Player of the Match
Player of the Match

2.58pm: Now then. Who's ready to show some ticker? Australia need 205 to win, by a good distance the highest score in the match. Barring a wicketless hour up to lunch - which England reached on 59 for 1 - this Test has been one for the Wacky Racers. England lost 9 for 105 in the afternoon session, in the middle of which came a potentially crucial stand of 50 off 35 balls between Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse. How important will those runs turn out to be? Are we in for more twists and turns this evening? Australia, by the way, are going to have to find a replacement opener again, with Usman Khawaja off the field. Gnasher will be back in 15 with more

34.4
W
Boland to Atkinson, OUT, hooned down the throat of fine leg! Atkinson doesn't get enough on one last attempt at some tailend tonking, and duly sprints off to strap on his bowling boots. Another extraordinary England knock - this one lasting just 34.4 overs - comes to an end, and at tea on the second day, we have a fourth-innings chase on our hands!

AAP Atkinson c Doggett b Boland 37 (62m 32b 2x4 2x6) SR: 115.62

"Petition to compensate people with day 4 and 5 tickets with Double Cheese burgers." Seems a reasonable request to me, Bilal Ahmed Qur

34.3
0
Boland to Atkinson, no run, length ball, 131kph/81mph in the corridor outside off. Misses with a backing-away swing of the bat
34.2
0
Boland to Atkinson, no run, length ball, hoicked aerially down the ground, lands short of Head at long-off. But Atkinson wants to keep the strike
34.1
0
Boland to Atkinson, no run, good length in the channel, prodded watchfully into the point region

Boland is back on for Starc, field spread. Atkinson is England's top-scorer for the innings

"Pitch easing, ball softened or skilled bazball?" Your guess is as good as mine, Ollie!

END OF OVER:
34 | 10 Runs 2 Wkts | ENG: 164/9

  • Mark Wood4 (1b)
  • Gus Atkinson37 (28b)
  • Brendan Doggett9-0-51-3
  • Mitchell Starc12-1-55-3

Liz: "The Aussies would be better opening with Head. He's opens in the short form, and then Marnie can bat at his preferred number 3"

33.6
4
Doggett to Wood, FOUR, smashed through midwicket first ball! Wood goes back in the crease, waiting for the short one, and pounds it away wide of mid-on

Out walks Mark Wood

33.5
W
Doggett to Archer, OUT, flubbed to midwicket, well held by Smith! The short-ball tactic paying out (eventually) for Australia. Archer didn't get hold of it at all, but it nearly fell into no-man's land. Needed a stretching, backpedalling take from Smith, but he does the job

JC Archer c Smith b Doggett 5 (1m 3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 166.66

33.4
4
Doggett to Archer, FOUR, carved to the cover boundary! England's lead touches 200. Short and wide and Archer flexes his guns with a smear for four over the off side
33.3
1
Doggett to Atkinson, 1 run, dug in and pulled confidently through backward square leg

My colleague, Alex Malcolm, reports: "Lyon back on. Still no Khawaja. May not open again if Australia can knock the last two over."

Australia 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st75TM HeadJ Weatherald
2nd117TM HeadM Labuschagne
3rd13SPD SmithM Labuschagne