"When you have avoided whitewash successfully" - Top 10 funny memes after England beat Australia in a thriller at Headingley
England beat Australia by three wickets in the third Test of Ashes 2023 on Sunday, July 9, at Headingley, Leeds. Courtesy of the victory, the hosts managed to keep their series hopes alive, with Australia still leading by a 2-1 margin.
The English team began the day with an overnight score of 27/0. Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc dismissed Ben Duckett (23) and Moeen Ali (5) early to give Australia a decent start. Zak Crawley (44) and Joe Root (21) scored briskly for a while before departing to the pavilion one after the other. England went into the Lunch break needing 98 runs, with six wickets in the bank.
Mitchell Starc scalped the crucial wickets of Ben Stokes (13) and Jonny Bairstow (5) early in the second session to dent England's surge. Harry Brook (75) mixed caution with aggression and played a wonderful knock to help his side cross the finish line.
Chris Woakes (32*) gave him company in the lower order and scored some vital runs. Mark Wood (16* in eight balls) played a cameo after Brook's dismissal to finish the match on a high.
The action that transpired on the fourth day of the third Ashes Test entertained cricket fans across the world. They expressed their reactions to the game by sharing hilarious memes on Instagram and Twitter.
Here are some of the best memes:
2-1 #Ashes23 😅 https://t.co/4uwi8PllxT
Mark Wood at the crease in this test: https://t.co/hz94XoK1As
This Mark Wood performance after benching Anderson https://t.co/TTxCGVrlyi
It's nice to get over the line and keep the hopes alive: Ben Stokes after England beat Australia in the 3rd Ashes Test
Speaking at the post-match presentation, English captain Ben Stokes was relieved as they ended up on the winning side this time after losing two close matches. He also applauded Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who hit a magnificent counter-attacking century on Day 1 to save Australia from a difficult situation.
Reflecting on the win, Stokes said:
"Another down-to-the-wire game. It's nice to get over the line and keep the hopes alive. You have to give credit to Mitchell Marsh the way he played. But, with a quick outfield like this, you can put up runs. Woakes with the ball did well. We want people coming to impact and make an impact. Moeen Ali also did well."
He reserved special praise for Chris Woakes and Mark Wood for their performances in the Test, saying:
"To be honest, I did not even look at the fact that Woakes was out of red ball for such a long time. He is Mr. Consistent. Having him in the game to bat at No. 8 is helpful. Mark Wood is unbelievable. You have someone in your side that can bowl at 95 mph is helpful. If he is not picking wickets from one end, he can do so from the other end with the pressure he generates."
The fourth Test in Manchester between Australia and England will commence on July 19.