Mitchell Starc surpassed Stuart Broad to top the list of the most runs scored by a No.9 batter in Test history, with a brutal knock in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Starc came in early on day three at Brisbane after Michael Neser was dismissed to leave Australia 383-7, leading England by 49 runs. He put on a partnership of 33 runs with Alex Carey before Carey was caught behind by Jamie Smith off Gus Atkinson. Starc then became the main run-scorer, with Scott Boland standing firm at the other end.
He cracked back-to-back fours off Brydon Carse before hitting Ben Stokes through the covers and down to the boundary off the next ball he faced. At the tea interval at the end of the first session, he was four runs short of a half-century, and reached the milestone with a boundary off Will Jacks in the first over back. It was his 11th half-century in Test matches, and his second of the year after his 58* in the World Test Championship at Lord's in June. Before that innings, he hadn't reached 50 since 2019.
Starc continued to frustrate England in the field, following on from the six wickets he took on day one and the five he took in the first Test in Perth. He reached 77 before he holed out to mid off to give Carse his fourth wicket of the innings.
The last Australian No.9 to outscore Mitchell Starc in an Ashes Test was Max Walker, nearly 48 years ago 🤯
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 6, 2025
Starc has now moved to the top of the all-time run chart for the position, reaching 1,408 runs with eight fifties 👏 pic.twitter.com/yBS5BGugs7
During his knock, Starc overtook Stuart Broad to reach the top of the all-time run chart for No.9 Test batters. After the first innings in Brisbane, he has 1,408 runs at No.9 in Tests, with Broad 19 runs behind. He also has by far the most half-centuries by a No.9 batter in Tests (eight), with the next-most being shared by three batters (Graeme Swann, Daniel Vettori and Kiran More) on five.
Full list: Most runs scored by No.9 batters in Tests
| Player | Runs | 50s | 100s | Span | Team |
| Mitchell Starc | 1,408 | 8 | 0 | 2012-2025* | Australia |
| Stuart Broad | 1,389 | 3 | 1 | 2008-2023 | England |
| Tim Southee | 1,245 | 4 | 0 | 2008-2024 | New Zealand |
| Daniel Vettori | 1,105 | 4 | 1 | 1997-2012 | New Zealand |
| Brett Lee | 1,003 | 4 | 0 | 1999-2008 | Australia |
| Curtley Ambrose | 973 | 1 | 0 | 1988-2000 | West Indies |
| Rangana Herath | 900 | 1 | 0 | 1999-2018 | Sri Lanka |
| Graeme Swann | 880 | 5 | 0 | 2008-2013 | England |
| Chaminda Vaas | 847 | 4 | 0 | 1994-2007 | Sri Lanka |
| Nicky Boje | 804 | 2 | 0 | 2000-2006 | South Africa |
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