分类： sports

ADELAIDE, Australia — Australia successfully retained cricket’s coveted Ashes urn with two matches remaining in the series following a dramatic fifth-day conclusion to the third test at Adelaide Oval. Pace bowler Mitchell Starc emerged as the decisive figure, capturing three of the final four wickets to thwart England’s resilient comeback attempt.

The final day commenced with England positioned at 6-207, requiring an improbable 228 runs to achieve a world-record chase of 435. Despite England’s morning session resurgence that added 102 runs and narrowed the equation, Australia’s bowling attack ultimately prevailed. Starc’s critical interventions dismantled England’s lower order, culminating in England’s dismissal for 352, securing an 82-run victory for the hosts.

Australian captain Pat Cummins, returning after missing the first two tests due to a back injury, praised his team’s perseverance. “Feels pretty awesome. We got it done,” Cummins remarked. “It’s a good old fashioned grind a lot of the time and I love the toil from all the guys today. It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but pretty happy.”

The match witnessed significant personnel challenges for Australia, with Steve Smith ruled out minutes before the toss due to vertigo and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon suffering a hamstring injury during England’s innings. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey earned player of the match honors for his century in the first innings, half-century in the second, and seven dismissals behind the stumps.

England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged his team’s improved resilience despite the defeat. “This is going to hurt quite a bit,” Stokes admitted. “Obviously that dream that we came here with is now over, which is incredibly disappointing. But we’ve got two more tests to go on and that’s where the focus needs to switch to now.”

The victory extends England’s winless streak in Australian tests to 5,462 days dating back to January 2011. The series continues with the Boxing Day test in Melbourne beginning December 26, followed by the final match in Sydney.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand — Cricket history was rewritten Sunday as New Zealand’s opening batsmen Tom Latham and Devon Conway achieved unprecedented milestones during the fourth day of the third test match against the West Indies. The dynamic duo forged a monumental 192-run partnership in the second innings, propelling New Zealand to declare at 306-2 and establishing an insurmountable lead of 461 runs.

The pair’s extraordinary performance marked the first instance in test cricket history where a batting partnership achieved both a triple-century stand (323 runs in the first innings) and a century partnership in the same match. Conway’s exceptional batting display saw him follow his first innings masterpiece of 227 runs with exactly 100 in the second, making him only the tenth player worldwide and first New Zealander to score both a double century and century in the same test.

Latham mirrored this brilliance with 137 in the first innings and 101 in the second, emulating his father Rod Latham’s achievement with Mark Greatbatch of century opening partnerships in both innings of a 1992 test against Zimbabwe.

As stumps were drawn after 16 overs, the West Indies stood at 43-0, requiring an improbable 419 runs for victory on a deteriorating pitch showing concerning cracks and inconsistent bounce. Brandon King remained not out on 37 while John Campbell held firm on 2.

The match also featured notable contributions from other New Zealand batsmen. Kane Williamson, after waiting padded up for extensive periods in both innings, capitalized on his opportunity to reach 40 not out. Rachin Ravindra provided explosive lower-order batting with an unbeaten 46 from just 23 deliveries as the declaration approached.

Series statistics revealed the dominance of New Zealand’s opening pair. Conway amassed 452 runs at an average of 75.3, while Latham compiled 427 runs at 71.1. Their combined partnership of 515 runs in this test set a new record for opening pairs in test cricket history.

New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi attributed the success to meticulous preparation and ideal mindset: ‘The work the guys have been doing for a while now is paying off the way they want. The trust in their own game and the game plans against particular bowlers is coming off, though it’s also been a nice batting wicket rather than the traditional New Zealand test pitch.’

Earlier Sunday, Jacob Duffy’s bowling prowess (4-86 in the first innings) helped dismantle the West Indies’ resistance, taking two quick wickets as the visitors lost four wickets for 39 runs after resuming at 381-6. Kavem Hodge remained unbeaten on 123, securing his second test century and highest score.

The Meydan Racecourse concluded its 2025 Dubai Racing Carnival calendar with a spectacular Festive Friday event, serving as a pivotal precursor to the upcoming 30th Dubai World Cup in March 2026. The evening witnessed extraordinary dominance from racing’s elite, with trainers Charlie Appleby and Bhupat Seemar orchestrating remarkable one-two-three finishes across multiple races, a rare achievement in such competitive fixtures. Godolphin’s premier jockey William Buick further electrified the event by securing an impressive quartet of victories, three adorned in the stable’s iconic royal blue silks. The high-stakes program offered crucial early indicators for the season’s trajectory, with several performances positioning horses as serious contenders for the prestigious $12 million Dubai World Cup. The featured AED1 million G2 Al Maktoum Mile was commandeered by Bhupat Seemar’s Imperial Emperor, who delivered a powerful comeback under jockey Tadhg O’Shea. The Deva Racing-owned gelding demonstrated superior tactical speed to secure victory ahead of stablemates Commissioner King and Mendelssohn Bay. Simultaneously, the G2 Al Rashidiya was captured by Godolphin’s Opera Ballo, a promising colt trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Buick. The son of a champion middle-distance specialist displayed breathtaking acceleration to defeat a quality field, including four-time Group 1 winner Nations Pride, by a decisive three-length margin. Buick’s mastery extended throughout the card with additional wins aboard Mysterious Night in the Listed Business Bay Challenge and Cover Up in the Listed Ertijaal Dubai Dash. The evening also celebrated international talent, with YAS Racing’s Muraad making a triumphant UAE debut and British raider Heart Of Honor showcasing exceptional stamina in the Listed Entisar Stakes. Michael Costa of Jebel Ali Stable completed the night’s narrative of training excellence by saddling his own one-two-three finish, underscoring the depth of competition present at the Carnival.

In a display of determined batting, the West Indies demonstrated significant resilience on day three of the third test against New Zealand at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. Kavem Hodge emerged as the cornerstone of this effort, scoring an unbeaten 109 to mark his second test century and guide his team to 381-6 by stumps on Saturday.

The visitors successfully avoided the follow-on, having surpassed the required 357-run mark in response to New Zealand’s formidable first innings total of 575-8. This batting performance echoed their determined second innings in the drawn first test, where they batted for 163.3 overs.

Hodge’s innings proved particularly redemptive following a period of inconsistent form. Since his maiden test century of 120 against England at Trent Bridge in July 2024, he had surpassed fifty only once in sixteen subsequent innings. His place in the team appeared uncertain after missing the first test and scoring modestly in the second.

The batsman displayed considerable patience during his 224-ball stay at the crease, battling through a brief stall in the 90s before finally reaching his century. Hodge attributed his success to careful preparation and self-belief, stating: ‘I’ve been trying to understand what I will face here in New Zealand and come up with a plan to combat it. One of my strengths is square of the wicket and I was just trying to improve on that.’

West Indies’ effort was bolstered by several key partnerships. Openers Brandon King (63) and John Campbell (45) established a solid foundation with a 111-run stand—their first century partnership as an opening pair and only the sixth such achievement for West Indies in eleven years. Hodge then built crucial partnerships with Tevin Imlach (27), Alick Athanaze (45), and Justin Greaves (43).

New Zealand’s bowling attack, led by Jacob Duffy who removed both openers, continued to chip away at the West Indies lineup on a pitch showing increasing signs of wear with visible cracking and occasional variable bounce. Spinner Ajaz Patel claimed his first test wicket on home soil, removing Roston Chase lbw for 2.

With New Zealand leading the three-match series 1-0 after winning the second test by nine wickets, the hosts are unlikely to enforce the follow-on despite the West Indies avoiding it, preferring to avoid batting last on a deteriorating pitch.