Ashes 2023 Fourth Test: England on top, Australia 162 runs behind at stumps on the third day, 4 wickets fell

Revenge was good for Jonny Bairstow despite falling one run short of his century as England bundled out Australia for 592 to take a solid 275-run innings lead on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday.

In reply, Australia were 39–1 at tea in their second innings, trailing England by 236 runs and rain was expected at Old Trafford. Australian opener Usman Khawaja handed Bairstow his fourth catch of the match after scoring 18 runs against fast bowler Mark Wood. David Warner remained unbeaten on 17 and Marnus Labushen scored 4 runs. (Ashes 2023: Jack Crawley chooses talent over consistency after century on second day of fourth Test, watch)

England resumed on Friday at 384-4 and continued to dominate till the end of the innings as Bairstow and James Anderson shared a 66-run stand for the 10th wicket.
Anderson got only five runs from them and was dismissed leg before wicket by Cameron Green, leaving wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow on 99 not out off 81 balls. Australia’s Steve Waugh was the only Ashes batsman to score 99 not out at Perth in 1995.

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Bairstow, whose spot was in jeopardy ahead of this Test due to poor gloves work and failing to fire most of the time with the bat, hit 10 fours and four sixes in a single over against Pat Cummins, including two sixes. Australia’s captain was criticized by England for perceived ‘unsporting’. Bairstow’s behavior after being controversially stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the second Test at Lord’s.

England went into lunch at 506–8 with a lead of 189 runs, needing a Test win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes. The hosts knew they needed to score quick runs as Saturday’s game could be washed out.

Cummins (1-129) took his first wicket in the morning, bowling his counterpart Ben Stokes (51), leaving England at 437-5 and a lead of 120. The off-balance Stokes got a thin inside edge to end another crucial innings after scoring 155 and 80 at Lord’s and Headingley respectively.

Australia delayed taking the new ball for 10 overs, balancing England’s threat of increasing the run rate against getting more wickets.

Mitchell Starc (2-137), who was briefly sidelined after suffering a freak injury to his left shoulder on Thursday, took the new ball in the 91st over. The run rate dropped immediately with only one run from Starc. Josh Hazlewood conceded just two runs in the next over, including the wicket of rising star Harry Brook, who was caught by Starc at the boundary for 61. England’s lead was 157.

Starc then scored 12 runs in the 93rd over, before Hazlewood was caught by Chris Woakes for a golden duck in the 94th over.

Australia trail by 162 runs at stumps on the third day at 113/4.