England keep the Ashes alive as Chris Woakes and Mark Wood complete nervy chase of 251 at Headingley, as the hosts win by three wickets and take the series to 2-1 with two Tests remaining
- England have kept the Ashes alive with a tense three-wicker win at Headingley
- Mark Wood and Chris Woakes saw the hosts over the line on the fourth day
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England pulled off a thrilling victory today in what will go down as another miracle of Headingley to keep this incredible Ashes series alive.
England won by three wickets in front of an ecstatic full house at this famous old ground after another topsy-turvey day in an Ashes series full of them.
The hero was Mark Wood who took fast bowling to new levels on the first day of this third Test on his return to the England side and now smashed an unbeaten 16 just when English nerves were jangling.
England needed 21 when Wood joined Chris Woakes, another England player making a successful return to the England side, but they hit their way over the line to win another epic Test and take a 2-1 deficit to Old Trafford for the fourth Test next week.
Throughout this fourth day fortunes swung one way then another on another compelling day with England starting the day needing another 224 with all wickets in hand.
England have kept the Ashes alive with a thrilling three-wicket win at Headingley
Chris Woakes and Mark Wood got the hosts over the line to make the series 2-1
Harry Brook scored an excellent 75 but fell with 21 still needed at his home ground
England were favourites but it was never going to be easy. Australia made their first incision when Ben Duckett was trapped lbw by Mitchell Starc after escaping an earlier call through umpire’s call.
That brought the surprise sight of Moeen Ali coming in at three as England re-jigged their batting order to try to bet a better middle order balance.
It was a move that England actually considered ahead of this match before moving Harry Brook up to three in the first innings, a position where he never looked comfortable.
But the promotion of Moeen didn’t work. Far from being a pinch hitter Moeen instead tried to bat cautiously after giving his wicket away in the first innings and now fell for five off 15 balls when Starc blasted his way through his defence and took out his leg stump.
Joe Root began nervously and aimed a loose drive off his first ball to Starc but he settled down to show signs of the form that earned him a brilliant century in the first Test.
At the other end Zak Crawley was displaying the class drives that have persuaded England to put so much faith in him and the pair settled English nerves to add 33 and get on top of Australia as excitement and anticipation began to grow on the Western Terrace.
But just when England seemed to be getting on top Crawley aimed a big drive at a ball from Mitch Marsh immediately after a textbook cover drive for four and could only edge through to Alex Carey.
He fell for 44 and again had not gone on after a great start.
Zak Crawley looked in good touch in the morning but fell to Mitchell Marsh for 44
Stokes could not repeat his heroics from four years ago as he fell for 13
Moeen Ali was promoted to number three but had his leg stump removed for five
By that time the ball had been changed after a piece of leather came out of the old one and the replacement started to swing more for Australia, with Marsh taking advantage of extra bounce and movement to snare Crawley for the second time in the match.
But with Harry Brook far more comfortable back in his old slot of five and Australia not really trying him out with too much short pitched bowling on this day four pitch England again seemed to take the upper hand as Root and Brook added 38.
Yet again when England looked to be getting on top Australia struck a crucial blow 15 minutes before lunch when Root gloved Cummins down the legside and was taken by the safe hands of Carey.
It was the third successive time the Australian captain had dismissed Root and it brough the hero of Headingley in Stokes to the crease for England.
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The big scalp came for Australia 10 minutes after lunch. Stokes, walking wounded during this Test, had already been struck a nasty blow in the box by Scott Boland but had hit a lovely cover drive for four off Starc.
Then off the very next ball he glanced the ball down the legside and had gone, meaning there was to be no repeat of his 2019 heroics here or even last week’s glorious failure in hitting 155 in a losing cause at Lord’s.
That left a lot on the shoulders of Brook and Jonny Bairstow but the face of Bazball last summer is having a miserable series with both bat and gloves, at least since his 78 in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Now he aimed another drive at Starc and could only inside edge into his stumps to leave Australia firm favourites to wrap up the Ashes within three Tests.
Mitchell Starc took five wickets but couldn’t get the tourists over the line
He dismissed Brook late on but almost collided with his captain Pat Cummins in the process
Mark Wood followed his excellent bowling performances by thumping 16 off eight balls at the end
Brook had other ideas and the young Yorkshireman, who has had such a meteoric start to his international career before this series, now added 59 with Chris Woakes as Headingley reached fever pitch amid echoes of the miracle Test of 2019.
But just when England looked sure to get over the line Brook on 75 tried to hit a short ball from the excellent Starc and succeeded only in ton edging it. The bowler and his captain both converged on the chance and almost collided before Cummins took the catch.
That left 21 needed but Wood was not in a mood to hang around. He had smashed 24 off eight balls in the first innings after his five-wicket haul and now he hot Cummins for six and hit a gorgeous cover drive for four off Starc.
The final word went to Woakes who smashed the winning boundary to create scenes reminiscent of four years ago and end unbeaten on 32. The series is alive and on course to be just as epic as the fabled 2005 Ashes.
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