Here’s a little overview.
Sunday, December 21st: Ashes lost after 11 days of cricket Monday, December 22nd: Head coach Brendon McCullum admits future is out of control Tuesday, December 23rd: Video footage appears to appear of Ben Duckett drunk Wednesday, December 24th: Key fast bowler Jofra Archer rules for remainder of series Thursday, December 25th: Wearing a Christmas hat and feeling a little relieved during pre-test training Friday 26th December: Skittles Australia scores 152 points but then falls, aiming for 110 himself Saturday 27th December: Skittles Australia scores 132, then chases 175 and finally wins
England’s week has been more eventful than Craig David’s 7 Days, but like the musician, there was a sense of calm on Sunday after defeating Australia over two days in a ridiculous Boxing Day Test to claim the country’s first win in almost 15 years.
Ben Stokes’ side dealt with the pre-match chaos and produced even more bizarre displays throughout the game on the fruity MCG pitch, winning by four wickets. The frustration was that the series had already slipped through their fingers.
England captain says he could not be “more proud” after his team’s win in Melbourne after a tough week
England made a number of mistakes against Australia, including preparation, shot selection and actual selection, but captain Stokes probably did well in the run-up to the quick Melbourne Test, best exemplified by the way he was able to galvanize his team.
He has vowed to support Duckett after unwanted and unverified footage went viral showing his team-mate being inebriated at Noosa. Mr Stokes knew first-hand how Mr Duckett felt after the 2017 incident in Bristol.
Stokes called for “empathy” from his players during a grueling schedule amid accusations that England have a drinking culture, but also had to answer questions about his future as leader earlier in the week after his team lost 3-0.
After rooting for his players, his players continued to root for him and did enough to defeat Australia in the Boxing Day Test, crushing the hosts’ hopes of a 5-0 record as they progressed at breakneck speed. Glenn McGrath’s prediction will now not come true.
I was very happy about Stokes. It was a difficult build-up for him, not only because his team was losing 3-0, but also off the field, but I was very impressed with the way he handled it. He basically put his arm around the team and said, “I’ll support you no matter what.” Even if he lost the series, there was always something to play for, and his team showed they were committed to playing for him.
Michael Atherton on Sky Sports Cricket
Curse promo and Brooke cameo add to Melbourne’s ‘mayhem’
It would have been easy for England to claw their way back after a 20-wicket opener and a 46-run deficit, but they came back the next morning and, aided by some reckless shots and a serviceable surface, crushed Australia for the second time in the match.
Chasing 175 on that pitch was never going to be easy, but England achieved it with their typical, and this time smart, aggression, and there were relatively few worries. In fact, the most eye-catching moment was probably when Brydon Kearse came up to bat at number three.
The experiment was not explicitly successful – Kearse hit a six from eight balls – but given that England won the match, it wasn’t a huge failure either, and probably worked in the sense that it gave Jacob Bethel a bit more time to warm up before heading out at number four to score 40.
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Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch curator Matthew Page admits he is in a “state of shock” after the Boxing Day Ashes Test between Australia and England lasted just two days.
There was, as Stokes put it, a “way to chaos”, adding: “The top orders of both teams were struggling to score consistently and find fluency, so we brought in players who had talent with the bat and a very good eye for hitting the ball.”
“It didn’t go perfectly, but (Kearse) spending 15 to 20 minutes there made it a little easier for Bethel to get through the innings.”
Brydon Kearse was used at number three in England’s second innings and captain Ben Stokes said there was a “way to mayhem”
It was perhaps fitting that the winning run came from Harry Brook, given that the vice-captain’s chaotic manner in the first innings was crucial to England securing victory against this low-scoring side.
Brook has hit a number of odd shots throughout the series, including his wild swipe after charging Mitchell Starc’s first ball at the MCG, but his two outrageous sixes and an equal number of fours on 41 off 34 balls, England’s best innings of the match, proved key. If it wasn’t for that cameo, they might have lost 4-0.
Brooke’s knock showed there is a time and place for buzz balls. It makes sense to aim for a quick run on a pitch where you’ll soon see a ball with your name on it.
Calm rather than chaos was needed and it’s a shame England couldn’t maintain that mindset on the pitch last time. They packed in proudly in Perth and Brisbane.
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Nasser and Athers praised Harry Brook’s approach in England’s first innings at the MCG
Duckett and Bethel hold the key to complete England victory
It was also fitting that Duckett and Bethel were England’s top scorers in the final innings. The former has struggled to score on the field and his obvious behavior off the field has added to the conversation, while the latter has spent too much time off the pitch since flying into the New Zealand Test venue last winter.
Duckett looked blue in the first innings and was not in the mood for a Noosa holiday, spooning to mid-on, but in the second he creamed 36 off 24 balls, including an audacious ramp six, and began a hot pursuit.
Bethel, on the other hand, bounced back from a knock in his Ashes debut the previous day and showed style and substance as he threw 46 balls. Some of his cover driving was great. There was also a reverse scoop.
Jacob Bethell contributed to England’s victory on the second day with a knock of 40 off 46 balls.
It may be difficult to read too much into a score of 40, as it was when a Premier League striker scored a hat-trick against a lower-ranked side in the FA Cup, but it’s not without meaning and Bethel bats with an air of authority that Ollie Pope, who replaced him in the XI, often struggles to find.
The English government’s management of Bethel has led to a clear shortage of top-flight cricketers in 2025, when he plays in front of 90,000 people at the MCG, and Atherton has branded him “ridiculous”, but he is unlikely to put him on leave now. He seems likely to be able to play a long role in the team, even if he is No. 3 or below.
The win may not have been as heart-wrenching as the team’s Ashes dreams were in the dust at that point, but at least it gave the fans a smile in the end.
After a chaotic series and a particularly chaotic week, England delivered a timely Christmas present.
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