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- England Level the five match series 2-2 in a thrilling contest which almost looked lost.
- Australia took a 12 run lead after the first innings; England overcame the deficit and set a mammoth target of 384.
- Chasing the huge target, Australia were cruising at 3 for 264 at one stage. However they lost 4 wickets in the space of 11 runs, setting up England to a famous Ashes win.
Ashes England Player Ratings
Contents
Chris Woakes 10/10 : Named player of the match, the all-rounder turned the tide of the test with his 7 wickets across the two innings. His run-a-ball 36 in the first innings also helped England post a decent score, which ended up being vital in the context of the game. He was also named Player of the Series alongside Starc, a valuable feather in his cap.
Joe Root 9/10 : An attacking 91 in the second innings with the bat and two vital wickets in the first innings with the ball, Joe Root stepped up in England’s hour of need. Especially within the context of Moeen Ali’s absence in the first innings, his bowling exploits became crucial.
Moeen Ali 8/10 : A vital 64 runs across two innings and 3 wickets to trigger the Aussie collapse, Moeen turned the game when it almost looked out of English hands.
Harry Brook 8/10 : With wickets suddenly tumbling, Brook’s belligerent 85 was the mainstay of the fighting first innings total England put on.
Jonny Bairstow 8/10 : Six catches, some of them absolute stunners, and an aggressive 78 in the second innings to pile up the runs, the English keeper made yet another telling contribution.
Ben Duckett 7/10 : The opener got two starts and tamed the threat of the new ball well. Although he failed to go big, his work allowed the middle order to go about their business.
Zack Crawley 7/10 : A characteristic all guns blazing 73 which set the tone for the big second innings score, Crawley’s contribution was crucial.
Mark Wood 7/10 : A priceless 29 runs in the first innings was massive in the context of the game. Although he got only three wickets, his fiery spells kept the Aussies on the back foot.
Stuart Broad 6/10 : A fairy-tale ending with a wicket in his final delivery in test cricket. Chipped in with 4 wickets and contributed to yet another test victory for his country.
Ben Stokes 5/10: Great captaincy and a steady knock of 42 in the second innings batting at no.3. He was short of the lofty standard he set for himself however.
James Anderson 4/10: No significant contribution throughout the match. Took just one wicket and didn’t look threatening. Had a series to forget overall.
Ashes Australia Player Ratings:
Mitchell Starc 9/10 : 8 wickets and some fiery spells which changed the momentum of the game, the Aussie quick tried his best. Although he was a touch expensive, Australia would be looking at the barrel of a huge first innings total if not for his devastating spell. Shared the Player of the series trophy with Chris Woakes, a fitting end to a successful summer for him.
Steven Smith 9/10 : Twin half centuries in the test, Smith will have regrets that he couldn’t make it big and finish the job for his Australia. But he stood his ground and gave his team the platform, it is disappointing that others couldn’t finish the job.
Usman Khawaja 8/10 : 119 runs in the test match, he provided the stability needed to chase down a big score in the fourth innings. However, a quizzical approach in the first innings may have cost Australia valuable first innings runs.
Todd Murphy 8/10 : Six wickets with the ball and 52 vital runs as a tail-ender, Murphy toiled hard to the best of his ability. Although he doesn’t have Nathan Lyon’s skill or experience, Murphy gave it his all.
David Warner 7/10 : A solid 60 runs in the fourth innings while handling arch nemesis Broad. He got Australia in a strong position to chase down the mammoth target in the fourth innings.
Pat Cummins 6/10 : His crucial contribution came with the bat, when he got Australia to a first innings lead with a gritty 36. But failed to put in a significant performance with the ball.
Travis Head 5/10 : Was looking ominous in the chase but threw it away. His wicket started the collapse and Australia never recovered.
Josh Hazlewood 5/10 : Just three wickets with the ball and provided no penetration. In a supposedly favourable condition he failed to capitalize.
Marnus Labuschagne 4/10 : Failed to significantly trouble the scorers in either innings. Looked flustered against the pace of Mark Wood.
Mitchell Marsh 4/10 : Was anonymous with both bat and ball; amassing only 22 runs and not getting any wickets with the ball.
Alex Carey 3/10 : Couldn’t contribute with the bat when he was needed the most in either innings. However, his villain moment came when he dropped Brook on 5 in the first innings. Brook went on to score 85, an ultimately vital innings in the test.
Australia vs England Ashes Match 3 Summary and Highlights
England Put on a fighting 283 in the first innings on the back of Brook’s blistering 85 runs. Starc took 4 wickets to thwart a much bigger score.
Australia took a 12 run lead, on the back of Smith’s 71 runs and Cummins’s lower order contribution. However a Zack crawley assault, 91 runs from Root and 78 from Bairstow meant England posted a mammoth Target of 384.
Australia were set to chase it down with a big start provided by the openers, who both scored half-centuries. But ultimately collapsed in a spell where they lost 4 wickets in the span of 11 runs.
Player of The Match: Chris Woakes
For his brilliant all rounding performance Chris Woakes bagged man of the Match. His 36 with a strike rate of 100 helped England put up a decent first innings score. Then he took it up by a notch to take 7 wickets in two wickets to break the backbone of the Aussie Batting Line-up.
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