The Ashes - England vs Australia - 3rd Test Preview & Prediction
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THE FACTS
When is England vs Australia taking place? Thursday, July 6th-10th, 2023 – 11:00 (UK)
Where is England vs Australia taking place? England vs Australia will take place at Headingley, Leeds
What channel is England vs Australia on? England vs Australia will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK
Where can I stream England vs Australia? Sky Sports subscribers in the UK can stream England vs Australia live on Sky Go.
LAST MEETING
Australia beat England by 43 runs
THE LOWDOWN
ENGLAND
Despite having united English cricket fans with their brand of play, Ben Stokes’ side find themselves 0-2 down in the series and one defeat away from losing the Ashes at home for the first time since 2001. Passages of poor cricket cost England dearly in the second Test at Lord’s, such as bowling badly after winning the toss and putting Australia in to bat under grey skies. They also had a mad hour with the bat late on Day 2 when they threw away a number of wickets attempting to pull and hook the short ball when dominating the Australian bowlers. Lastly, Jonny Bairstow found himself ‘stumped’ on Day 5 during England’s run chase of 371 after leaving his crease before the ball was called dead, allowing wicket-keeper Alex Carey to throw down the stumps. It was a controversial dismissal that many understandably saw as against the ‘Spirit of Cricket’, but no one can deny that it was a huge act of carelessness by Bairstow that left England with too much to do.
Ben Stokes did everything he could to rescue England and at one stage looked like he was going to surpass the miracle of Headingley 2019, with Stuart Broad as his supporting act this time! However, Stokes finally succumbed for 155 and the tail followed soon after, England falling short by 43 runs. After being bounced out by Australia in their first innings, England came out and adopted the same tactic against their opponents, which worked extremely well although it wasn’t an entertaining watch for the spectator. You’d expect Stokes and his bowlers to seriously consider the same tactic in this third Test, when considering Australia’s struggles against it.
AUSTRALIA
Australia are now one Test win away for making history and cementing their red ball legacy. Two tense victories has put them in full control of this series and whilst a draw would be enough for the tourists to retain the Ashes, Pat Cummins’ men won’t want to let the opportunity slip of becoming the first Australian Test side to beat England away from home since 2001. They deserve to be in this position, having batted extremely well under the pressure, the top order in particular having shone across both Tests, opener Usman Khawaja laying the foundations before the likes of Steve Smith take control from there. From a bowling perspective, Mitchell Starc fully justified his inclusion over Scott Boland with a devastating spell with the new ball early in England’s second innings, ripping the heart out of their top order by dismissing Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. Captain Cummins was also in the wickets, getting rid of Joe Root and Harry Brook to leave England with a mountain to climb. Whilst Ben Stokes gave them a huge fright, Australia held their nerve and managed to get him out just in time as the victory target dwindled further down. The tail didn’t pose much resistance thereafter against the battery of Aussie quicks and the win was secured by a margin of 43 runs.
A special tribute must be paid to Nathan Lyon. Competing in his 100th consecutive Test match, Australia’s star spinner tore a calf whilst fielding, forcing him off the pitch and unable to bowl for the rest of the match. However, that didn’t stop him from hobbling out to the middle with the bat when Australia were nine wickets down in their second innings. Playing through obvious pain and virtually on one leg, Lyon helped add 15 precious runs for the final wicket with Mitchell Starc, four of those runs being his! It was a testament to Lyon’s fighting spirit and dedication to the Australian cause, a truly great moment in Ashes history.
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
A shoulder injury sustained in the field has ruled batter Ollie Pope out of the third Test and England are expected to make a number of changes. Both Josh Tongue and Jimmy Anderson are expected to come out of the side to be replaced by bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, the latter also adding depth to the batting. Wood’s searing pace should prove extremely dangerous for Australia, whilst Moeen Ali should be included after missing the second Test, the spin-bowler having recovered from a heavily blistered finger.
Harry Brook is likely to be moved up to number three, his batting position at Yorkshire, although this would mean no place for Essex’s Dan Lawrence despite having been part of the squad as the spare batter throughout the series so far.
AUSTRALIA
It was no surprise to anyone when announced that Nathan Lyon’s torn calf will rule him out of the rest of the Ashes, which means backup spin-bowler Todd Murphy will step into the breach for the tourists. Murphy made his Test debut in India earlier this year and hugely impressed, but Ashes cricket is a different kettle of fish and this will prove a huge trial by fire for the Victorian. Australia’s pace bowlers are reliant on a spinner to hold up an end and Murphy will no doubt be targeted by the England batters, so his performance could be pivotal as to the outcome of this third Test.
In terms of the quick bowlers, the big question is whether Scott Boland comes back into the team at the expense of either Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood. Starc didn’t play at Edgbaston, whilst Hazlewood has now played two Tests in a row and could be in line for a rest here. But after such an important victory, Cummins may want to stick with the same quick bowling unit when considering that Boland was expensive in the first Test.
THE PREDICTION
The biggest worry from an England perspective going into this third Test is the weather forecast, which suggests that rain could adversely affect proceedings on Days 3 and 5 as it stands. However, that won’t stop the hosts pushing for a result, especially with three consecutive victories needed to regain the Ashes. They’ve come close on two occasions but fallen short against Australia, but without Nathan Lyon, the tourists should be weaker on the bowling front at Headingley. England worked out a way to dismiss the Australian batters for little runs with their barrage of short balls at Lord’s, although it came too late for them to save the Test. A similar tactic here with Mark Wood in the side may well reap the rewards and finally see England put themselves firmly on top in a Test. This has been an enthralling series so far and you can’t help but think that another twist is to come, rather than Australia settling it here and now. Therefore, consider backing England via the draw no bet market.
TIP: ENGLAND DRAW NO BET
