England take revenge from Australia a day after Ashes demolition, distress spread

Cricket Australia (CA) is all set to face a massive financial loss after the first Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series ended inside two days against England on Saturday, November 22, at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Recently, Cricket Australia (CA) had predicted a record year, but the Perth pitch for the first Test turned out to be a real firecracker, as the surface was full of bounce, pace, and movement that kept the fast bowlers on full song throughout the two days.

CA suffers multi-million loss as Ashes 2025-26 opener ends early

The pitch at the Optus Stadium was so lively and challenging that the Ashes 2025-26 opener between England and Australia turned into a low-scoring thriller and wrapped up in just two days, hitting the hosts' board with a financial shock.

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The Ashes 2025-26 opener turned into pure chaos right from the start, with 19 wickets tumbling on the opening day at the Optus Stadium.

Even on the Perth pitch that was bouncing, seaming, and doing almost everything, the England cricket team somehow pulled off a 40-run lead in the first innings.

Australia crush England in Perth to take 1-0 lead in Ashes series

That lead felt huge on such a tough surface in Perth. And when England reached 100/1 in their second innings, it looked in complete control, but then, as usual, poor shot selections, confused batting, and a total loss of control turned into a nightmare for the touring side.

They failed to set the big total, as Australia needed only 205 to win the first Test, and they made the chase look effortless. Travis Head led the chase from the front with a stunning 123 off just 83 balls, and Marnus Labuschagne’s composed fifty wrapped up an easy eight-wicket win for Australia.

With the first Test ending inside two days, the Australian team took a 1–0 lead in the five-match Test series. While this victory set the tone for the challenging Ashes series, the two-day finish has created a massive multi-million-dollar hole in the Australian board’s earnings.

Cricket Australia faces AU$3 Million blow after the first Ashes Test ends in 2 days

It is being said that Cricket Australia (CA) is all set to face a loss of more than AU$3 million after the Ashes opener ended in just two days in Perth. Travis Head’s destructive innings and England’s reckless Bazball approach were the reasons behind the two-day finish of the game, which left Cricket Australia with no ticket revenue for days three and four.

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The numbers make the loss even more painful for CA. A huge crowd of 101,514 people watched the actions at the Optus Stadium in the first two days—51,531 on Day 1 and 49,983 on Day 2.

This broke Perth’s last Test attendance record of 96,463, which was set last year when India played there. The third day of the Perth Test was also almost sold out, meaning CA was denied another big-money earning.

CA chief Todd Greenberg predicted major losses

Before play even resumed on Day 2 against England on November 22, when Australia’s first innings was still going on, CA chief executive Todd Greenberg had already expressed concern that the match might not reach day three.

Greenberg had admitted that an early finish would hurt broadcasters, sponsors, partners, and, of course, Cricket Australia itself through ticket sales. He told SEN: “It's difficult for a number of different groups. Our broadcasters first of all. Certainly us, on ticket sales, and our partners and sponsors. There's a big economic impact on this series.”