Imagine watching your team's star batter throw away a promising innings with a shot so baffling it leaves fans scratching their heads—could Jamie Smith's wild swing be the most cringe-worthy moment of England's disastrous Ashes campaign?
Cricket fans know that getting out is never glamorous for a batter, but England's 2025-26 Ashes series down under has been littered with moments of sheer mental lapses that turned potential victories into heartbreaking collapses. These 'brain fades,' as they're often called, are those split-second decisions where logic seems to vanish, leading to dismissals that could have been avoided with a bit more focus. The series against Australia has seen plenty of them, but none quite as jaw-dropping as Jamie Smith's ill-advised hoick to deep extra cover off a bouncer from Marnus Labuschagne on the second morning of the Sydney Test. Was this the absolute low point of England's tour? To help you decide, we've ranked our top 10 most baffling dismissals, counting down from 10 to the numero uno blunder. And trust me, you'll be yelling at your screen by the end.
- Ben Stokes run out by Josh Inglis for 19 (Brisbane, 1st innings)
Picture this: Joe Root and Ben Stokes, two of England's most reliable players, had been battling it out together for more than an hour at the Gabba in Brisbane. Starting from a shaky 176 for 4 on what was actually a pretty batsman-friendly pitch, they were steadily rebuilding, scoring at a cautious two runs per over against Australia's pace attack. It was gritty stuff, the kind that builds innings and frustrates bowlers. But then, in a moment of over-eagerness to keep the scoreboard ticking, Stokes nudged a ball from Brendan Doggett into the off side and called for a quick single. Problem was, it was never there—Josh Inglis swooped in with a lightning-fast direct throw to the stumps, catching Stokes short. Just like that, England's score tumbled from 210 for 4 to a disastrous 264 for 9. Run-outs like this highlight how even seasoned pros can get caught up in the heat of the moment, especially when partnerships are fragile.
- Harry Brook bowled by Nathan Lyon for 30 (Adelaide, 2nd innings)
Harry Brook had promised to dial back his aggressive style a notch before the third Test in Adelaide, following some reckless shots that got him out in Perth and Brisbane (we'll get to those later). Smart move, right? He actually followed through, partnering with Zak Crawley to add a solid 68 runs on a pitch that was as flat and forgiving as they come—no demons lurking there. Brook was playing it cool, sweeping and reverse-sweeping with the finesse of a surgeon. But here's where it gets controversial... he chose the absolute wrong moment to try a reverse sweep again. Lyon's delivery was a juicy drag-down, begging to be punished, yet Brook lost his off stump to it. He stood there, looking utterly puzzled, as if replaying the shot in his mind and wondering what went wrong. For beginners, a reverse sweep is a fancy shot where you play across your body to hit the ball fine on the off side—tricky, and mistiming it can be fatal, as we saw here.
- Jamie Smith caught by Pat Cummins off Mitchell Starc for 60 (Adelaide, 2nd innings)
Smith was on fire during England's bold chase of 435 in Adelaide, smashing boundaries off four straight balls from the fresh second new ball. It was the kind of momentum that could swing a match. But in his quest for a fifth consecutive four, he went for a risky swipe against Starc's pace and ended up sky-ing it straight to a retreating Pat Cummins at deep point. England captain Ben Stokes backed his young keeper publicly, saying it was all part of their attacking mindset. Yet, cricket legend Ricky Ponting wasn't buying it, calling it out bluntly on TV: 'Dopey, dopey, dopey.' And this is the part most people miss—while aggressive play is England's hallmark under Stokes, is there a line where boldness tips into recklessness? Smith's knock showed his potential, but that shot raised eyebrows about shot selection under pressure.
- Ollie Pope bowled by Mitchell Starc for 0 (Brisbane, 1st innings)
Ollie Pope had been preaching about needing 'complete clarity' in his approach during pre-match chats before Brisbane, but his actions told a different story—like his brain was in a fog. England were already wobbling at 5 for 1 by the third over when Pope faced Starc. The ball nipped back in sharply, cramping him for room, and instead of playing it safe, he jumped into a flashy cut shot. It clipped the under-edge and rattled into his stumps. For those new to cricket, cutting is a horizontal bat shot to hit balls wide outside off stump, but attempting it against inswinging pace is like playing with fire—especially early in your innings. Pope's early exit set a tone of uncertainty for England's middle order.
- Zak Crawley caught and bowled by Michael Neser for 44 (Brisbane, 2nd innings)
Despite the red flags from the first two Tests showing how dangerous it was to play away from the body, England's top order kept pushing their luck with uppish drives. Crawley's exit on the third evening at the Gabba was a prime example of ignoring the lessons. Neser had just clean-bowled Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope with similar catches back to the bowler, yet Crawley charged a good-length ball with hard hands, chipping it straight back. It's a classic case of momentum overriding caution; in cricket, a 'caught and bowled' means the batter pops it right back to the bowler, often from poor timing. This dismissal not only ended a promising stand but also exposed England's vulnerability to disciplined bowling.
- Gus Atkinson caught by Steve Smith off Brendan Doggett for 3 (Brisbane, 2nd innings)
Gus Atkinson had the luxury of watching Stokes and Will Jacks grind through a tough session and a half on day four in Brisbane before it was his turn. But right after both fell to Australia's short-ball strategy, Atkinson decided to take it head-on—literally. With fielders positioned deep on the leg side to cut off boundaries, he hooked Doggett's bouncer straight to Steve Smith at short midwicket, who took an easy catch. Atkinson stands out here as the only tail-ender on this list, but don't underestimate him; he's a genuine all-rounder who even notched a Test century once. For beginners, a bouncer is a short-pitched delivery aimed at the batter's head to intimidate—playing it aggressively without practice can lead to exactly this kind of mishap.
- Harry Brook caught by Steve Smith off Mitchell Starc for 31 (Brisbane, 1st innings)
Brook exploded to 31 on the first day in Brisbane with his trademark fearless approach, treating the pink-ball conditions like a T20 game. When Starc came back for a late-evening spell under lights, Brook saw it as his chance to dominate. Starc's first ball was a wide half-volley, screaming to be hit, but Brook's drive turned into a thick edge that flew to second slip. It's that overconfidence that separates thrill from spill in cricket—driving on the up means playing the ball in the air before it pitches fully, which amplifies any edge. Brook's shot was pure Bazball (England's aggressive style), but it backfired spectacularly.
- Ollie Pope caught by Josh Inglis off Nathan Lyon for 3 (Adelaide, 1st innings)
Despite averaging just 13 from his two knocks in Brisbane (0 and 26), Pope kept his spot for Adelaide, but his mindset seemed shattered from the start. After a loose prod at a wide ball from Scott Boland, he faced Lyon and tried to flick his second ball leg-side just to rotate strike. Instead, it looped tamely to Inglis at short midwicket. Pope's head-toss in frustration said it all, but was it really that surprising? Spin bowling like Lyon's off-breaks can trap impatient batters into soft shots, especially when you're desperate to get off the mark. This one felt like the weight of expectations finally crushing him.
- Harry Brook caught by Usman Khawaja off Scott Boland for 0 (Perth, 2nd innings)
With England holding a 126-run lead and seven wickets intact after lunch on day two in Perth, Brook strode out after Pope's loose drive edged to the keeper off Boland. But as if he hadn't learned a thing, Brook planted his front foot and went for a cover drive against a ball that reared sharply from a length. It kissed the edge and went to slip. Brook later admitted it felt like a bouncer in disguise. And this is the part most people miss: on bouncy Australian pitches, playing drives early can be suicidal—yet England's aggressive DNA keeps pushing them there. Is it bravery or folly?
- Jamie Smith caught by Scott Boland off Marnus Labuschagne for 46 (Sydney, 1st innings)
Topping our list is the dismissal that's sparked endless debates: Australia astutely brought on part-time bowler Labuschagne four overs before lunch on day two in Sydney—six overs early for the second new ball—to unleash a barrage of bouncers and disrupt a building partnership. Smith, already let off the hook earlier when he drove a no-ball from Cameron Green straight to short cover, danced outside leg stump and swatted an 80mph short ball right to Boland at deep extra cover. Justin Langer, who once coached Smith in franchise cricket, didn't hold back: 'One of the dumbest shots you'll ever see in Test cricket.' Coming after a lifeline, it screamed poor judgment. But here's where it gets controversial—some say it was just Smith's natural flair trying to counter the tactics, while others call it outright naive. What do you think: was this the worst of the tour, or does England's win-at-all-costs mentality excuse it?
We've all got our opinions on these brain fades, but they paint a picture of a team that's bold to a fault. Do you agree with our rankings? Which dismissal frustrated you the most, and why? Drop your thoughts in the comments—let's debate if these moments cost England the Ashes or if they're just part of the game's unpredictable charm.
Matt Roller is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
