England to play Australia Prime Minister’s XI in pink-ball match

An England XI will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day pink-ball match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on November 29 and 30, slotted between the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth and the day-night clash at the Gabba.

The match, traditionally a one-day fixture, was upgraded to a multi-day format in 2022-23 and will now serve as a key preparatory outing for England’s red-ball specialists.

This year’s fixture gives the touring side a valuable opportunity to get accustomed to the pink ball under match conditions before the second Test in Brisbane.

While the match doesn’t overlap with the Sheffield Shield, it remains the only fixture England will play outside the five-Test Ashes series once it begins.

Earlier, they’ll have a three-day internal game against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth, although it’s expected to be more of a centre-wicket practice session than a competitive fixture.

Last season’s PM’s XI match against India was reduced to a one-dayer due to rain, but it still proved significant.

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Young batter Sam Konstas made headlines with a century that propelled him into national reckoning, later earning a call-up for the Boxing Day Test.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the historical value of the fixture.

“An Ashes series is something every cricket fan looks forward to,” he said. “Like many Australians, I grew up admiring, and begrudging, the brilliance of players like Ian Botham, David Gower, and Graham Gooch.”

He added that he’s looking forward to finalising a competitive PM’s XI squad to challenge a strong English side.

“I look forward to meeting with the selectors to finalise a PM’s XI squad that showcases the best available talent from across Australia to take on the strong English team,” he added.

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Champions Trophy: Josh Inglis’ 77-ball ton helps Australia chase down England’s 352

LAHORE: Josh Inglis’s blazing century pipped Ben Duckett’s 165 as Australia overpowered England in the fourth match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Australia chased down the mammoth total of 352 runs in 47.3 overs on losing five wickets.

The star of the match, Inglis, smoked six sixes and eight fours in his 86 balls 120* knock to reach the highest ODI chase in men’s ICC events.

Chasing a big total in the Champions Trophy opener for both teams, Matthew Short and Travis Head opened the innings for Australia.

The fast bowlers of England started well by removing dangerous batter Travis Head (6) and captain Steve Smith (5) in the third and fourth over, respectively. The duo of speedsters Jofra Archer and Mark Wood dismissed both.

After early inroads from England, the duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Short added 95 runs for the third wicket, which drove the Australia chase. Marnus (47) fell prey to Adil Rashid’s spin bowling in the 19th over, three runs short of his half-century when the team was cruising along on the score of 122 runs.

He hit five fours in his brisk knock while Short continued his stroke play and brought up his third ODI fifty, laced with nine fours and one six.

Soon after, he was caught and bowled by Liam Livingstone with a score of 63, opening the door for England.

Australia was 136 for 4 in 22.2 overs when the duo of Alex Carey (69) and Josh Inglis (120*) took charge of the chase. Both batters put on a stand of 146 runs off 116 balls to help Australia chase a formidable total.

Carey departed in the 41st over; entertaining innings included eight fours. With 70 runs required from 48 balls, the stage was set for Glenn Maxwell (32*) to play in his style. Conversely, Inglis continued his onslaught and brought up his blazing century on 77 balls.

The duo added a quick-fire stand of 74 runs on 36 balls to take Australia home in a record run chase. Maxwell hit two sixes and four elegant fours to secure a comfortable victory.

Adil Rashid was the pick of bowlers for England, taking one for 47 in his ten overs, while Liam Livingstone and Brydon Carse took one wicket each.

Josh Inglis was named as the Player of the Match for his knock.

After being put into the bat first, England scored 351 after losing eight wickets in their 50 overs.

Phil Salt and Ben Duckett opened the innings for England. Australia’s new-look bowling attack laid an early blow, removing Salt (10), who was caught off Ben Dwarshuis’s bowling, courtesy of Alex Carey’s stunning catch at mid-on.

Returning from an injury, young batter Jamie Smith (15) showed promise with do with three beautiful fours but couldn’t convert his start. England were 43 for 2 in 5.2 overs when the experienced batter Joe Root joined opener Duckett.

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The duo steadied the England innings and added 158 runs for the third wicket, taking the team out of trouble. Duckett and Root scored half-centuries. Root (68) was dismissed after scoring his 41st fifty. His composed innings included featured four beautiful boundaries.

After Root’s departure in the 30th over, England were well-placed at 201 for 3, setting the stage for an explosive finish with Harry Brook arriving at the crease.

However, in his debut ICC event, Ben Duckett was on full song with his brilliant stroke way. He reached his fourth ODI century in style with two consecutive boundaries in the 31st over, drawing applause from the packed Lahore crowd.

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Australia sensed a comeback against England after Brook’s (3) early departure, who was again caught by Carey’s blinder. But it was Ben Duckett who toiled Australian bowlers. He added a 61-run stand with captain Jos Butler (21) to take England near 300.

His innings, laced with three sixes and 17 elegant fours, ended in the 47th over. Following his ouster, Jofra Archa smashed 21 off 10 balls, hitting one six and two fours, helping England pass the 350 mark in the last over.

Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, taking three wickets in his ten overs. Marnus Labuschagne and Adam Zampa contributed as well, bagging two wickets each.

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Perth to host opening Test of Ashes after 42 years in 2025-26 series

Perth will stage the first Test in the 2025-26 Ashes, it was announced Wednesday, ending Brisbane’s almost 40-year run of hosting the opener of the Australia-England series.

England’s bid to win back the historic Ashes urn will begin at Perth Stadium on November 21, 2025, with the second day-night Test to be played at Brisbane’s Gabba, Cricket Australia said.

A pre-Christmas Test will be in Adelaide, before the traditional Boxing Day encounter in Melbourne and the New Year match in Sydney.

It will be the first time an Ashes Test, has been staged at the new Perth venue which replaced the old WACA ground, last used in 2017.

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Perth Stadium will become the eighth Australian venue to stage an Ashes Test in a rivalry that dates back to 1882.

Meanwhile, this will be the first time since 1982 that the opening Ashes Test will be played in the city of Perth.

The Gabba in Brisbane, which has hosted the first Test of every Ashes series in Australia since 1986, will have its floodlights turned on for the second Test starting on December 4.

CA executive general manager of events and operations, Joel Morrison, said the schedule had been released early after being “inundated” by vast numbers of travelling supporters wanting to book travel and accommodation.

Match schedule for the Ashes 2025-26

First Test, Perth: November 21-25, 2025

Second Test, Brisbane (day/night): December 4-8

Third Test, Adelaide: December 17-21

Fourth Test, Melbourne: December 26-30

Fifth Test, Sydney: January 4-8, 2026

READ: England pacer rejoins squad in Multan during second Pakistan Test

Travis Head stars as Australia beat England to seal ODI series win

BRISTOL: Travis Head starred with both bat and ball as Australia beat England by 49 runs in a rain-marred fifth ODI to complete a 3-2 series win here on Sunday.

Australia made a blistering start to their chase of 310, with openers Matthew Short (58) and Head (31) sharing a stand of 78 in slightly more than seven overs.

And when rain stopped play, Australia were 165-2 off 20.4 overs — well ahead of the target required under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

Steve Smith, leading Australia in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh, was 36 not out before the umpires called the game off at 6:00 pm local time (1700 GMT).

Australia’s opening batters Short and Head punished a wayward England attack featuring Olly Stone, in for the rested Jofra Archer. But Brydon Carse struck with his first ball when he had Travis Head caught at cover.

Matthew Potts, who had already dismissed Australia’s Smith twice in the series, almost had the star batter given out lbw for 10 but a review indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.

Short went to fifty when he pulled Carse for his fourth six in just 23 balls. But he was out when caught behind driving at Potts.

England then missed an opportunity when they didn’t appeal after Josh Inglis, on two, got a thin edge off Carse to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

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Earlier, Steve Smith won the toss only for Phil Salt to launch England’s innings with a quickfire 45 that featured consecutive sixes off Aaron Hardie.

But Hardie had his revenge when Salt’s drive over point was caught by Marnus Labuschagne before he bowled Will Jacks for a duck with an excellent off-cutter.

Harry Brook came in having struck a match-winning ODI century at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday that helped reduce England’s deficit to 2-1 before his 87 laid the foundation for a colossal 186-run success at Lord’s on Friday.

Duckett, who made 63 at Lord’s, completed a 45-ball fifty before Brook reached the landmark in just 39 balls when he drove Hardie over long-on for six.

Brook then struck leg-spinner Adam Zampa for successive sixes at the start of the 25th over. But Zampa, holding his nerve, deceived Brook four balls later with a slower, flighted delivery the batsman miscued low to Glenn Maxwell at long-off.

Brook’s exit sparked an England slump but Duckett, out for 95 in the series opener at Trent Bridge, completed his second career ODI hundred in 86 balls including 13 fours and a six.

The left-hander’s first England century in all formats this season, after several close calls in both Tests and ODIs, ended soon afterwards when he holed out off Head.

England were set for a huge total at one point with the scoreboard reading 202-2, however, they lost their last eight wickets for 107 runs to be dismissed for 309, with part-time spinner Head taking his career-best ODI figures of 4-28.

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Mitchell Marsh adamant Australia have ‘moved on’ from Lord’s row

Australia will return to Lord’s on Friday for the first time since last year’s Ashes row, with captain Mitchell Marsh confident a controversial incident involving wicketkeeper Alex Carey is firmly in the past.

Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow, when the England batsman walked out of his ground thinking the ball was dead, led to angry exchanges between the teams.

And there were also ugly scenes in the Lord’s Pavilion too as spectators clashed with Australian players.

Carey’s form fell away in the final three Tests of what became a drawn series but the 33-year-old has been a thorn in England’s side during the ongoing ODI campaign, making a match-winning 74 at Headingley on Saturday and an unbeaten 77 in defeat at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

Victory at Lord’s would mean 50-over world champions Australia take an unassailable 3-1 lead in a five-match series, with Marsh adamant the tourists have drawn a line under last year’s flare-up.

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“We’ve really moved on from that,” the skipper told a pre-match press conference on Thursday. “These things happen in Ashes Test matches, there’s not a series that goes by that doesn’t have some sort of drama.”

“Alex loves playing in England, we all do. The fans are always incredible and it’s always a tough challenge playing against England. I think he’s just rapt to be back here, playing for Australia.”

Mitchell Marsh was asked if last year’s incident had given Carey additional motivation, he replied: “I don’t think that’s in his character.”

Such has been Carey’s form with bat and gloves, he could well keep his place for the fourth ODI even though World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is now fit again after injury.

Australia are likely to be at full strength following a tour beset by illness, which ruled out leg-spinner Adam Zampa at Durham in a match where in-form opener Travis Head was rested following soreness.

Both key players are set to return at Lord’s, with Marsh saying: “It would be massive (to have them back). We obviously know the last couple of years they’ve both had and just what they bring to our team from an experience point of view.”

READ: Mitchell Marsh on Rishabh Pant: “I wish he was Australian”

Teenage quick on standby as Australia announce squad for England ODIs

Mahli Beardman, a 19-year-old paceman with just six overs in senior professional cricket behind him, has been put on standby as Australia unveiled squad for this month’s one-day international series away to England.

Beardman was named player of the match after taking 3-15 in just seven overs as Australia thrashed India by 79 runs in February’s Under-19 World Cup final in South Africa.

But he has played just one List A (limited-overs) game for Western Australia, finishing with figures of 1-42 against New South Wales in the Marsh Cup last November.

Mahli Beardman will now join the Australia squad in Nottingham as the 50-over world champions prepare for the first of a five-game ODI series against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

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Australia have already seen injuries blight their pace attack during the T20 leg of their tour, with Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith and Xavier Bartlett all affected, and they are also wary of adding too much to the workload of senior fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

Left-armer Ben Dwarshuis, who has already played for Durham and Northern Superchargers in English domestic cricket this season, and Cooper Connolly, who had been due to leave after the drawn T20 series with England, have also been added to Australia’s ODI squad.

Australia Squad for England ODIs: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

READ: Aliya’s fifty goes in vain as South Africa edge Pakistan in first T20I

MCG to host one-off Australia-England match to celebrate 150 years of Test cricket

Australia will host arch-rivals England in a one-off match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2027 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket.

The birth of Test cricket took place at the same location in March 1877, with Australia and England facing off in an epic battle. The hosts emerged victorious by a 45-run margin.

A century later, in 1977, these two cricketing nations came together once again for the Centenary Test, commemorating 100 years of their historic rivalry.

Australia once again triumphed, mirroring their earlier feat by winning with a 45-run margin. These two matches remain iconic moments in the history of Test cricket.

“The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world’s great sporting arenas and we can’t wait to host England on that occasion,” said CA CEO Nick Hockley.

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Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) also announced the hosting rights for men’s international Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and other matches for the upcoming seven years, ranging from 2024-25 to 2030-31.

The iconic Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney have been guaranteed until the 2030-31 season.

Additionally, Adelaide is set to host a pre-Christmas Test for the next seven years, a result of South Australia’s successful bid for the New Year’s Test.

“We are enormously grateful for the strong support of state and territory governments and venue operators who will help us to deliver brilliant experiences across the country and maximise economic impact from these major events,” Hockley stated.

“We are delighted to confirm long-term hosting rights which provide certainty around the locations of some fantastic cricket over the next seven years.

“We are confident this schedule ensures the best cricket will be played in the best venues at the right times across the country, including a fantastic mix of iconic Test matches, new blockbusters such as the West Test and Christmas Test and exciting day-night fixtures.”

READ: South Africa surpass Pakistan in WTC standings with series win over West Indies

Dominant Australia thump holders England in T20 World Cup

BARBADOS: A combined batting and bowling effort led Australia to a thumping 36-run victory over England in the 17th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 here at Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Set to chase 202, England could only manage 165/6 in the allotted 20 overs despite a strong start.

England had a flying start to the run chase as openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt dominated the Australian bowlers in the early phase of the innings.

The opening pair took England to 73 in seven overs but Adam Zampa dismissed Salt on the first delivery of the eighth over to provide Australia a much-needed breakthrough.

Salt scored 37 off 23 deliveries with the help of four fours and two sixes.

Buttler then put on a brief partnership with Will Jacks (10) before both perished in quick succession, bringing the total down to 96/3 in 10.5 overs.

Jos Buttler remained the top-scorer for England with 28-ball 42 which included five fours and two sixes.

The back-to-back dismissals halted the flow of runs for the defending champions as the fourth-wicket partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali yielded just 28 runs in 20 deliveries.

Bairstow scored seven off 13 deliveries while Moeen scored a 15-ball 25 before falling victim to Pat Cummins in the 16th over.

With England requiring 74 off 26 deliveries, Liam Livingstone (12) joined Harry Brook in the middle and the duo could add 24 runs amid their sixth-wicket partnership which lasted with the former’s dismissal in the penultimate over.

England then needed 50 off the final over which Marcus Stoinis comfortably defended to guide Australia to a thumping victory.

For Australia, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa claimed two wickets each while Stoinis and Josh Hazlewood made one scalp each.

Put into bat first, the former champions registered a formidable total on the board, courtesy of a flying start provided by their openers Travis Head and David Warner.

Head and Warner smashed the England bowlers from the word go and went on to record a blistering 70-run partnership, which ended on the last delivery of the fifth over when Moeen Ali cleaned up the latter.

Warner struck two fours and four sixes on his way to a 16-ball 39 and top-scored for Australia.

His opening partner Head soon followed him as he fell victim to Jofra Archer in the next over. He scored a quickfire 34 off 18 balls, laced up with two fours and three sixes.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh then partnered with Glenn Maxwell and carried on the momentum.

The pair added 65 runs for the third wicket at a brisk rate before both perished in quick succession, bringing Australia’s total down to 141/4 in 14.2 overs.

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Marsh scored a 25-ball 35 with the help of four boundaries including two sixes while Maxwell scored an anchoring 28 off 25.

In-form Marcus Stonis then took the reigns of Australia’s batting charge and stitched brief partnerships with Tim David (11) and Matthew Wade before walking back to the dugout in the final over.

Stoinis made a vital contribution with a quick 30 off 17 balls, hitting two fours and as many sixes.

Wicketkeeper batter Matthew Wade, however, carried his bat all the way through and returned unbeaten on 17 off 10 deliveries.

Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers for England, picking up two wickets, while Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Moeen and Archer struck out a batter apiece.

For the unversed, Australia are second in Group B of the T20 World Cup 2024 with two points after one game while defending champions England are placed fourth with one point, owing to a wash-out against Scotland.

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Zak Crawley blasts ton as England seize control of fourth Ashes Test

Zak Crawley’s super-charged 189 fuelled a dramatic England run spree on the second day of the must-win fourth Test at Old Trafford as Australia wilted in the face of an Ashes onslaught.

England were 384-4 at stumps on Thursday in reply to the tourists’ first-innings 317, a lead of 67 runs.

The home team, 2-1 down with two matches to play in the five-game series, must win in Manchester to maintain their hopes of regaining the Ashes.

Zak Crawley and Joe Root, who scored 84, shared a breathtaking partnership of 206 runs in just 29 overs.

That stand came after Crawley and Moeen Ali (54) had put on 121 for the second wicket.

At the close, Harry Brook was 14 not out with England captain Ben Stokes 24 not out.

Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have continually backed the inconsistent Crawley since joining forces last year. The Kent opener has become a standard-bearer for England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style.

“I rode my luck at times but hit some good shots along the way,” Crawley told Sky Sports.

“I do doubt myself at times but I have to say ‘keep being me’. That is the way I play.”

The batter, celebrating his first Ashes century, added: “They (Stokes and McCullum) tell me to go out and have an impact. Sometimes I am going to have streaks of low scores but thankfully today it came off.”

There was little hint of the flood of runs to come as England reached lunch on 61-1 off 16 overs following the early loss of Ben Duckett.

Yet at tea England were 239-2, having smashed 178 runs in just 25 overs during the second session.

Crawley himself became just the sixth England batsman to score a hundred runs in a session of an Ashes Test as he advanced from 26 to 132.

“We had some clear plans to him (Crawley) but he was too good for us on a wicket like that today,” said Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori.

“That period when he and Root got together, it was almost all-out attack,” the former New Zealand spinner added.

Zak Crawley extended his fourth hundred in 38 Tests past 150 with two superb straight-driven boundaries off successive deliveries from Australia captain Pat Cummins.

But, in sight of a second Test double century, and with Cummins running out of ideas, Crawley chopped on to all-rounder Cameron Green.

It was the end of a remarkable innings in which the 25-year-old Crawley scored at better than a run-a-ball, facing 182 deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.

England’s 336-3 became 351-4 when Root was bowled for 84 by a Josh Hazlewood ball that kept exceptionally low.

By contrast, Stokes was then hit on the helmet by a Hazlewood delivery that reared off a length.

Australia’s woes were compounded when Starc, who led their attack with 2-74 from 15 overs, left the field after landing heavily on his left shoulder making a diving stop.

Moeen, in red-ball retirement until the start of this series, earlier became just the fourth England player to complete the Test ‘double’ of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets.

He was caught for 54 by a diving Usman Khawaja from a fierce pull off Starc.

Travis Head’s part-time off-breaks yielded an expensive 0-48 in six overs. Australia had dropped Todd Murphy — the first time in 11 years they had no specialist spinner in a Test side.

In the morning, Australia were bowled out after resuming on 299-8, with none of their batsmen making more than the 51 achieved by both Marnus Labuschagne and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

Chris Woakes wrapped up the innings to finish with 5-62 — his first five-wicket Ashes haul.

READ: Virat Kohli on brink of 76th ton as India on top in second West Indies Test

England keep Ashes hopes alive with thrilling third Test win

England kept their Ashes hopes alive on Sunday as Harry Brook made an impressive 75 before the recalled duo of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood completed a thrilling three-wicket win over Australia in the third Test at Headingley.

The hosts’ victory reduced Australia’s lead in the Ashes to 2-1 with two Tests to play.

England were struggling at 171-6 — still needing 80 more runs to reach a target of 251 — after Mitchell Starc had removed skipper Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow in quick succession after lunch on the fourth day of the third Ashes Test.

It was then that Brook was joined by Woakes, playing his first Test since March last year.

But with Australia eyeing a win that would have given them the first Ashes series success in England in 22 years, Brook and Woakes shared a stand of 59 that took the hosts to the brink of victory.

The situation was as much a test of Brook’s sometimes fallible temperament as his undeniable talent. But it was one the 24-year-old, in just his 10th Test, passed for the most part on his Yorkshire home ground.

There was, however, a further twist when Brook fell for 75, skying Starc (5-78) to Australia captain Pat Cummins, who nearly collided with the bowler as he took the catch at mid-off.

England still required 21 to win but fast bowler Wood, fresh from his quickfire 24 in the first innings, got the target down to 12 when he hooked Cummins for six.

Player-of-the-match Wood, who took 5-34 in Australia’s first innings, then carved Starc for four in the manner of a top-order batsman.

Woakes then blazed Starc through point for the winning boundary to finish on 32 not out, with Wood unbeaten on 16.

“It is absolutely too soon for all-rounder status!” Wood joked. “I’m happy down at number nine. I think that is too high and any higher I’m definitely getting a nose bleed.”

England now have a chance to become just the second team to win a Test series from 2-0 down after the 1936/37 Australia side, inspired by batting great Don Bradman, that won an Ashes 3-2.

“No hesitation,” said Stokes when asked if England can win the series. “It’s nice to get over the line in this one and keep our hopes alive.”

Cummins, reflecting on where the game had gone against Australia, said: “Day one we lost six for 20-odd, yesterday the sun was out and we probably missed an opportunity as well. Just a couple of key moments.”

But the fast bowler insisted world Test champions Australia would have time to regroup ahead of the fourth match at Old Trafford starting on July 19.

“We’ll take a few days off and go and recharge the batteries,” said Cummins.

England resumed on 27-0 after Australia were dismissed for 224 in their second innings on a rain-marred third day.

After a promising stand of 42 from the England openers, Starc had Ben Duckett lbw for 23.

England then sent in Moeen Ali after Brook had made just three runs at number three during their first-innings 237.

Moeen, however, was bowled for five trying to drive a 90 mph Starc delivery that flattened the left-hander’s leg stump.

Zak Crawley made a confident 44 only to fall in familiar fashion when, having driven Mitchell Marsh for four through cover point, he was caught behind next ball on the drive.

Yorkshire favourite Joe Root was then dismissed for 21 shortly before lunch when he gloved Cummins to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Stokes had revived England’s first innings with an 80 that rekindled memories of his stunning 135 not out in a remarkable one-wicket Test win against Australia at Headingley four years ago.

But his exit for only 13 left England 161-5 and that became 171-6 when Bairstow played on to Starc.

New batsman Woakes had, however, previously rescued England from a dire position in a run chase with a stunning 84 not out as they recovered from 117-5 to reach a target of 277 in a three-wicket win over Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2020.

And he gave Brook excellent support before crunching the winning runs himself.

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