England Snaps 15-Year Drought with Dramatic Win in 4th Ashes Test

Melbourne, 27 December 2025 — In a remarkable finish to the fourth Test of the 2025–26 Men’s Ashes series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England defeated Australia by four wickets, ending an 18-match winless run on Australian soil that stretched more than 15 years. This result trimmed Australia’s series lead to 3–1 with one Test remaining.

Match Summary and Scorecard

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Toss: England won the toss and elected to bowl.

Result: England won by 4 wickets, successfully chasing 175 on Day 2.

Detailed Scores

Australia Innings 1

• Australia: 152 (45.2 overs)
• Top scorer: Michael Neser – 35
• Key bowler: Josh Tongue – 5/45 (career-best figures)

England Innings 1

• England: 110 (29.5 overs)
• Top scorer: Harry Brook – 41
• Best bowler for Australia: Michael Neser – 4/45, Scott Boland – 3/30

Australia Innings 2

• Australia: 132 all out (34.3 overs)
• Top scorer: Travis Head – 46
• England’s leading bowler: Brydon Carse – 4/34

England Innings 2 (Chase)

• England: 178/6 (32.2 overs)
• Notable contributions: Ben Duckett – 34, Zak Crawley – 37, Jacob Bethell – 40

Top Performers

Batting Highlights

• Harry Brook (ENG): Led England’s first innings with 41 runs that helped stave off collapse on Day 1.
• Michael Neser (AUS): Top-scored for Australia in the first innings with 35, and bowled strongly throughout.
• Travis Head (AUS): Led the second innings with 46, keeping Australia competitive before England’s bowling attack prevailed.
• Jacob Bethell & Zak Crawley (ENG): Crucial middle-order contributions in the chase that anchored England’s successful pursuit.

Bowling Standouts

• Josh Tongue (ENG): Claimed 5/45 in Australia’s first innings; his best Test figures and England’s first bowler this century with a five-for at the MCG
• Brydon Carse (ENG): Starred with 4/34 in Australia’s second innings to set up the England chase.
• Michael Neser (AUS): Claimed 4 wickets in England’s first innings.
• Scott Boland (AUS): Provided important breaks in England’s batting across both innings.

Notable Records and Achievements

Historic Victory for England

• This win marks England’s first Test victory in Australia since 2010, finally breaking a nearly 15-year drought away from home in the Ashes.

Pitch and Match Context

• The match lasted just two days, a rarity in modern Test cricket, largely due to a lively, bowler-friendly surface at the MCG that saw early collapses and rapid innings.
• Day 1 featured a remarkable 20 wickets falling on the same day, highlighting challenging batting conditions.

Milestones

• Usman Khawaja (AUS) surpassed 8,000 career international runs during this match, adding a personal landmark amidst the contest.

Series Context

• With this fourth Test result, Australia still leads the five-match series 3–1 and have already retained the Ashes. One final Test remains in Sydney.