Australia have seen their Ashes lead given a haircut in Leeds following a gripping run chase in which England positively shredded the nerves of their loyal supporters before crossing the finishing line for a three-wicket victory.
Sitting 2-0 down before this pivotal third Test, and knowing defeat would see their hopes of regaining the urn dashed at the earliest opportunity, England were tasked with knocking off a target of 251 and blue skies over Headingley were in their favour.
But having resumed on the fourth morning on 27 for no loss, it wasn’t until 3.38pm that onlookers could finally exhale, Chris Woakes crashing Mitchell Starc through cover for four to see the total reeled in. Mark Wood, with whom he shared an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 24 to seal the deal, was first to engulf him out in the middle.
Australia gave it everything on the day, Starc bounding in from the Football Stand End and sending five Englishmen on their way. The first four had left England in a state of shock: Ben Duckett was lbw for 23, Moeen Ali castled for five, Ben Stokes snared down leg on 13 and Jonny Bairstow, well, pretty much the same as Moeen.
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But at the other end, having dropped down to No 5 after the tactical emergence of Moeen at first drop – the Mohawk if you will – Harry Brook compiled a 93-ball 75 that broke the back of the chase. He passed 1,000 Test runs in the process – the fastest to the landmark by way of balls, 1,058 to be precise – and underlining the potential that was on show over the winter in front of his home supporters.
Brook could not quite seal what would have been a dreamlike outing, Starc claiming his 14th five-wicket haul when the right-hander top-edged a pull shot and, despite a brief mix-up with his bowler, Pat Cummins ran in from mid-off to hold the catch. England, 230 for seven, were still 21 runs away and the tension had cranked up significantly.
Woakes was still there, his role in a crucial 59-run stand with Brook not always projecting permanence. And Wood was not going to die wondering. After he crashed 16 from just eight balls – Cummins pulled into the stand and a wayward Starc yorker driven through cover for four – Woakes, 32 not out, finished the job.
Perhaps it was fitting that Woakes and Wood should be out there in the end; a couple of hugely popular players injecting a sense of fun into proceedings after the acrimony in which this match started following the stumping of Bairstow at Lord’s et al.
These two late arrivals also delivered impressively for Stokes with the ball, Woakes claiming six wickets – including that game-breaking two-wicket burst on the third evening – and Wood whipping up a 90mph storm for his seven. When Wood was named player of the match at the presentation, Headingley rose as one.
More crucially, the pair have now kept this series alive heading into the fourth Test at Old Trafford, England now trailing Australia 2-1. Despite the late jitters at the end, the occasional top-edge landing safe to collective sighs, the hosts are on the board. – Guardian
