England were subjected to an electrifying barrage from Australia’s seamers under leaden skies on a rain-hit third day of the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston as the game remained in the balance.
Pat Cummins (1-9 from 5.3 overs) and Scott Boland (1-1 from two overs) dismissed Ben Duckett (19) and Zak Crawley (7) respectively amid a 22-ball spell sandwiched between two rain delays in which England scored only two runs and a wicket looked like falling every ball.
The second rain interruption proved terminal for the day – England closing on 28-2, and just 35 runs in front, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root yet to get off the mark.
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Cameron Green took a sensational catch at gully to dismiss England’s Ben Duckett
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Zak Crawley snicked Scott Boland behind as England lost two wickets in four balls at Edgbaston
England began their second innings with a seven-run lead after dismissing Australia for 386 – the tourists losing their last four wickets for 14 runs once Usman Khawaja (141 off 321 balls) finally departed, yorked by Ollie Robinson having seemingly been befuddled by home skipper Ben Stokes’ funky field placings.
Stokes’ hosts ticked along to 26-0 in the 6.5 overs prior to the first rain break but were tormented in the 25 minutes before the next one, losing Duckett and Crawley in the space of four deliveries as Australia dispensed with defensive fields and went on the attack.
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Cameron Green added to his glittering array of gully catches by taking a blinder off Cummins to remove Duckett and Crawley snicked a snorter from Boland in the following over, before Australia squandered a review looking to have Root caught off Cummins.
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Usman Khawaja’s superb innings came to an end on 141 as he was bowled by Ollie Robinson
Ashes opener continues to enthral
It was another stunning period in a game that has continually seesawed, including in the morning session when Australia were 372-6, just 31 runs in arrears, and primed for a first-innings advantage – until Khawaja fell and the tail was skittled.
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Stokes deployed a number of close catchers in front of square on the off- and leg-sides to Khawaja, a move that appeared to fox the opener as he skipped down the pitch and was bowled by Robinson; Khawaja was given a send-off by Robinson, who later told reporters that his reaction added to the Ashes “theatre”.
Cummins (38) – with whom Khawaja had shared a seventh-wicket stand of 34 – Nathan Lyon (1) and Boland (0) were then bounced out as Australia fell short of England’s 393-8 declared.
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England were guilty of a number of errors during Australia’s first-innings 386 all out
The Baggy Greens had resumed 82 runs in arrears on 311-5 and cut that deficit to 55 before James Anderson bowled Alex Carey for 66, ending a stand of 118 with Khawaja for the sixth wicket.
Carey’s dismissal would have particularly pleased wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow after he dropped the batter on 26 on Saturday evening and then again on 52 on Sunday morning.
Bairstow has made three blemishes in the match having also fluffed the chance to stump Green for nought on day two, reigniting the debate over whether Ben Foakes should be in the side.
Moeen fined as spinning finger proves a problem
There was disappointment for Moeen Ali, too, with the off-spinner losing 25 per cent of his match fee for applying spray to his bowling hand without the umpires’ permission late in Saturday’s play.
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Moeen Ali has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for applying spray to his hand without the umpires’ permission
Moeen used the spray to deal with a blister on his index finger which is giving him real gip and could impact on his ability to bowl in Australia’s second innings.
The 36-year-old bowled four overs on Sunday morning, during which he conceded 23 runs and was collared for two sixes by Cummins, as he ended with innings figures of 2-147 from 33 overs.
Australia off-spinner Lyon was given a solitary over before the initial 75-minute rain break but was just a spectator when the cricket resumed as he watched Cummins and Boland send Duckett and Crawley packing during a pulsating passage of play.
Watch day four of the first Ashes Test, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket on Monday. Build-up starts at 10.15am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
Sourse: skysports.com
