The Ashes 2025 LIVE: Tongue strikes as England get second wicket, Head in ominous form

I crunched a few numbers during the lunchbreak. This is what I found.

Ahsan Raza, the umpire who erroneously gave out Jake Weatherald lbw, had eight of 13 reviews overturned in his most recent Test last month. That’s 61.53 per cent.

The Test average in 2025 for a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires is about 25 per cent.

One of the umpires with the best DRS numbers is New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney.

He’s the TV umpire in this game. Raza and Nitin Menon have had one of eight reviews overturned this game, which is good going.

But let’s scratch a little deeper. One review against Alex Carey was struck down when it should have been out, and Weatherald would have had his decision overturned if he had challenged.

So the one in eight becomes three in 10, which is not a good result for the umpires.

Cricket can be a difficult game to explain to those not familiar with the quirks of the sport. The explanation for the use of technology is not straightforward, either.

Many of the one million-plus viewers who settled in to watch the Big Bash League after the Ashes on Thursday may be wondering why there is different technology used for the Tests in this country and for Cricket Australia’s Twenty20 competition.

Players have lost faith in Snicko after it returned controversial decisions during the Adelaide Test, but UltraEdge is being used for a lower level of cricket despite being considered by some experts, including Ricky Ponting, to be the superior technology.

Even to seasoned cricket viewers, it seemed an additional absurdity in the technology debate that has exploded during this Ashes summer.

Click here to read the story.

Marnus again had to sweat on another DRS referral.

Stokes made the call with one second left after Marnus was called “not out” for a caught behind shout off Carse.

Snicko picked up a tiny amount of sound but it looked clear enough that the ball didn’t find the edge.

Stokes showed some frustration when his players couldn’t tell him whether to review or not, hence his late decision.

Australia are 1-25 with a lead of 110 runs.

Marnus Labuschagne edged a ball from Carse’s first over after lunch and it was sailing towards the keeper before dropping late, right in front of Jamie Smith’s gloves.

The umpires called it not out and doubled-checked but Smith never appealed. He knew it was short.

Lucky escape for Marnus.

Australia are 1-18 with a lead of 103 runs.

Play just about ready to resume here in Adelaide, and the difference in quality spin bowling stocks should start to truly emerge as the day and Test wears on.

Nathan Lyon started with two wickets in his first over and then kept the English under the pump with 28 economical overs – his 2.5 runs per over is already the most frugal of any bowler in the series.

The bounce and sideways movement he was already regularly extracting will only increase too.

The trouble for England?

Their best options are Will Jacks and Joe Root – handy part-timers, but hardly genuine frontline options.

I’m tipping that will become painfully clear as the session wears on.

Early wickets a must for the tourists.

Devon Conway reached a double century for the first time since his first test innings four years ago, leading New Zealand to 424-3 at lunch Friday on the second day of the third test against the West Indies.

New Zealand lost the nightwatchman Jacob Duffy (17) and an out-of-sorts Kane Williamson (31) in the first session but Conway was immovable and reached 224 not out by lunch. Rachin Ravindra was 4 not out.

New Zealand leads the three-match series 1-0 after the first test was drawn and the Black Caps won the second by nine wickets.

Conway resumed at 178 after batting through all of the first day on which he shared a 323-run opening partnership with Tom Latham who made 137.

He reached his double century after more than seven hours at the crease, from 316 balls and with 28 fours.

Conway made a double century in the first innings of his first test against England in June 2021, immediately after qualifying to play for New Zealand on residential grounds. That remained his highest score through 58 innings until he finally surpassed it on Friday.

New Zealand was 334-1 when the second day began, with Duffy 9 not out. Duffy hit two early boundaries before being caught by wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach off Jayden Seales when the total was 350.

That brought out Williamson who was padded up for all of the first day and in total for 93.5 overs, waiting for his turn to bat. When it came, he was rusty at times, playing and missing and battling timing issues early in his innings. But he survived 60 balls and hit five boundaries in his 31 until he was out driving at a ball on a tempting length which just moved away and flicked the outside edge.

Conway also had trouble at times against a depleted West Indies attack. Kemar Roach is out of action at least for the rest of the second day with a hamstring issue.

Conway was dropped on 206 by Kavem Hodge at short cover off Roston Chase and took chances at times by leaving on length balls which passed close to or over his off stumps. Still, New Zealand’s total passed 400 in 111 overs.

Conway spoke to media after stumps on the first day after the difficult task of opening the batting, especially in New Zealand.

Opening “is a very underappreciated job around the world, not just here,” Conway said. “Yeah, it has been a tough ride. Quite often you rock up day one of a test match and you see it’s pretty green.

“Already mentally you think, well, it’s going to do bits here on this pitch. I think a lot of credit needs to go to a guy like Tom Latham, who’s played 90-odd tests and has done so well.”

A short time ago New Zealand were 5-485.

AP

Australia will go to lunch with a lead of 102 runs, but they will still be ruing the loss of Jake Weatherald.

England have done well to make this match competitive again, but Travis Head looks in ominous form and if they let him stick around for 100 balls or more, he will likely bat them out of this match or near enough to it.

Brydon Carse has a wicket and now his teammates need to step up and find a way to dismiss the home side as soon as possible.

What a mouthwatering second session to come after lunch.