Cummins’ haul gives Australia 26-run lead in third Test

Scott Bailey | July 8, 2023

Pat Cummins’ first Ashes six-wicket haul has given Australia a 26-run first-innings lead at Headingley, after England were bowled out for 237 on day two.

Eyeing a maiden Ashes series victory in England in 22 years with a win in the third Test in Leeds, Cummins led the way for Australia on Friday with his 6-91.

It was the captain’s fourth-best return in Test cricket, and his best against England.

Only Ben Stokes, with a defiant, 80 has kept England in the match while battling a glute issue. He still managed to hit Todd Murphy for three big sixes down the ground despite his injury.

Evoking further memories of his efforts at the same ground four years ago, not to mention his heroics in the Lord’s Test defeat, Stokes blasted five sixes in 50 minutes of play after lunch.

He was eventually caught in the deep off Murphy, after helping add 95 crucial runs for the last three wickets once England’s top and middle-order had let them down.

Australia were disciplined with the ball, but some serious introspection is required by England if they wish to stay in the series.

While most of England’s batters scored at a much slower rate than in the first two Tests, their wickets still fell to the kind of loose shots which have plagued them throughout the series.

Apart from Stokes, this was Bazball without the intent, but still with the flurry of wickets that has often come with it.

On a perfect day for batting under bright Leeds skies, England desperately needed Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to bat through the first session after resuming at 3-68 in reply to Australia’s 263.

Instead, 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 (2-59) and edged it straight to Steve Smith at second slip for 12.

Moeen Ali followed for 21, inexplicably skying a pull shot off Cummins after the exact same shot fell into vacant space earlier in the same over.

Chris Woakes was also caught behind trying to hook, before Mark Wood hit 24 off eight balls after tea and then became Cummins’ fifth victim.

Australia’s captain also had Stuart Broad neatly caught in the deep by Steve Smith for seven, before Smith took his fifth catch in the innings when he pouched Stokes.

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