The Ashes – Third Test, Adelaide Day 3: A report from The Governor’s pew (and another century for a South Australian).

 

 

 

2025/26 Ashes Third Test, Day 3

 

 

Adelaide Oval, Friday 19 December 2025

Start of play: England first innings 8/213, Stokes 45 not out, Archer 33 not out (68 overs)

England trailed Australia by 158 runs

 

ANOTHER CENTURY FOR A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

We thoroughly enjoyed another entertaining day of Test cricket at the Adelaide Oval as Australia turned the screws on England.

Having sat high in the Max Basheer section on Wednesday for Day 1, the second deck of the Fos Williams stand was a great vantage point for Day 3.

My brother Trevor, a self-described cricket tragic, travelled from Queensland for the week. The third member of our party, the ‘Reverend Red’ Stuart Traeger, from the (Adelaide) Hills, prides himself on securing great seats for concerts and sporting events. Once again, the Reverend Red ticked that box, as we sat side on to the pitch, in great position to see Carse’s front foot repeatedly overstep.

 

We had left the Barossa with the seven o’clock news on the radio, meaning we had an hour to walk a lap of the picturesque Adelaide Oval precinct, as well as a few minutes inside the historic St Peter’s Cathedral before taking up our seats for the first ball.

 

The visitors started the day in very positive fashion. Stokes continued his most “un -Bazball-esque” innings, with the unlikely support of Archer.

Adding to his first innings haul of 5/53 with the ball, there was discussion around the recovery powers of Archer’s famous pillow, as seen earlier in the series on the walk to the dressing room.

Both Stokes and Archer appeared untroubled by the Australian attack. Stokes impressed the Barmy Army with a reverse sweep for four off Lyon in front of the revellers on the hill.

England scored 57 runs in the first hour.

Momentum changed when Australia, for the first time in the series to date, took the second new ball.

Starc clean bowled Stokes for 83, ending a wonderful partnership of 106 runs between the ultra-determined England captain and his accomplice Archer.

 

Archer scored his first Test 50 before being dismissed by Boland.

England all out for 286, 85 runs behind on the first innings, giving Australia an uncomfortable five overs to face before lunch.

Weatherald was adjudged lbw to Carse, with the ball appearing to pitch outside leg stump. He didn’t review.

Australia went to lunch at 1/17.

Head and Marnus resumed after lunch, before Labuschagne edged into the slips, bringing the recalled Khawaja to the crease.

A very useful partnership between Head and Khawaja took the score to 139 before Usman was dismissed by England’s part time spinner Jacks for the second time in the match.

 

Khawaja’s dismissal meant the two local South Australian heroes, Alex Carey and Travis Head, were at the crease together. Like Foodland, Golden North, Balfours and Villi’s, amongst others, South Australians love their local products.

The lads in the row behind us, travellers from country New South Wales in their “Travball” t-shirts, were certainly enjoying life, as the anticipation of another century for William McInnes’ favourite current cricketer built.

 

The Head-Carey partnership was certainly the high point of the day. After Carey scored a ton on Day 1, the Adelaide Oval crowd were in raptures as Head repeated the dose late on Day 3. Travis Head scored his fourth consecutive Test century in Adelaide.

The local crowd were in raptures.

The drums for the Travis Head statue will now beat louder.

 

Questions to ponder:

Travis Head: is he now one member of Australia’s long-term opening partnership?

Does Usman play in Melbourne and Sydney? The SCG farewell after all?

Cameron Green: safe?

 

 

Stumps: Australia second innings 4/271 (66 overs) Head 142 not out, Carey 52 not out, Australia lead by 356 runs.

 

ESPN Cricinfo Scorecard

 

Rabbit in the Vineyard, Nuriootpa

 

St Peter’s Cathedral: RITV in the Governor’s pew, pregame.