What happened the last time England hosted Australia for an Ashes Test at Headingley?
After a highly dramatic second Test at Lord's, England and Australia are set to lock horns for the third Ashes Test. The upcoming fixture is scheduled to be hosted at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds from July 6 to 10.
With Australia already leading the series by 2-0, they will look to win the Headingley Test and seal the prestigious five-match series. They won the opening Test in Birmingham in a nail-biting contest before scripting an emphatic triumph in the recently concluded Lord's Test match.
Australia is in full control and displaying their dominance in the series. 🇦🇺💪
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Despite Ben Stokes' phenomenal heroic innings of 155 in the fourth innings, Australia bundled the hosts out for 327 and won the game by 43 runs.
Steve Smith was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 144 runs in the Test, including a terrific 110-run knock in the first innings.
Headingley, one of the great centres of cricket in England, will again have the honor of hosting a Test from this iconic rivalry. It did so on Australia's last Ashes tour to England also, in 2019.
What the 2019 Ashes contest witnessed was a spectacle for the ages. And, it featured the same man at the center of attention who mesmerized everyone in the recently-concluded second Test at Lord's.
A month after his heroics at the finals of the ICC World Cup 2019, the world witnessed Ben Stokes deliver another unforgettable moment. He led England to a marvellous win against Australia at Headingley in that amazing game.
That Test, third of the five-match series, saw Australia score 179 runs in the first innings. The ball moved quite a lot as Jofra Archer claimed his career-best figures 6/45. It's worth remembering that Steve Smith, who had been Bradman-esque in that series, missed this game due to being hit on the head by Archer in the second Test.
In reply, the Aussie pacers did a remarkable job and skittled the hosts out for a paltry score of 67. Joe Denly top-scored with a meagre 12, while Josh Hazlewood took a brilliant fifer.
After taking a 112-run first-innings lead, the visitors added another 246 runs in their second innings, and gave England a difficult target of 359 runs. While 50s from Joe Root and Denly kept the scoreboard ticking, England lost way too many wickets in clusters.
From being at 245/4, the hosts were staring down the barrel at 286/9. Stokes was the only remaining recognized batter left and all hopes of England were pinned on him.
2019 Headingley Test - England chasing 362 runs, they were 141/3 & Stokes scored 135*(219).
2023 Lord's Test - England chasing 371 runs, England were 45/4 & Stokes scored 155(214). https://t.co/3E34JMI8ak
Alongside Jack Leach, he counter-punched amazingly. He made just two runs off his first 60 balls when he was batting with the top order. But then, with no support left at the other end, he went bonkers.
Stokes hooked, pulled, and even swept the Aussie bowlers with utter disdain. The southpaw smashed 11 fours and as many as eight lusty maximums in his memorable knock. Stitching up an unbeaten 76-run partnership for the last wicket, in which Leach contributed one run, Stokes led his team to one of the most incredible turnarounds in Test cricket.
Completing an unbeaten knock of 135, the left-hander hit the winning runs by hammering one away to the covers before roaring in jubilation.