England End 18 Match Ashes Drought with Gritty
The fourth Ashes Test on Boxing Day, December 26, 2025, turned into a bowler-dominated contest as batters from both sides struggled on a challenging surface, leading to dramatic collapses and a rapid pace of play. Australia’s decision at the toss proved costly as England’s disciplined bowling ripped through the top order, while England also found runs hard to come by, underlining the difficulty of conditions. With wickets falling regularly and little respite for batters, the match surged ahead unusually fast, putting the Test on course for an early finish and potentially making it a pivotal moment in the Ashes series.
The long wait and losing streak ended with a win for the English team. The fourth Test match ended in just two days. No team could even score 200 runs on the board.
The fourth Test match between Australia and England ended in just two days. On top of that, no player was able to score a fifty across all four innings. Bowlers ruled this Test match completely. But in the end, England grabbed a decent win by 4 wickets. For many people, it was just a win, but for Englishmen, it was a victory after 18 games.
The match was a bowlers' show, where in the first innings Australia fell short and scored just 152. It felt like a batting collapse, and England were expected to chase it easily, but that was not the case. The English team was all out for just 110 runs, including Harry Brook's brave 41. Australia gained a lead of 42 runs, and at the end of Day 1, the score stood at 4–0.
It was expected that the fourth test would end in just two or three days. That expectation grew when Australia started their second innings on Day 2. After getting the night watchman out, English pacers dominated the session as well, restricting the Aussies to 132. Travis Head scored 46 runs; Other than that, no player was able to bat firmly. Only three players reached double figures, while three were dismissed for ducks.
A seemingly decent total of 175 was on the board, considering the pitch behavior. But here, the turning point came as the pitch behavior changed slightly. A game-changing 51-run partnership in just seven overs changed the course of the game. Australia looked helpless in front of the English batters, resulting in the chase being completed with the loss of six wickets.
The win was not a simple one for England; it was their first victory after 18 games in the Ashes. It marked a vital positive for them despite already losing the series. It was their first win after seven defeats, giving the Stokes XI a sign of motivation to grab a win in the final Test.
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Muhammad Saad Ismail is a multimedia journalist and columnist with international experience across sports, politics, and digital media. His work spans multiple regions, including Europe, North America, and Africa, reflecting a strong global perspective in contemporary journalism. He began establishing his profile as a sports writer with World in Sports, where he produced match reports and tactical analyses covering football and cricket. Expanding into international media, he contributed as a sports journalist at MancSports, focusing on club-level football analysis, and later worked with Meer as an entertainment journalist, blending sports coverage with cultural and entertainment narratives. Alongside his reporting roles, Saad has held editorial responsibilities as Web Content Manager at The Hub Web , where he managed and published content across sports and entertainment while driving audience engagement through opinion-led journalism. Currently, he serves as a Political Journalist at The FLUC, producing research-driven commentary on global politics and public policy. In parallel, he works as an NBA correspondent for Verticality Sports, delivering analytical coverage, feature stories, and performance breakdowns centered on league trends and key storylines. With a foundation in Mass Communication and professional training from institutions such as Al Jazeera, Reuters, and the Press Council of Pakistan, Saad combines traditional reporting skills with modern multimedia expertise. His work is defined by analytical depth, cross-platform storytelling, and a commitment to informed, impactful journalism.
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