Live: Alex Carey rescues Australia with badly needed century on home turf

An even, see-sawing day of Test cricket comes to an end.

Australia scored quickly throughout it, but consistent and disappointing wickets ensured the hosts never really got away from England.

The day, of course, was defined by a sparkling, effortless century to Alex Carey.

The Australian wicketkeeper found the middle of the bat from the get-go, pulling, cutting and punching his way to a 146-ball 106.

Usman Khawaja, too, was impressive after being thrust into the playing XI at the 11th hour.

His 82 was his first Test match half-century since January.

And Nathan Lyon is the batter to try and see it out.

Lyon is defending into the off-side and then off the hip.

Four balls left to survive.

Very wide outside off and Lyon is more than happy to watch it fly through to Jamie Smith.

This is Ben Stokes’s 19th over of the day. A massive effort from the captain.

Lyon defends the 19th dot of his innings.

Short and down the legside and Lyon is shaping to nudge it around the corner but missing it entirely.

Stokes returns to his mark for the final delivery of the day…

Lyon keeps it out.

Jofra is back.

Mitchell Starc will be desperate to see these six balls out.

It’s a real loosener to begin from Archer, 130km/hr and down the leg side. Starc leaves it alone.

And the Australian number nine is defending the next, before squirting one through point and turning down the single.

Three balls remaining in the Archer over.

Wide and short and Starc is swinging and missing.

Archer hasn’t quite hit the speeds he was earlier in the day, averaging about 135km/hr so far this over.

Four! Full and straight and Starc clips it through mid-wicket to end the over!

This is going to be an uncomfortable couple overs for the Australians.

The new ball is taken.

And Ben Stokes, six overs into his spell, has decided he should be the man to get first use.

And there’s swing straight away! Moving away from Nathan Lyon, it flies through to Jamie Smith.

Too full from Stokes and Lyon pushes to mid-on for no run.

Wide and short and Lyon has a waft – but the ball loops harmlessly through to Smith.

Wide again and Lyon is happy to leave this one alone.

Again, Lyon leaves it alone.

Not a whole lot of zip from the new rock thus far, with the ball dying after passing the batter.

Lyon pushes the ball back to Stokes to finish the over.

How will Mitchell Starc play the off-spinner?

With calm, to begin at least.

He’s defending and then nudging into the off-side. No runs on either occasion.

One delivery to come before the new ball…

With the field up, Starc is unable to work a single.

Nathan Lyon will face the fresh rock…

No wickets yet, but a whole lot of heart on show so far today from Ben Stokes.

He’s charging in once more and Starc is leaving outside off.

Starc is flat batting the next and then ducking under the one after.

Just fifteen minutes until stumps and it looks like Starc is determined to make it there.

Starc works one off the hip and blesses Nathan Lyon with two balls to negotiate.

Lyon gets underneath a bouncer.

And he’s playing into the on-side to end the over. No run.

Nathan Lyon, on his return to the team, is out to the middle and has four balls to negotiate.

The first one spins into Lyon who just about defends it.

The second is met more convincingly by Lyon, who flat bats it back to the bowler.

There’s a single on offer from the final delivery of the over, but Mitchell Starc turns it down.

Once again, it’s a soft dismissal for the Australians.

Carey is down and sweeping Jacks, but all he gets is a big top edge.

The ball flies high into the sky and falls comfortably into the gloves of Jamie Smith.

A wonderful knock comes to a disappointing end.

Ben Stokes is coming around the wicket to Mitchell Starc, who is defending into the off-side.

The field, barring a slip and a gully, is spread for Australia’s hard-hitting number nine.

Starc ducks underneath a short ball.

Stokes pops his collar as he grimaces on the way back to his mark.

Still looking pretty red.

Starc goes after one! But it’s well controlled and into the ground well before it reaches the fielder on the fence. Just a single.

Carey swivels one to fine leg for another single.

Alex Carey is working a single to begin before Mitchell Starc defends a couple.

There’s a fair few Englishmen out on the fence, but you’d imagine they won’t dissuade him from having a crack.

He gets a wide one and cuts it for a single.

A couple more singles to end the over.

Ben Stokes is looking increasingly red out there.

I hope he’s been applying sunscreen regularly today.

Four! Short from Stokes and Mitchell Starc is swinging and getting just enough glove to glide it past Jamie Smith and to the fence.

Fuller from Stokes and Starc is defending.

Ben Stokes turns to Will Jacks.

The off-spinner arrows one in from around the wicket and Alex Carey works a single down the ground.

Mitchell Starc rocks back and cuts for another single.

There are runs everywhere for the Australian batters right now, as another single brings up an unwanted milestone for Will Jacks.

His figures now read 1-100 as the Adelaide Oval cheers ironically.

Underneath a scorching Adelaide sun, at his home ground, Alex Carey pushes one through cover and completes a wonderful century. 

The crowd is up and paying tribute to the hometown hero, who is playing his first Test match at the Oval since losing his father in September.

It has been an almost chanceless knock from the Australian wicketkeeper.

His first Ashes century. What a player.

Deep point, deep square leg and deep fine leg for the South Australian on 97.

Alex Carey is back and shovelling one deep into the leg-side for a single.

He moves to 98.

Starc swipes one that is gathered on the bounce at gully.

He proceeds to work a single off the hip.

Carey returns to strike with three balls left in the over and two runs away from his century.

He’s forward and pushing to mid-on for no run.

Brydon Carse is coming around the wicket to Alex Carey, who is pushing into the off-side and then getting a single through mid-on.

Starc swings again! This time, very unconvincingly. It balloons and just about clears the men in the infield. The batters run a couple.

It’s called a no ball.

Starc works one off his hip and he picks up another two. Starc has raced to 18 from 25 deliveries.

And it’s a dot to end the over.

The England captain brings himself on for the first time since tea.

It’s full and on off to begin. Starc is defending.

Starc works a single around the corner and Alex Carey returns to strike on 95.

He retakes his guard before defending into the on-side.

You can feel the tension building around the Adelaide Oval. The hometown hero moves to 96 with a swivel and a shovel to deep square leg.

Starc strides forward and plays another one of those domineering straight drives – but this time, Stokes is able to gather on the bounce in his follow through.

And Starc is defending to end the over.

Alex Carey is on 94* as Brydon Carse goes again in the Adelaide heat.

Carey rocks back and glides one through point for a single.

He moves to 95.

The field comes up for Mitchell Starc. There’s a slip as well as a bunch of catchers scattered on either side of the wicket.

Starc swings! He doesn’t get all of it, but that’s a good enough shot from Starc. It’s essentially a golf swing – no foot movement, but enough contact to fly over the infield and dribble to the long-on boundary.

Starc goes again! Even straighter this time from Starc, who makes the most of a half volley by smashing it over Carse’s head and to the fence.

He proceeds to work a single from the final ball of a ten-run over.

Around the wicket, Josh Tongue plonks down a good straight ball which Mitch Starc pushes to mid-off for no run.

The next one is into Starc’s ribs, he’s defending and almost picking out the fielder at short leg. No run.

Another short ball, but this time too wide. Starc watches it through to the ‘keeper.

Starc nudges one into the off-side and the batters cross for the first run of the over.

And Alex Carey, frustratingly for England, is able to manoeuvre another single to keep strike for the next over.

He’s steamed in all day, has Brydon Carse, and is doing so in vain to begin the over.

Alex Carey pulls out as a beach towel flies across the field.

Shot! Carey is back and punching one through cover. That’s a divine shot and another boundary.

Carey moves into the 90s.

Uppish! Carey goes at a wide one and doesn’t get all of it! It balloons up into the air and stays there for what seems like an age. Zak Crawley is diving but the ball falls safe. Just.

He proceeds to smack one to mid-off for no run.

Oh gosh. Carey is really going for it here. He swings at another wide one and get an inside edge that squirts past the stumps and to the on-side. The batters cross for a single.

Short and crunched! Starc plays a controlled pull shot out to the fielder at deep mid-wicket. A single to end the over.