WATCH | Ashes, 3rd Test: Steve Smith holds fort after Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow heroics
Jonny Bairstow kept his head with a fine century for England but Steve Smith showed a captain’s poise to guide Australia to 203 for three at the close of day two of the third Ashes Test on Friday.
Smith was on 92 at stumps, with Shaun Marsh on seven, with the home side, already 2-0 up in the five-match series, having trimmed England’s first innings lead to 200 runs.
Bairstow marked his first Ashes ton with a cheeky celebration before lunch, nudging his head against his helmet in a nod to his infamous ‘headbutt’ of Australia opener Cameron Bancroft. The wicketkeeper’s sparkling 119 helped push England to 403, their highest innings total in Australia since January, 2011.
However, England’s joy was tempered by the runs that went begging, having lost six wickets for 35 in the final 10 overs of the morning session to leave the door well and truly open for Australia. Smith opened it wider with an innings of typical poise, anchoring a 124-run partnership with Usman Khawaja after seamer Craig Overton removed openers David Warner (25) and Cameron Bancroft (22).
The game remains evenly poised but England’s hopes of containing Smith and Australia may have suffered a blow when Overton …read more