Ashes 2025 live score: Latest updates and day two scorecard as England battle Australia in third Ashes Test

Speaking on Australia’s Channel 7, the former international umpire Simon Taufel called the Snicko incident “amazing”, and one that he’d never seen before.

“The DRS was applied and for the third umpire to overturn the not out decision, we need to see a clear deflection off the bat, or we have to see a spike next to the bat or up to one frame past the bat,” Taufel said. “The confusing element here for everyone was that the spike occurred at least a couple of frames before the bat, which was just amazing.”

He added: “What was interesting in this particular case and in my experience, I have never seen a spike like this occur without the bat hitting something like a pad or the ground or the ball hitting the pad.

“There’s nothing else out there, absolutely nothing else out there, so my gut tells me from all of my experience on-field and also as a TV umpire that I think Alex Carey has actually hit that ball and the technology calibration hasn’t been quite right to game the outcome that it was looking for.”

Snicko technology is developed by BBG Sports, and its founder Warren Brennan later accepted responsibility, telling Australian publication The Age: “Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing.

“In light of this, BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error.”

Carey was on 72 when he tried to cut a Josh Tongue delivery which bounced across the left hander. England’s slip cordon were convinced they heard a noise and appealed immediately, but umpire Ahsan Raza was unmoved.

England reviewed the decision and Snicko showed a clear spike, but – not for the first time in the series – the noise tremor failed to match with the picture on screen, spiking two frames before the ball passed the bat.

“I thought there was a bit of a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat,” Carey later admitted. “It looked a bit funny on the replay, didn’t it, with the noise coming a bit early. If I was given out I think I would have reviewed it but probably not confidently. It was a nice sound as it passed the bat.

“Snicko obviously didn’t line up, did it. That’s just the way cricket goes sometimes, you have a bit of luck, and maybe it went my way today.”

Asked if he is a “walker”, Carey smiled: “Clearly not.”

The third Ashes Test between England and Australia in Adelaide has begun just days after the devastating Bondi Beach terror attack, writes Cameron Ponsonby, and brought a much-needed spark of hope and normalcy:

England will consider raising concerns over the accuracy of the ‘Snickometer’ technology after Australia’s Alex Carey admitted he got lucky on his way to a crucial century in Adelaide.

Josh Tongue was convinced he had Carey caught behind for 72 on day one of the third Test and called for DRS after the decision was turned down.

The stump microphones picked up a clear sound, with the soundwave spiking, but the replay showed the noise before the ball passed Carey’s bat and TV umpire Chris Gaffaney upheld the on-field decision.

Carey went to make a vital hundred and another 76 runs were added to Australia’s total of 326 for eight before he was finally dismissed.

He later suggested there was “a bit a feather” and accepted he had cashed in “a bit of luck”.

Carey took more risks as he approached three figures, pumping Jacks for the only six of the day and seeing a couple of wild swings land safe, but got there in front of his adoring home ground.

He finally fell to a ballooned top edge off the inconsistent but willing Jacks, the batting all-rounder pressed into service as a first-choice spinner. Tongue bowled Inglis via a drag-on and Carse had returning captain Pat Cummins caught at fine-leg as the evening’s play brought successes for both sides.

Khawaja never looked fully secure, occasionally flapping at short balls, but showed some signs of his old self as he and Labuschagne added 61 before lunch. England needed another shot in the arm and Archer delivered it as soon as play resumed.

Labuschagne flipped the first ball of the session straight to midwicket, a soft dismissal that the IPL’s latest £2million signing, Green, then replicated two balls later with a limp flick to Carse.

Carey was soon looking more comfortable than Khawaja, despite his lengthy stay, and the veteran fell 18 short of an unlikely century when he slog-swept Will Jacks straight to Tongue in the deep.

Carey happily assumed the senior role, scoring busily but rarely offering the bowlers a sniff as he eased past 50 and then overtook Khawaja as top-scorer. England thought Tongue had him when he wafted at one but DRS offered an unclear conclusion.

There was a pronounced spike on ‘Snicko’ but it appeared a couple of frames too soon and the TV umpire quickly settled in Carey’s favour, with Stokes puzzled. Verdicts off the field were mixed, but former elite umpire Simon Taufel told host broadcaster Channel 7 he believed it should have been given out.

Before play there was a minute’s silence in honour of the victims of the Bondi terror attack, followed by an emotive performance of 80s anthem True Blue by folk singer John Williamson, with both sides standing together in solidarity.

By then Smith had already left the ground with Cricket Australia confirming he was being treated for a “vestibular issue” – a balance-related problem related to vertigo. For Khawaja, a day before his 39th birthday, it represented a lifeline.

England’s opening pair served up wildly differing new ball spells, Archer on the money as he gave just seven runs from six precise overs while Brydon Carse leaked 29 from five. Both found success, Archer hurrying Jake Weatherald into a rash shot against the short ball and Carse removing Travis Head thanks to Crawley’s instinctive take at short cover.

At 33 for two England had nudged themselves ahead but missed the chance to add a third when Khawaja edged Josh Tongue on five and Harry Brook shelled the catch.

But it was Carey’s 106 that did most to bolster Australia’s position. The wicketkeeper survived a big shout for caught behind on 72, uncertainty over the ‘Snickometer’ technology clouding the decision, but was otherwise resolute.

His glovework has attracted most praise but his first Ashes hundred, and third overall, changed the balance of the game. Coming to the crease at 94 for four, Archer having just dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the first three balls of the afternoon session, Carey led stands of 91 with Khawaja, 59 with Josh Inglis and 50 with Mitchell Starc, to halt the English charge.

England’s bowlers fought to keep their Ashes campaign alive on day one of the third Test in Adelaide but a century from Alex Carey ensured Australia did not buckle under pressure.

Ben Stokes called on his side to scrap like dogs after back-to-back defeats in Perth and Brisbane and saw a response as they refused to let the hosts dictate on the best batting surface of the series.

Australia, missing key man Steve Smith who dramatically withdrew at the eleventh hour citing “nausea and dizziness”, posted 326 for eight after winning the toss on a pitch that promised big runs. Jofra Archer was the standout England bowler with three for 29 while Zak Crawley contributed a fine one-handed catch.

Smith’s absence meant an unexpected recall for Usman Khawaja, 24 hours on from the omission that seemed to signal the end of his career, and he grinded out 82 vital runs from number four.