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Aus lead Eng after crazy day at MCG | The Express Tribune
Australia’s Scott Boland is congratulated after taking a catch to dismiss England’s Brydon Carse. Photo: AFP
MELBOURNE:
An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic day one of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge.
England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue grabbing 5-45.
But England fared even worse, slumping to 16-4 and never recovering, leaving Australia to face one over before stumps, which nightwatchman Scott Boland safely negotiated with Travis Head at the other end.
Australia were 4-0 at the close with Boland on four, 46 ahead, with Head yet to face a ball.
“I feel like anyone could have taken a ‘five-fer’ today,” said Tongue, who became the first Englishman to take five wickets in an innings in a Test at the MCG since Dean Headley and Darren Gough in 1998.
“When I’m at my best I’m bowling at that fuller length. Stokes has spoken to us quite a bit about it, going a touch fuller but hitting the pitch hard.
“If we get the ball in the same areas tomorrow we can get them three of four wickets down in the first hour.”
Australia bowler Michael Neser, who took 4-45, was not making any predictions for the second innings after a day when the ball dominated the bat.
“We saw how tough it was when we batted. The ball was nipping around and we needed to bowl in the right areas,” Neser said.
“You need to put pressure back on their bowlers. You need to find the perfect balance between defence and attack.”
Beleaguered England opener Ben Duckett’s week went from bad to worse, out for two just days after unverified video surfaced showing him drunk during a mid-series beach break.
It was another shocking dismissal for the 31-year-old, lobbing a simple catch to Neser at mid-on off the irrepressible Mitchell Starc.
Neser in the next over removed Jacob Bethell, playing in place of the under-performing Ollie Pope, when he edged to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
Zak Crawley was taken in the slips by Steve Smith off Starc four balls later, then Joe Root edged Neser to Carey to put England into freefall.
Harry Brook decided attack was the best form of defence, smashing sixes off Starc and Neser, and with Stokes temporarily halted the carnage.
They put on 50 before Scott Boland trapped Brook lbw for 41.
Boland then bowled Jamie Smith for two and had Will Jacks caught behind, all within the space of 10 deliveries from the 36-year-old.
When Stokes edged Neser to Smith in the slips for 16 it was all but over.
Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide.
The tourists lost the famous urn in just 11 days of play with a drinking scandal by players during a beach break piling on the pressure.
Crucial toss
They responded well after Stokes won a crucial toss.
Head drove consecutive boundaries off a wayward Brydon Carse, but he only lasted 22 balls, chopping on Atkinson for 12.
Steve Smith is bowled by Josh Tongue on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test © William WEST / AFP
Jake Weatherald tickled down the leg side to wicketkeeper Smith on 10 in Tongue’s first over.
Tongue then enticed an edge from Marnus Labuschagne on six that was well taken by Root at slip.
Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja began to stabilise the innings before Tongue struck again to bowl the Australia captain for nine.
Khawaja on 29 got the faintest of edges to Smith off Atkinson before Adelaide century-maker Alex Carey, on 20, flicked Stokes to Crawley who had just moved to leg gully.
Cameron Green, who has had a lean series, crunched back-to-back fours off Tongue. Neser, in his fourth Test but first red-ball affair, went one better, cracking three in succession off the same bowler.
But Green ran himself out for 17 going for a risky single then Starc hoisted Carse to a back-pedalling Stokes at mid-off before Tongue removed Neser and Boland.
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As Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam broke an Olympic record in her gold-medal-winning run on Monday, her fiancée Jake Paul couldn’t contain his emotions.
He was crying for joy.
Paul was on his feet in the stands, bawling his eyes out as Leerdam didn’t just live up to the expectations of winning gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina games — she also broke the 1,000-meter speed skating record with a time of 1:12.31.
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Jake Paul of United States of America cries with joy for his fiancée Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands who won after the Women’s 1000m Speed Skating event on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Feb. 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Henk Jan Dijks/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi)
Leerdam broke the previous record set by teammate Femke Kok, who notched her time just moments before Leerdam’s run.
While the 27-year-old skater was brought to tears after seeing her final time, Paul was in the stands doing the same, surrounded by her family, who also couldn’t help but cry tears of joy.
This marked Leerdam’s first-ever gold medal at the Olympics and her second overall medal after winning silver in Beijing in 2022.
JAKE PAUL TAKES ISSUE WITH BAD BUNNY ‘OPENLY HATING AMERICA’ AMID ICE CRITICISM
This one was extra special considering Leerdam’s surprising fall during the Dutch Olympic Trials, which forced her out of the race. There were talks that her spot at Milan Cortina was in doubt, but she made the Dutch team in the end.
It was the right move.
Boxer Jake Paul celebrates in the stands after his fiancée Jutta Leerdam of Team Netherlands (not pictured) wins Gold after breaking the Olympic record in the Speed Skating Women’s 1000m on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Feb. 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Before Leerdam’s record-breaking run, Kok raced to an impressive 1:12.59 time, which ultimately resulted in a silver medal for the Netherlands. Kok is also expected to be in contention for the gold medal in the 500-meter race later in the Games.
Rounding out the podium in the 1,000-meter sprint was Japan’s Miho Takagi, who finished third with a time of 1:13.95.
As for the Americans, Erin Jackson was in first place with a 1:15.00 time. However, as the skaters kept going, she kept falling down the list.
Brittany Bowe, Jackson’s teammate, just finished in fourth to miss out on a medal with a time of 1:14.55.
Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
Paul, the polarizing boxer, has been no stranger to showing emotion. And while this was pure joy, he fired off a tweet that appeared angry when talking about another massive sporting event back in the States.
Paul called Super Bowl LX halftime show performer Bad Bunny a “fake citizen” ahead of the Puerto Rican’s performance at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night. Paul took exception with Bad Bunny due to the Grammy Award-winning artist speaking out against things like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a ‘fake citizen’ because they’re from Puerto Rico. I live in Puerto Rico, and I love Puerto Rico,” Paul said in his most recent tweet, clarifying what he wrote on Sunday night. “I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so. But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it. Period. That’s the same reason I called out Hunter Hess.
Jake Paul of the U.S., center, cries after his fiancée Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Antonio Calanni/AP Photo)
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“If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Love America.”
Paul and Leerdam announced their engagement in March 2025 with a joint Instagram post.
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American skier Hunter Hess appeared to backtrack on the “mixed emotions” he said he had about representing the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Hess drew backlash from President Donald Trump and others when he made his initial comments to reporters last week. But after a few days, Hess made clear about wearing the red, white and blue on one of the biggest stages in sports.
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Hunter Hess of the United States reacts while competing in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix 2025 at Copper Mountain on Dec. 20, 2025 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“I love my country,” he wrote with an American flag emoji. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better.
“One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out. The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete.”
Hess’ comments came as the Trump administration faced backlash over the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in immigration enforcement operations. An incident with ICE agents in January left Renee Good dead in Minnesota. Border Patrol agents also had a deadly encounter with Alex Pretti.
Hunter Hess of Team United States reacts after competing in the Men’s Ski Superpipe Final on day two of the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain on Feb. 25, 2023 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
OLYMPIC SKI STAR AMPS UP ICE CRITICISM AFTER POSTING GRAPHIC PHOTO
Those incidents were apparently used as the catalyst for the comments from Hess and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hess said.
“I think, for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the economy at a rally Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)
“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.”
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Trump ripped Hess for the comments, calling him a “real loser.”
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Track the Milan Cortina Olympic medal counts country by country and see who won gold, silver or bronze in each event.
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Jake Paul breaks down in tears as fiancée Jutta Leerdam shatters Olympic speedskating record
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