Woakes and Wood win it for England
England have done it! The Ashes remain alive. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood held their nerve and carried the chase over the line amid scenes just like 2019, even if it didn't get quite that close. Wood played the most important innings of his career, including a hooked six off Pat Cummins and magnificent cover drive off Starc. The winning stroke came from Woakes, slicing Starc through backward, but moments earlier a top edge from Wood evaded a diving Alex Carey who sprinted back towards fine leg. It looked like Scott Boland's catch.
But it's been another incredible Test match and now the build-up to Old Trafford will be epic. Australia's crowning moment will need to wait (Manchester was where it happened in 2019) while England have one of three wins they need for an extraordinary comeback.
Matt's full report will be up shortly and they'll be plenty more reaction to follow. Now, go and have a lie down.
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Wood hooks a six!
England need 11 to win
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Brook goes!
Mitchell Starc strikes! Carved high into the off side and there's almost a collision but the catch is taken. Still 21 needed for England. What a day Starc is having. He could win the Ashes in the next few balls.
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Murphy on
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For the first time in the match, Todd Murphy has bowled from the Kirkstall Lane End...and he started with a no-ball. More priceless runs. Now one last push from Mitchell Starc (and probably Pat Cummins).
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Drinks (everyone needs one)
Harry Brook and Chris Woakes have got the requirement down to under 40 as drinks are called. It's another incredible finish in a series of them. In a short while it will either be 3-0 or 2-1.
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Send us your #PoliteEnquiries
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England need 50 more
Harry Brook and Chris Woakes have been riding their luck in this partnership, with several edges landing safely, but their stand is now worth 30 in 36 balls and a huge roar goes up from the Western Terrace as England bring up their 200. A leading edge into no-man's-land brings the requirement down to 50 more, with Australia still four wickets away.
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England's last batter standing
Harry Brook is England's last recognised batter, and has just brought up his second half-century of the series, from 67 balls. He's back down to his favoured position at No. 5 and has played well here, scoring at a decent lick without playing recklessly. He's also set a new record:
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Bairstow falls!
Australia are closing in on the urn! Bairstow inside-edged an early boundary past his own stumps but isn't so lucky this time: full outside off, a bit of shape back in to take the inside edge as Bairstow chases after it, and the ball cannons into middle stump. England 172 for 6!
63 Runs Bairstow has scored in his last five innings, after a run-a-ball 78 on the first day of the series
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All filler, no killer
England's fourth-innings partnerships tell a story: plenty of starts, but Australia have found a way to strike regularly.
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Ben Stokes is out!
This is a huge moment in this match and in the series. Starc goes full and wide outside off stump and is crunched through cover for four with disdain, but his next ball is angling down the leg side. Stokes looks to whip it away behind square but gets a tiny feather on it, and Carey takes a simple catch to his right.
A wry smile from Starc, who knows that this isn't the best ball he will bowl today - or even in the top 20. But Australia are right back in it!
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Man down!
Stokes is down on his knees, not for the first time in this match. Boland finds some extra bounce from a good length and Stokes is walking down, looking to work him into the leg side. He is smashed in the box and immediately doubles over in pain. Thankfully for him, that's the last ball of the over so he has a moment to regain his composure at the non-striker's end.
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Here we go!
This will be the deciding session of this match. It starts with chants of "Barmy Army!" from the Western Terrace, after a second rendition of Jerusalem of the day. Brook and Stokes run out past the Australian huddle.
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Yorkshire investigating possible security breach
Scott Bailey via AAP: Security at England's Test grounds has again been called into question after a man entered Headingley early on the morning of day four and began filming himself. A man was spotted in the ground's famed Western Terrace well before gates opened for what looms as a crucial day in the Ashes at Headingley, having gained illegal access to the stadium, ground officials said.
Headingley was the scene of one of cricket's most significant security beaches in 1975, when the final day of the Ashes Test had to be abandoned after protesters dug holes in the pitch and filled them with oil. The integrity of Test wickets has also been a concern throughout this English summer, with Just Stop Oil protesters attempting to spray orange powder on the pitch at Lord's last week.
A Yorkshire County Cricket Club spokesperson confirmed to AAP they were investigating the potential breach. "CCTV evidence shows that an individual placed themselves in the Western Terrace after 7.15am this morning, while filming themselves," a club spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.
"Enquiries are ongoing into this incident and our priority is to understand what happened and ensure it does not happen again. The safety and wellbeing of fans, players and staff in attendance and across this Test is paramount."
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Lunch: England need 98, Australia need 6 wickets
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: Anyone calling this yet? 98 runs does not sound like a lot, but there’s a bit to play out yet. Pat Cummins’ removal of Joe Root 15 minutes before lunch was a huge moment for Australia, but Harry Brook has put together a vital innings albeit with some edge-of-the-seat moments along the way. A ball change had worked nicely for Australia with Mitchell Marsh getting the replacement to nibble which helped remove Zak Crawley.
One notable thing from the visitors was that Todd Murphy was not used until the final over of the session. It’s hard to believe that Nathan Lyon would not have had more of a role to play had he still been here. Moeen Ali’s appearance at No. 3 means England still have Jonny Bairstow to come. However, if this doesn’t end without another twist or two, it would go against the grain of this series.
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Cummins dangles the carrot
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Cummins gives Todd Murphy the final over before lunch, and England milk him for seven runs. Brook crunches a boundary through the off side, then exchanges singles with Stokes as England walk off needing just 98 more runs to win the third Test and keep this series alive.
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A chance?
No. It looked at first glance as though Carey had dropped a low, sprawling chance off Harry Brook there, but in fact replays show that the ball bounced after the bat. Starc went very full, angling it across him, and there might have been a little scratch off the bat on its way through - but the ball bounced after the bat regardless.
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Stokes up and running
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Root gloves behind!
11 Times Cummins has dismissed Root in Tests
A tame end to Root's innings, and it's Cummins who gets him yet again, for the second time in the match. It's short, angling down the leg side, and Root shapes to pull but can only glove through to Carey. He falls for 21 and Australia are back in it! This has been a gripping session of Test cricket: whenever it has looked as though England are clear favourites, Australia find a way to keep themselves alive.
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Livin' on a prayer
The Barmy Army trumpeter blasts out some Bon Jovi as Joe Root's cover drive gets England halfway there. Cummins has sensed the need for a wicket, bringing himself on at the other end to Mitchell Starc.
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Brook gets going
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Harry Brook is back in his preferred position at No. 5 and is up and running in England's run chase. He flays Scott Boland for back-to-back, cover-driven boundaries and as Mitchell Starc returns, he pounds a half-volley away for four more through the off side. England need 132 more.
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In the House
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Classic Crawley
Vish Ehantharajah at Headingley: It felt totally on brand that as soon as Zak Crawley reached 30 he started to twitch. We were in the danger zone. Having struck plenty of nice-looking shots straight to fielders, a laboured backfoot punch to a delivery too far away from his body was edged over Mitchell Marsh. It’s his first-class average for a reason.
While Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have lauded his ability to take on attacks, you could argue the issue when you accept that framing is he lands first blows but rarely closes out rounds. And while he hasn’t needed to over the last year - or rather, England haven't been hurt by his inability to - this was an opportunity to crack on.
On the one hand, he’s done his job: 44 ranks as a perfectly acceptable “contribution” to a chase of this magnitude. But as we are seeing with Harry Brook and Joe Root, it’s not an easy deck to start on. The final two deliveries were the opener’s lot in a nutshell. A glorious drive through the covers - a shot that probably won’t be beaten today - followed by an attempt to do the same to a delivery not as full as the one before.
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A rare maiden
Over in which Australia bowled their first maiden in the fourth innings, through Scott Boland
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Marsh gets Crawley
The ball change does the trick! Mitch Marsh finds a hint of movement away off the seam, hitting a good length in the channel outside Crawley's off stump, and Crawley gets a relatively thin outside edge through to Carey as he looks to drive through cover.
77 runs in the match for Crawley, 33 in the first innings and 44 in the second. He swipes his bat in frustration before he walks off - but much as he'll be frustrated to have got himself in and out twice, he's made an important contribution to this run chase.
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Ball change
18.4 overs into the run chase and about 75 minutes into the fourth day, the umpires have decided to change the ball. Keep an eye out for any extra movement in the air or off the seam in the next little passage. There was a little bit of leather hanging off the old one, hence the change.
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Barbergate latest
Alastair Cook has used his Sunday Times column to issue an apology to Alex Carey over the bizarre story that dominated the headlines during the rain break yesterday surrounding his alleged non-payment to a Leeds barber.
"I seem to have landed Alex Carey into trouble when, it seems, he wasn’t at fault. For this, I can only apologise," Cook wrote. "I walked into a barber’s in Leeds on Wednesday night and the bloke running it told me that he had several members of the Australia team in earlier in the day. He wasn’t a cricket aficionado, so it was a bit of a guessing game as we ran through the squad to pick out whose hair he had cut.
"He did remember that one had been the wicketkeeper and that he had said he would have to pay later via bank transfer as he didn’t have any cash — it was cash only payments. “Alex Carey?” I asked. “That must be the guy,” he said. By the time I rolled up the payment hadn’t gone through. I mentioned this in passing on air the next day.
"Cue a storm in a media teacup. The Sun went to see the barber, who still couldn’t see a payment from one A Carey and ran a report. It now appears that it was in fact the reserve keeper Jimmy Peirson whose hair he cut (I assume he made the payment).
"What this goes to show is that when you are in your Ashes bubble even little things like this penetrating it are a distraction you don’t need. To be clear though, I wasn’t trying to stir trouble for the Aussies!"
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Starc's impact
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: Mitchell Starc continues to have a big impact on this series after missing the first Test. He took six wickets at Lord’s, and they were significant inroads: Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes in the first innings then the wonderful delivery to remove Ollie Pope in the second.
His series tally is now into double figures with his brace of early wickets today, taking out two of England’s left-handers with some late swing. By and large, Australia have bowled quite straight this morning, bringing the stumps into play, and while it’s allowed some runs to be milked into the leg side it has brought rewards for Starc.
Mitchell Starc's two wickets this morning highlight why he is a far better bowler in England than he was four years ago. Both wicket balls were wobble-seam deliveries that nipped back into the left-hander. He didn't have that ball in 2019 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/BgQpEY3ETi
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) July 9, 2023
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Moeen castled!
It was always a risk... Mitchell Starc gets one to tail in at 90mph/144kph and rips Moeen's leg stump out of the ground! The promotion hasn't worked, and Australia have a second wicket inside the first 45 minutes of the fourth morning. Brilliant fast bowling this morning, targeting the stumps and striking twice early. Done by pace as much as movement.
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Neser released
An update from the Cricket Australia camp: Fast bowler Michael Neser has been released from the Australian squad to play County Championship for Glamorgan against Leicestershire at Sophia Gardens this week. Neser will rejoin the squad ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Opening up
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Moeen at No.3
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Starc strikes!
Ben Duckett is a long way across his stumps looking to work Mitchell Starc into the leg side, but is smashed on his shin. He reviews almost immediately but didn't hit it, and ball-tracking projects the ball would have crashed into his leg stump. England lose a review... and in walks Moeen Ali!
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Uncharted territory
50.68 Crawley and Duckett's average opening partnership in Tests, the highest of any regular England opening pair since Compton and Cook (57.93)
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England's bright start
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"We take our chasing a bit like it’s a 50-over game," Stuart Broad told Sky Sports before the start of play, and England's openers have rotated the strike like an ODI team in the first couple of overs this morning. No boundaries, and yet they've scored 10 runs off 12 balls.
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Green warms up
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: "Cameron Green having a light bowl which is a promising sign in his recovery from the minor hamstring strain which kept him out of this Test, but after Mitchell Marsh's performance there's a tricky decision awaiting the selectors assuming he's fit for Old Trafford."
If Green is fit, which allrounder should Australia pick at Old Trafford?
819 votesCameron Green
Mitchell Marsh
Find a way to fit both in
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The rumour mill...
Could Moeen Ali come in next for England? Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports has raised the possibility, noting that he has had a long net this morning and suggesting that England might throw him up the order as something approaching a pinch-hitter.
They have used Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks and Stuart Broad in similar roles over the last nine months and while Moeen's record at No. 3 in Tests - six innings, 87 runs - is not great, the sample size is very small. And, let's be honest, Stokes and McCullum probably haven't been studying Statsguru to look at four games from 2016-18.
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Smith on England's 'formation change'
Ed Smith, England's selector from 2018-21, has written an insightful column in the Sunday Times this morning, discussing their "formation change" this week, with Wood, Woakes and Moeen coming in for Tongue, Pope and Anderson. It has certainly enabled them to cope better with Robinson and Stokes' fitness issues:
This team formation plays to one of England’s strengths, which is having a high number of effective all-round cricketers. Ali has five Test hundreds. Woakes debuted as a No 6 batsman and has a Test hundred against India as a No 7. Curran, waiting in the wings to perform a similar role, has swung several Tests with both bat and ball.
In this particular match-up versus Australia, England have more bowling depth (a privilege they leaned on when Ollie Robinson was injured mid-match). And despite the extra bowler, England’s lower order shouldn’t be underestimated with the bat. In the first innings, Australia were 240 for five, then all out for 263.
In contrast, England were 87 for five and all out 237 — exactly the pattern of lower-order resistance that helped England to win many of those Tests in 2018.
Headingley chases
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A clear start
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: "Lots of overnight rain but the outfield looks fine. Players are starting to warm up and now covers are on the pitch, although the wheeled ones are lurking on the square. It's dry, pretty overcast and does feel like we could get a bit of rain, but forecast is decent for most of the day."
Through the turnstiles, into the ground and onto the pitch
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 9, 2023
A series defining day awaits… #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/vaPvucBjhj
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Stumps, day three: England chase 251
England 237 and 27 for 0 need 224 more runs to beat Australia 263 and 224
It took six hours to get there amid the rain, but the third day at Headingley produced an electrifying final session where both sides traded blows in their attempts to set up victory. England struck early through Chris Woakes, but Travis Head counterattacked with the final two wickets for company to leave a target of 251.
Faced with 25 minutes to see out the day, with the sun bursting through, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett slashed 27 off the target while Australia also burned a review for a leg-side catch against Duckett. Last season England chased 296 against New Zealand and, of course, there needs little reminding of 2019 so they certainly won’t be overwhelmed by the pursuit. From where they were at lunch on the second day, 142 for 7 and trailing by 121, England would have gladly accepted this position.
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Head leads the charge
Travis Head is doing a brilliant job in giving Australia's total boost, forging a vital stand with Todd Murphy as he manages to farm the strike and take on England's short-ball approach. So far Murphy, who drove his first ball for four, has only had to face deliveries. Mark Wood has been pushed through for six overs in a spell trying to end the innings, but it won't go easily.
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Brook saves Bairstow
Mark Wood has added to England's incisions this session, but he was left grateful for some brilliant work by Harry Brook who ran from short leg to gather Mitchell Starc's top edge that flew behind square. It looked for all the world like Jonny Bairstow's catch but he stopped mid-run, perhaps distracted by Brook's movement, and it need a big dive from Brook to take the catch.
And add another now. Wood as softened up and removed Pat Cummins with a searing short-of-a-length delivery which he has nicked to Bairstow. It's been quite the session for England, but they won't be keen on batting tonight
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Woakes again
What a return to the Test side Chris Woakes is having. He has now removed Alex Carey who, like Marsh, was trying to leave the ball and this time dragged it on. The Western Terrace is up and about.
While Mark Wood's return has been the eye-catching one because of the pace, Woakes has picked up big wickets: Labuschagne, Head, Marsh (x2), Khawaja and now Carey.
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Huge moment!
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The players are back out there and Chris Woakes has produced a massive breakthrough, finding the edge of Mitchell Marsh's bat as he tried to leave the ball. Marsh had looked in good touch, playing a beautiful on drive and collecting another boundary before falling. It brought Alex Carey to the crease, who has been part of one of the more bizarre stories of the series so far.
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One and done?
Played started, and then quickly finished. Chris Woakes had time to send down one very before the rain returned. Australia added two runs. Fair to say the game hasn't shifted much.
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We (might) have cricket!
It's on folks, at least for now. Play will start at 4.45pm pending now more rain with 34 overs to bowl in the day. Could be an ideal session for England under cloudy skies if they can make the most of it
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Does a washout favour either team?
There's still plenty of time for a result in this game, although showers are forecast for Sunday and Monday. But if today does prove to be a washout, which is looking likely, does it favour either team?
From England's point of view it will allow Mark Wood to recharge his batteries so he can race in at Australia's middle and lower order. Australia, meanwhile, know that a draw is enough to retain the Ashes with two games to spare then they could take stock for Old Trafford. However, they will also be aware that England will chase anything in any scenario to keep the series alive.
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Stokes-watch
It's hard to believe Ben Stokes won't find a way to get himself through this series, but he's clearly dealing with a fair number of problems.
“It’s difficult, there’s so much he’s dealing with," Moeen Ali said yesterday. "There’s a lot more than he’s showing. As long as he’s batting well, he’s fine. His body has obviously been through a lot but there’s one thing with ben, he can’t do anything without it being 100%. Hopefully he’ll get through this series well, scoring a lot more runs."
But, if he was struggling so much that he couldn't play at Old Trafford, England would need a stand-in captain. Official vice-captain Ollie Pope is out for the series.
Who should captain England if Stokes is unfit?
5.1K votesStuart Broad
James Anderson
Moeen Ali
Joe Root
Zak Crawley
Someone else
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(Chris) Broad vs Warner
From AAP
International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad has become embroiled in a Headingley Ashes Test controversy after mocking Australian opener David Warner in a now-deleted social media post.
Broad took to social media on Friday after Warner was dismissed by his son Stuart for the 17th time in Test cricket.
Broad posted Warner's faced transposed onto an image of cartoon character Bart Simpson writing blackboard lines declaring: "Stuart Broad has got me out again".
The ICC refused to comment on Saturday but AAP has been told that the post did not go down well in the Dubai-based organisation.
There is a view that Broad's post does not meet the conduct required from an official.
The 65-year-old had deleted the post by Saturday morning, but the issue is expected to be dealt with internally by cricket's bosses.
Broad, himself a former England Test opening batter, is not officiating on the Ashes series.
He has presided over four Australian Tests in the past year and would be likely be a match referee at this year's ODI World Cup in India.
Broad has found himself in the rare position of officiating over a Test involving his son during the Covid-19 era. He fined him 15 percent of his match fee in one game for inappropriate language.
Warner's two dismissals to Broad at Headingley left him with the equal-third worst record of any batter against a single bowler.
Only Michael Atherton's 19 times out to Glenn McGrath and Arthur Morris' 18 dismissals by Alec Bedser make for worse reading in Test history.
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Women's Ashes update
The Women's Ashes reaches Lord's today with England clinging on after their victory at The Oval to make it 6-2. They still need to win all the remaining matches to regain the Ashes.
The Lord's fixture is significant for a whole number of reasons and ticket sales are excellent with a crowd of 20,000 expected.
Andrew Miller has spoken to one of the iconic figures of the past, Enid Bakewell, who is still playing the game at 82.
When England and Australia walk through the Long Room at Lord's on Saturday for the third T20I of this year's Women's Ashes, both sets of players will know they are walking on the shoulders of giants.
Long before the current generation was able to embrace full professionalism, and compete in front of 20,000-strong crowds on a regular basis, their forebears were raising their own funds for months-long amateur tours - and paying for their own kit along the way, including their England blazers of course.
And no women's cricketer better epitomises that struggle for recognition than the legendary Enid Bakewell. Fifty years ago this month, her century against Australia secured glory for England in the first Cricket World Cup (men's or women's); three years after that, in 1976, she made another matchwinning fifty against the Aussies, as England's women were, finally, permitted to play on that hallowed turf at Lord's.
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No play for a while
Confirmation that an early lunch will be taken at 12.30. The groundstaff will need 90 minutes to clear up when the rain stops. So earliest things will start is 1.10, but that feels optimistic at the moment
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Murphy: Everything I was bowling Stokes would try to hit for six
Todd Murphy was given a tough task yesterday: bowling to Ben Stokes. He claimed the wicket in the end, although it came a cost. Having said that, he created two chances to remove Stokes earlier - one a tough return catch.
Murphy has been speaking to Nine this morning about his first experience of Ashes cricket.
"There was obviously a few different challenges I had to navigate through with Stokesy and what he was trying to do," he said. "I think it was pretty clear at the top of my mark that everything I was going to try and bowl he was going to try and hit for six. So there are things you have got to try and navigate through there but the boys were really good and I was just trying to make sure I was calm and executing the plan.
"I think you've got to always have the mindset of trying to take a wicket there but also trying to mix and match what I'm doing to try and break his rhythm. I think one of the keys is to try and stay as level as I can and try and take what's going on around me out of it and just try to execute my skills.
"Patty [Cummins] is so calm and so level. His message was just to keep being brave and keep backing myself in. It's nice to have the backing of the captain. His belief in me was awesome."
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Chases at Headingley
Pat Cummins mentioned last night that he would like 300 to defend, although joked that 600 would be good. Memories of 2019 will never be far away and the ground has a recent history of some big fourth innings, although this surface doesn't feel quite as flat as some of those.
2017 - West Indies: 322 for 5
2019 – England: 362 for 9
2022 – England: 296 for 3
2023 – Leicestershire: 392 for 7
2023 – Yorkshire: 412 for 9 (match drawn)
2019 – England: 362 for 9
2022 – England: 296 for 3
2023 – Leicestershire: 392 for 7
2023 – Yorkshire: 412 for 9 (match drawn)
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The mad Ashes
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Rain watch
Hello everyone and welcome to our live report for day three from Headingley. We could be in for a frustrating time. Showers are already scudding across the ground and there's plenty more in the forecast.
Meanwhile, if you think you know who is on top in this game, think again.
Who is winning this Test?
1.2K votesEngland
Australia
Will be a draw
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Who is winning this one?
Another great day of Test cricket it's too close to call. Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh did well to get through that last 45 minutes but England will still be confident of a chase between 250 and 300. The first session tomorrow will be vital. Feels like that has been said before.
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Brendon, who?
An awkward moment for England coach Brendon McCullum has been reported by the Times - he was refused entry to Headingley on the first day of the game because he did not have the correct pass.
The security guard on duty did not recognise McCullum, who tried to argue the toss while the person accompanying the New Zealander pointed out that it was fairly critical to the England team’s chances that he was allowed through.
There was a short impasse while the guard tried to radio through a superior for advice, and eventually McCullum lost patience and walked through, saying: “You’ll just have to deal with it.”
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Khawaja falls!
The 11th wicket of the day! Woakes angles one across Khawaja, who has historically struggled against bowlers coming over the wicket to him, and his edge flies through to Bairstow, who takes this one tumbling to his left. Australia are effectively 116 for 4 in their second innings.
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What did Bairstow say to Smith?
Sky have isolated the audio from the stump microphones and it looks like a fairly innocuous exchange between Smith and Bairstow. The first comment was from Bairstow - "see ya, Smudge" - and Smith turned around to ask: "What was that?" Bairstow repeated the comment with a grin on his face as Smith marched off.
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Moeen's 200th
16 Bowlers who have taken 200+ wickets for England in men's Tests
Moeen has the worst average and economy rate of the group, but his strike rate - and his five Test hundreds - show why England have found a way to get him in their side for the best part of a decade.
"What have you done Steve Smith!?" #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ziSFqkRjwb
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2023
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Moeen strikes twice!
Two incredibly innocuous dismissals. Smith skips down and whips wristily... straight to short midwicket, where Duckett can't believe his luck. A few words exchanged between Bairstow and Smith afterwards. The game is alive once more!
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Marnus falls!
That's not a shot that Marnus Labuschagne will look back on with any fondness. He gets a life, dropped down the leg side by Jonny Bairstow, sprawling to his left, but then slog-sweeps to Harry Brook in the deep off his very next ball. He drags himself off, clearly furious with himself for failing to seize on the opportunity presented.
8 Missed catching or stumping chances by Bairstow in this series, according to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data
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50 partnership
2 50+ partnerships between Khawaja and Labuschagne in this series
Only two other pairs have managed two or more 50-plus partnerships in this series: Brook and Root (two), and Khawaja and Warner (three). They have really taken the sting out of this game either side of tea, after a high-octane start to the afternoon.
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Talking Gazball
England Men's Football Manager Gareth Southgate joined us at Headingley yesterday!
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) July 7, 2023
Hear from our special guest as he discusses his experience of Headingley and reminisces of past moments at the ground. #TheAshes #YorkshireFamily pic.twitter.com/KRliF8xBPd
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Khawaja stays solid
174 Balls Khawaja has faced from Broad in this series
Despite Stokes' phenomenal efforts with the bat over the last week, Usman Khawaja remains the leading run-scorer in this series and has done a pretty good job of blunting England's leading wicket-taker, Stuart Broad.
In total, Khawaja has faced 566 balls from England's main three seamers - Anderson, Broad and Robinson - and while he has only scored 199 runs off them, he has also only been dismissed twice.
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Robinson returns
Vish Ehantharajah at Headingley tells me that Robinson is back on the field, standing at mid-off. It would be a major boost for England if he were fit enough to bowl at some stage this evening - but given his injury history, they may take a cautious approach with him.
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Get your #PoliteEnquiries in!
It's been a mad day already at Headingley, so how about some early #PoliteEnquiries!?
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 7, 2023
Send them our way for @Vitu_E and @andymcg_cricket, and don't forget the hashtag pic.twitter.com/LH2zS0PNb0
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Broad gets Warner
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: Stuart Broad, David Warner, and you know the rest. Warner’s future was the major talking point for Australia heading into this tour, especially when he laid out his own timeline for retirement towards Sydney early next year.
He has probably done enough to get that outcome, but his double failure here – in such a familiar manner – means the topic will refuse to go away. Had Ollie Pope held the catch at fourth slip at Lord’s when Warner had 20 (he went on to make a vital 66) the conversations may be different.
His contributions before this Test, whether they include a slice of luck or not, have been important to Australia over the last month in laying some solid platforms alongside Usman Khawaja which the side did not get in 2019.
Matt Renshaw was released from the squad last week – although remains a standby player – but Marcus Harris is still here as the reserve batter. It’s hard to see Australia making a change but, as he has been throughout his career, Warner will likely be a talking point until he finishes.
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It's happened again!
17 Times Broad has dismissed Warner in Test cricket
This list needs a new entry. Broad has Warner for the third time in the series out of five, and the 17th time in Test cricket overall.
Brilliant bowling and an action-replay of several dismissals from four years ago: wide on the crease, around the wicket, angling in, nipping away, and a hard-handed poke resutling in an edge to third slip.
Most dismissals of a single batter by a single bowler:
19 - McGrath (AUS) to Atherton (ENG)
18 - Bedser (ENG) to Morris (AUS)
17 - Broad (ENG) to Warner (AUS)
17 - Ambrose (WI) to Atherton (ENG)
17 - Walsh (WI) to Atherton (ENG)
19 - McGrath (AUS) to Atherton (ENG)
18 - Bedser (ENG) to Morris (AUS)
17 - Broad (ENG) to Warner (AUS)
17 - Ambrose (WI) to Atherton (ENG)
17 - Walsh (WI) to Atherton (ENG)
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A busy 24 hours
Dan Lawrence is on as a substitute fielder for England, with Ollie Robinson off the field as expected after suffering back spasms yesterday.
It's been a busy couple of days for Lawrence. He was at the ground yesterday for the toss, then drove over 100 miles to Birmingham to link up with the Essex squad at Edgbaston for their T20 Blast quarter-final. He top-scored with 62 in their successful run chase, and is now back at Headingley in his whites.
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England 237ao
9.19 England's run rate after lunch
A quite incredible 55-minute mini-session after lunch: 62 balls, 95 runs, 3 wickets. Here are the instant reflections of Andrew McGlashan from Headingley:
"Jeepers, even by the standards of this series that was madnes - largely down to their colossus of a captain, Ben Stokes. He could barely move at times, clearly carrying an injury, but was able to pepper the stands much as he did four years ago. And somehow, England have got within 26 runs of Australia so we basically have a one-innings shoot out.
"Can the home side channel the mood of the last hour with the ball? They will be a bowler down, you would imagine, with Ollie Robinson still struggling, and you can’t believe Stokes will bowl, either. All eyes on Mark Wood. Don’t look away."
Meanwhile, Sampath Bandarupalli in Bangalore tells me that this is only the sixth time that all 10 England batters have been out caught in an innings of a home Test. Three of those six have been at Leeds, where nick-offs or edges to slip are the most common mode of dismissal.
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Stokes keeps swinging
Ben Stokes carts Murphy for two more sixes - the second of them, he got nowhere near the pitch of the ball but still managed to clear wide long-on, with a fan taking a good catch in the lower tier.
A couple of years ago, Kevin Pietersen and Liam Livingstone filmed a six-hitting masterclass for Sky Sports and both of them agreed that, when facing spinners, batters often feel as though they're nowhere near the pitch of the ball just before hitting huge sixes.
"The time that you hit the biggest sixes, especially off spin, is when your last thought is 'I'm not there, I've been done,'" Livingstone explained. "You swing your hands through and if you connect with it, they go so much further than any others."
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Stokes reaches 50
Incredible batting. Stokes crunches Murphy back over his head for back-to-back sixes, the first of them bringing up his half-century. He is clearly struggling with his body but has dragged England towards parity with this innings - back at the ground with which he will forever be associated.
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What a catch!
Stunning effort from Steven Smith at deep backward square leg to remove Stuart Broad, the latest England batter to fall hooking a short ball. He is behind square, with Marnus Labuschagne also charging towards the ball, and tumbles to his right as he gathers it just in front of the rope with the crowd baying behind him.
Australia have got a little ragged in this session, with Starc and Murphy both putting down chances in successive balls an over ago, but this is outstanding out-cricket.
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KP weighs in
Scores get close to level, ENGLAND can win this Test.
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) July 7, 2023
Not seen an Australian team blown away so easily by an England fast bowler(Wood). He is the difference! #Ashes
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Stokes changes gear
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Stokes is visibly struggling with that hip/glute injury, but has decided that this is the right time to have a swing. He pounds Starc for three consecutive boundaries to bring the deficit down to 82 - and England will feel as though they're right in the game if they can get that down to around 50 or fewer.
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Over in a hurry
A thrilling cameo from Woody
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2023
from just balls! #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/9J4rOCAcrK
Wood's fun comes to an end: 24 off 8 balls for him, including three sixes. A lively start to the afternoon session. He falls to a top-edged swipe off a short ball from Pat Cummins - which means Cummins has his first five-wicket haul in England.
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Wood you believe it?
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What an extraordinary start to the afternoon session. Mark Wood clears his front leg and swipes the first ball after lunch for six over the leg side. He repeats the trick two balls later, having slices a four in between times, and is nearly bowled as he exposes his stumps to Starc.
According to Sky Sports, Wood is the first Englishman to hit the first ball of their innings for six in an Ashes series since Ian Botham in 1985.
360 Mark Wood's strike rate after five balls
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Australia's session
3.19 England's scoring rate in the morning session - their slowest in a session so far this series (min. 20 overs batted)
England have added 74 runs for the loss of 4 wickets on the second morning - and Australia are edging closer towards an unassailable 3-0 lead. Here are the lunchtime thoughts of Andrew McGlashan at Headingley:
"Ben Stokes is still there, albeit barely able to move, but was that the session that secured Australia the Ashes? They have made major inroads, led by Pat Cummins, and England are still a long way behind.
"As so often Cummins set the tone while Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland have played their part. Todd Murphy’s first spell in Ashes cricket was impressively economical.
"For all the moments of excitement it has created, England’s batting just doesn’t look up to repelling Australia’s attack for long enough. It looks like it will need another Headingley miracle for England."
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Moeen succumbs
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Moeen Ali's vulnerability against the short ball is a well-established issue and he has fallen into Pat Cummins' trap here.
He plays a wild pull shot to the second ball of the over, top-edging it into no-man's-land in the deep for a single. When he gets back on strike, Cummins changes the field to include Steven Smith at fine leg, three-quarters of the way back to the boundary.
Moeen plays the same shot to the same ball, swiping across the line, and Smith settles underneath the top edge this time. Poor cricket from England, and Cummins is having a brilliant morning.
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Stokes struggling
England's captain is in some strife here. Vish Ehantharajah has the latest for us from Headingley:
"Typical Stokes – you look up and all of a sudden some body part looks like it's about to fall up.
"His left hip seems to be giving him issues. The physio came out for treatment earlier and poked and prodded the area to where it hurt. Stokes was clearly in discomfort during the assessment. It seemed to happen all of a sudden, though you never really know with Stokes considering he's been pretty good at keeping various ailments secret.
"It seems to be affecting how low he is able to get to these deliveries from Murphy. Considering he is a good sweeper, not being able to get forward to the pitch of deliveries seems like an issue that could end in him doing something like charge and blaze the offspinner in the air."
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A first look at Todd Murphy in the UK
Todd Murphy might not be hugely familiar to readers in the UK, but made a big impression in his first Test series against India earlier this year. His approach to the crease is a proper run, and he puts good energy on the ball, touching 60mph/96kph in his second over this morning.
He spoke in the build-up about expecting England to come hard at him.
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A familiar celebration
I'm not sure how many of our readers have been keeping an eye on the rugby league this morning... but Canberra Raiders' try celebration against St George Illawarra Dragons is worth a look. That's Elliott Whitehead, the England international, playing the Bairstow role.
How about this @sportsbetcomau #TryJuly celebration pic.twitter.com/RQMshuviyG
— NRL (@NRL) July 7, 2023
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Bairstow falls
136 Runs Bairstow has scored in the 2023 Ashes - 78 of them on the first day of the series
Mitchell Starc sprays a wide half-volley outside Bairstow's off stump and he chases after it, but the contact is poor and he can only skew a catch to Steve Smith at second slip. This is quickly turning into a brilliant morning for the Australians.
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Root's tame end
Here's ESPNcricinfo UK editor Andrew Miller on Root's downfall this morning.
Root’s tentative dismissal to Cummins today is a direct vindication of that reverse-ramp at Edgbaston, as I said on @ESPNcricinfo’s #SwitchHit podcast a few weeks ago. England have tried dying in a hole against Australia. It tends to work as badly as over-aggression #Bazball pic.twitter.com/J994dp7hG3
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) July 7, 2023
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Cummins vs Root
Andrew McGlashan at Headingley: Pat Cummins vs Joe Root has becoming an enduring Ashes battle, and it’s going the Australian’s way. Cummins is now into double figures of dismissing Root, creating daylight at the top of his most frequently-dismissed opponents, now ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara.
It began at Brisbane in the 2017-18 Ashes, while Cummins was still early into his Test comeback, when he trapped Root lbw shortly after the match-turning run out of James Vince. He went on to claim Root four times in that series, then three times in 2019 including the memorable wicket at Old Trafford when an unplayable delivery trimmed off stump.
In 2021-22 Root only fell once to Cummins (who missed one of the Tests due to Covid) and that was in the final match in Hobart. Now he’s claimed him twice in 2023; a brute of a ball fended to slip at Lord’s and now today’s edge, once again into the hands of David Warner.
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Root falls
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What a start for Australia on the second morning! Bright sunshine, perfect batting conditions, but Pat Cummins has a wicket with the second ball of the day. Slightly short of a length with a hint of extra bounce. Root fences it at, and steers to Warner, who clings on at first slip as the ball wobbles late on its way through.
10 Times Cummins has dismissed Root in Tests, at an average of 22.60
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Marsh's comeback
Mitchell Marsh enjoyed an incredible return to Test cricket yesterday, belting a hundred, and is speaking to Sky this morning. "They're pretty small boundaries here so if I can take them on, I will be," he says with a smile.
Marsh said last night: "I wanted to wear it one more time and put it on again," while pointing at his Baggy Green. It was an emotional day for him, as Andrew McGlashan delves into here.
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Woakes' return
It's a beautiful sunny morning in Leeds, which England won't mind at all. Chris Woakes will hope he doesn't have to come out to bat until the afternoon - but was impressive on his comeback to England Test side yesterday.
"Amazing to be back," he tells Sky Sports during the warm-ups. "When you're part of an Ashes squad, you're dying to get back. The way we finished and closed out the innings was fantastic. [Marsh] played beautifully, didn't he? He put the pressure back on us and played a fantastic knock. When they've got a player like that to come in, you know how good a side they are.
"Once I found a rhythm, I found a nice length and just tried to utilise the conditions. There was a little bit off the wicket, not loads in the air. Just tried to challenge the top of off stump. [Drops?] That's the game. In a perfect world, we take those chances and today's a whole different day. But we put them down."
An unbelievable day for these two yesterday…
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2023
So why not interview each other
Well played, lads #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/JQjBYvGCbC
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Wood, Marsh stand out on rollercoaster day
Mark Wood and Mitchell Marsh were the standout performers on a rollercoaster day one at Headingley, as England and Australia jousted for the ascendency on a juicy Headingley pitch.
Wood, back in the side after concerns about his fitness, bowled with sustained pace and hostility to claim his first five-wicket haul in a home Test, and helped England clean up the Australia innings with alacrity after an unheralded scene-stealing performance from Marsh had threatened to take the game away.
Marsh was a surprise selection in the Australia XI, after Cameron Green picked up a minor hamstring strain, and playing his first Test since the final match of the 2019 Ashes. He had only made four first-class appearances in the intervening period, but produced a bullocking, 102-ball hundred – his third in Tests and third against England – to help steer Australia away from the rocks at 85 for 4 just before lunch.
Marsh dominated his stand of 155 with Travis Head, outscoring his partner by almost four to one, but England hit back to take the last six Australia wickets for 23 runs in the space of 8.4 overs. The game continued to rattle along thereafter, too, as England lost their top three before the close.
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#PoliteEnquiries
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Marsh in the wickets!
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2nb
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England were 51 for 2 after nine overs - strong Bazball areas - but Australia have just quietened the mood with some better line-and-length bowling. Boland is doing his thing from the Rugby End while Mitchell Marsh has entered the attack running down from the Kirkstall Lane. And after a spell of four-and-a-half overs without a boundary, Marsh coaxes an edge from Zak Crawley, well held by David Warner... and England are three down! What a day Marsh is having.
Out comes YJB on his home patch, with thousands of words written and said since his last innings and plenty going through his mind. Just 25 minutes until the close.
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Enter Boland
An incisive start for Australia, thanks to Pat Cummins, and now Scott Boland is on in place of Mitchell Starc. Here's Andrew McGlashan on that very subject: "Will be very interesting to see how England play Scott Boland when he comes into the attack. He was taken for nearly six-an-over at Edgbaston, but this innings has rocky foundations and the close of play isn't too far off. Also feels as though this surface, with the extra carry, could suit Boland more than the first Test. The grass covering gives it the complexion of some the MCG pitches where he has had so much success."
Boland's third ball brings a vociferous appeal against Root for caught behind down the leg side... but Cummins isn't convinced enough to review. Just flicked the pad, but definitely some nip there for Boland.
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No. 6 hitters
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Brook goes cheaply
Another for Cummins, Australia already brawling on this fast Headingley deck. The captain setting the tone. Harry Brook, in his first innings at No. 3, is on his way back to the dressing room for 3. Probably could have let this go on line but it felt like he wanted to feel bat on ball and propped forward in the channel as the ball straightened, Smith snapping up a low edge at second slip.
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Cummins strikes
The ball has zipped around all day at Headingley and Pat Cummins strikes early to get Australia going in their bowling effort. Sharp delivery in the channel, flies off the top edge and Carey has plenty to do going high to his left. In fact, it looks like he ended up using his lips to make sure the ball didn't pop out of the top of his gloves as he went to ground... a kiss to send Ben Duckett on his way!
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Wood five, Australia 263
Australia 268 (Wood 5-34) vs England
Mark Wood blew through Australia with his first five-for in home Tests as England fought back during the evening session to dismiss the tourists for 263. Australia lost their last six wickets for 23 to undo some of the good work put in by Mitchell Marsh, whose comeback hundred had threatened to turn the day their way.
The next-highest scorer for Australia was Travis Head with 39, and he was the first man to go after tea, as Chris Woakes picked up his third wicket. Wood then razed the lower order in short order: Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins failed to contend with Wood's pace, both falling in the same over; Alex Carey then regained his feet after being hit on the helmet only to hole out to cover next ball.
Todd Murphy struck three boundaries before dragging another full, fast delivery into his stumps, allowing Wood to walk off with the ball held aloft and the plaudits for his fourth Test five-for.
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Wood ⚡⚡⚡
Four for Mark Wood! England have come roaring back after that Mitchell Marsh counter, taking 5 for 14 in 38 balls. Serious heat from Wood and Alex Carey is the latest to depart. Having been pinged on the back of his helmet, and then checked over for concussion, he backed away to his very next ball, another 90mph/145kph rocket, and carved it straight to cover. Wood has 4 for 34 - his best figures and the first time he has taken four-for in a home Test - and this Australia innings is close to being wrapped up.
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Two in an over!
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Mark Wood is back and tearing through the tail, as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins fail to deal with his heat-seekers. Both were beaten for pace as Wood hits his straps in his first over after tea - inswing at 90mph pinged Starc's leg bail, before Cummins was smashed on the back leg second ball by a 92mph/148kph snorter. Cummins was jeered to the crease and then serenaded off it, as the Western Terrace went up in unison.
Todd Murphy, making his Ashes bow, walked out into quite an atmosphere... but managed to get his bat down on a full, fast one and squirt four to deep third.
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Carey dropped... Head held!
Two edges in two ball to Joe Root at first slip. The first one, above his head after a wild slash from Carey, burst through the hands... but the very next delivery, Head fended straight into his bread basket and Root clings on! He throws the ball angrily to the ground, despite claiming the catch, and England have removed both set batters either side of tea. Woakes does the job again, as a cry of "Roooooooooooootttt!" goes up around Headingley.
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Robinson latest
Official word from the England camp: Ollie Robinson has sustained a back spasm. He will remain off the field for the rest of today’s play. Not ideal for Ben Stokes, who is unlikely bowl himself after his Lord's exertions. England's captain will at least be pleased they picked the extra seamer for this match after Ollie Pope's injury.
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Heeeeerrrrre's Carey
Some booing from the crowd after tea as Alex Carey walks out for his first taste of the action at Headingley since, well, I'm sure you don't need reminding... and he gets off the mark by crashing his third ball through the covers for four! This should be a tasty session. Robinson still being assessed by England, by the way.
Meanwhile, Gnasher has flagged this: Earlier in the year, before the ODI series in India, Mitchell Marsh spoke to ESPNcricinfo about the hopes he had at resuming a his Test career. He's going to be hard to leave out after this display.
"I feel I've really developed as a person and feel like every single year I've got better as a cricketer," he said. "I'm full of confidence at the moment that my best can match it with anyone. I'm hopeful to get another opportunity in red-ball cricket but if it doesn't happen I'll keep plugging away and be happy to represent Australia in whatever team I can. At 31 years of the age, we've seen a lot of guys who have hit their peak around that age. Hopefully that's the case for me."
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Marsh ❤️ England
52.7 Mitch Marsh's Test average against England - almost double his career average of 27.01. All three of his hundreds have come against England, the most recent at the SCG in 2017-18
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Tea
Australia 240 for 5 (Marsh 118, Head ) vs England
An extraordinary comeback hundred from Mitchell Marsh turned the fortunes of both sides on day one of the Headingley Test. Australia, having been reduced to 85 for 4 before lunch, responded with a stand of 155 between Marsh and Travis Head as England lost their early grip on the contest.
Marsh was badly dropped at first slip on 12 by Joe Root in the second over after lunch, and the returning allrounder - playing his first Test in almost four years - fully capitalised on his good fortune to smash a 102-ball hundred that revived the tourists, who are 2-0 up in the series and only need a draw to retain the urn.
Head was content to turn over the strike to his partner, contributing 30 to the partnership as Marsh outscored him by almost four to one. Runs came around the ground, with Marsh dispatching a number of crunching drives and four blows over the ropes.
He fell to the last delivery of the session, an inside-edge on to his thigh taken at second slip, as England - who also saw Ollie Robinson walk off injured mid-over - found a crumb of comfort to take to the break.
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Bisonball
Andrew McGlashan writes: "A remarkable hundred from Mitchell Marsh. He has taken this game by the scruff of the neck and may have gone a long way towards Australia winning the Ashes. The power of his strokeplay will be nothing new to those who have seen him dominate in T20s and ODIs, but to unfurl it on this stage when Australia were in trouble puts this at the very top of anything he has achieved in international cricket. The pull of Mark Wood into the Western Terrace was a magnificent stroke, even if it was to the short boundary. He went to 99 by depositing Moeen Ali towards and over the short, straight boundaries although his 100th run was a risk, and only a misfield prevented a possible run out. Still, this Marsh’s third Test century and they have all come against England. In an Ashes that has produced a few unexpected storylines, here’s another."
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Marsh gets his hundred!
"Most of Australia hate me. Look, Australians are passionate, they love their cricket. They want people to do well. There's no doubt that I've had a lot of opportunity at Test level and haven't quite nailed it. But hopefully they can respect me for the fact that I keep coming back and I love playing for Australia, I love wearing the baggy green cap and I keep trying and hopefully I'll win them over one day."
That quote is from 2019, when Mitchell Marsh took a five-for at The Oval. Today at Headingley, in his first Test appearance since then, he has scored a 102-ball hundred to lift Australia from trouble at 85 for 4. The Bison roars, and Australia are well in this contest!
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Century stand!
19.4 Overs for Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head to bring up their 100-run partnership. Marsh has scored three-quarters of the runs
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Robinson walks off mid-over
This session is unravelling for England, as Mitch Marsh powers an impressive Australia recovery - and Ollie Robinson walks off two balls into his 12th over of the day. He didn't pull up with a visible injury, but takes his sweater from the umpire and heads for the dressing room. Robinson was an injury doubt ahead of the series, remember, having hurt his ankle while playing for Sussex and sitting out the Ireland Test despite scans showing no damage.
Stuart Broad will replace him, with England having gone to Moeen Ali's offspin at the other end.
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England won't see the funny side...
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Marsh half-century
It's been a fine comeback for Mitchell Marsh, who has recorded his first Test half-century since March 2018. Some splendid shots around the ground, including pulling a 90mph Mark Wood delivery for a brutal flat six, as he brought up 50 from 59 balls. Third time he's passed the mark against England. Both of the previous occasions resulted in hundreds...
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Fifty stand for fifth wicket
42 Number of runs scored by Mitch Marsh (out of 51) during his half-century stand with Travis Head
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Swampy answers SOS
Andrew McGlashan writes: This is becoming a very handy comeback innings from Mitchell Marsh, albeit he’s had the life presented by Joe Root.
This is just Marsh’s fifth first-class match since he played at The Oval in 2019. In his most recent red-ball outing, against Tasmania in March, he made an unbeaten 108 and he hadn’t actually failed to reach 20 in any of his first-class innings since that previous Test appearance.
He is timing the ball very nicely – one cover drive off Stuart Broad was not much more than a push off the front foot – but he has also shown his brute force when he has gone to pull.
Not for the first time in this series, England could come to regret their lapses in the field
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Australia settle
A solid half-hour for Australia after lunch, despite Marsh being dropped on 12. He and Head have just ticked past the 38 between Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne for the best partnership of the Australia innings so far. Marsh has hit a six and three fours, counterpunching effectively while Head - who England have again targeted with the short ball - sits in his slipstream. Woakes did produce a tight lbw appeal against Marsh that would have been umpire's call according to ball-tracking, but Nitin Menon wasn't interested.
Time for Wood soon?
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Let-off for Marsh
Mitchell Marsh may not have always felt the love in an Australia shirt - as the above clip from 2019 shows - but he has a decent Test record against England, opponents for both of his hundreds as well as his only five-for. He's also just been given a life, like his partner Head. Woakes found the outside edge in the second over after lunch, but Root dropped a straightforward catch at first slip.
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Australia 91 for 4 (Head 10*, Marsh 5*) vs England
England fired out Australia's top four during a feisty morning session at Headingley to put themselves on the front foot in a Test they must win in order to keep hopes of regaining the Ashes alive.
Stuart Broad struck with the day's fifth ball, having David Warner taken in the slips, and then claimed the prize wicket of Steven Smith - playing his 100th Test - in the penultimate over before lunch. Smith, who survived a tough chance to Jonny Bairstow on 4, reviewed umpire Kumar Dharmasena's caught-behind decision only for UltraEdge to confirm the presence of an inside edge.
Mark Wood, making his first appearance of the summer, brought the crowd alive during an opening spell in which every delivery was above 90mph/145kph and concluded with Usman Khawaja's leg stump being uprooted from the final ball of his fourth over.
There was also a wicket for Chris Woakes, playing his first Test since March 2022, as Marnus Labuschagne fended to slip, and it could have been worse for Australia, but Travis Head survived another Bairstow drop - this one a much simpler chance down the leg side - and went in at the interval unbeaten alongside Mitch Marsh.
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But Smith goes!
Bairstow holds this one! And although Steven Smith is adamant he didn't hit it, his review only produces the evidence of a spike on UltraEdge, and Broad has got him again! The Headingley crowd is exultant for a second time over, a few predictable cries about cheating but whether Smith felt it or not, he has to head from the field - dismissed for 22 in his 100th Test appearance. Out comes Mitchell Marsh, in his first Test innings since the 2019 Ashes at The Oval.
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Head gets a life
Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow, playing on his home ground, has had the spotlight on him all week for his dismissal at Lord's... and the heat remains on, after a second, much-easier miss of the morning. Travis Head, on 9, flicked at at a Wood short ball and there was a clear deflection down the leg side, only for Bairstow to shell the chance. Niton Menon signalled a bye but replays confirm it came off the face of the bat.
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Good Wood
Here's Vithushan Ehantharajah on a passage that lit up the morning:
Well, an astonishing first spell in this match for Mark Wood. Not a single ball under 90mph, a high of 96.5mph, a bouncer that sailed over the keeper’s head and bounced once before cracking the advertising hoardings and, with the final delivery, the wicket of Usman Khawaja.
Not less than Wood deserved, too. Scyld Berry, sat behind me and who reckons he’s covered around 490 Test matches, believes this was up there with one of the fastest spells he’s ever witnessed from an Englishman, alongside Wood’s 2019 rocket-fest in St Lucia.
Probably goes without saying that Wood has been gagging for a game this summer. What’s been most impressive is the accuracy and shape. The Durham quick doesn’t actually have a good record with the Dukes ball, as per an average of 39.63 across his 14 caps at home. Away from home, 49 dismissals have come at 24.18 - over six lower than his career average (30.57). That he was able to swing the ball away from the right-handers not only allowed him to draw indecision outside off stump from Marnus Labuschagne but then burst through Khawaja to take out the left-hander’s leg stump via an inside edge.
His spells will be managed throughout the day and, at this juncture, you could understand why Stokes took him off after four overs. Then again, he must have been tempted to give him one more with Steve Smith fresh to the crease…
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Woakes gets Marnus!
England had just seen a really difficult chance off Steven Smith go begging... but they have nevertheless claimed a third wicket of the morning session, with Labuschagne nudging an outside edge to first slip! Woakes celebrates his first success in a Test since he pinned Jermaine Blackwood lbw in Grenada back in March 2022. Another failure for Labuschagne, who's yet to reach 50 in five innings this series.
Smith, meanwhile, survived an inside edge off Ollie Robinson in the previous over. It flew to the left of Jonny Bairstow, who would love to make some positive headlines after the last five days - but could only get the tips of his gloves to a diving attempt.
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Smith's ton
With Smith reaching yet another hundred, Andrew McGlashan and Alex Malcolm spoke to a number of present and former team-mates to try and put into words how Australia's genius ticks.
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Wood = woof!
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W
Here's that Wood spell of 4-3-2-1 (countdown to blast-off). Every ball above 90mph and just one scoring shot. The set-up to Khawaja was quite something, too: five balls that were either short or short of a good length, and then one pitched up full to flatten leg stump with the batter unable to get forward as he tried to drive.
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Who'd like to see that ball to Khawaja?
No need to answer, of course you would. Woof!
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Wood hits the woodwork!
Full, straight, 95mph/152kph... Thanks for coming, Usman! Australia still haven't managed a run off the bat against Wood, and he now has a wicket in his fourth over, blowing through Khawaja's attempted straight drive to bring the crowd to life again. Leg stump out of the ground! England have top-and-tailed the first hour with wickets - and here comes Steven Smith, playing his 100th Test, to try and calm things down for the tourists.
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Marnus in the crosshairs
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Wood's first three overs have been exclusively at Labuschagne, who has yet to score a run off the England quick - although there have been four leg byes and four byes over the leaping Jonny Bairstow (with the ball actually breaking the LED sign as it thudded into the advertising hoardings beyond the boundary). One delivery touched 96.5mph/155kph and Wood has been consistently above 90mph throughout, coupled with a hint of away swing.
At the other end, Chris Woakes has come into the action - he's playing his first Test since March 2022, under previous captain Joe Root. Steady stuff, though Khawaja keeps the scoreboard moving with a punch through mid-off.
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Wood fired!
95 Speed clocked by Wood's third ball. Everything in the over was 91mph or above
Mark Wood, playing his first Test since December, was thrown the ball for the seventh over of the day - and immediately started firing down rockets. His first ball came down at 91mph/146kph and the rest of the over to Marnus Labuschagne was quite literally a sizzle reel, with a fastest delivery of 95mph/152kph. He had some success against Labuschagne down under in 2021-22, removing him three times in the series, but Australia's No. 3 was on his mettle to weather the opening skirmish this time.
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Broad vs Warner, No. 16
The tale of the tape gets longer - here are all of Broad's dismissals of Warner going back to 2013, as recorded by our ball-by-ball commentators. And with 16 scalps, their head-to-head moves up to join fifth on the all-time list. Scope to knock McGrath-Atherton off the top before the end of the series...?
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Broad strikes in opening over!
That's the start England will have wanted, both for their own chances and to fire up the Western Terrace. David Warner punched the first ball of the innings neatly back down the ground for four, but from the fifth ball of the over he pushes out and gets a thick, rasping edge that flies high to the left of Zak Crawley at second slip. He holds an excellent catch, and Stuart Broad is off and running in celebration - that's the 16th time he's dismissed David Warner in Tests, and the first time Australia's openers have been parted early doors this series.
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Smudger's ton
Australia have been asked to bat, and Steven Smith doesn't need asking twice. He's playing his 100th Test, back on the ground where he made his second appearance back in 2010, and has a pre-tty good record between now and then, as you probably already know.
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England bowl
Stokes has opted to put Australia in, with a little bit of grass on the pitch and the expectation that there might be some cloud cover around (although it looks clear enough right now). Australia have made three changes, two of them expected - Todd Murphy and Scott Boland coming in for Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood - but the inclusion of Mitchell Marsh for Cam Green, who has felt a hamstring, is a surprise.
Here's Andrew McGlashan on his selection: "Ashes to Ashes for Mitchell Marsh. It’s been nearly four years since the allrounder last played Test cricket when he claimed a five-wicket haul at The Oval having been brought in for the final game of the 2019 series.
"He was then ruled out of contention for the next series, back home against Pakistan, after he broke his hand punching a dressing room wall at the WACA during a Sheffield Shield match. The following season Cameron Green emerged into the Test side and has cemented the allrounder role at No. 6.
"But Green has picked up a low-grade hamstring strain after the Lord’s Test where he sent down 22 overs and will sit out this match, although he is expected to be available again for Old Trafford – there is a longer gap between this and the Manchester Test.
"Marsh has a very good Test record against England: his batting average is 45.44 with both his centuries against them and he has claimed 15 wickets and 24.46"
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Final word
Once the first ball is bowled this morning, we're legally obliged* to stop talking about the Jonny Bairstow stumping. But given it will doubtless play into the Headingley mood today - never mind what the Laws say - here's the take/takes of the Runorder team.
*It's true, you can look it up
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Time for heroes
Welcome to the Live Report, and welcome to Leeds. It’s crunch time in the Ashes. Australia are 2-0 up and can almost taste a first series win in England since 2001 – but they won’t be getting ahead of themselves and know how fired up England will be here at Headingley, a venue freighted with Ashes significance. Ben Stokes inspired them to a famous victory here four years ago, and now he has an even greater task on his hands: attempting to become the first captain since Don Bradman to win from 2-0 down. Anyway, it looks a reasonably bright start at the ground, still time for you to get stuck into Andrew Miller’s preview and then we’ll have the toss and team news soon.
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