The Ashes: Live coverage of day four of Second Test as Australia close in on victory against England
Australia are on the brink of a 2-0 Ashes stranglehold, with just Ben Stokes looming as the sole man who could provide England resistance.
The tourists enter Sunday still 43 runs in arrears of Australia, with six wickets down, and needing a miracle to post a target that could make the Aussie batters sweat.
Mitchell Starc appears on the brink of securing Player of the Match honours, and will be looking to add to his eight wickets for the Test - not to mention his team-high 77 with the bat.
Follow all the action from Day 4 at the Gabba here!
Key Events
Starc starts
Mitch Starc restarts play and Jacks has a drive first ball!
The misque goes harmlessly to mid-wicket.
Tea ENG 6-193
Marnus was given the last over before the break but England have seen off the first two hours of play without too much trouble.
Stokes and Jacks were beaten a few times and the skipper nearly got caught but they made it their first session of the series without losing a wicket.
The lead is 16 but Australia are still in a very good position.
We’ll be back after the break!
Head twist
Can Travis Head prove the golden arm before Tea?
There is two overs left to the break and he has started well.
ENG 6-189, lead by 12
So close!
Stokes finally breaks ranks and comes down the wicket at Boland but it grabs the shoulder of the bat.
It just goes over the leaping 6 foot 5 Cam Green in gully and runs to the rope.
The ball had steep bounce.
ENG 6-183, lead by 6
Scores level
Green started with a maiden but Jacks scampers a single off Boland and Australia will need to bat again.
ENG 6-177
Finally!
WA’s Cam Green is into the attack.
Will he go with a short-ball tactic?
He starts to Stokes.
ENG 6-176, trailing by 1
Nearly there
England are just five runs away from forcing Australia to bat again and are still yet to lose a wicket.
Jacks looks worst against the short-ball but it is an expensive tactic.
However, the home side may go to it when England get a small lead.
ENG 6-172, trailing by 5
Drinks
England have seen out the first hour but not without their share of luck.
Neser bowls a maiden into the break and he is starting to get a bit of nip both ways.
Australia could look at a short leg to Stokes.
Green may come in after the break and could be used in a short-ball burst.
The scoring is very un-Bazball but England have looked much more solid than at any other point in the series so far.
ENG 6-162, trailing by 15
Lyon factor
Ricky Ponting has hit the nail on the head as he usually does.
How good with a Nathan Lyon spell look about now?
“They obviously won’t be thinking about it out there, but we can think about it here. This would have been an ideal time for Nathan Lyon to come into the attack,” Ponting said on Channel 7 commentary.
“We saw some turn and bounce yesterday from Jacks, he’s got a very good record against Stokes as well, has Lyon. And you’ve got a few tailenders after this that I’m sure would look to go after the spinner.”
Green machine
Cam Green is warming up and looks set for his first overs of the day.
Neser and Doggett have both beaten the outside edge a few times but they don’t look overly threatening.
ENG 6-159, trailing by 18
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