Cummins, Stokes lead from the front on Day 2

The see-saw nature of the third Ashes Test continued on day two at Headingley as the pendulum swung both ways to leave the game evenly poised at stumps. Pat Cummins lit up the morning with a sensational five-fer to leave England reeling at 167 for 8 before another superhuman effort from Ben Stokes dragged the hosts to 237, cutting Australia’s lead to just 26. Australia grew that advantage to 142 by the end of play but lost four wickets along the way to put the match on a knife edge ahead of day three.

Australia enjoyed a terrific start to day two as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow departed in the opening half-hour. Root poked Pat Cummins to Warner at first slip off the second ball of the morning, while Bairstow chased a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc, sending a thick edge to Steve Smith at second slip.

The hosts briefly recovered from 87 for 5, with Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes adding 44, but the off-spinner fell for 21 after top-edging Cummins to deep square leg. Mitchell Starc removed Chris Woakes with another bouncer before Lunch but Mark Wood temporarily cheered the Headingley crowd by smashing three sixes.

Cummins ended Wood’s entertaining cameo to register his first five-wicket haul on English shores and added a sixth soon after by removing Stuart Broad. England were in danger of conceding a healthy lead to the visitors as Cummins and Starc’s short-ball ploy rattled the lower order, but Ben Stokes performed his second rescue act in a week for the hosts to reduce Australia’s advantage.

The skipper took the attack to the Australian bowlers, crunching five sixes in an entertaining innings of 80 from 108 balls. Stokes eventually perished looking to clear the ropes for the sixth time against Todd Murphy, holing out to Steve Smith at long-on.

Stokes’ phenomenal effort cut Australia’s lead to just 26 runs, and Stuart Broad added to England’s delight by dismissing David Warner for the 17^th time in Tests in the third over. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne saw off the tricky new ball period and put Australia into the ascendency after Tea, taking advantage of a depleted England bowling line-up missing Ollie Robinson due to a back spasm.

However, just as Australia got the upper hand, England struck back. Labuschagne wasted another excellent opportunity, slog-sweeping Moeen Ali to deep mid-wicket for 33 before Steve Smith suffered another low score in his 100th Test, tamely chipping Moeen to Ben Duckett in the ring. The hosts managed one more breakthrough before the end of the day, as Chris Woakes found Usman Khawja’s outside edge on 43 to leave the match in the balance at stumps with Australia four wickets down and leading by 142.