Ashes 2019: Late England wickets give Australia control of fourth Test

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From Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Old Trafford
England face a massive battle to conserve the Ashes after Australia took three late wickets on the third evening of the fourth Test.
Josh Hazlewood eliminated Joe Root Rory Burns and Jason Roy to leave the house side 200-5 297 behind Australia’s 497-8 declared.
When Burns and Root were adding 141 England were making continuous progress.
But Hazlewood backed a great to have Burns fencing to second slide for 81, subsequently trapped Root lbw to get 71.
When Roy stump has been eliminated, England had lost three wickets for 30 runs.
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow were collectively when bad light stopped play with England likely needing to bat for much of Saturday and likely Sunday so as to avoid defeat.
Ashes holders assured of keeping the urn and Australia will be 2-1 up to play, Should they fail.
England are unlikely to have the rain that postponed play before 13:30 BST on Friday’s advantage – the weather forecast is clear for the weekend.
Faced with such a complete, England arrived knowing any sort of slump in their innings will send the urn down beneath.
For so long, Root and Burns were defiant in the face of a hostile bowling particularly from Hazlewood and Cummins. Burns was peppered from the short ball, while Root came via a young evaluation.
They had been given assistance – following his fumble at the end of England’s thrilling third-Test win at Headingley, while Lyon arrived for taunting each run was mythical.
Australia had to battle with the states that confronted England’s bowlers for much of the initial two weeks – not only the placid pitch, but also the wind.
That the batsmen were tested by them with regularity would be to their charge, and also the tourists deserved the late success of Hazlewood.
It transferred them a step closer to retaining the Ashes, but England could yet take the competition to The Oval in case the remainder will replicate the battling qualities of Burns and Root.
There were a few signs of frustration as it seemed like their efforts could be wasted creeping into to the tourists.
During an electrical spell from Cummins both sides of java, Root edged between slip David Warner and protagonist Tim Paine on 54 and, at the next over, Australia wasted a review against exactly the identical man on a wishful lbw appeal.
His replacement Hazlewood was incisive whereas Cummins was luckless.
He got you to go then the left-hander edged at slide to Steve Smith and followed got one to scuttle that the pinned Root didn’t bother to critique.
The sequence had moved down after opening at the first three Tests and was in no position to play with one that nipped back, pushing onto the walk along with his toes and with his hands. It left Hazlewood with 4-48, having removed nightwatchman Craig Overton from the second on the afternoon.
This was the momentum of Australia, it seems likely they would have done more damage had the mild not shut .
England were under pressure when Root joined Burns from 23-1 with Overton and immediately adding only two to his overnight three.
The speed bowler was repelled by burns, Root needed his box broken by a blow from Mitchell Starc and engaged in a battle of wits.
Runs were gathered when Starc was wayward and Lyon dropped short, as they warmed to the task.
Root and burns scored square of the wicket on each side. Root followed his half-century in the next innings while Burns has almost 100 runs over most of the other openers from the series combined.
Even though Burns‘ dismissal triggered the downturn, England have been transferred from where they should find the 98 longer runs that they will need to avoid the follow-on.
By the close of the day, there have been a few symptoms of the ball starting to keep low, including a further complication to their job of batting order to save the match.
England opener Rory Burns on BBC Test Match Special:“It’s not ideal, losing those wickets, but how we fought through the afternoon, we’re in a decent position.
„Test cricket is Test cricket and it was hard at times. I discovered a way and that’s most likely my batting’s technique.
„It is about partnerships, today. We are in a fight and it’s very clear what we will need to perform come tomorrow.“
Former England captain Michael Vaughan:“This is Australia’s match to lose. England need to bat to the afternoon session bat, beyond lunch and they are taking overs from the game that they’ll need to bat on Sunday when they could access 350. It will be the great escape.“
„This Pat Cummins spell was likely the finest of this show and the fact is, Rory Burns lived that spell. That should give a massive quantity of confidence to him. Each and every person that loves Test cricket could admire what Cummins produced for his group today.“
Australia bowler Pat Cummins:“The ball started to zip about and that I felt in the game. It was not to be for me personally. This makes me happy when Josh comes on and takes wickets at the other end straight away. He did say,’I owe you for this‘.
„We’re pretty happy being 300 ahead. It was a difficult day of Test cricket. To find those three wickets overdue, we believe really at the game.“
Eccentric, Australian batsman Steve Smith and curious is a cricketer that is special, states BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.
England shouldn’t be written off but Steve Smith created day 2 of the fourth Evaluation feel like torture, writes Stephan Shemilt.
Why was Ben Stokes‘ Test at Headingley the England win of time?
Analysis and view by the BBC’s cricket correspondent.

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Ashes 2019: Late England wickets give Australia control of fourth Test