The third Ashes Test between England and Australia is delicately balanced after the end of Day 2 at Leeds. Australia holds a slight advantage, leading by 142 runs in the second innings with Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head at the crease.
Earlier in the day, Australian bowler Pat Cummins showcased his brilliance by taking six wickets, enabling his team to gain a lead. However, England captain Ben Stokes played an exceptional counter-attacking knock of 80 runs, limiting Australia’s first-innings lead to just 26 runs.
Stokes’ aggressive approach resulted in England scoring 95 runs in a mere 62 balls, preventing Australia from establishing a significant lead. At one point, England seemed at risk of conceding a lead of over 100 runs.
Back-to-back SIXES! 🚀
Our captain.
Our Ben Stokes.🏴 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺 | @IGcom pic.twitter.com/nGhVAZC6ij
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2023
As Australia began their second innings, opener David Warner continued to struggle against England pacer Stuart Broad, falling victim to him for the 17th time in Test cricket. Going ahead, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne stabilized the innings before Labuschagne and Steve Smith were dismissed in quick succession by Moeen Ali.
"What have you done Steve Smith!?" 😅 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ziSFqkRjwb
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2023
Chris Woakes then removed Khawaja, bringing England back into the game and creating a moment of hope for the hosts. But in the final half-hour of play, Head and Marsh displayed cautious batting, weathering the storm and ensuring that Australia finished the day with a promising position.
An action-packed second day with the game in the balance!#Ashes #ENGvAUS #Ashes2023
Scorecard: https://t.co/ve6kT3fVZp #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/aJeb1RwFmC
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 7, 2023
Australia heads into Day 3 with a significant advantage but acknowledges the work that still needs to be done. The match remains finely poised, with both teams eager to seize control and gain an upper hand as the game progresses.
Brief scores: Australia 263 & 116-4 (Usman Khawaja 43; Moeen Ali 2/34) lead England 237 (Ben Stokes 80; Pat Cummins 6/91) by 142 runs.
