Ashes Tests: England overcame Australia by three wickets in the third Ashes Test on Sunday at Headingley, keeping their series win prospects alive. Despite Australia’s chances to swing the game with successive breakthroughs, Harry Brook (75) and Chris Woakes (32*) stayed tall. In the second session of Day 4, England pursued 251 in 50 overs to win the game.
Despite the fact that two sessions were washed out on the third day owing to severe rain at Headingley, England needed just 20.1 overs after play started to pick up Australia’s final six wickets. The hosts knocked out the visitors for 224, setting a fairly reasonable total for themselves in the fourth innings.
In the third Test, a wicket dropped per 6.2 overs, and quick bowlers reaped the benefits on a seaming pitch at Headingley.
The fourth Test will be held at Old Trafford in Manchester, where England will have to roll up their sleeves once again in order to tie the series at 2-2. Australia, on the other side, will try to close off the series and score a long-awaited series victory in England, their first since 2001.
With this match proving to be another fascinating battle despite the weather, we can look back at some of the most dramatic rain-affected Ashes encounters in history.
Here are the top 3 Memorable Ashes Tests
1) 2009 Ashes, 1st Test, Cardiff
Andrew Strauss chose to bat first after England won the toss. As the hosts reached 435 runs, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, and Matt Prior all produced critical fifties, and Graeme Swann’s unbeaten 47 later down the order provided valuable runs.
Australia’s dominant 239-run third-wicket partnership was anchored by Ricky Ponting (150) and Simon Katich (122). Another century each from Marcus North (125*) and Brad Haddin (121) gave Australia a commanding 239-run advantage.
Due to two hours of rain on Day 3, 22 overs were lost. England was 20/2 when rain drove the players back into the pavilion at tea, but continuous drizzles prevented play from continuing for the rest of Day 4.
At lunch on the last day, England were down to 102 for 5. Australia needed only five more wickets to win the game, but Paul Collingwood’s resistance remained unbreakable for a long time. Collingwood batted for five hours and 45 minutes, scoring 74 runs and keeping the Australian attack at bay.
In the final seconds of the game, Michael Hussey caught the England middle-order hitter off Peter Siddle. The last-wicket partnership of James Anderson and Monty Panesar, on the other hand, stayed solidly at the crease and batted for 69 balls to force a draw. This game-saving performance was vital, as England went on to win the five-match series 2-1 after winning the last Test.
2) 2013 Ashes, 5th Test, The Oval
England came within a whisker of winning the fifth Test of the 2013 Ashes, but were denied by inclement weather and the umpires’ decision to call the game off due to poor lighting. Going into this Test, the home team had already won the series and was ahead 3-0.
The poor pitch and rain seemed to drag the game to a dreary draw. However, in the afternoon of the last day, Australian skipper Michael Clarke made a brave choice by declaring their innings on 111/6 and forcing the hosts to chase 227 runs in 44 overs.
Kevin Pietersen recorded England’s fastest Ashes fifty in 36 balls before being dismissed on 62. Jonathan Trott scored runs from the other end to help England cross the finish line and thrash Australia 4-0 in the series.
The umpires studied their light metres and decided to ask the players to go off just as England needed 21 runs from the last four overs with six wickets in hand. The umpires were required to take the players off anytime the light worsened to the level that had been used as a cut-off for the first time in the match, according to the regulations in effect at the time.
England supporters and players felt duped as boos echoed out throughout the stadium. However, the umpires chose to follow the text of the law.
3) 2019 Ashes, 3rd Test, Headingley
Rain postponed the toss on the first day until midday. Four overs were bowled before the rain came down again. After play began at 2 p.m. (BST), Australia were bowled out for a paltry 179.
England were bowled out for 67, much to everyone’s surprise, with Josh Hazlewood taking 5 for 30. Australia added 246 runs in the second innings, setting the hosts a daunting mark of 359 to chase. The last day of the Test produced one of the finest endings in the game’s history.
England were down to 286 for 9 until Ben Stokes performed a miracle in what was a humdinger of a Test cricket day. In his stunning undefeated 135-run innings, the England all-rounder farmed the strike and hammered 11 fours and eight sixes. He shared an unbroken 76-run stand with Jack Leach for the penultimate wicket, with the latter contributing only 1 run off 17 balls.
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