A Test that began amid clouds of acrimony ended with players and families from both sides of the Ashes divide on the outfield in blissful sunshine. Gone was all talk of Lord’s, the Long Room and that stumping of Jonny Bairstow a week earlier, the combatants happy to share the space and bask in the afterglow of a thriller.
England were the side to emerge victorious on the day, ensuring Australia’s position of strength had taken a haircut in Leeds and this Ashes series remains alive. Ben Stokes and his players now sit 2-1 down going into the fourth Test at Old Trafford next week, their pursuit of 251 for a three-wicket win in exactly 50 overs – as per Stuart Broad’s morning prediction – the latest entry into Headingley folklore.
It wasn’t until 3.38pm that the sell-out crowd in this rollercoaster series could finally exhale, Chris Woakes offering shades of his captain here four years ago when he crashed the ball through the covers to seal the deal. It was fitting, too, that Mark Wood should be at the other end when he did so, two universally popular cricketers having injected life into a listing Ashes campaign when England needed them most.
Mitchell Starc was the bowler who suffered this coup de grâce from Woakes but was slightly undeserving of it on the day. The left-armer had bounded in with heart, skill and no shortage of menace to peg back England’s chase throughout, his 14th five‑wicket haul secured when, despite a slight mix-up with Pat Cummins over the catch, he snuffed out Harry Brook for 75. It left the hosts seven down, 21 short of their target.
What followed frayed English nerves further, Australia straining every sinew to secure a first series win in this country since 2001 and Woakes and Wood seeing balls drop safely into gaps at times. But through Wood’s latest salvo – 16 not out from eight balls, after that momentum‑shifting 24 from eight on day two – and an unbeaten 32 from Woakes, the inherent sunny optimism of these late arrivals ultimately prevailed.
Brook had played an impressive hand before this alliance, looking every bit the cricketer who dazzled for England during his first winter and passing 1,000 Test runs along the way. Gone were the baseball swipes witnessed at Lord’s, the Yorkshireman delighting his home audience with nine crisp fours and the calm defence required. After Bairstow’s rotten match was ended bowled by Starc for five, Brook put on 59 with Woakes.
Interestingly, in the context of England’s XI for the must-win Test next week, this came in Brook’s preferred position at No 5, having arrived at 93 for three in the morning, 158 runs required. Moeen Ali had emerged at No 3 – a role that can perhaps now be dubbed the Mohawk – after approaching the head coach, Brendon McCullum, the night before and saying: “I want to take the Aussies on in this run chase.”
The promotion didn’t pay off by way of runs, Moeen arriving after the loss of Ben Duckett lbw to Starc for 23 first thing, and then his hearing leg stump detonated by an inswinger from the left-armer for five. But it was still singled out for praise by Stokes after his 12th win in charge, the captain describing it as the embodiment of the “selfless cricketers” he had called for when taking on the job last year.
Stokes was already pleased with Moeen regardless, it must be said, with the all‑rounder’s removals of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the space of nine balls on the second day described as pivotal to the win. This was what Stokes saw in Moeen when charming him out of retirement at the start of last month; gamechanging interventions over consistencyand, as such, a box his fellow all-rounder ticked.
Along with his own hell-raising 80 in England’s first innings – a fearsome knock that clawed England back into the contest – Stokes could be pretty pleased with himself selection-wise. As well as Moeen’s return, the introduction of Woakes and Wood as part of a five‑man attack gave him options with the ball and ensured the loss of Ollie Robinson to back spasms on day one was not terminal for his team’s hopes.
Woakes delivered typical understated consistency with the ball. His six-wicket match included some notable pelts, a 100th on home soil, and broke things open on day three after the rain. But Wood was perhaps the greatest difference after the defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s, his scorching speeds – including a high of 96.5mph – and late swing delivering seven of the 20 wickets and bombarding Australia’s lower order.
This physical threat will continue for the tourists in Manchester provided Wood recovers well after the nine-day break. The chief question is whether Josh Tongue or Jimmy Anderson replaces Robinson. That said, England will have some thinking to do over Brook and the batting order. There is also Ben Foakes lurking in the wings amid Bairstow’s continuing struggles with the gloves.
Australia have a different selection headache to ponder, Mitch Marsh having continued the theme of a Test match in which the good guys shone with that electric century on day one. The all-rounder also chipped in with a couple of precious wickets, not least on the fourth morning when a seemingly fluent 44 from Zak Crawley was ended caught behind. Marsh waited four years for this chance and took it with aplomb.
But then Cameron Green, Australia’s giant wunderkind, is likely to be fit again and Todd Murphy will be needed for Old Trafford, even if he was largely overlooked during a final day in which Nathan Lyon would have been central. There have even been suggestions of Marsh opening, replacing David Warner after his latest double failure against Broad, but that would be some switch given their current lead.
Cummins curtly reminded reporters of the scoreline during the post‑match press conference when asked if a momentum shift had occurred. Either way, England finally have a genuine win to speak of – not just a moral one – and their belief is restored.
