Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley survive for 27-0 at stumps after England’s bowlers rip through Australia

England’s late entrants to this year’s Ashes combined on a shortened third day to create the prospect of another Headingley robbery being completed today – and Australia’s lead cut to 2-1 in the process.

Play was postponed to 4.45pm but when the wet weather finally gave way it provided a perfect window for England to push through and recalled bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood responded with a couple of crucial strokes apiece.

It extended England’s comeback in this game from a position on Friday when they trailed by 121 runs with just three first innings to spare, and the prospect of another epic final four years after the Ben Stokes-inspired chase of 359 that marked the 2019 series lives.

These terrains have a habit of delivering engaging successful chases and they’re not limited to just Ashes matches. Last year, England cruised to 296 for three to beat New Zealand.

Typical of this most unpredictable series, Travis Head then launched a ferocious counter-attack to temporarily silence another rowdy crowd, stealing four wicket momentum for 39 runs in bounds-laden stands with Australian tailmen Todd Murphy and Scott. Boland to set England a target of 251 when a more modest number appeared on the cards.

Travis Head was caught to end the Australian innings after scoring 77 runs for the visitors

Ben Stokes and his England side took the initiative after play resumed on day three in Leeds

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Things threatened to get worse during that period of rushed activity, but the cold-blooded Stuart Broad returned to pin Murphy lbw, making him the leading wicket-taker in the series in the process, then claimed Head as his 16th victim as the Australian left-hander ended up missing a short ball after nailing Wood’s sixes in the previous over two.

And in a game England must win to maintain hopes of regaining the urn, openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley cut 27 runs off the required spotlessly as the sun came out from behind the clouds.

There is a school of thought among Australians that despite the current score of Ashes, it is England that has had all the atmospheric benefits of this series.

That’s not entirely true – the passage of the game at Edgbaston, when England lost two new-ball wickets under the floodlight, halting their momentum after securing a narrow lead in the first innings, was a major factor in Australia going to a two wicket win climbed.

But yesterday’s gloom-ridden delayed resumption with Australia on 116 for four, 142 runs ahead, is undoubtedly part of a pattern.

First, winning the coin toss gave England swing king Jimmy Anderson and others a chance to take advantage of the pitch’s heavy cloud cover and artificial lighting on opening morning at Lord’s.

Then, after redeploying here in Leeds, idyllic batting conditions invited England to bask in the blazing sun throughout the second day.

Both chances were rejected, the latter when they lost home heroes Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in the opening hour and the hosts became dependent on Ben Stokes to get them within 26 runs in the first innings.

Zak Crawley (left) and Ben Duckett (right) survived the late Australian attack to finish 27-0

Stuart Broad has bowled more pitches than anyone else in the three Ashes games

The storm clouds that hung over Headingley yesterday morning – it’s hard to recall a time in recent memory when they didn’t – broke up at an opportune time, giving England’s attacking attack some much-needed rest.

Understandably, Wood’s pace was slower on the second day after being asked to return to bowling just two sessions after dismissing Australia for 263, but here he was almost exclusively back above 90mph.

At 37, Broad has bowled more bowls than anyone else in the three games and with Ollie Robinson suffering from a back spasm, the prospect of a hard whip with the recalled Woakes lay ahead yesterday.

No doubt grateful for the reprieve, they were not forced into action until well into the evening session and were greeted by perfect bowling conditions – lingering humidity and floodlights on.

It was not long before Woakes struck and secured his best match figures in a home Ashes Test in the third over of the day, shortly after five o’clock, when Centurion Mitchell Marsh became his fifth victim from the first innings.

Again looking ominous, Marsh hailed Stuart Broad’s introduction from the end of Kirkstall Lane after an 11-minute delay for a shower with a booming on-drive for four and then forced Woakes through offside for another boundary.

But Woakes pressed on and forced a foul on the next ball when Marsh popped the ball wide off the bowler at catchable height and then followed it up with a ball exploiting an uneven bounce into the Headingley surface.

Marsh tried to keep his hands clear of a rising pitch, but ultimately failed when the ball hit his glove on its way to wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow.

Australia’s Alex Carey arrived for just five boos after falling for the inspired Woakes

And the boos for Alex Carey were still in the air when another exit attempt resulted in a drag and an upgrade for Woakes to his best performance against Australia in Tests anywhere.

Wood then got into the act, adding to his five-wicket collection from the first innings: Mitchell Starc shoved a short ball behind the legside square and Pat Cummins tested the technology by watching a thick edge to Bairstow.

Questionable tactics against Head were the only downside to a session that completely dominated England.

Woakes, playing his first Test since Stokes became captain, let the ball talk from a full length, but he and the rest of the attack ignored that whenever the southpaw Head hit and instead hit him halfway down the pitch.

Reluctant at first, he later hit his crossed strokes with more power and precision than even Stokes had managed in an 80 innings on day two, keeping England’s hopes alive.

And they won’t lack confidence, with Stokes’ record here and four 250 run chases last summer fresh in their minds.

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