Ashes 2023 3rd Test ENG vs AUS, Highlights: Australia 224 all out; England 27/0; Trail by 224; Day 3 Stumps

England’s day at Headingley. Truncated day but it has ensured it will be favourites going into the fourth day. Quick wickets cemented their position in the game, but Travis Head batted extremely well with the tail to take the lead past 250. Crawley and Duckett have managed to weather the five overs from Australia ensuring they are on the front foot going into the fourth day.

Boland into the attack. Duckett edges it to deep point for a single. Full on off-stump, Crawley defends to deep midwicket for a single. Just the two off the over. Stumps

Starc to Duckett, Edged and four!! Extra bounce and it flies over the slip cordon for a boundary. Duckett turns the next one to fine leg for a single. Four dots on the trot.

Cummins to Duckett, beats him outside the off stump. The second ball jumps up and hits Duckett on his bottom hand. Physios in to have a look. Four!! Shorter and wider and Duckett smashes it through cover for a boundary. Four!! Cummins over-compensating going full and straight, hit back straight down the ground for a boundary. Full again, Duckett hits it past mid-on for a single.

Starc from the other end. Swinging in to Crawley and he defends to midwicket for a single. Appeal from the Aussies for a strangle down leg against Duckett. Umpire unmoved. Australia review! No spike on Ultraedge. Edged!! Falls just short of the slip cordon. Duckett survives twice in two balls.

Cummins to bowl. Crawley and Duckett at the crease.

Cummins to Crawley, full on leg stump, turned away to the leg side for a single. Four!! Full on the stumps to Crawley again, driven through midwicket for four. Four!! Exact repetition of the previous ball that.

WICKET!! Head tries to smash it for six again but only manages to find Duckett at mid wicket. Australia 224 all out.

Wood continues. All fielders at the edge of the boundary. Six!! Head doesn’t care as he lofts it over square leg for six. Six!! Short again and six again, over Root’s head at square leg. Head manages a single off the last ball.

Broad back into the attack. Murphy struggling to deal with the swing Broad is getting. Play and miss after play and miss. WICKET!!! Was bound to happen. Murphy is hit on the pads and the umpire raises his finger. Was a full and straight one that Murphy missed. Australia review! Umpires call and England has its man.

Murphy lbw b Broad 11(10)

Wood again. Four!! Slightly full and Head gets it down the ground. Nobody at mid-off and it rolls away to the boundary for four. Short and off the edge, nobody at slip and the ball rolls down to thirdman.

Woakes to Murphy, single off a full ball to midwicket. Head back on strike. Six!! Slightly short and Head pulls it over midwicket for a six. Yorker on the stumps from Woakes and Head opens his bat to guide it to thirdman for a single.

Wood to Head, short and Head tries to move across to the leg-side and cut. Misses. Four!! Head nails the pull shot to mid-wicket for a boundary. Short, pulled by Head to square leg, comes back quickly for a couple. Four!! Head pulls a full one through midwicket for four more. Runs flowing for Australia.

Woakes continues his long-ish spell. Six!! Short and Head pulls it over square-leg for six! Four!! Wide and cut away through point for a boundary. Last two balls and the fielders coming in for Head. Short and Head pulls it to deep square for a single.

Wood to Cummins, slightly short, past his waft outside off stump. WICKET!! Similar waft and this time it finds a faint edge. Australia review!! Clear Spike! Skipper walks back. Murphy in at 10.

Cummins c Bairstow b Mark Wood 1(8)

Four!! Full and outside off, Murphy gets his bat on it and it flies to the boundary for a boundary. Short as Murphy pulls, Moeen puts in a slide and prevents a boundary using his legs. Four!! Short and down leg, gets Murphy’s edge but no chance for Bairstow.

Wood to Starc, turned to fine leg for a single. Close!! Short at the body, Head defends but the ball goes eerily close to Brook at short leg. WICKET!! Brook and Bairstow stopped midway but Brook completes it. Short and Starc could only manage a top-edge towards the left of short-leg. Cummins in.

Starc c Harry Brook b Mark Wood 16(19)

Woakes again. Cummins tries to have a waft at one outside off, dies on the way to the keeper. Another jaffa as Cummins is beaten on the front-foot defence again.

Wood to Head, cut away to deep point for a single. Full and swinging in to Starc, turned square for a couple. Four Byes!! Too short and it flies over the batter and Bairstow to the boundary for four. Four!! Wood goes full and Starc drives down the ground for four.

Woakes to Starc, extra bounce as Starc defends a fuller ball down the ground. Edge and Four!! Woakes finds the edge but the ball beats gully on the way to the boundary.

Wood steaming in. Inside edge off the pads as Head tries to defend. Four!! Wonderful shot! Drives off the backfoot through the vacant covers for a boundary. On the body and turned fine for a single. Full to Starc, driven through covers for a couple.

Woakes continues. Keeping it full as Starc defends off the front foot. Full and swinging in, Starc turns it to backward square for a single. Just two from the over.

Broad to Head, jaffa! Breezes past his outside edge as he looks to defend a back-of-a-length delivery. Close again!! Even fuller from Broad, whizzes past the edge. Maiden over.

Woakes to Head, on the hips, turned to fine leg. Edged and four!! Flies between slip and gully for a boundary. Was full and on the stumps and found Carey’s edge as he tried to defend. WICKET!! Another wicket trying to leave the ball. Comes off his glove and straight onto the stumps. Third wicket for Woakes. Starc in at 8.

Carey b Woakes 5(14)

Broad to continue. Short, Head pulls but it only rolls to Stokes at cover. Short again, pulled to square leg for a single. Carey on strike. Three dots to finish.

Woakes again. Short, Head pulls to deep backward square for a single. Full on leg stump to Carey, turned to deep midwicket for a single.

Woakes to Marsh. Length outside off and Marsh leaves. Four!! Wider from Woakes and Marsh drives through covers for four. Close!! Almost a caught and bowled chance there as Marsh mistimes the defensive shot. WICKET!! Marsh tries to leave the ball last minute but the ball comes off the glove and straight into Bairstow’s hands.

Mitchell Marsh c Bairstow b Woakes 28(52)

Broad into the attack. On the pads and Marsh turns it to midwicket for a single. Four!! Full and straight, Marsh presents the full face and the ball races down the ground to the boundary. Short to Head and he pulls. No control but lands safe near square leg.

Looks like the covers are coming off again!! Umpires inspect and the players are quickly back onto the field.

Spots of rain are beginning to fall and the players are leaving the ground. Only a light shower reports say. “An hour to play with” say the commentators on air regarding the resumption of play for the day.

Short and on the body from Woakes first up. Head defends. Second ball even shorter, Head ducks. Short again, Head pulls to fine leg for a single. Woakes to Marsh, full on off stump and Marsh drives to cover for a quick single. Woakes hits Head’s pads but it was too high, only the crowd appealing.

Woakes to get things underway for England. Marsh and Head at the crease. Despite the conditions, looks like England are going to go short to Head.

The covers were back on at Headingley, but have been quickly removed. Play set to begin soon but there are clouds lurking in the vicinity. Might just be able to accommodate a short session of play before more rains arrive.

Play set to begin at 21:15 IST (16:45 local time) pending no rain!

Credit - UK Met Office

Another inspection scheduled for 20:45 IST. Seems like the covers are being taken off as well. Let’s hope for positive news in 15 mins time then.

Looking pretty bad at Leeds. The UK Met office have forecast heavy precipitation for more than an hour from now. The umpires have decided to take the Tea break between 19:40 IST and 20:00 IST. The next inspection is reportedly scheduled for 20:15 IST. Doesn’t look like play will resume immediately after. Hopefully the rains relent by then. Stay tuned for the next update after tea.

Credit - UK Met Office

Seems like the delay will continue for some more time. The authorities might be forced to take early Tea if the delay continues for more than an hour. Till the next update it’s time to discuss Bazball or Alex Carey’s reported haircut or catch the highlights from an entertaining ​​Duleep Trophy semifinal​​.

Highest strike rates in an innings (Min 25 runs):

WP Howell - 233.33 - 35 runs of 15 balls in 1902

Geraint Jones - 225.00 - 27 runs of 12 balls in 2005

Ben Stokes - 200.00 - 32 runs of 16 balls in 2014

Mark Wood - 177.77 - 32 runs of 18 balls in 2015

Adam Gilchrist - 172.88 - 102 runs in 59 balls in 2006

Mark Wood’s 24(8) yesterday was scored at a strike rate of 300. Would have topped the list with just one more run.

It is now 1pm local time but the covers have just returned to the field. We won’t be starting in 10 minutes. Stay Tuned for further updates.

Credit - cricket.com.au Twitter

Most Ashes runs:

Bradman - 5028

Hobbs - 3636

Smith - 3234

Border - 3222

S Waugh - 3173

Credit - Cricinfo

Most Ashes sixes for England:

1. Stokes - 38, 2. Pietersen - 24, 3. Botham - 20, 4. Broad - 17, 5. Flintoff - 15,

6. Stokes since Sunday - 14

Credit - Yas Rana

The umpires have decided to take an early lunch, from 12:30 PM to 1:10 PM Local time, at Headingley. This means we will not have any play till 5:40 PM IST. Stay Tuned for further updates.

Credit - Getty Images

Credit - Met Office UK

It’s raining at the ground. Covers are on. Hopefully it’s a short spell of rain and play can resume at the earliest. Stay tuned.

Looks like its cloudy at the moment. Reports of rain in certain parts of Leeds as well. Let’s hope it doesn’t make its way to the ground. A crucial day of play ahead in this Ashes series.

You can watch live action from Day 3 of the 3rd Ashes Test between England and Australia at Headingley on the Sony Sports Network.

The match will also be live streamed via the Sony LIV app. You can also follow Sportstar’s live updates from the day’s play via this blog.

The match will begin at 3:30 PM IST.

Key wickets late in the day helped put England in with a chance of staying in contention in the Ashes series in their must-win second test, Australia finishing day two on 116-4 with a second-innings lead of 142.

More heroics from captain Ben Stokes single-handedly got England within 26 runs of Australia’s first innings total after a big-hitting 80, the hosts skittled out for 237.

With England struggling on 142-7 at lunch, Mark Wood came in after the restart and got a quick-fire 24 off eight balls to take the hosts a little closer to Australia’s total, with Stokes looking on in disbelief down the other end.

The fast bowler was then caught after one slog too many to give Australia skipper Pat Cummins his first five-wicket haul in England, before Stokes took on the big-hitting mantle, passing 50 with a huge hit.

Read More: Smith and Labuschagne exits gives England hope of staying in contention

Stay Tuned for Sportstar’s live updates from third day’s play in the 3rd Ashes Test between England and Australia at Headingley.