England in box seat to win Headingley Ashes Test

England are pushing towards a victory at Headingley that will keep them in the Ashes, going to lunch at 4-153 in pursuit of 251 for victory in the third Test.

After the hosts resumed at 0-27, Mitchell Starc took two wickets in the opening session while Mitch Marsh and Pat Cummins took one each to keep Australia in the contest.

But with Ben Stokes at the crease and Harry Brook in control, Australia will need to conjure their own miracle of Headingley to win the match and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

With this looming as the most crucial day of the Ashes so far, England navigated the first four overs safely before Starc trapped Ben Duckett lbw for 23.

Duckett reviewed, but ball-tracking showed Starc’s wobble-seam delivery would have cannoned into leg stump.

Moeen Ali was promoted to No.3 but lasted only 15 balls, clean-bowled by Starc (2-44) for five.

And when Zak Crawley was caught behind trying to cover-drive a length ball off Marsh on 44, England were 3-93 and the game appeared in the balance.

The hosts threatened to take control again before Joe Root was caught down the leg side trying to pull Cummins soon before lunch, to make it 4-131.

Root never truly looked himself in his 21, wafting at a wide ball outside off stump from Starc on the first delivery he faced and later edging Scott Boland in front of the slips.

But still, Brook has ensured the game is England’s to lose with 98 more runs needed to win.

The right-hander has cover-driven beautifully in his unbeaten 40 and has taken a particular liking to Boland when the Victorian pitched too full.

He also has Stokes beside him on seven, the man who famously hit England to a one-wicket win over Australia at the same ground four years ago.

That victory kept England in the 2019 Ashes, and a win here will do likewise as the hosts attempt to reduce their series deficit to 2-1 with two Tests to play.

Notably, skipper Cummins only turned to 22-year-old offspinner Todd Murphy for the last over before lunch, with Australia playing their first Test without Nathan Lyon since 2013.

Also of note is that Cameron Green has spent time on the field as a sub fielder and was bowling in today’s warm-up, after he was ruled out of the Test with a minor hamstring injury.

Australian officials hope to have the allrounder available for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, which will likely create a selection headache after Marsh’s first-innings century at Headingley.