Something that had not happened in the last 123 years occurred in the Ashes on Friday. Australia collapsed for 152 but managed a 42-run first innings lead over England. This happened despite 20 wickets that fell during the opening Ashes Test. The play was before a world record attendance of 94,199 spectators for a single cricketing day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This broke the previous record of 93,013 that was set during the 2015 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand. The match was played at the MCG.

Australia was 4/0 in the second innings at stumps, leading by 46 runs, having had to bat out just one nervy over before closing.

The number of wickets taken on the first day was also a new record in a Boxing Day Test, outnumbering the previous 18 wickets taken in the 1998 Ashes test. The overall test record is 27 wickets achieved in the 1888 Ashes test at Lord’s.

     It is the first time since 1902 that at least 20 wickets have been taken in a day’s cricket in a test between England and Australia in Australia.

Most wickets to fall on Day 1 of Test in Australia, prior to Friday:

25 – Australia vs. England, Melbourne (1901-02)

22 – Australia vs West Indies, Adelaide (1951-52)

20   Australia vs South Africa in Melbourne (1931-32)

20 – Australia vs England – Melbourne (1894-95)

20 – Australia vs England – Melbourne (2025/26)

England’s loss of the first three matches meant that the Ashes series was won in only 11 playing days by the Australian team.England vs. Australia Played in Match Details Date Ground Outcome 1st test

Josh Tongue declared that a personal best of 5-45 had been enough for England to bowl Australia out after winning the toss and choosing to bowl. England scored 110 in 29.5 overs in reply, with 4-45 coming from Michael Neser.

Tongue, playing his eighth Test match, was responsible for three early dismissals as Australia slumped to 72-4 at lunch.

Travis Head (12) and Weatherald (10) were removed cheaply as Australia were reduced to 31-2 in the 10th over. Seizing the opportunities on a surface which began to provide lateral movement, Tongue deceived Labuschagne (6) with an edged catch to first slip on 34-3.

Then, in a major breakthrough, their captain Steve Smith lost his middle stump in attempting to drive Tongue when their score was 51.

“He is a brilliant cricketer. I have been watching him right from the time I was a kid,” Smith was quoted by the ICC as saying. “Taking a Test match wicket is a very special experience. Today has been a brilliant day of Test match cricket,” added the English bats

Australia planned to rebuild through veteran Usman Khawaja but he held his wicket against Gus Atkinson’s bowling as he was caught behind for 29 at 89/5, and then Alex Carey sent a catch to leg gully for 2 runs later.

Neser (35) and Cameron Green (17) put together a 52-run partnership before Green hesitated and was run out at 143-7.

Tongue was given a ovation off the field at tea, having knocked over Neser and Scott Boland (0) with the first two balls of his 12th over, and raised the spirits of the England team, who had lost the first three Tests.

England was 8-3 in the 4.2 overs as Zak Crawley (5), Jacob Bethell (2), and Ben Duckett (2) all got out in a thrilling start to the innings.

Joe Root got a duck as he was caught behind in the eighth over with the score of 16-4 from the bowling of Neser. However, Harry Brook took over and smashed the next delivery from Mitchell Starc over mid-off for six.

Brook’s bold strokeplay brought him 41 runs from 34 deliveries, and he scored 50 runs for the fifth wicket with Stokes.

Boland then wiped out Brook, Jamie Smith, and Will Jacks in three successive overs, leaving England 77-7. Neser landed a telling blow on England in the next over by removing skipper Ben Stokes for 16 runs as he was caught at slip.

England’s team finished their inning, leaving only sufficient time for an over to be bowled to Australia before stumps were drawn.

“It has been a bit of a whirlwind with 20 wickets in a day,” Neser said. “I used to dream of this when I was a kid,” said one person, getting goose bumps thinking about it. England announced its team on Wednesday, the main revelation being the loss for the rest of the series, and the final test that begins on Jan. 4 in Sydney, of key bowler Jofra Archer.