- Ben Stokes leads England’s fightback in Ashes Test
- Moeen Ali reaches 200 Test wickets with crucial dismissals
- Smith continues to be a thorn in England’s side
Ben Stokes described the England team’s position as “ideal” with a two-nil deficit entering the third Test and needing three consecutive victories to regain the Ashes. However, a captain with his own tankard and bar stool at the last chance saloon is not enough to keep their Ashes hopes alive; his fellow drinkers must stand up.
That England came within 26 runs of Australia’s first innings 263 all out – a total expanded by their butterfingers 24 hours earlier – was due to Stokes’ most recent display of awe-inspiring bowling. Stokes scored 80 more runs of bloodthirsty defiance when all hope seemed lost for his troops, despite his body breaking apart and teammates being routinely thrown out the back door by Pat Cummins’s six-wicket performance.
And on a pitch with a history of considerable fourth-innings run chases, an attack that was already devoid of Ollie Robinson and rested for only 52.3 overs delivered just enough wickets before the end. Australia had reached 116 for four after 47 overs, with a lead of 142 runs. Mark Wood, slowed but not in spirit, rushed in to stop play, delighting the tourists.
The weekend forecast calls for precipitation, and a draw would assure Australia retains the Ashes.
They won’t risk a calm surface after seeing recurrent breaches in their hull. Mitch Marsh, who batted a century in the first inning and is looking solid, will recommence play on 17, while Travis Head will bat on 18. There is a great deal of work to be done before they can say “time, please, gentlemen” to their visitors.
Stuart Broad produced a carbon copy dismissal of David Warner when an edge again soared to Zak Crawley on one to kick off the third inning of this rapid-fire contest. This has occurred 17 times in Test cricket. Moeen Ali, now a four-man spinner, must defend the skipper who persuaded him out of retirement earlier this month.
Moeen reached 200 Test wickets by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in nine deliveries. The former was dropped by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow earlier and caught by Harry Brook in the deep for 33. Smith’s bizarrely cautious demise was a two-ball chip to mid-wicket.
Given his struggles, it was also peculiar that Bairstow chose to offer Smith some advice at this time.
The Yorkshireman’s 43-run persistence ended when Chris Woakes caught Usman Khawaja’s bat edge. With this, an England team that was earlier re-energized by their charismatic commander could enter day three with optimism. Who knows, if it does rain, they may even have the opportunity to refuel.
Fumbled receptions on the first day let Australia off the hook. With clear skies in the morning, one of the responsible parties was expected to speak. As they left Headingley, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were cheered. The Yorkshire members will no doubt point out that appearances for the club are fleeting these days.
Instead, from 68 for three and 195 runs behind, both Tykes were eliminated within the first thirty minutes. Root was dismissed off the second ball, guiding Cummins to the first slip with an open face on his overnight score of 19, while Bairstow fared a little better. Mitchell Starc’s wide delivery lit up the eyes and a daring shot went high into the cordon. His finest work occurs when he plays the ball from underneath his nose.
Thus began the Brummie engine room, which consisted of Moeen and Woakes.
Stokes and Moeen engaged in a stand of 44 that included two delicious fours from the latter player. By lunch, however, England were 142 for seven, with the city of a thousand crafts delivering a poor hook from Moeen that soared to Smith on 21 – the ball after top-edging one just short – and a nervous 10 from Woakes ending with a feather behind on the pull.
Even though Australia dominated, England added 95 runs in 62 balls after the interval. Wood struck a gunslinger’s 24 from eight with three sixes and one four before Cummins dismissed him for his fifth. The Headingley throng, however, had been roused to life, and Stokes, struggling with a newly torn glute, a questionable left knee, and having endured blows to the hand and box, summoned the beast within once more.
Here was the Stokes from the previous Sunday and his explosive 155 at Lord’s, playing favorites for his audience.
Who, after all, attends a Rolling Stones concert expecting new material? At 28 from 68 balls when Wood was dismissed, the all-rounder faced Starc first, splattering three fours across this quick outfield, before turning to Todd Murphy in a baptism of fire for the Ashes rookie.
Murphy could have bowled Stokes twice in two deliveries before the onslaught, it must be said, with Starc failing to catch a difficult tumbling effort and the off-spinner subsequently being unable to catch a ball drilled back in his direction. The result? Five sixes were hit by an increasingly grimacing Stokes, who was enraged by the waning of the innings.
After Broad was run out, Murphy caught Stokes as he picked long on. This was Smith’s fifth hit of the inning, matching his record for an Australian outfielder.
Whether at slip or in the deep, the ball continued to follow Smith on another day of crowd provocation. This is a big gap between both teams, and Bairstow could have retaliated by throwing him away with those hands.
