Harry Brook announced himself on the Ashes stage with a match-winning knock for England that kept the series alive and delivered another memorable Headingley climax.
Brook batted with great maturity as he made a steely 75, taking a decisive chunk out of the 251-run target and set a fire under this summer’s rivalry, leaving Australia 2-1 ahead with two to play.
The Yorkshireman fell with 21 still needed as the third Test descended into nerve-shredding tension, but Mark Wood cut through the anxiety with a feisty 16 not out and Chris Woakes completed a remarkable return to the Test arena by crunching the winning runs towards the delirious Western Terrace to finish unbeaten on 32.
England’s three-wicket win was achieved despite Ben Stokes’ dismissal for just 13, a soft nick down the leg-side robbing the hosts of their inspirational captain and the architect of their 2019 Ashes miracle here at the start of the decisive final session.
Mastering the chase
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378/3 v India – won by seven wickets, July 2022
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299/5 v New Zealand – won by five wickets, June 2022
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296/3 v New Zealand – won by seven wickets, June 2022
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279/5 v New Zealand – won by five wickets, June 2022
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251/7 v Australia – won by three wickets, July 2023
Under the leadership of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England have now successfully chased down five 250-plus totals in the last 13 months. Hauling down 378 against India last summer is their highest-ever chase while Stokes has admitted in the past he would cheerily see England set totals above 400 to test their limits.
What they said
Stokes was succinct after being quizzed whether this was his most satisfying win as England’s Test captain.
Neser up
Are Australia planning on freshening up their attack for Emirates Old Trafford? Michael Neser has been released from the squad to rejoin Glamorgan for their County Championship match against Leicestershire, starting on Monday. He will then rejoin Australia ahead of the fourth Test with the school of thought being the move allows Neser to regain some match sharpness, having last played competitively on May 21. He had a stint at the start of the season with Glamorgan, taking 19 wickets in five matches at an average of 25.63. His most telling contribution there, though, was a hat-trick…at Headingley.
The magic number
Rooted out
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Pat Cummins (Australia): 11 in 17 matches
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Nathan Lyon (Australia): 8 in 29 matches
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Mitchell Starc (Australia): 8 in 20 matches
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Josh Hazlewood (Australia): 8 in 16 matches
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Trent Boult (New Zealand): 7 in 14 matches
Root’s record against Cummins is not quite the stranglehold Stuart Broad has over David Warner. But the Australia captain has had the Yorkshireman’s number in three successive innings now. This was the most innocuous of the lot as a miscued pull from a shorter ball down leg-side tickled the glove on the way through to Alex Carey. Since a century at Edgbaston, Root’s returns have been diminishing.
Record-Brooking Harry
Wood fires – again
There was no keeping Wood out of the game. The Durham quick has made an impact every time he has been called upon with ball in hand – when he touched 96.5mph and averaged 90mph in the first innings. But his runs also proved crucial to England’s success. A cameo of 24 from just eight balls in the first innings lit the fuse for England to get somewhere near Australia’s total. He also faced just eight balls second time around but flayed an unbeaten 16 to help get England over the line. Seven wickets in the match and 40 runs from just 16 deliveries deservedly earned Wood his first man of the match award on home soil in Tests.
What’s next?
The teams will have a week’s rest before reconvening for a crucial fourth Test, starting on July 19 at Emirates Old Trafford.
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