I don't like cricket....I love it

26-27 Dec 25

Australia v England

The Ashes - Fourth Test

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne, Australia

The Fourth test starts on Boxing Day and is scheduled to run for 5 days. What could possibly go wrong?

NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes 2025/26

Test Match	Dates	Venue	Result
West Test	Nov 21-25	Perth Stadium (WACA)	Australia won by 8 wkts
Day-Night Test	Dec 4-8	The Gabba, Brisbane	Australia won by 8 wkts
Christmas test	Dec 17-21	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	Australia won by 82 runs
Boxing Day Test	Dec 26-30	MCG, Melbourne	England won by 4 wkts
Pink Test	Jan 4-8	SCG, Sydney	Australia won by 5 wkts

In the 143 years since 1883, Australia have held the Ashes for approximately 87.5 years, and England for 55.5 years. This will be extended by another 4 years with the series already lost as Australia won the first three tests.

Our seats were located on the Northern side of the ground in the Ponsford Stand. I was thrilled to have secured these as I only got them while we were waiting for our flight in the lounge at Heathrow! As many will know, the first day of the Boxing Day test is notoriously hard to acquire tickets for

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is simply amazing. The 'G' is the largest cricket stadium in the Southern Hemisphere and has the 2nd largest capacity in the cricket world

View from L2 of the Ponsford Stand

Day 1 Highlights

Day 3 - Day 1 of the Melbourne test match

After getting off the tram we head to the Ponsford stand

Made it in the ground just in time for the National Anthems

The Aussie anthem

Giant scoreboard in the Olympic Stand

Dennis Lillee has taken the most wickets at the MCG (82)

Statue of cricketer and Aussie rules pioneer Tom Willis umpiring the first Aussie rules match in 1858. The match took place between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College in front of the MCG

Statue of Shane Warne who sadly passed in 2022

Sue at the Ashes

Don Bradman (The Don) is widely acknowledged as the best batsman of all time

An iconic Australian batsman and one of only two cricketers to twice score 400 runs in a single innings. The other is Brian Lara of the West Indies

Finally we made it to the Ashes

Steve and Sue at the Ashes

Meeting my Aussie nephew, Henry Dudding in the 'G'

The 1st Day witnessed a record attendance for a cricket match as 94,199 fans packed into the MCG. It also saw an incredible 20 wickets taken, as Australia took the day by reducing England to 110 all out, after they had managed another low score on a hard wicket (152) to lead by 42 runs

Day 4 - Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test in the Olympic Stand

Day 2 of the TM and the sun is out🌞

This is the only urn that England will get close to this tour

England can do with some help today

Day 2 Highlights

Taking up our Level 1 boundary seats in the Olympic Stand

View of play

It's a bit cool during the morning session but that's all

about to change. Anyone bring the Factor 50?

In front of the Olympic Stand

The chase is on, England require 175 to win

Day 2 of the Boxing day Test

England win!

The attendance was down from yesterdays bumper crowd but still an incredible 92,045 fans packed into the MCG to witness England's first win on Australian soil in 15 years (2011)

The Aussies are quiet at last!

England chase down the Aussies to win with 4 wickets remaining. Posting a score of 178 for 6.

Celebrations in the Duke of Wellington's roof top bar

Day 1 - After a 21+ hour flight we arrive at 'The Grand'

After a quick chat about 'jetlag' we decide to hit

the night life down the 'Yara'. That'll do it!

Day 2 - The Lanes and the Yara - Day before🏏

Hosier Lane is known for it's Street Art and graffiti

Young and Jackson (1861) is an iconic Melbourne pub

opposite Finders St Station, down from the 'Lanes'

Nearly all Ozzie beer is awful but Melbourne Bitter was Ok

English lads over for the Ashes

The MCG on the River Yara taken from Princes Bridge

Refreshments on Ponyfish Island

Day 5 - Old Melbourne Gaol and ACDC lane

On Ned Kelly's Wing in Melbourne Gaol

Ned Kelly's 'suit of armour' is actually in the State Library of Victoria. The one in the gaol is a replica!

AC/DC lane was a former laneway that used to be called Corporation Lane. It was renamed by Melbourne City Council in 2004 to celebrate the band

Sue and the Ostrich

Steve and Angus

Looking up the lane

Bon Scott sculptured into the brick wall

Somebody painted over Angus' head

Walter, Jessy and Big Steve

Selfie spot

Sue and the Roos

Malcolm Young on the Highway to Hell

Boy Soldier

Pop up 'Blues' concert in Melbourne

The Marvel Stadium/Docklands Stadium is primarily used for Aussie Rules football but is also home to Melbourne Victory soccer club. The stadium has a 53,000 capacity

The view towards Western Melbourne

Marvel Stadium from the dock

The Green and Gold trams on the City Circle (Route 35) provide a free service

Day 6 - The Yara River Cruise and St Kilda's Beach

Cruising down the Yarra

St Kilda baby 😎

700m of golden sand on St Kilda Beach stretching from the Marina to the Harbour

Colin, Nik and Tracey came to join us for a wet lunch at the Hotel Esplanade

A lovely afternoon talking nonsense

St Kilda Beach Babe💞

Sunset at St Kilda Beach

Back on the tram to Melbourne

The Final RV with Charlie at the 'Elephant and Wheelbarrow'

Day 7 - Puffing Billy Railway

Belgrave to Gembrook

Getting settled on the carriage sill for our 1Hr 50 journey through the Dandenong Ranges to Gembrook

All aboard the Puffing Billy

The journey takes us through the Sherbrooke Forest, over a 'Trestle Bridge', stopping at Lakeside station. The journey continues through Wright Forest before the landscape opens up to rolling hills and farmland as we head to Gembrook

Shortly after leaving Belgrave we cross our first Trestle Bridge

We made it!

The steam locomotive gets detached from its carriages and is taken to the watering point where it is re-filled with water and more coal is shovelled in to the engine room