England’s Mark Wood skittles Australia but tourists fire back in third Test
over 2 years in The guardian
Third Test, day one: Australia 263; England 68 for threeWood hits 96.5mph on his way to figures of five for 34 This was a heady opening day at Headingley; a petrol-strength cocktail of fast bowling and fast scoring in an increasingly raucous atmosphere that saw 13 wickets fall and two late entrants into the series – Mark Wood and Mitchell Marsh – shine brightly.Wood first, who missed England’s defeats in the first two Tests due to that rebellious body and looked keen to make up for lost time. He hit a top speed of 96.5mph on the speed gun but, more crucially for the fate of this third instalment, claimed five for 34 as Australia, inserted at the toss by Stokes, were bowled out for 263 in 60.4 overs.The tourists slightly squandered a superb fightback from Marsh who, four years on from his last Test outing in the 2019 Ashes, had crashed a run-a-ball 118 during a one-sided afternoon. Dropped by Joe Root at slip on five, Marsh etched his name into Headingley’s all-rounder folklore with 17 fours and four particularly meaty sixes. Continue reading...