3rd Test: Bowlers shine as England chase 251 for Ashes comeback | Cricket News – Times of India

In the 5 overs that England batted towards the end of the day, openers Ben Duckett (18*) and Zak Crawley (9*) took the score to 27 for no loss as the hosts needed another 224 runs to make a comeback into the series.
Earlier, rain at Headingley prevented play from starting for nearly five hours, well after tea, and England used conditions ripe for seam and swing to reduce Australia from 116-4 overnight to 170-8 in 14 overs.
Head was merely trying to survive while wickets fell around him. But with Australia eight down and leading by only 196 runs, and Todd Murphy walking out to bat in his fifth Test, Head, on 34, decided to launch a fightback for as many runs as possible.
But, first, he had to wait while Murphy hit two boundaries off Englands fastest bowler, Mark Wood, with a cover drive and gloved one down the leg side.
Head smoked two boundaries off Chris Woakes in an over and England spread the field, with nobody in the ring against Australia’s last recognized batter.
Trying to protect Murphy, Head crashed two more boundaries in an over off Wood and reached his 22nd half-century.
He pulled Woakes for a six over midwicket, then Murphy was out leg before to Stuart Broad with 11 valuable runs in a stand of 41 for the ninth wicket.
Head slammed Wood for consecutive sixes — over deep square and fine leg — and rushed Australias lead to 250.
And that was it. He was out for 77 when he skied one off Stuart Broad.
Australia was all out for 224 after adding 108 runs in 20.1 overs. Head had 59 of them.
When Australia lost its eighth wicket, Head was on 34 from 82 balls. He added 43 off the next 30 balls.
Broad and Woakes took three wickets each and Wood got Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
Woakes, who added the wickets of Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey on Saturday, became the 16th bowler to take 100 test wickets in England, and the 15th Englishman. The only one with a better average than Woakes was Shane Warne, who averaged 21.9.
(With inputs from AP)