbin Middlemas and Ed Cowan begin in Melbourne, unpacking the fallout at the MCG, Matt Page facing the media, and how a Test meant to anchor the summer instead triggered public unease, with one listener summing it up starkly as “the death of Test cricket.”The discussion then moves through the financial cost of shortened Tests and why, as Cowan puts it, “it’s not a slow slippery slope, it’s a snowball,” before turning to the Big Bash, where a potential...

England finally broke their drought in Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the speed of the win caught everyone off guard. Corbin and Ed unpack a Boxing Day Test that raced from first ball to result in just two days, with Ed capturing the feeling around the ground simply: “It felt deflating.”England’s win was shaped by standout individual performances. Josh Tongue earned Player of the Match after spearheading Australia’s first-innings collapse, with Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson providing key support. In the chase, Jacob Bethell steadied the innings before Harry Brook closed out the win...

Australia batted twice on day one of the Boxing Day Test as chaos reigned at the MCG. Corbin and Ed unpack a day that moved too fast, exposed modern batting under pressure, and ended with Scott Boland improbably opening the batting before stumps.Test cricket, on fast-forward.ABC Grandstand cricket commentator Corbin Middlemas is joined by Ed Cowan to bring you all the highlights and match analysis to keep you up to speed. The pair discuss the key players and big issues that are dominating the cricket agenda. Whether it's Ashes results, the latest in...

The guys step back from the daily wrap to confront what the series result now unlocks. “We’ve now got lots of selection debates,” Cowan says, and few are bigger than Usman Khawaja’s role, Josh Inglis’ opportunity, and how much weight selectors place on decisions already made.With Pat Cummins set to rest, Steve Smith a likely return, and Nathan Lyon unavailable, the guys also dig into the spinner question, the case for Bo Webster, and how Australia balance investment versus reward now that the series is decided.Beyond the Ashes, there’s time for a wild B...

Australia sealed the Ashes in Adelaide by staying patient long enough for England to defeat themselves.For a moment on day five, with wickets in hand and runs still on the board, the chase felt alive. But Australia never panicked and, as Ed Cowan explains, every time England edged towards belief, they handed momentum straight back.England played their best cricket when they showed restraint, and lost it when they didn’t.Australia trusted time, conditions, and discipline, waited for the mistakes, and closed out the series without needing to force the result. Th...

Australia tightened their grip on the third Ashes Test on day four, leaving England 228 runs away with just four wickets in hand as the match heads into a decisive final day. With special guest Stuart Clark joining Corbin Middlemas, the mood was one of inevitability. As Corbin put it, “the shorthand of the day is that Australia are on the cusp of victory.”Nathan Lyon was central to that squeeze, ripping through England’s middle order in a decisive evening spell. Clark summed it up succinctly: “Lyon had them in a spin in that final session,” triggering a collapse...

Day three in Adelaide belonged to Travis Head. A century soaked in pressure, nerves at 99, a dropped chance, and another moment added to the legend at his home ground.Australia’s lead has blown past 350, England are running out of answers, and Ed is ready to call the series. Corbin and Ed unpack Head’s dominance, England’s quiet retreat from Bazball, Stokes carrying too much, and the selection questions simmering beneath Australia’s control.Even the technology had a better day, after a rough start to the series.Day four awaits, and the pres...

Australia ground England into the dust in brutal 40-degree heat, building relentless pressure and leaving them hanging on. Corbin Middlemas and Ed Cowan highlight Alex Carey’s five catches, sparking a broader question about England’s approach and whether, in Cowan’s words, “they’re as skilful as they think they are.”They work through individual performances in England’s attack, from Jofra Archer’s outstanding moments to others who struggled, before turning to key match-ups including Pat Cummins’ ongoing duel with Joe Root, and the growing DRS and Snicko controversy. With technology again under scrutiny, the guys summed it up...

Australia hold the early edge after Day One in Adelaide, finishing on a surface that, as Ed put it, “looked tennis-bally” and made scoring off the front foot hard work. Corbin and Ed break down the dismissals, uneven bowling, and why conditions are likely to ease as the Test unfolds.The guys talk Alex Carey’s century, the impact of Steve Smith’s late withdrawal, Usman Khawaja’s recall and 82, and the looming influence of Mitch Starc once Australia take the ball.With a record crowd, big tactical questions ahead, and, in Cowan’s words, “a proper day o...

England arrive in Adelaide facing a must-win Test, but the odds are stacked. Australia have lost just once in their last 11 Tests, and only one team in the 149-year history of Test cricket has ever come back from 2–0 down.Brendon McCullum backs continuity, rejecting “knee-jerk” selection calls. Bashir and Tongue remain in the frame, with Ed noting Bashir could be “more effective on day one in Adelaide than at any other point in the series.” The batting order looks locked in, but Ed warns it’s “a hard bet that it just turns around.”Corbin’s been doing the c...

The Bazballers have been re-charging in Noosa and the series is on the line in Adelaide. What levers can Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes pull to keep the tourists alive in the Ashes? Usman Khawaja is available for selection. Will he find a place in the middle order? Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon loom as inclusions, who will be discarded in their place? And what made Ed Cowan "spew in my mouth"? Ed and Corbin Middlemas address these issues as well as the BBL and WBBL. PLUS, your questions answered in the listener mailbag. ABC Grandstand cricket c...

While Australia sit 2-0 up in the series, the guys dig into whether England have fallen into an “exaggerated sense of their own ability” as they enjoy their “reset in Noosa” ahead of the third test.It took Stokes and Jacks finally “playing properly” on the last day for England to show any real fight, and Corbin and Ed explore whether that flicker of resistance tells us anything or simply exposes a team that is, in Ed’s words, “just not very good”.Selection changes feel inevitable for England, with Archer’s effort labelled “a pathetic test”, Jacks...

2-0 after two Tests. A commanding performance delivers a clinical win. Neser top five wickets, Smith took a screamer, Stokes was brave but couldn't hold back Australia.Archer clashed with Smith in an odd clash late, but in the end it was Australia with a decisive lead.Join Corbin Middlemas and Ed Cowan as they explore the key moments and what this 2-0 lead means for the rest of the series.ABC Grandstand cricket commentator Corbin Middlemas is joined by Ed Cowan to bring you all the highlights and match analysis to keep...

Mitchell Starc is constructing an Ashes masterpiece. His defiant batting led Australia to a vital lead as England unravelled with the ball. The veteran bowler then turned it on with the pink ball to leave England teetering on the brink. Trent Copeland joins Corbin Middlemas to unpack another eventful day from Brisbane.ABC Grandstand cricket commentator Corbin Middlemas is joined by Trent Copeland to bring you all the highlights and match analysis to keep you up to speed. The pair discuss the key players and big issues that are dominating the cricket agenda. Whether it's Ashes results...