Australia must chase down 281 to win the primary Ashes Take a look at after Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon stood as much as dismiss England for 273 proper on tea on day 4 at Edgbaston.
On one other enthralling day of Ashes cricket, England went out all weapons blazing from the opening after Joe Root tried, however failed, to reverse-scoop the primary ball from Cummins.
However Australia’s bowlers have been ready to reply to an early barrage, with Lyon bagging 4-80 and Cummins 4-63 to offer the vacationers what they may consider is an attainable goal.
The determine wanted is only one run beneath the goal Australia fell three in need of within the well-known 2005 Take a look at.
After rain washed away greater than half of Sunday, additional moist climate is forecast for the morning of day 5 earlier than clearer skies are tipped for Tuesday afternoon.
It means all outcomes are nonetheless very a lot in play headed into the ultimate innings of the match.
Resuming at 2-28 and with Australia barely on the entrance foot, Root nearly survived Cummins’ first ball which simply missed the highest of off stump however then scooped Scott Boland for six and 4 within the subsequent over.
It was clear at that time England have been eying off a day-four declaration, whereas giving themselves sufficient time to bowl Australia out within the fourth innings.
Lyon had different concepts.
With Root on 46, England’s major man charged down the wicket on the spinner, who dragged it down, cramped the right-hander for room, and allowed Alex Carey to whip off the bails.
It was the primary time Root had been stumped in his Take a look at profession, as Carey took his third of the sport.
Lyon then eliminated Harry Brook on the identical rating briefly earlier than lunch, when he had the counter-attacking Englishman caught low and athletically at mid-wicket for 46 by Marnus Labuschagne.
Enjoying in his 99th straight Take a look at, Lyon claimed figures of 4-149 within the first innings and was at all times going to play an enormous position for Australia within the second.
His subsequent wicket was essential, ending a 46-run partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes that loomed as England’s final hope of posting an imposing goal.
He trapped Bairstow in entrance reverse-sweeping on 20, earlier than Cummins angled one in at Stokes on 43 and had his opposing captain lbw when ball-tracking confirmed it clipping the highest of leg stump.
England’s tail nonetheless managed to wag, as Australia adopted short-pitched strategy and Ollie Robinson (27), Stuart Broad (10no) and James Anderson (12) added a beneficial 44 for the ultimate two wickets earlier than Lyon and Cummins completed the job.
Cummins had earlier produced a contender for ball of the sequence with an in-swinging yorker to bowl Ollie Pope, after additionally having Ben Duckett’s wicket on day three.