Cummins gets double breakthrough as England crumble

Scott Bailey | July 7, 2023

Pat Cummins has opened the door for Australia to take a big first-innings lead at Headingley after England seemingly went away from Bazball in the third Ashes Test.

England went to lunch on day two on 7-142 in reply to Australia’s 263, following a Friday morning where Yorkshire locals Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow both fell cheaply.

Moeen Ali was also caught before lunch, becoming Cummins’ fourth victim of the innings with Australia’s captain boasting figures of 4-59.

Needing to win the match to stay in the Ashes, England batted through their slowest session of the series after they added 74 runs from 23.1 overs at a rate of 3.19 an over.

Adding to England’s concerns is an apparent glute injury to Ben Stokes, with the captain requiring medication on field before going to lunch unbeaten on 27.

Stokes was also fortunate to still be at the crease, surviving a tight lbw review that ball-tracking showed was umpire’s call on impact but was actually crashing into middle stump.

But the morning still belonged to Australia, after Cummins broke through in the first over under bright blue skies and in perfect batting conditions.

With England needing their Yorkshiremen to bat through the session and push them towards parity, star man Root lasted only two balls when he edged Cummins to slip on 19.

It was the third time Cummins had successfully drawn an edge in the innings, after also having Harry Brook and Ben Duckett caught behind the wicket on the first evening.

Bairstow’s dismissal, though, was even more disappointing for England.

With the hosts already in trouble, he went hard at a full, wide ball from Mitchell Starc (2-28) and edged it straight to Steve Smith at second slip for 12.

Moeen followed for 21, skying a pull shot off Cummins after a similar top-edge fell into vacant space earlier in the same over.

And Starc bagged a second right on lunch, getting a hooking Chris Woakes caught behind for 10 after the allrounder had successfully pulled Cummins for six in the previous over.

That left Stokes going to the break needing to carry England once again with the tail, with the hosts still 121 runs adrift of Australia’s first-innings total.

Rain is forecast for the third and fifth days, but the pace at which the match is moving means that may not matter.

A draw for Australia will mean they retain the Ashes, while a win at Headingley will ensure their first series victory in England since 2001.