Sports
Australia all out for 152 as England take charge of 4th Ashes Test
- England skipper opts to bowl first on MCG’s green track.
- Pacer Josh Tongue dismisses five Australian batters.
- Australia’s Michael Neser emerges as top-scorer with 35 runs.
MELBOURNE: A rampant England tore through the Australian batting to dismiss the hosts for just 152 on day one of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday in a huge confidence boost for the tourists.
Skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in Australia under overcast skies at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald fell for 12 and 10 respectively while Marnus Labuschagne made six as Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue found plenty of movement.
Steve Smith looked to have weathered the storm, but he was cleaned up on nine by Tongue, who knocked back his middle stump to leave England’s “Barmy Army” of fans in full voice.
It didn’t get much better after lunch with Usman Khawaja (29), Alex Carey (20) and Cameron Green (17) among those departing.
Michael Neser top-scored with 35 while Tongue took 5-45.
Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide, with England desperate to restore pride in Melbourne.
Castigated over their limited Ashes preparations, the tourists lost the famous urn in just 11 days of play with a scandal involving alleged excessive drinking by players during a mid-series beach break piling on the pressure.
Missing injured pace spearhead Jofra Archer, they reinstated Atkinson after he was axed for Adelaide and he opened the attack.
An aggressive Head drove consecutive boundaries off a wayward Brydon Carse, but he only lasted 22 balls, chopping on from Atkinson in the next over.
Opening partner Weatherald fared little better, tickling down the leg side to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in Tongue’s first over, with the Nottinghamshire quick then enticing an edge from Labuschagne that was well taken by Joe Root at slip.
Smith and Khawaja began to stabilise the innings before Tongue struck again to remove the Australia captain and leave England in control.
With the sun breaking through on their return from lunch, Khawaja hit a glorious counter-attacking drive to the boundary off Atkinson.
But his luck ran out next ball, getting the faintest of edges to Smith.
The umpire initially gave it not out, but it was overturned on review before Adelaide century-maker Carey flicked a Stokes ball to Zak Crawley at leg gully
Green, who has had a lean series so far, crunched back-to-back fours off Tongue as he settled in.
Not to be outdone, Michael Neser, in his fourth Test but first red-ball affair, went one better, cracking three in succession off the same bowler.
But disaster struck again, with Green run out for 17 going for a risky single then Starc hoisted Brydon Carse to a back-peddling Stokes at mid-off before Tongue removed Neser and Scott 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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