It was all too familiar territory for Steve Smith and England as yet another vital contribution of 82 from the master batsman rescued Australia from 44-4 to open up a second innings lead of 382 at Old Trafford, before Pat Cummins made early inroads into England’s fragile batting lineup, dismissing Rory Burns and Joe Root in the first over of England’s reply.
Australia started the day by finishing off England’s first innings for 301, with Josh Hazlewood picking up 4-57 and Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc taking three wickets apiece. The latter clean-bowled Jonny Bairstow with a fearsome inswinger before dismissing Ben Stokes, who edged one to second slip. Jos Buttler made a useful 41 whilst batting with the tail but was the last man out, missing an attempted big shot down the ground.
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Hazlewood and Cummins continued on from their excellent spells on Friday afternoon to deny England any hopes of getting close to Australia’s first innings total of 497-8. Yet it was the improvement of Starc that provided another boost to Australia’s chances of retaining the urn. Wayward the day before, the left-armer was far more accurate, with his speed and hostility also impressive. His dismissal of Bairstow, in particular, was a magic delivery which exposed the Yorkshireman’s ongoing weakness of getting bowled through the gate.
Despite another strong effort from their quartet of bowlers, Australia initially failed to build on their momentum as their second innings started badly. Stuart Broad pinned David Warner lbw in the first over, the sixth time he has dismissed him in the series, before trapping Marcus Harris in front for six in an inspired opening spell. It brought Marnus Labuschagne and Smith to the crease early, yet again, but the former became the third lbw of the innings as Jofra Archer got into the wickets column. Travis Head, who has endured a disappointing series, was then castled by an Archer delivery which nipped back into him from around the wicket.
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Head’s below-par series continued as Archer knocked back his middle stump[/caption]
Smith and Wade then rebuilt the innings with an entertaining partnership of 105. Smith, in particular, played some outrageous shots on his way to a fifth consecutive score of fifty or more in the series, but his knock was ended as he lofted Jack Leach to Ben Stokes at wide-long off. Archer then dismissed Wade, thanks to a brilliant one-handed catch from Jonny Bairstow. Captain Tim Paine then declared on 186-6, leaving the home side with a tricky half-hour period to negotiate.
England’s innings started terribly as Cummins induced a leading edge from Burns which went straight to Head at short mid off before the world’s No.1 ranked Test bowler bowled Root first ball with a sensational delivery that seared past the outside edge and clipped the top of off stump. Joe Denly and Jason Roy saw out the final six overs as England went to stumps on 18-2.
