England claimed a dramatic draw in the first Ashes Test against Australia on this day in 2009 after James Anderson and Monty Panesar staged a dogged last-wicket stand in Cardiff.

The tailenders survived the final 69 deliveries in a tense rearguard action at Sophia Gardens to deny the tourists first blood and spark wild celebrations in the stands.

England had resumed on day five at 20 for two, 219 runs behind after Australia had overhauled their first innings total of 435 and established a platform for victory with a mammoth 674 for six declared in which Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting, Marcus North and Brad Haddin had all reached three figures.

The hosts looked to be heading for an innings defeat as Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior went by the time the score had reached 70, although Paul Collingwood’s resolute 74 steadied the ship with support from spinner Graeme Swann, who made 31.

However, the Durham all-rounder’s stubborn resistance ended after a 245-ball, 344-minute stay at the crease when he edged Peter Siddle to Michael Hussey at gully.

England had been reduced to 233 for nine and the writing was on the wall.

As Panesar walked out to join Anderson in the middle with his side still six runs behind, a minimum of 11.3 overs remained and few gave two men hardly renowned for their expertise with the bat any real chance of resisting.

But to huge popular acclaim resist they did, at times uncertain over whether to take runs when they presented themselves, but growing in confidence once successive Anderson boundaries had ensured the Australians would have to bat again.

Anderson ended up finishing unbeaten on 21 while Panesar contributed seven runs to a total of 252 for nine to secure a draw, the significance of which only became apparent as the summer progressed.

England went on to win at Lord’s and the Oval either side of a draw at Edgbaston and an Australian victory at Headingley, taking the series 2-1 and in the process regaining the Ashes they had surrendered so tamely Down Under during the winter of 2006-07.

England quick Mark Wood is eager to hit Australia with more “thunderbolts” in Manchester next week and aims to prove “lightning strikes twice” after his Headingley heroics.

Wood marked his return to Ashes cricket with a stirring player-of-the-match showing in Leeds, taking match figures of seven for 100 and hitting 40 vital runs from just 16 deliveries.

His efforts helped change the tone of the series, getting England on the board after back-to-back defeats and leaving the path open for the hosts to reclaim the urn against all odds.

Wood’s raw pace provided an X-factor that had been absent at Edgbaston and Lord’s, with his first ball of the match doubling up as England’s fastest of the summer.

He continued cranking it up in his first red-ball outing for seven months, at one stage reaching 96.5mph during a ferocious opening spell, and Australia’s batting looked entirely less assured due to his mere presence on the park.

Wood revealed his England captain and Durham team-mate Ben Stokes had given him one simple instruction when he let him loose.

“Ben just asked me, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready to bowl some thunderbolts?’ I said yes and that was it,” he said.

“He was ready to unleash me. I know him well and he knows me well. Having that relationship with someone makes it easier.”

Asked if he was ready to dish out more of the same at Emirates Old Trafford next Wednesday, Wood replied with a grin: “Absolutely. Lightning strikes twice, eh?”

Wood is arguably the most consistently fast bowler ever to play for England, a crown he likely lacks only due to the absence of accurate historical data.

But the sheer physical exertion the 33-year-old puts himself through means he has had to endure long spells out of the side.

Since debuting in 2015 he has played just 29 of England’s 109 Tests, missing many of those through injury, yet Wood has set his sights on finishing strongly this summer.

There are just three days between the fourth and fifth games of the series, but, with a week to get himself ready, he fully intends to be on parade for both.

“I did four in Australia last time and three of them were in a row. It’s a big ask, but one I’ve done before and I will lean on that experience to try to do it again,” he said.

“I will speak to the physio, but I imagine I will bowl once or twice, do a couple of gym sessions, maybe some running, but it won’t be too drastic. I have to let the body recover.

“This was my first game in a very, very long time, especially in Test cricket. I will let the body recover, get myself in a good space, let the wounds recover and get myself up for the next one.”

Wood wears his heart on his sleeve on and off the field and could not hide his satisfaction at taking up a starring role midway through a contest that has captured the imagination of the public.

“It fills me with great pride to say I can do well against Australia. It’s challenging because they are a top, top side,” he said.

“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had. Look at facing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. One, it’s not easy. Two, it’s really intimidating.

“They’re bowling fast, they get good bounce and more often than not they come out on top. Luckily this time it’s the one out of 100 I’ve managed to get through.

“The 2005 Ashes was the absolute pinnacle for me – I was at a great age, a teenager, and my hometown hero (Steve Harmison) was playing.

“I don’t feel like it’s to that magnitude, but it’s great to have the support, which has been amazing everywhere we’ve been. You feel it on the street walking around, people messaging you. It’s amazing as a nation that we can carry this weight of support with us.”

Harry Brook announced himself on the Ashes stage with a match-winning knock for England that kept the series alive and delivered another memorable Headingley climax.

Brook batted with great maturity as he made a steely 75, taking a decisive chunk out of the 251-run target and set a fire under this summer’s rivalry, leaving Australia 2-1 ahead with two to play.

The Yorkshireman fell with 21 still needed as the third Test descended into nerve-shredding tension, but Mark Wood cut through the anxiety with a feisty 16 not out and Chris Woakes completed a remarkable return to the Test arena by crunching the winning runs towards the delirious Western Terrace to finish unbeaten on 32.

England’s three-wicket win was achieved despite Ben Stokes’ dismissal for just 13, a soft nick down the leg-side robbing the hosts of their inspirational captain and the architect of their 2019 Ashes miracle at the start of the decisive final session.

But in Brook they had a new hero, ready to carry the burden all the way to final furlong before passing it over to Woakes and Wood – making an emphatic first impression on their belated introductions to the series.

England moved to within 98 runs of another memorable Ashes victory at Headingley, with Ben Stokes back on centre stage alongside Harry Brook.

Four years on from a famous Stokes-inspired victory at the same venue, England made themselves favourites to claim a gripping third Test after another tightly-fought morning on day four.

Needing 251 to win the match and keep the series alive at 2-1, the hosts reached 153 for four at lunch. Brook was playing forcefully on 40 not out, having swapped his spot at number three for his favoured position of five, with Stokes new to the crease on seven.

The mere presence of the England captain is a major factor, with memories of his match-winning 2019 century here and last week’s 155 in a losing cause both adding weight.

Australia will still fancy their own chances of a late surge though, having picked up each of the top four in a session that would not allow either side to fully take control.

England’s openers came out in cautious mood at 27 without loss, adding 15 careful runs to the score before Ben Duckett was trapped in the crease by Mitchell Starc, lbw to a ball destined for leg stump.

Moeen Ali was the man to replace Duckett at three, a surprise switch with Brook and a hefty promotion from number seven. The all-rounder has done the job before, but last appeared at first drop in November 2018.

It was a typically bold gambit from the Brendon McCullum regime but one that did not pay off.

Moeen made five from 15 deliveries and had no answer for a 90mph rocket from Starc, forcing its way through a modest drive and pounding the stumps.

If that dismissal raised any nerves around the ground, the arrival of their primary insurance policy, Root, should have settled them. Instead, he made an unusually skittish start.

He chased his first ball well wide of off stump on a hiding to nothing and was fortunate to hit fresh air.

Moments later he demanded a quick two off Zak Crawley’s bat and almost opened up a run out chance having yet to open his account.

When he did get off the mark it was in classical fashion, stroking a cover drive to the ropes to offer the crowd a much-needed release after one boundary in the first 45 minutes.

That stroke, combined with a change of bowling, appeared to break the rhythm and the runs began to flow.

Not all of them were intentional, Crawley carving Scott Boland over the cordon and Root nicking four low past second slip, but Crawley also pinged Mitch Marsh for a pair of authoritative blows through point.

Crawley’s growing confidence cost him his wicket on 44, throwing himself into a drive off Marsh and feeding the edge through to Alex Carey.

At 93 for three, both teams were moving towards their destinations and the balance of power was impossible to tell.

Brook set about nudging things in England’s favour, taking on Boland’s natural length and collecting three quick boundaries out the middle of the bat.

A stand of 38 with Root was beginning to give the chase a sense of security, but the latter was undone unexpectedly with the lunch break in sight.

Swivelling into a pull as the returning Cummins dragged one down, he gloved it through to the keeper for a tame end on 21.

England need another 224 runs at Headingley to keep the Ashes series alive – and Chris Woakes hopes they can summon the spirit of 2019 to get them over the line on Sunday.

The hosts closed on 27 without loss in pursuit of 251 – a tricky ask as they have to better a first-innings 237 – after Australia were skittled for 224 on a truncated day three of the third Test.

Adding to the tension is the knowledge they will lose the series at the earliest possible opportunity if they fall short in the chase as they currently trail 2-0, although the target is some way below the 359 they were set by Australia four years ago.

On that occasion, England sealed a nerve-shredding one-wicket win to breathe fresh life into their campaign and Woakes recognises there will be similar momentum shifts and anxious spells on Sunday.

“I hope so, because that means we win the Test match,” said Woakes, when asked if they can channel the 2019 win over their arch rivals. “It would be nice to do it a little bit easier this time.

“There’s a full day ahead of us and we know what we’ve got to get. To chalk a few off is really nice and to finish the day none down is a real positive for us.

“We know we can chase scores as a team. It certainly suits us which is a good thing. The scores haven’t been overly high in this game, so you don’t just walk into it thinking it’s going to be a doddle.

“Naturally in a run chase there’s always nerves. But they are good nerves. The thought of winning the Test, chasing down a score and keeping yourself in the series. It’s more excitement than nerves.”

Woakes and Stuart Broad finished with three wickets apiece on Saturday, while Australia added 108 to their total in just 20.1 overs, largely due to Travis Head’s fine 77, which included three sixes.

There are certain to be some nerves on Sunday, but the total England have been asked to get does not crack the top five at this ground. Indeed, England have overhauled more twice in the last four years.

The magic numberCarey kept quiet

Alex Carey had been a stubborn presence at seven with the bat, passing double figures both times at Edgbaston and Lord’s and making a crucial half-century at the former. His controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow made him a pantomime villain, but, while his glove work remains immaculate, he has been dismissed in Leeds for single figures twice. Carey came to the crease on Saturday after Cricket Australia had refuted a bizarre story about him failing to pay for a haircut, but there was no close shave for the wicketkeeper as an attempted leave off Woakes thudded into his gloves and then, a little unfortunately, clipped his stumps.

Tweet of the day

Fans were left to their own devices for a large chunk of the day because of intermittent showers leading to a near six-hour delay, with only 25.1 overs sent down when play started at 4.45pm. And when you cannot watch the Ashes, what better way to entertain yourself than by playing concourse cricket pretending you are in them? Walking around the ground, there were multiple games that had broken out at the back of the sheltered stands. The size of the bat varied, from regulation to miniature, tennis balls were used and supporters got imaginative with stumps. But those participating – young and old and for a brief period including a policeman batting – at least found a way to pass the time.

Moeen’s economy class

Moeen Ali’s most tangible contribution of the day was not an elegant drive or a ripping delivery through the gate, but a football-style sliding tackle to prevent a boundary. The renowned Liverpool fan was not called upon to bowl as Woakes, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood took care of Australia, meaning Moeen finished the second innings with figures of 17-3-34-2. Going at exactly two an over is his best economy rate in an innings since December 2015 and second best in his Test career (with a minimum of six overs bowled).

Chris Woakes called on England to channel Headingley 2019 and drag themselves back into the Ashes – although the seamer hopes there is a more straightforward path to victory.

England closed on 27 without loss in pursuit of 251, a tricky ask as they have to better a first-innings 237, after Australia were skittled for 224 on a truncated day three of the third Test.

Adding to the tension is England knowing they will lose the series at the earliest possible opportunity if they fall short in the chase, although the target is some way below the 359 they were set four years ago.

On that occasion, England sealed a nerve-shredding one-wicket win to breathe fresh life into their campaign and Woakes recognises there will be similar momentum shifts and anxious spells on Sunday.

“I hope so, because that means we win the Test match,” said Woakes, when asked if they would invoke the spirit of 2019 in pursuit of 224 more runs. “It would be nice to do it a little bit easier this time.

“There’s a full day ahead of us and we know what we’ve got to get. To chalk a few off is really nice and to finish the day none down is a real positive for us.

“We know we can chase scores as a team. It certainly suits us which is a good thing.

“The scores haven’t been overly high in this game, so you don’t just walk into it thinking it’s going to be a doddle.

“Naturally in a run chase there’s always nerves. But they are good nerves. The thought of winning the Test, chasing down a score, and keeping yourself in the series. It’s more excitement than nerves.”

Both Woakes and Australia batter Travis Head were involved in a clash that went down as an Ashes classic, with Ben Stokes’ 135 not out getting England over the line in dramatic fashion.

“It’s fair to say that it’s a nice place to be with the series on the line and hopefully we can redeem ourselves from 2019 at this place,” said Head, who bolstered Australia on Saturday with a fine 77.

Woakes has been quietly instrumental in his first Test of the Bazball era after 16 months out of the side, initially missing out through injury and then sliding down the pecking order.

He has taken three wickets in both innings, all of them in Australia’s top-seven, in his first home match in the format since September 2021.

He acknowledged his dismissal of Australia linchpin Marnus Labuschagne – third in the Test batting rankings – on the opening day helped him to settle.

“Getting the call shows the backing from the coach and the captain, and to get a big scalp like Marnus is a bit of a relief and shows faith in the decision to play,” Woakes added.

“The fact I haven’t played in front of a crowd in England for a couple of years brings out that emotion in you when you hear that roar. It’s easy to forget how good it is when you haven’t played for a while.”

England last summer made a habit of reeling in high targets under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, successfully chasing down four 275-plus scores.

But, as in 2019, Woakes may at some point be called to strap on the pads in a bid to avoid Australia moving into an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

“The excitement and chance of winning a Test match in an Ashes series is fantastic but we also realise we’re still 220 runs away from that,” said Woakes

“There’s some hard work to be put in. Australia will be thinking they’re 10 wickets away from winning an Ashes series in England as well, so it’s an exciting day for both teams.”

England’s hunt for Australian wickets was halted by the weather at Headingley, with the third morning of the third Ashes Test washed out.

Morning showers on Saturday meant no play was possible before lunch, which was brought forward to 12.30pm as ground staff began the cleaning up operation.

The match is poised on a knife edge, with the tourists 142 runs ahead after being reduced to 116 for four in their second innings.

Travis Head and day-one centurion Mitch Marsh were the not out batters for Australia, who are already 2-0 up in the series after victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s and can claim the urn with a win on Yorkshire territory.

The break in play could help ease some of England’s ailments, with Ollie Robinson yet to bowl since suffering back spasms on the first day and captain Ben Stokes nursing a selection of injuries and niggles.

England owe their position in the game to Stokes’ defiant 80, with Moeen Ali hailing the skipper’s magnetic qualities and their effect on the side.

“Ben’s a brilliant player. He’s the one player in the world who everyone will be thinking about in that situation, especially against Australia because he has done it a couple of times now,” said the spinner, who took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith on Friday evening.

“Whether it’s a white ball or a red ball, as long as he’s there you’ve always got a great chance of winning. It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them.

“His body has obviously been through a lot but there’s one thing with Ben, he can’t do anything without it being 100 per cent. Hopefully he’ll get through this series well, scoring a lot more runs.

“It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them. But we can’t rely on him all the time. We do have dangerous players who we just need to come to the party as well as Ben. Ben’s playing brilliantly but there are runs out there for other players.”

England will be eyeing early Australia wickets as thoughts drift to what might be a manageable chase for the hosts in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

While there may be weather-related interruptions with storms forecast on Saturday, there are still three days in which to force a result after Australia went to stumps on 116 for four and a lead of 142.

Ben Stokes had earlier been England’s hero again, dragging them from 87 for five to 237 all out with a belligerent 80 containing five sixes, while Mark Wood chipped in with an astonishing eight-ball 24.

Moeen Ali then took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in a tidy spell, with Australia unable to get away even though Stokes and Ollie Robinson were unable to bowl for England.

Captain Marvels

Despite his body appearing to be in rebellion against him – adding to his left knee trouble is hip discomfort for which he took a couple of pain-killing tablets – England captain Stokes conjured another defiant innings to get his side within touching distance of Australia’s first innings. His opposite number Pat Cummins also led from the front with six for 91. While he possesses an outstanding record in England with 47 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 22.02, this was his first five-for on UK soil.

Six of the best

Stokes pumped Australia’s rookie off-spinner Todd Murphy over the boundary rope five times to extend his lead over Kevin Pietersen for most Ashes sixes.

Wood fires

Having burst on to the scene with his breakneck pace on day one – averaging a searing 90.5mph across 11.4 overs which yielded a maiden five-wicket haul in England – Mark Wood showed no sign of slowing down after trading leather for willow. Wood’s template for backing away and swinging brought boundaries from his first three balls and three sixes in his first six balls. His luck finally ran out when another mighty heave across the line took the top-edge to mid-on. Still, Wood’s quickfire 24 roused England.

Broad problems for Warner

It was groundhog day again for David Warner, who has been well and truly muzzled in Leeds by his nemesis. It was bowled Stuart Broad, caught Zak Crawley, for a second time in two days after the Australia opener was squared up as he edged into the cordon. He will not look back fondly on this Test after scores of four and one, lasting just five balls in each innings.

Moeen at the double

Has any Test career fluctuated as much as Moeen Ali’s? Recalled after his finger drama at Edgbaston, Moeen seemed to lack a bit of snap in his action early on but then snared Labuschagne and Smith for his 199th and 200th Test wickets – albeit after some loose shots from the Australia pair. While Moeen, who held up an end as he conceded just 34 off his 17 overs in a row, often comes in for criticism, only Derek Underwood (297) and Graeme Swann (255) have more Test wickets among English spinners.

Bairstow blunders continue

Since controversially superseding Ben Foakes and donning the wicketkeeping gloves at the start of the summer, Jonny Bairstow’s doubters can only have grown after a subpar showing behind the stumps. His catching success rate in this series hovers at just over 50 per cent (nine pouched and eight dropped) and while it is true at least a couple of his put downs would have required outstanding reflexes, he has shelled more routine efforts. His reprieve of Labuschagne down the leg-side edged towards the latter. It was his third drop of the match but did not too prove too costly after Labuschagne was out next ball while Bairstow might have redeemed himself slightly in some English eyes with an inoffensive send-off of Smith, who seemed to take exception to being told ‘See ya, Smudge’.

Jonny Bairstow’s hopes of exacting revenge on Australia ended in disappointment at Headingley, as England’s batting faltered again on the second morning of the third Ashes Test.

The hosts lost four for 74 in the first session – Bairstow, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes all picked off by a ruthless attack – to leave their side 121 behind on 142 for seven.

Captain Ben Stokes (27no) was once more carrying the burden of hope for his team despite being in clear physical discomfort at the crease.

Bairstow’s controversial stumping at Lord’s sparked a furore about the ‘spirit of cricket’, with England insistent they would not have claimed the dismissal and the tourists unapologetic about playing to the letter of the law.

Bairstow has yet to have his say on the matter but he missed the chance to let his bat do the talking in front of his home crowd, nicking Mitchell Starc to slip for 12 as Australia made vital early inroads.

Fellow Yorkshireman Root had already departed, edging Pat Cummins’ second ball of the morning to David Warner as England’s overnight 68 for three lurched to 87 for five inside seven overs.

Stokes was fighting through the pain barrier to keep the contest alive, moving awkwardly as fresh niggles apparently added to his existing left knee problem.

He admitted in his pre-match press conference that his efforts in the second Test, where he bowled a gruelling 12-over spell and made a brilliant 155 in the second innings, had “taken quite a bit out of me” and required treatment midway through the session.

England already had injury concerns over seamer Ollie Robinson, who left the field on day one with a back spasm.

Root’s early exit, cramped for room by Cummins’ precision around off stump but perhaps a little too eager to play, sucked the life out of a crowd that had poured in hoping for a big show from their local favourites. Bairstow gave them a couple of boundaries to cheer but was tempted into a big swing as the left-armer Starc angled one towards the cordon.

Stokes and Moeen (21) played against their attacking instincts in a stand of 44, only occasionally taking the bowlers on as they favour a more pragmatic method. Moeen eventually cracked after being tempted once too often by Cummins, pulling a bouncer straight into the hands of fine leg.

Woakes managed one hook for six before he joined the exodus in the final over before lunch, nicking another short one from Starc to expose the England tail.

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow can bat away their costly dropped catches as England look to assume control of an evenly-poised third Test at Headingley.

The Yorkshire pair each put down two chances on the opening day, with Root’s spillage of Mitch Marsh on 12 especially expensive as the recalled Australia all-rounder went on to make a run-a-ball 118.

Mark Wood took five for 34 with his breakneck pace as Australia were all out for 263, with Root and Bairstow unbeaten at stumps as England, 2-0 down in the five-match series, closed on 68 for three.

Much has been made of how Bairstow might react after his controversial stumping at Lord’s but he will be hoping his bat can do the talking as it did so emphatically did during last year’s golden summer.

What they said

Four years on from his most recent Test appearance – when he declared “most of Australia hate me” because of his inconsistency – Marsh might be feeling the love even more after his rescue-act. Called in because of a niggle to Cameron Green, the 31-year-old flayed his third Test hundred – all of them have come against England – and chipped in with the wicket of Zak Crawley for good measure.

Butter-fingered England

England’s subpar fielding in this series has frequently been cited as the major difference between the two sides – and there were another four dropped catches on Thursday. Bairstow can be forgiven for being unable to reel in a tough chance when Steve Smith was on four but the England wicketkeeper put down an easier chance down the leg-side when Travis Head was on nine. Root then put down regulation catches with Marsh on 12 and Alex Carey on four before slamming the ball into the turf in frustration at himself after holding on to Head. In total, the lackadaisical efforts cost England a whopping 158 runs.

England grateful for five-star Wood

Fitness concerns precluded Wood’s involvement at Edgbaston and Lord’s but he was worth the wait after dealing almost exclusively in speeds upwards of 90mph here, topping out at 96.5mph. He ended his first spell by flattening the leg stump of Usman Khawaja while he wiped out Australia’s lower order to finish with his first five-wicket haul at home. Every ball he bowled was an event with none of Australia’s batters looking comfortable against him. Wood has been a must-have overseas but this display summed up what a handful he can be in any conditions and why England are desperate to keep him on the park.

Headingley boo-boys

Emotions have been running high so there was some anticipation – and maybe a little trepidation – at how Headingley’s Western Terrace crowd would react. One of the liveliest and noisiest stands in the country made their presence felt by booing Australia captain Pat Cummins at the toss, while Carey was serenaded with ‘stand up if you hate Carey’ when he was batting. They seemed delighted by Cummins getting a two-ball duck and Carey being sconed on the helmet by Wood – even if the pair’s days ended better. Given they were at the forefront of the controversial Bairstow stumping at Lord’s, how they were received in Leeds is no surprise. The pantomime jeers of Smith and David Warner seem to have returned as well, harking back to how they were welcomed in England in 2019 after ball-tampering bans. Overall, though, any nerves at tensions potentially boiling over appear to have been unfounded.

Warner’s unsweet 16

Stuart Broad has enough time to climb to the top of this list with a possible five more innings at Warner, for whom retirement might not be able to come soon enough. The Australia opener’s latest downfall to his nemesis came when he was persuaded to push away from his body with the ball kissing the edge and carrying to Crawley, who pouched a chest-high catch at second slip.

Robinson squashed?

Ollie Robinson’s relatively quiet series continued as he went wicketless in his first 11 overs before trudging off the field after sending down just two balls of his 12th before tea. An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson confirmed a back spasm had curtailed his day. As for whether he will be able to bowl in Australia’s second innings, watch this space.

A burst of breakneck speed from Mark Wood breathed life into England’s Ashes campaign as the third Test got off to a feisty start at Headingley.

Four days on from the stumping controversy that dogged the previous match at Lord’s, Wood bamboozled Australia with express pace that topped 96 miles per hour and claimed five for 34 in the tourists’ 263 all out.

A one-man show from comeback kid Mitch Marsh was responsible for the majority of those runs, but his breathtaking run-a-ball 118 would not have been possible had Joe Root not put him down at slip with just 12 to his name.

That was one of four drops for an England side whose collection of missed chances is starting to become a worrying theme of the summer.

Root, with 19 not out, has the chance to make amends with the bat on day two with England 68 for three in response.

With him at the crease is Jonny Bairstow, the man at the centre of last Sunday’s flashpoint dismissal and one who always brings his best when there is a score to settle.

Australia’s struggles either side of Marsh’s fireworks – four for 91 in the morning session and a collapse of six for 23 as Wood mopped up – went down well with a raucous crowd, who booed and barracked the opposition with gusto all day.

The two players involved in Bairstow’s controversial dismissal copped the worst of the anger but both held their nerve, Cummins dismissing Ben Duckett and Harry Brook and Carey pulling off a fine leaping catch.

But the moment belonged to Wood, making his first Test appearance since December and held back for the first two matches due to worries over his fitness, as he recorded his best ever performance on home soil.

Stuart Broad dismissed David Warner for the 16th time in 29 matches inside the first over of the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

Having already snared Warner in the first Test last month, Broad was into his long-time adversary again in Leeds, having him caught in the slips for four.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at their duels over the years to see how they have historically fared against each other.

2021-2022 Ashes

While Warner was run out by his nemesis at Adelaide, it was not until the fourth Test at Sydney where Broad had the left-hander in his pocket with a trademark outswinger pouched at second slip. Warner also fell to Broad in the next Test at Hobart after holing out to Ollie Pope at point.

2019 Ashes

Broad had Warner’s number throughout the series, dismissing him seven times across 10 innings as the tactic of bowling from round the wicket left the usually tenacious top-order batter hesitant of where his off-stump was. Warner managed just 95 runs across the five Tests at a meagre average of just 9.5 in a torrid tour. Broad was England’s leading wicket-taker in the series (23) and even ended up with a higher batting average (12.2) than Warner.

2017-18 Ashes

Less than two years earlier and it was Warner who held the upper hand in the head-to-head contest. Broad had a poor series by his lofty standards with just 11 wickets across the whole series while Warner amassed 441 runs at 63. He was dismissed by the likes of Jake Ball, Craig Overton and even Joe Root but not once by Broad.

2015 Ashes

Broad was the leading wicket-taker on either side with 21 dismissals at 20.9 but he was never able to dislodge Warner, who amassed 418 at 46.44. Even in Broad’s career-best eight for 15 at Trent Bridge which swung a see-saw series England’s way, it was Mark Wood who prised out Warner.

2013-14 Ashes

After months of being baited by the Australian media for his memorable refusal to walk in the series opener between the teams, Broad accounted for Warner en route to recording six for 81. While Warner nicked off in the second innings to Broad, it came after the Australian’s belligerent 124 gave his side the upper hand. Broad got him twice more in the series where he took 21 wickets, a rare bright spot in England’s 5-0 whitewash defeat. Warner was key to the result after racking up 523 runs at 58.11.

2013 Ashes

Warner made his Ashes debut in the third Test at Old Trafford, just weeks after being hit with a suspension for an unprovoked attack on Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub. Warner’s rivalry with the fast bowler who would go on to become his tormentor began in the next Test at Chester-le-Street when he was castled for a duck in the first innings. It was the only time in the series Warner fell to Broad, whose 11 for 121 in the north east remains his career-best match figures.

England have been trailblazers and record-breakers in the last 13 months but history is against them as they look to get a faltering Ashes campaign back on track at Headingley.

Defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s have left England drinking in the last chance saloon and their hopes of regaining the urn will be over at the earliest opportunity if they come off second best in Leeds.

Only Australia, on one occasion in the 1930s, have overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 but this England side under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have often inverted accepted wisdom.

Tensions between the two teams are fraught after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at the home of cricket, even if both Stokes and Pat Cummins insisted a line has been drawn under the incident.

The hosts have rung the changes as fast bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes and off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali are included for the injured Ollie Pope, with James Anderson and Josh Tongue rotated out. Cummins has delayed naming his XI but confirmed Todd Murphy will come in for the injured Nathan Lyon.

England’s ‘Bazballers’ out to emulate Bradman’s babes

England have been in this position before after two Tests and not once have they managed to upset the odds and claim a series victory over their arch rivals. There is a precedent as Australia have done it on one occasion in 1936-37, when they were captained by Don Bradman, whose blade dramatically reversed the fortunes of the sides. While England prevailed by thumping margins at Brisbane and Sydney, Bradman’s 270 at Melbourne, 212 at Adelaide and 169 back at Melbourne saw Australia snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Bradman’s 270 was rated by Wisden as the best Test innings of all time in 2001.

England have enjoyed themselves in Yorkshire over recent years, putting in some convincing displays against a variety of opposition. While Stokes’ heroics in 2019 will live longest in the memory, last summer’s outstanding chase against New Zealand and innings victories over India and Pakistan are not to be sniffed at. The West Indies were the last away team to win there, six years ago.

View from the dressing room

The England skipper had a lighthearted response to the Western Australian’s front page mock-up of him wearing a nappy and sucking a dummy under the headline ‘Cry Babies’.

Smith brings up another ton

Steve Smith will bring up his latest landmark this week as he becomes the 14th Australian to reach 100 Test caps. His first few appearances was as a cherubic leg-spinner and he was dubbed the next Shane Warne. But it soon became clear Smith was closer as an heir apparent to the great Bradman. Smith has had a special career, amassing 9,113 runs at 59.56 – only Bradman and Herbert Sutcliffe have a better average among batters with more than 50 Test innings. Smith’s 110 at Lord’s was his 12th Ashes hundred and only Bradman, with 19, has more. England will be praying they can keep him quiet this week.

Headingley hostility

If Australia were taken aback by the vitriol they attracted at Lord’s, where even the usually serene environment of the Long Room took a turn, then they can expect the volume to be turned up again in Leeds. It would be no surprise if the touring side had to draw straws to find out who takes up fielding duty in front of the Western Terrace, a notoriously raucous stand that will be eager to make its collective voice heard. Measures are being taken to ensure things do not cross a line, but England will hope the partisan atmosphere serves them well.

England bring the fire

A heaving schedule meant England always planned to rotate their bowling attack although there is some surprise it has taken until now to unleash Wood – who will be the fastest bowler on show at Headingley. Capable of bowling rockets at 96mph, Wood has had one or two niggles precluding his involvement but is firing on all cylinders and will be England’s major point of difference. The Durham quick routinely troubled Australia’s batters in the 2021-22 series Down Under and it is hoped he will have a similar impact this week. Harry Brook shuffles to three to replace Pope, with Bairstow also up two places to five, while Moeen and Woakes add ballast to the lower order at seven and eight respectively.

England kept alive their hopes of regaining the Ashes with a three-run victory in the second T20 international at the Kia Oval.

After falling 6-0 behind on points in the multi-format series following Saturday’s loss at Edgbaston, the hosts looked on the ropes when they suffered a collapse midway through the first innings, losing four wickets in 13 balls and handing the tourists the initiative as they sought the win that would ensure they kept hold of the Ashes.

But Danni Wyatt’s brilliant 76 from just 46 balls saw England roar back and set Australia a target of 187 which, despite a fast start with the bat and a spirited finish, proved beyond them.

Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry hit 37 and 51 respectively as the holders gave England a scare and Georgia Wareham put up a brave fight at the death with a flurry of big hits to offer hope.

But she was bowled superbly by Lauren Bell to dent Australia’s late charge and, despite two sixes from Perry in the final over, England won out to keep the series alive ahead of the final T20 at Lord’s on Saturday.

England had begun confidently, losing only Sophia Dunkley in the first 11 overs to rack up a commanding score midway through the innings.

But they capitulated fast, going from 100 for one in the 12th over to 112 for five in the 14th as Australia hit them with a flurry of quick wickets.

First, Nat Sciver-Brunt was caught by Annabel Sutherland at long-on, the England vice-captain gone for 23, before Sutherland took over with the ball and dismissed Alice Capsey for five and Heather Knight for a duck off consecutive balls.

From a position of strength, England suddenly looked vulnerable and soon Amy Jones had joined her captain back in the pavilion after she sought to chip Tahlia McGrath’s delivery to mid-wicket and was caught by Sutherland.

Late call-up Danielle Gibson fared little better as she was out for one but Wyatt marched on undeterred by the tumble of wickets around her as she led the revival late in the innings, as England took 25 off the 16th over to reach 150 for seven.

Wyatt’s innings was ended by Sutherland but Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone ensured England finished with a flourish – with Ecclestone smashing 22 from just 12 balls to help the hosts reach 186 for nine.

Australia set about their business with purpose, needing just over five overs to move onto 50 without loss with Healy and Beth Mooney putting up a strong opening partnership.

Healy’s departure for 37, bowled by Glen, triggered a flurry of wickets as Charlie Dean recovered brilliantly from a dropped catch to run out McGrath.

Gibson took a first international wicket when Wyatt caught Mooney for 22, followed quickly by another as Ecclestone caught and bowled Ashleigh Gardner to leave Australia needing 112 off just over 10 overs.

The tourists had a required run rate of over 11 and their task was made harder still when Grace Harris was bowled by Dean to make it 96 for five.

Sutherland was next to go, caught by Knight at mid-off to leave Australia on the brink.

Perry ensured the tourists went down fighting with back-to-back sixes to finish, but England saw the win out to keep the series alive.

England have rung the changes as they seek to keep the Ashes alive in this week’s third Test at Headingley, with three alterations to the XI and a promotion for Harry Brook.

Brook is slated to step up to number three in place of Ollie Pope, whose summer is over due to a dislocated shoulder, while Moeen Ali, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes all return to the bowling attack.

With just three days between games, record wicket-taker James Anderson is rested after two modest performances, with Josh Tongue also stood down after an encouraging outing at Lord’s.

At 2-0 down with three to play, England are in now-or-never territory and have opted to overhaul not just the personnel, but the balance of their side.

While they are effectively one specialist batter down in Pope’s absence, the addition of Moeen and Woakes strengthens the lower order in response.

Wood’s belated introduction into the series – he was considered for last week’s second Test but there were some concerns over his workload – also gives England skipper Ben Stokes the express pace option he has been craving.

Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson top the wicket charts with 11 and 10 respectively, but England have been outmatched for air speed so far and Wood’s ability to hit up to 96mph gives Stokes a new weapon to unsettle the tourists.

Woakes makes his first appearance of the ‘Bazball’ era and Moeen is back in action after a badly-blistered right index finger saw him miss out at Lord’s.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.