[Watch] Harry Brook completes a spectacular diving catch amidst confusion to dismiss Mitchell Starc on Day 3 of the 3rd Ashes Test
England fielder Harry Brook pulled off a sensational diving catch from short leg despite a mix-up with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to dismiss Mitchell Starc on Day 3 of the third Test at Headingley.
Having lost the first two sessions due to inclement weather, the hosts made immediate amends upon resumption of the final session.
With the visitors resuming on 116/4, Chris Woakes dismissed first-innings centurion Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Alex Carey to reduce Australia to 139/6. Coming at No. 8, Mitchell Starc played a useful cameo of 16 off 19 deliveries in a 29-run partnership with Travis Head before being dismissed by Mark Wood.
The tall left-hander tried to lift a short-of-length delivery on the body, leading Brook, who was fielding at short leg, to run back, stop momentarily due to the confusion with Bairstow, and yet pull off a diving catch.
Here is a video of the spectacular catch from Brook:
Never in doubt 😉
#EnglandCricket | #Ashes https://t.co/8FapL3CV4u
The hosts utilized the cloudy conditions exceedingly well, picking up four Australian wickets for only 54 runs upon resumption. However, a vital ninth-wicket partnership of 41 between Travis Head and Todd Murphy took Australia's lead past 200.
Eventually, they were bowled out for 224, setting up a mouthwatering fourth innings chase of 251 for England to stay alive in the series and restore hopes of regaining the Ashes.
Travis Head top-scored for the visitors with a blistering 77, including valuable runs with the tail, to lead Australia to a competitive total. For England, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes picked up three wickets each, while first-innings hero Mark Wood and off-spinner Moen Ali chipped in with two wickets apiece.
"Think 250 is very doable" - Michael Vaughan on England's potential run chase in the 3rd Test
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believed the hosts would fancy themselves in a run chase close to 250 ahead of Day 3 of the third Test.
Vaughan also felt a target of even 300 could be possible thanks to the presence of Ben Stokes, who famously pulled off a run chase of 362 with an unbeaten 135 four years ago at the same venue.
Speaking to Cricbuzz at the close of play on Day 2, Vaughan said:
"Think 250 is very doable, maybe even 300 because of Ben Stokes. But have to always have in mind that when England chased that target in 2019, we saw the greatest Test innings potentially of all time and the chase at Lord's England got to within 43 because of possibly the second greatest knock of all time."
However, the former Ashes-winning captain cautioned that the English batters against complacency even if they restrict Australia to a lead in the range of 250, considering the Aussie attack and the variable nature of the pitch.
"So you kind of put that in the equation and say 250 won't be easy. Against this Australian attack on a pitch with the odd ball keeping low, there's certainly some movement out there," added Vaughan.
Ben Stokes nearly helped England pull off another miraculous run chase in the second Test at Lord's. The talismanic all-rounder smashed a breathtaking 155 in England's run chase of 371 before being dismissed only a few runs short of the target. The hosts lost the game by 43 runs to go down 0-2 in the best-of-five series.
The 32-year-old played another blinder in the first innings of the ongoing Test, scoring a counter-attacking 80 to keep England within touching distance of Australia's first-innings total.