England took control of the Headingley Test after dominating proceedings on a rain-hit day. Only 25.1 overs were bowled in total on the third day as rain washed out the majority of the overs but it was still enough for England to make a huge impact as they bowled Australia out for 224. They now need to score the exact amount of runs with two days remaining in this Test to finally pull one back and keep the Ashes alive.

Once play finally resumed in the evening, the players had to return to the pavilion after just a solitary over as rain appeared again. Thankfully, the delay was a lot shorter this time around. Unfortunately for Australia, conditions weren’t ideal as the ball was moving around. Chris Woakes was the beneficiary at the start as he picked up two crucial wickets to get the crowd going.

Mitchell Marsh, the key wicket given his first-innings century, wanted to leave a delivery but ended up gloving behind. Alex Carey also succumbed to the same bowler while attempting to leave a delivery but the extra bounce got the better of him as the ball crashed into the stumps after hitting his glove.

The crowd were then pumped up by the introduction of Mark Wood to the bowling crease and he obliged with the wicket of Mitchell Starc. Australia’s No.8 mistimed a short of a length delivery in his attempt to flick it and the short-leg fielder Harry Brook ran backwards to complete an excellent catch. Pat Cummins was the next to go as the Australian skipper was sent packing by Wood again as he edged one behind.

Travis Head, watching the procession at the other end, finally took charge and opened up. When Cummins fell, Australia’s lead was just 196 but a couple of quick boundaries from Todd Murphy took it past 200. Head then farmed the strike as much as possible to frustrate the home side and in the process, also hit some lusty blows. Woakes and Wood were hit for a couple of boundaries as he brought up his fifty before England struck at the other end to get rid of Murphy. Head then hammered two short balls in stunning fashion to fetch two sixes that helped Australia drag that lead to 250 before another short ball from Stuart Broad brought an end to Australia’s innings.

The visitors then didn’t make the greatest of starts with the ball as well. They wasted a review as early as in the second over and couldn’t make the tricky little five-over period before stumps count as well with an early wicket. Zak Crawley put Cummins away in the very first over for a boundary and even though Ben Duckett had a couple of close shaves, he hit three boundaries to ensure England knocked off 27 runs before heading back.

Brief scores:

England 237 & 27/0 need another 224 runs vs Australia 263 & 224 (Travis Head 77; Stuart Broad 3/45, Chris Woakes 3/68)