LEEDS, July 8: England need another 224 runs to win the third Test and keep their Ashes hopes alive after a thrilling rain-shortened third day at Headingley.
The hosts reached 27-0 at the close, chasing 251, after bowling Australia out for 224.
England took advantage of perfect bowling conditions to turn Australia’s 116/4 into 170/8 after rain prevented any play until just before 5:00 pm local time.
At that stage Australia’s lead was 196 but Travis Head batted superbly to help add another 54 for the final two wickets.
He batted in the style of Ben Stokes, striking seven fours and three sixes, in his 77 before being caught in the deep.
That left England with a perilous 25 minutes to bat but the English openers – Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett – hit four fours in five overs to give England a platform.
Defeat for England will see Australia win an Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001.
A breathless two-and-a-half hours of play has set up an epic finale with, from England’s perspective, everything on the line.
Under Stokes and Brendon McCullum they chased larger targets than this four times last year and against Australia on this very ground, Stokes led them to victory in pursuit of 359 in 2019.
Nothing, though, will be easy.
England’s bowlers – first through Chris Woakes and backed up by Mark Wood and Stuart Broad – grabbed the momentum, only to see it snatched away by Head’s belligerence as darkness tuned into bright evening sunshine.
Crawley began England’s chase by clipping to the mid-wicket fence in the first over. In the next English hearts raced as Duckett survived a review for a catch down the leg side and edged short off second slip off Mitchell Starc.
England’s openers left the field to a rapturous reception, the hosts with their noses in front by a slither. (Agencies)