Ollie Pope, whose 46 in Perth remains his highest score in six Ashes innings on this tour, paid the price for his poor run of form. Photo: Getty ImagesA side strain has ended England fast bowler Jofra Archer's Ashes campaign, while the beleaguered tourists dropped batter Ollie Pope for the fourth test against Australia on Boxing Day. "Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell comes into the side and will bat at number three," the touring side said in a statement ahead of the Boxing Day test. "The effort that he's put in over these three games has been exceptional," captain Ben Stokes said of the speedster on Tuesday. Duckett has tallied 97 runs in six innings with a highest score of 29.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 24, 2025 21:43 UTC