The Ashes 2023 LIVE: England vs Australia score and latest updates as tourists bowled out for 224

England claimed three crucial wickets in the evening session of the second day, including Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to leave the game poised ahead of the third day of the third Ashes Test There are some storms forecast, that if they hit Headingley could cause problems for both sides and hold up the game, although a result is still likely even with limited play on Saturday, but Australia cricket will start on 116 for four with a lead of 142. England’s problems rest in their bowling attack, bolstered by the addition of an extra seamer, they were dealt a blow when Ollie Robinson, who has bowled well throughout the series, went off on the first day with a back spasm. He has not bowled in the second innings so far and appeared in discomfort while he was batting, and Ben Stokes is also not expected to be fit enough to bowl. Australia’s hopes rest on England mistakes, after four drops on the opening day, and the fact that Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh will start the day at the crease. Follow all the live action below from Headingley as England face Australia: England vs Australia – third Ashes Test, day three Australia start the day 116 for four Rain delays mean no play before lunch Play resumed at 4.45pm After one over the rain came back and there was another delay Wicket! Mitchell Marsh out for 28, Australia 131 for 5 Wicket! Alex Carey out for 5, Australia 139 for 6 Wicket! Starc out for 16, Australia 168 for 7 Wicket! Cummins out for 1, Australia 170-8 50! Head scores a half century Wicket! Murphy out lbw for 11, Australia 211 for 9 Wicket! Head out for 77, Australia all out for 224 England 8-0, Crawley 7, Duckett 1, Cummins 0-8 (1) trail by 243 19:10 , Sonia Twigg Zak Crawley got off the mark straight away with a single into the leg side off Cummins. Duckett plays one defensively before hitting his first runs from the second ball with a flick down to fine leg. A Crawley drive through midwicket for two, then a four the next ball in the same area of the ground has got England off to a good start in their run chase. England moved on to a total of eight runs from the first over. It is worth a quick reminder that the cut-off time today is 7.30pm. Wicket! Head out for 77, Australia all out for 224 18:57 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Travis Head goes! England have bowled Australia out for 224. He hasn’t quite got hold of one and it has flown high but close enough to Ben Duckett at deep midwicket and he caught it safely to bring an end to the Australian innings. When England come out to bat, they need 250 to win. Australia 224-8, Head 77, Boland 0 Wood 2-66 (17) lead by 250 18:55 , Sonia Twigg Wood starts a sixth successive over, and Head has used the extra pace to find the long boundary into the stands for a six. Head has hit another successive six, this really feels like Stokes’ first innings now, if even a top-edge has flown 10 rows back. Head moves on to 76 not out, and the next delivery was plinked towards the fielder, but far short. The Australian batter has seen out the over and kept the strike away from Boland. Wicket! Murphy is out for 11, Australia 211 for 9, Broad 2-45 (14) lead by 237 18:48 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Murphy is trapped lbw by Stuart Broad Broad and England wheeled away celebrating the lbw and the finger went up after a change of bowling reaped the rewards. Murphy appealed the decision, but it’s upheld by DRS on umpire’s call for height and Australia are nine down. Broad started the spell with a beautiful ball that angled in and went past the outside edge. It’s a lot brighter here at Headingley and there is a touch of blue sky for the first time all day pretty much, and even a glimpse of sun. Australia 211 for eight, Head 68, Murphy 11, Wood 2-53 (16) lead by 237 18:41 , Sonia Twigg Head smashes Wood down the ground to long off after a discussion between Stokes and Wood following the first ball of the over. Wood strikes Head on the glove, the ball looped wide of Bairstow, but the Australian batter has his glove off and looks in some pain here, caught right on the bottom hand middle finger. He was backing away for the final ball of the over and couldn’t keep the strike, so it’ll be Murphy to face at the start of the next one. Australia 207-8, Head 60, Murphy 11, Woakes 3-68 (18) lead by 233 18:35 , Sonia Twigg Head has hit Woakes for six to the short boundary towards the Western Terrace. He is almost doing what Stokes did when batting with the tail yesterday, farming the strike and hitting the ball into the stands. There are a lot of discussions between the seam bowlers here and Stokes, England just setting their plans. Head 50, Australia 199 for eight. Murphy 10, Wood 2-49 (15) lead by 225 18:28 , Sonia Twigg Head raises his bat to a half century Head has played this Wood over very well and kept the strike perfectly to move on to 49. Wood’s next delivery flew high and Head will be on 49 for the final ball of the over. Head brings up his 50 with a slog into the leg side. Head 53 not out from 94 balls, but it will be Murphy to face the start of the next over. Australia 189 for 8, Head 43, Murphy 10, Woakes 3-60 (17) lead by 215 18:20 , Sonia Twigg Interesting change of tactics from Head, who is now farming the strike and declining singles as Woakes continues from the Rugby end. Head has pulled Wood to the boundary, it was a perfectly timed and executed shot that went wide of the fine leg fielder. There’s another boundary when Brook completely miss-judged where the ball was going and Head moved on to 42. Head takes a single to keep the strike. Australia 180-8, Head 34, Murphy 10, Wood 2-39 (14) lead by 206 18:15 , Sonia Twigg Todd Murphy in his first Ashes Test match was off the mark with a boundary following the wicket of Cummins. Moeen Ali made a brilliant an unorthodox stop on the boundary to prevent another boundary from Murphy, a diving slide tackle flick to keep the ball in with his foot. England had their head in their hands on the final ball of the over, when Murphy’s flick off the bads flew high and wide of Bairstow. Wicket! Cummins out for 1, Australia 170-8 18:09 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Cummins is out, caught behind off Wood for 1. Australia 170-8 Australia have reviewed the decision, but it was given out caught behind on field. Mark Wood was just proving too quick for the Australian tail here, but DRS showed the ball clipping the bat on the way through. Australia 170-7, Head 34, Cummins 1, Woakes 3-51 (16) lead by 196 18:07 , Sonia Twigg For Head at the start of the over, all nine fielders were on the boundary, with England keen to have more of a go at incoming batter Pat Cummins. For the Australian captain, the field was much more traditional, with three slips, and just two on the boundary, both behind the wicket at fine leg and third man. Woakes bowled one that again was just millimetres away from the edge of the bat, but Cummins was off the mark with a thick edge down to third man. Australia 168-7, Head 33, Cummins 0, Wood 1-29 (13) lead by 194 18:03 , Sonia Twigg What an over from Mark Wood, he has his breakthrough, and continues a prolific evening session for England. It was just a top edge that did for Starc, but it was enough. Wicket! Starc has been caught by Brook for 16, Australia 168 for 7 18:00 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Harry Brook catches Mitchell Starc off Wood It’s hard to understand why it was Brook underneath that top edge instead of Bairstow. Brook has sprinted from short leg, dived over his shoulder to take the catch and give Wood his first wicket of the innings. But Bairstow with the gloves hasn’t moved towards it at all. It doesn’t matter for England but it was odd. Starc has to depart and this could be a crucial day for England even with the extensive rain delay. Australia 166-6, Head 32, Starc 16, Woakes 3-49(15) lead by 192 17:55 , Sonia Twigg Woakes bowled another clever over from the Rugby Stand end and England can’t believe that some of those deliveries just went past the bat. It’s all going England’s way at the moment. Australia 161-8, Head 32, Starc 10, Wood 0-27(12) lead by 187 17:50 , Sonia Twigg Head chipped one into the air off Wood, but it falls short of Woakes at a very wide fine leg. Starc has flicked the ball into the leg side, it was hit hard and short leg didn’t have a choice, but he has played Wood’s 90mph+ deliveries competently so far this innings. The next one has absolutely flown off the pitch, high of Bairstow and it goes to the boundary, it’ll count as byes but on that occasion there didn’t seem like there was much the wicketkeeper could do. The next delivery is punched down the ground for four by Starc. Australia 149-6, Head 31, Starc 3, Woakes 3-44 (14) lead by 175 17:44 , Sonia Twigg Time for the bouncer trap that England have employed so often this series. There’s a third man, deep backwards square, and deep square all on the boundary to Travis Head. But to Mitchell Starc it’s a much more conventional field. Australia 147-6, Head 30, Starc 2, Wood 0-19 (11) lead by 173 17:40 , Sonia Twigg Time for Mark Wood, and he’s already hit 90mph inside his first over. This is great bowling from England and those who waited all day to watch some cricket have been rewarded. Facing up to the England quick, Starc managed to play one well into the off side for a two. For Australia it may be a case of weathering the storm here. Australia 139-6, Head 25, Starc 0, Woakes 3-42 (13), lead by 165 17:36 , Sonia Twigg Woakes has another and it’s a key breakthrough. Alex Carey has departed, after looking uncomfortable since he came to the crease and England are making the most of these very bowling-friendly conditions. Wicket! Woakes takes the wicket of Carey for 5, Australia struggling at 139 for six 17:33 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Woakes strikes again and Carey is out to the delight of the crowd, and he departs for just five. It was similar to the last wicket, but a strange one. It bounced down onto the wicket off the gloves and Australia are struggling here at 139 for six. Australia 134 for 5, Head 24, Carey 1, Broad 1-45 (13) 17:28 , Sonia Twigg A beautiful over from Broad, and he had Carey struggling there, as the crowd sung ‘if you hate Carey stand up’. What a first ball of the over from Broad, it just seamed away and Carey was beaten, but it just slipped past the outside edge of the bat. Another seed from Broad, almost identical to the delivery before, and again just millimetres away from just clipping the bat. Australia 134 for 5, Head 21, Carey 1, Woakes 2-37 (12) Australia lead by 158 17:24 , Sonia Twigg Carey got off the mark with an easy single from Woakes. There was another concerning moment for Australia, when Travis Head went to pull the ball and almost hit it onto his stumps. Australia 132 for 5, head 23, Carey 0, Broad 1-45 (12) 17:20 , Sonia Twigg Alex Carey came out to boos from all those who remained in the ground, which was more than I had been expecting. The Western Terrace is about 3/4 full, an impressive feat when play started for the first time today at 4.45pm. Stuart Broad continued, and Australia’s flow of runs in the first three overs slowed slightly, with jsut the one from the over. Australia 131-5, Head 22, Carey 0, Woakes 2-35 (11) 17:16 , Sonia Twigg A stroke of fortune from Woakes and England have a breakthrough they desperately wanted. The batter who caused problems with his run-a-ball 118 in the first innings was out caught behind trying to leave the ball. There is movement and bounce under the lights and the still grey skies here at Headingley and it could be a hell of a session. Wicket! Marsh out for 28, Australia 131 for 5 17:13 , Sonia Twigg Wicket! Woakes has Marsh for just 28. That’s what England have kept going and rushing out onto the field for, bowling under the lights. The ball moved and bounced and just caught the bottom of the bat as Marsh tried to leave the delivery, and it was an easy catch for Jonny Bairstow who didn’t have to move. Australia 126-4, Marsh 24, Head 21, Broad 1-44 (11) 17:09 , Sonia Twigg Stuart Broad got the game underway for a second time after a very brief rain delay. There was a single from Travis Head down to the midwicket boundary, but it was a Mitchell Marsh drive down the ground for four that felt like it properly got the game going – not that there has been anything to choose from really. Australia continued to rotate the strike, and it was an expensive over from Broad, but the final ball of the over showed why England were so keen to get going, it nipped and beat the bat of the Australian batter. Australia 118 for 4 17:01 , Sonia Twigg The covers have now all come off after that brief delay, and the umpires are returning to the field. Second rain delay – Australia 118 for 4 16:56 , Sonia Twigg After a solitary over, the rain came back and we’re off again. Fortunately for those hoping to see some cricket today, the latest play can restart is 7pm and play can go on until 7.30pm. Australia 118 for 4, Marsh 18, Head 19, Woakes 1-30 (10) 16:50 , Sonia Twigg Chris Woakes finally got day three underway at 4.45pm. The first ball was as expected, and the second flew off the pitch, with Jonny Bairstow wrong-footed but just managed to get a hand to it to prevent byes. Marsh got the ball away for a quick single, but it’s undoubtedly bowling-friendly conditions in Leeds. There was an lbw shout on the final ball of the over, but as England rushed through it started to drizzle again. That’s that then, the players come off, the rain is falling. Play at Headingley due to get underway at 4.45pm 16:44 , Sonia Twigg The Australians are out on the field and we should get play finally underway. Although the dark skies are closing in so it’s unlikely the rain will hold off for long. Play at Headingley due to get underway at 4.45pm 16:41 , Sonia Twigg England are in their whites and out on the corner of the field. A surprising number of people have stuck it out this long. And there’s other positive news for England that Ollie Robinson has been warming up on one of the side strips and the ball has been moving. Play at Headingley due to get underway at 4.45pm 16:36 , Sonia Twigg There has been no announcement, but the covers have just gone back onto the pitch. No umbrellas in the crowd, but a few boos as the covers were wheeled back on. It’s just a waiting game now, that has been going on all day. The covers have just been wheeled back off to cheers. This cat and mouse game could keep going and the sky over the rugby ground is getting darker. Play at Headingley due to get underway at 4.45pm 16:26 , Sonia Twigg The players are out on the field. There’s a football being kicked around by both sides. Mark Wood is warming up his bowling with a strap on his right knee, while Ben Duckett and Joe Root are doing some slip catching practice. It looks like the game will get underway, but there is more rain around. Start of play