Ashes Test 3: Australia vs England Scorecard & Result

England arrived at Adelaide Oval on Day 5 needing 82 more runs with four wickets in hand—close enough for a miracle, far enough from reality. They never got close. Nathan Lyon’s spin unraveled the tail, and Australia’s 3-0 series win was sealed on December 21, 2025, leaving English hopes of a Christmas turnaround in ruins.

Venue: Adelaide Oval · Result: Australia win by 82 runs · Series Score: Australia 3-0 · Player of the Match: Alex Carey (106 and 72, 7 dismissals) · Key Absence: Steve Smith (nausea and dizziness)

When and where is the third Ashes Test?

The third Ashes Test ran from December 17 to December 21, 2025, at Adelaide Oval in South Australia. The match started at 11:00am local time (10:30am AEDT for eastern state viewers), following the traditional day format rather than the day-night pink-ball variant that has featured in recent Adelaide summers. This was Test number 2613 in the ICC’s records and part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025 calendar.

Gate opening times reflected the early summer conditions: members entered from 7:30am on Days 1–4 and 8:45am on Day 5, while public gates opened at 8:00am and 9:00am respectively. The three daily sessions ran 10:00am–12:00pm, 12:40pm–2:40pm, and 3:00pm–5:00pm, with lunch and tea breaks built into the schedule.

The Adelaide Oval crowd of 53,500 has long been one of cricket’s most atmospheric grounds, and with the series already slipping away from England, the capacity attendance on Days 4 and 5 reflected the significance of the occasion. The South Australian Cricket Association’s official schedule confirmed the dates, times, and gate arrangements, making this one of the most thoroughly documented Tests in recent memory.

Adelaide Oval details

• Location: Adelaide, South Australia
• Capacity: 53,500
• Format: Traditional day match (not day-night)
• Match number: 2613 in ICC records
• England’s last win here: 2010 under Andrew Strauss

Australia vs England day 3

Day 3 proved decisive. Nathan Lyon’s spin bowling on a wearing pitch gave Australia the breakthrough they needed after England’s steady start in their second innings. Zak Crawley’s 85 and Ben Stokes’ 83 had kept England alive, but Lyon’s guile eventually wore them down. The narrative of Australia’s spin dominance at Adelaide—one they would convert into victory by Day 5—began taking shape on this single afternoon.

Who won the third Ashes Test today?

Australia won by 82 runs. England’s second innings ended at 352, leaving them 82 runs short of the target set by Australia’s commanding 349-4 declared in their second essay. The match ended on Day 5 with England at 351/9, and Australia’s bowlers wrapped up the final wicket to trigger celebrations at Adelaide Oval.

Australia secured the retention in 11 days of cricket—the fastest pace in recent Ashes history, leaving England’s quest for a series comeback mathematically impossible after just three Tests. ESPNcricinfo’s match report described the outcome as “No Christmas miracle for England as Australia make it 3-0 to retain the Ashes in 11 days.”

Australia seal series win 3-0

• Australia: 371 (first innings) and 349-4 declared (second innings)
• England: 286 (first innings) and 352 (second innings)
• Result: Australia win by 82 runs
• Series: Australia 3-0 (Ashes retained)
• Points: Australia 12 ICC World Test Championship points, England 0

Final scores

The innings breakdown reveals Australia’s balanced attack: Carey’s first-innings 106 set the tone, while Head’s 170 in the second innings forced England to chase a target that ultimately proved too demanding.

Why is Smith out of the 3rd test?

Steve Smith was ruled out of the third Ashes Test after experiencing nausea and dizziness. His absence removed one of England’s most experienced players from a crucial match, and while the exact cause was not publicly disclosed beyond the symptoms, the decision to withdraw him from the lineup came after reports emerged that he struggled during pre-match training.

Monty Panesar publicly hit back at Smith’s comments during the series, adding a personal edge to an already tense contest. Smith’s absence left England’s middle order without a recognised problem-solver, and while no official timeline for his return was announced, his status for the Melbourne Test remained uncertain as of the match’s conclusion.

Nausea and dizziness

• Steve Smith ruled out before the third Test
• Symptoms: nausea and dizziness reported
• No confirmed return date as of match end
• Monty Panesar responded publicly to Smith’s earlier comments

Impact on Australia

England’s XI for the match included Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Josh Tongue—tenured players capable of filling the void left by Smith. Yet Smith’s absence compounded England’s broader batting inconsistency, and the 3-0 scoreline reflected a side that never found rhythm at a venue where they have historically struggled.

What this means for England’s selection strategy is that the fourth Test at Melbourne will likely force further adjustments, particularly in the middle order where experience has been in short supply.

Who was the man of the match in the 3rd test?

Alex Carey was named Player of the Match. His 106 in Australia’s first innings anchored the home side’s position, and his 72 in the second innings helped set up the declaration that left England chasing 434. Behind the stumps, his 7 dismissals across the match—mixing sharp catches and decisive stumpings—completed a complete performance.

Carey’s dual contribution with bat and gloves mirrored his growing stature in Australian cricket. At Adelaide Oval—where England’s last win came under Andrew Strauss in 2010—Carey’s all-round display gave Australia exactly the platform they needed to clinch the series. Travis Head’s 170 in the second innings was the standout individual score, but Carey’s consistency across both departments made him the obvious choice for the award.

Alex Carey performance

• First innings: 106 runs (anchored Australia’s 371)
• Second innings: 72 runs (contributed to 349-4 declaration)
• Behind stumps: 7 dismissals (catches and stumpings combined)
• Overall: Complete performance with bat and gloves

Stats: 106 and 72, 7 dismissals

Carey’s match aggregate of 178 runs placed him among the highest scorers across both innings. His 7 dismissals—verified across multiple match reports—underscored his value as a wicketkeeper-batsman, a role that demands consistency in two distinct disciplines. At a venue where England’s last win came 15 years ago, Carey’s performance solidified Australia’s dominance.

It got a little tighter than looked likely, but an excellent performance by the home side.

— ESPNcricinfo match report

What time is lunch Ashes Test 3?

Session times at Adelaide Oval ran in three blocks: 10:00am–12:00pm, 12:40pm–2:40pm, and 3:00pm–5:00pm local time. Lunch and tea breaks fell between these sessions, with the first break typically lasting 40 minutes and the second around the same duration. The schedule was consistent across all five days of the match, according to the South Australian Cricket Association’s official match-day information.

For viewers in eastern Australia, the start time translated to 10:30am AEDT, with the first session running until 12:30pm AEDT. Viewers in Western Australia experienced a 7:30am local start, reflecting the two-and-a-half-hour time difference between SA and WA.

Session times

• Session 1: 10:00am–12:00pm local (10:30am–12:30pm AEDT)
• Session 2: 12:40pm–2:40pm local
• Session 3: 3:00pm–5:00pm local
• Day 5 start: 11:00am local (earlier start for potential final day)

Lunch and tea breaks

The traditional structure placed the lunch break after the first session and the tea break after the second. These intervals allowed players to regroup and coaches to reassess strategy, particularly valuable on a wearing pitch where spin often became more effective as the match progressed. Day 5’s earlier start reflected the standard protocol for matches potentially concluding on the final day.

The implication is that any team chasing on the final day gains precious extra batting time if the pitch deteriorates during those lunch and tea intervals.

Australia retains Ashes with crushing Adelaide victory.

— 7NEWS broadcast report

Summary

Australia’s 82-run victory at Adelaide Oval on December 21, 2025, wrapped up the Ashes in record time—11 days of cricket, three matches, zero doubt. Alex Carey’s match-winning 106 and 72 with 7 dismissals earned him Player of the Match honours, while Nathan Lyon’s spin dismantled England’s final resistance on Day 5. For England, the road to Melbourne offers one last chance to avoid a whitewash: the fourth Test begins December 26 at the MCG, where their 2010 Adelaide drought offers cold comfort and Steve Smith’s availability remains in doubt.

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