England managed to keep their Ashes 2023 hopes alive with a thrilling 3-wicket victory over Australia in the third Test at Headingley. Chasing a target of 251 runs, England began Day 4 at 27-0, requiring another 224 runs for victory.
However, England encountered early setbacks as Ben Duckett was trapped LBW by Mitchell Starc for 23, and Moeen Ali fell to Starc for just 5 runs. Joe Root and Zak Crawley then formed a partnership, but Crawley was dismissed by Mitchell Marsh for 44, and Root followed soon after, leaving England in a precarious position at 131-4.
Despite the fall of wickets at regular intervals, Harry Brook played a sensational knock of 75 to guide England towards the target. England faced a crucial moment when Jonny Bairstow got out as 6th wicket with the team still needing 80 runs to win.
Brook found support in Chris Woakes, who contributed 32 and added a vital partnership of 59 runs for the seventh wicket. With the contest hanging in the balance, Brook was eventually caught off Starc’s bowling, guiding England to 230-7. In the end, Woakes and Mark Wood guided England to victory.
After the conclusion of the match, both the captains, Ben Stokes andPat Cummins, reflected on the encounter and shared their thoughts.
Stokes lauded the contributions of pacer Wood in the comeback Test. The Durham pacer showcased his all-round abilities by picking seven wickets and scored a crucial 16 off 8 in the chase.
“Having someone who can bowl at 95 mph is amazing. With the bat, he is just a free spirit. Goes back to the clarity. 16 off 8 balls was a massive swing in the game. Doesn’t always come off, but gives you a better chance to succeed,” Stokes said in the post-match press conference.
England’s red-ball skipper also commended the performance of Woakes in the game. The 34-year old made a strong return to the team, contributing with both bat and ball. He took six wickets and played a quicfire knock of 32 runs off 47 balls lower down the order in the first innings.
“I didn’t realise that Woakes hasn’t played a Test for so long, he is Mr. Consistent. Having someone who can bat like him batting at 8 helps us. Hope he can do something similar when he plays next,” Stokes stated.
The aggressive southpaw also shared his views on whether England can win the prestigious Urn.
“Yep. No hesitation. Another down to wire game. Nice to get over the line and keep our hopes alive,” the Christchurch-born further added.
The fourth Test of the series will be played in Manchester from July 19 onwards with a gap of nine days in between.
“The next game is very vital. Everyone wants to see good cricket. This nine-day break will help the bodies in a world of good. We love to come here and play cricket for England. [on the Headingley crowd] sensational. The Western Terrace is always amazing. This place has memories that people will always remember and we love playing here,””Stokes signed off.
On the other hand, Australian captain Cummins said both teams had their chances as fortunes swung back and forth.
“There are a few moments that went back and forth. On day one we lost 6 for 20-odd, yesterday the sun was out and we missed an opportunity. Few key moments. Seems like a series where each session swings in one team’s favour and then the other,” Cummins said in the post-match press conference.
One of the moments that turned things in the hosts’ favour was the two-wicket spell by veteran spinner Moeen, who sent back Marnus Labuschagne (33) and Steve Smith (2) in quick succession.
“(It was) One of those moments when it felt like we were in control but we lost a couple of wickets and that happens. Thought getting up to 250 gave us something but it wasn’t quite enough,” the Australian speedster added.
When asked if he feels the momentum has swung in England’s favour after Sunday’s result.
“Not really. No, No,” the Westmead-born replied.
"Do you feel momentum has shifted in England's favour?"
Think that's a no from Pat Cummins 😅#Ashes pic.twitter.com/Me1ruXOWuO
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 9, 2023
Reflecting on the loss, the 30-year-old admitted that it was disappointing, but asserted that the visitors will brush it off as a one-off.
“It’s a shame, and it’s one of the games you look at and everyone thinks you could have done something just a little bit different that might have contributed to a different result. But we’ve all played enough cricket, so [we will] brush this one off and make sure we get ready for Manchester,” the Aussie skipper concluded.
