Reside
Mitch Marsh has celebrated his Check return with a thunderous century at Headingley, earlier than taking a late wicket to go away the third Ashes match within the stability after day one.
Known as in for his first Check for the reason that 2019 Ashes after Cameron Inexperienced pulled up sore from Lord’s, Marsh hit a-run-a-ball 118 in Australia’s 263 earlier than England had been 3-68 at stumps.
Pat Cummins additionally took two early wickets for Australia, the place all 13 wickets fell to quicks and England’s Mark Wooden took 5-34 whereas bowling at speeds of as much as 155km/h.
Despatched in to bat, Australia had been in early hassle at 4-85 of their innings earlier than Marsh made an announcement together with his 102-ball century.
The West Australian set the tone when he cover-drove Stuart Broad (2-58) to get off the mark and later pulled Wooden for six.
Marsh hit 21 boundaries in his knock, driving with unbelievable energy, pulling three sixes excessive over the legside and belting one other one down the bottom.
Such was the 31-year-old’s strike energy, the normally free-flowing Head was made to look gradual look extremely gradual together with his 39 from 74 balls.
Marsh went to 99 by whacking Moeen Ali again down the bottom for six, and scurried by means of for a fast single off the following ball to go to achieve his third Check century.
“There are at all times occasions whenever you spend a variety of time away from the sport the place you assume that you just won’t get again to Check stage,” Marsh stated.
“It’s taken a variety of laborious work.
“I selected to have ankle surgical procedure and miss final summer season to get on this tour,
figuring out that I used to be going to be Greeny’s understudy. Actually proud to have the ability to get again on this group.
“I really feel part of the squad although I haven’t performed a variety of Check cricket over the past couple of years. I really feel very a lot a part of it.
“It’s a credit score to the management. That’s why we’ve had a variety of guys are available in and contribute at totally different occasions and sure guys play unbelievably nicely.”
The allrounder’s century will instantly pile strain on selectors to maintain him within the group, with Inexperienced anticipated to be match overcome a minor hamstring pressure for the following Check at Previous Trafford.
Marsh and Head’s 155-run partnership would even have been of nice frustration for the hosts, who had probabilities to take away Head on 9 and Marsh on 12.
However as has been the issue for all of them sequence, they had been unable to carry onto the regulation probabilities with Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root the culprits this time.
Marsh was lastly taken when he inside-edged a ball from Chris Woakes (3-73) onto his thigh pad that was caught at second slip, sparking a collapse of 6-23.
Wooden was the chief destroyer, taking 4-4 in 14 balls to scrub up the tail after earlier clean-bowling Usman Khawaja.
However once more England missed the possibility to capitalise, when Cummins had
Ben Duckett out attempting to chop a ball near his physique and likewise nicked Harry Brook off.
Marsh then capped his day by claiming Zak Crawley’s edge on 33, earlier than Root (19) and Bairstow (1) acquired by means of to the shut not out for England.
“The sport is fairly evenly poised, one or two wickets tomorrow and we’re proper in it,” Marsh stated.
The hosts should win this Check to remain within the Ashes.
A draw for Australia will retain the urn and a victory safe their first sequence success in England since 2001.
— AAP