Ashes 2023: Harry Brook's heroics lead England to thrilling victory over Australia, keeping series hopes alive
Harry Brook takes England to a sensational victory at the Headingley Leeds in the 3rd Ashes Test and reignites series hopes
FollowIn a high-stakes battle on the final day of the 3rd Ashes Test, Harry Brook emerged as the hero for England, guiding them to a thrilling victory over Australia and reigniting their hopes in the series. In a breathtaking display of skill and determination, England pulled off a stunning victory against Australia on the fourth day of the Test match. England started the day requiring 224 runs to win, while Australia needed 10 wickets to seal the game. What followed was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams fighting tooth and nail to gain the upper hand.
The day began with England's openers, Duckett and Crawley, looking steady at the crease. However, their progress was halted when the fiery Mitchell Starc removed Duckett on 23. The dismissal was not without controversy as Duckett decided to review the decision, only to waste the review as the ball was shown to have clipped the top of the stumps.
Starc struck again, this time dismissing Moeen Ali for just 5 runs as the ball uprooted his leg stump. England found themselves at 81/2 at the drinks break, with Crawley looking solid on 40 and Root on 7.
Unfortunately for England, Marsh got the better of Crawley for the second time in the Test match, as the opener edged one to the keeper on 44. However, Root and debutant Brook provided some respite for England, taking the team past the 100-run mark in the 23rd over.
Just when it seemed like England was building a solid partnership, Cummins dismissed Root for 21, leaving England with a crucial wicket just 15 minutes before lunch. This marked the 11th time Root had fallen victim to Cummins in Test matches. At lunch, England was 153/4, with Brook on 40 and Stokes on 7.
The start of the second session brought another blow for England, as Starc claimed his third wicket by removing Stokes immediately after lunch with a strangle down the leg side. Bairstow, too, failed to make an impact as he dragged one onto the stumps off Starc's bowling.
Amidst the fall of wickets, Brook displayed remarkable resilience, bringing up his fifth Test fifty off just 67 balls. Together with Woakes, he managed to take England past the 200-run mark and bring down the target to under 50.
At the second drinks break, England was 214/6, with Brook still standing strong on 64 and Root providing support with 21. The pair of Brook and Woakes continued to battle, bringing up their fifty partnership off just 62 balls, injecting hope into the English camp.
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However, Starc had other plans, claiming his fifth wicket by dismissing the well-set Brook for 75. With three wickets in hand, England still had work to do to chase down the target.
But Chris Woakes and Mark Wood remained unbeaten, displaying nerves of steel as they guided England to a sensational victory. Woakes contributed a vital 32 runs, while Wood provided crucial support with 16 runs. In the end, England sealed the win with three wickets in hand, finishing at 254/7 in 50 overs.
Mitchell Starc was the standout performer for Australia, taking an impressive five-wicket haul for 78 runs. His fiery spells troubled the English batsmen throughout the match and kept Australia in the hunt.
The victory for England not only levelled the series but also breathed new life into their campaign. It was a testament to the team's resilience and determination to fight till the end. The players exhibited tremendous skill and composure under pressure, making this Test match a memorable one for cricket fans around the world.
As the series moves forward, Australia is ahead by 2-1 and will look to seal the series in the Old Trafford Test while England will put their best foot forward to make it 2-2.
