The Ashes: England vs Australia, Day 3 - As it happened

Firm favourites England take on underdogs Australia in the first Test of the 2013 Ashes series at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Catch all the Day 3 live updates here (Scorecard | Commentary):

 

22:53 (IST): End of Day 3! What a fascinating day's play it has been! England end on 326/6, lead Australia by 261 runs. Bell (95*) and Broad (47*). All Started with Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen slowly bringing England back into the game after Ashton Agar special on Day 2. Australia then fought back through Agar and Pattinson, before Bell and Broad got together to practically take the game away from Australia. Some fortunes did come England's way with Australia running out of Decision Reviews but the hosts will take that with open arms. (Day stats: Broad records 3rd highest score vs Aussies; Bell goes past 6000 runs)

 

22:45(IST): Huge appeal from Pattinson against Bell! Desperate stuff from Aussies but clearly hit the bat. Umpire Dharmasena had a chat with Pattinson, not sure what about. Some reverse swing going too. England though remain unharmed at 325/6, lead 260. Bell at 94, Broad exactly his half, 47. (Day's report)

 

Bell-Broad partnership is 100 now! Came up with Broad slashing Watson for another four. The tall left-hander now approaching his fifty, on 45 and Bell approaching a hundred, on 89. England 318/6, lead by 253. (Read: Stuart Broad's escape angers Australia)

 

22:30 (IST): Another Bell-special late cut past slips in Shane Watson's 14th over. Remarkably, Watson has bowled 11 maiden overs in his 14 and apart from that boundary, gave away just 3 runs in 13.5 overs. England 313/6, lead by 248. Bell now on 89. (See in Pics)

 

22:25 (IST): All gone a bit quiet here. Agar bowling his heart out but Broad and Bell trying to guts it out for the day, it seems. The hosts are 309/6 and lead by 244 now. Bell batting on 85 and Broad on 40.

 

22:08 (IST): Meanwhile, amidst all the shockers, England's 300 is up and Australia must be fuming. England 301/6 and lead by 236.

 

Ian Bell edges and dropped by Brad Haddin (77)! Of the second ball of very next over, Siddle induced an edge and Haddin had to complete a tough low one to his right, but missed. England savouring the delights, Lehmann and Australia not happy.

 

Stuart Broad (37) survives! A shocker really that one. Broad literally hit the cover off that one by Ashton Agar and Aleem Dar somehow missed it. Unfortunately for Aussies, no Review left. Michael Clarke is miffed, of course. Surprisingly, no 'spot' on hot-spot too.

 

Run-out chance for Australia! Ian Bell eases into the crease though. Third umpire with a simple decision to make. And then Bell rubs it in with a boundary off the next ball of Peter Siddle. England 297/6 and lead by 232 now. And drinks! Bell on 77, Broad on 37.

 

21.37 (IST): Bell goes into his shell as it is clear the duo are playing for stumps with a little over 18 overs to go.

 

21.27 (IST): Pattinson gets hit for consecutive boundaries in the 113th over of the innings as Broad and Bell look set to bat out the day.

 

21.24 (IST): David Warner is on the field as a substitute for Shane Watson.

 

21.22 (IST): The fifty-run partnership comes up for the 7th wicket between Bell and Broad as they keep Australia at bay.

 

21.19 (IST): Bell and Broad frustrating the Aussie bowlers who are in a hurry to end the innings on Day 3.

And England's lead is 200 now! Ian Bell takes a single off Mitchell Starc to take the lead to 200 and Broad, with a single the next ball, takes it past 200. Australia's shoulders drooping now, may be.

 

21:10 (IST): Shane Watson bowls a testing over to Stuart Broad. An edge and a waft at a full one as he plays out a maiden, somehow. 264/6.

 

21:06 (IST): Some defensive stuff creeping in as Ashton Agar bowling from over-the-wicket to right-hander Ian Bell. England looking solid even as Shane Watson too given a bowl. 264/6, lead by 199.

 

20:57 (IST): The lead for England increasing by the passing minute, its is 195 now. Some luck for Stuart Broad while some determination from Ian Bell has thwarted Aussie bowlers. England 260/6.

 

20:46 (IST): Another good over for England as Peter Siddle strays down the leg-side and gift 4 leg-byes to Broad. Overall 7 runs off it as lead increases to 182. England 247/6.

 

20:38 (IST): Peter Siddle bowls the first over after tea interval and Stuart Broad, despite looking uncomfortable, hits a boundary and then ran four too as Ashton Agar threw the ball from the deep. England 240/6, lead Australia by 175 now. Match in balance and getting interesting.

20:11 (IST): It's tea time and England lead by 165 runs at 230/6 in 99 overs. The Australians have kept themselves in the hunt by picking up wickets of Jonny Bairstow and dangerous-looking Matt Prior. Ian Bell has kept the innings together for England and will be a wicket-to-take for the Australians in the final session. Bell, who is unbeaten on 56 now, also went past 6000 runs in Test cricket. Stuart Broad had presented a dead bat so far in the little he has faced of the Australian bowling so far. A total of 77 runs came in the second session with the loss of two wickets. Mitchell Starc and Ashton Agar have two wickets to their name, while, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have one wicket each.

20:01 (IST) - Ian Bell raises his bat after reaching 36th Test fifty. He tucked James Pattinson past square leg for two runs to bring up yet another fighting half-century. England 225/6 after 97 overs, leading by 160 runs. Bell would have to bat through the day to give England a decent total to defend on what is looking like a better batting surface now at Trent Bridge. But first target for him is to bat unscathed till tea.

 

19:46 (IST) Sixth Wicket - Just when Matt Prior was looking to take things away from Australia, he has fallen against the run of play! Peter Siddle breaks what was a potential threatening partnership between Prior and Bell. Siddle bowled a short ball and Prior went for a pull over mid-wicket, but found a lunging Ed Cowan at the position. Prior hit 31 off 42 balls, an innings laced with 6 fours. Stuart Broad the next man in.

 

19:37 (IST): England have gone past the 200-run mark in their second innings without much problem in the second session. Both batsmen have been somewhat enterprising in this session scoring 38 runs in the last 10 overs. The new ball, clearly has not worked for the visitors. England 212/5 (91 overs), lead by 147 in the second innings.

 

19:19 (IST): Five overs since the second new ball has been taken and England have done well to negate that - scoring 23 runs in this period. Ian Bell and Matt Prior feeling at ease now. Australia 199/5 (88 overs).

 

19:05 (IST) The new ball has been taken in the 84th over and so far it has worked against Australia. Ian Bell and Matt Prior are looking assured of themselves while facing the red cherry. Both Prior and Bell have played their roles as openers for England in international cricket so they would not be averse to facing the shiny new ball. Bell opens for England in ODIs, a profile that Prior had, when he was an active part of the limited overs squad.

 

19:00 (IST): FACTOID - Ashton Agar is the 154th player in cricket history whose first wicket in Tests was the opposing captain.

 

18:46 (IST): Fifth Wicket - First break for Australia in the second session, courtesy Ashton Agar again, Jonny Bairstow the man out. Agar bowled a loopy ball outside off stump and Bairstow lunged forward to defend the turning ball, only for the ball to take the outside edge of the bat and safe into wicket-keeper Brad Haddin's gloves. Bairstow out for 15 off 62 balls, he added 43 runs in 20.5 overs with Ian Bell. England 174/5 in 80 overs, lead by 109 runs in second innings. Matt Prior is the new man in.

18:40 (IST): Ian Bell makes good use of the DRS! A Shane Watson reverse-swinging ball thuds onto his front pad and Kumar Dharmasena raises his finger! Bell consults his non-striking partner Bairstow and then goes for the review. The Hawk Eye shows the ball is going down leg side and Bell is saved. Australia have no more reviews remaining this innings and England still have their two intact.

 

18:31 (IST): Ian Bell's calculated nudges past slips takes England's lead past 100 runs in the second innings. James Pattinson bowled around the outside off stump and Bell chops it down past 1st slip and gully for four through vacant third man boundary for identical fours in the 77th over. Bell now on 34 and Bairstow is on 14.

18:15 (IST): Time to start the second the second session and James Pattinson begins proceedings for Australia, bowling to Jonny Bairstow. Just two runs off the over. Peter Siddle will bowl from the other end.

17:59 (IST): How Ashton Agar got the better of Alastair Cook in the first session on Day 3. (Read lunch report).

17:40 (IST): FACTOIDs: When Alastair Cook fell for 50, it was for the first time that he was dismissed between a 50 and 100 as skipper of England.

17:32 (IST): That's lunch and England have secured a 92-run lead after being 157 for 4 in 72 overs. Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow have done well to be still there after surviving some close calls. The partnership between the two is 26 runs from 12.5 overs. James Pattinson and debut hero Ashton Agar struck for the visitors in the first session, removing two prime wickets for Australia - Kevin Pietersen (64) and Alastair Cook (50), respectively.

 

17:20 (IST): Michael Clarke goes for a review - against Jonny Bairstow. Original decision was not out from Umpire Kumar Dharmasena as a James Pattinson yorker came sliding down leg side and struck Bairstow on the foot, it looked like going down leg side. The decision stays after hawk eye confirms the ball was missing leg stump. Australia have now consumed both their unsuccessful reviews. With 10 minutes to go through for lunch on Day 3, both Bell and Bairstow will look to survive this burst from Aussie pacers.

 

17:07 (IST): Mitchell Starc using contrasting angles to the different batsmen. He is bowling over the wicket to Ian Bell, looking to bring the odd ball back into him. To Bairstow, he is bowling from round the stumps, trying to cramp him for room. Shane Watson meanwhile has bowled two maiden overs in his current spell so far. England 141/4 after 66 overs, lead by 76 runs in second innings.

 

16:58 (IST) FACTOID: Ashton Agar is the first Australian teenage spinner to take a Test wicket. The youngest Australian spinner, previously, to take a Test wicket was Graeme Hole at 20 years and 51 days in 1951.

16:42 (IST): Fourth Wicket - Ashton Agar gets rid of Alastair Cook to claim his 1st wicket in international cricket. It was nicely tossed up outside off and Cook tried to push it towards on side, got the shoulder of the bat and Michael Clarke stretched out his left hand at slip to remove his counterpart. Cook's 165-ball 50 was also his joint slowest in Tests. He hit 6 fours in all. England effectively 66 for 4 now. Jonny Bairstow is the new man, joining Ian Bell.

16:40 (IST): Alastair Cook reaches another fighting milestone - a 30th Test fifty as he flicks James Pattinson towards square leg for a single.

 

16:35 (IST) Ian Bell starts off well, with two fours of James Pattinson in the 59th over. One was crunching drive through cover point, and the second a fine tickle past fine leg for four. England 131/3

 

16:31 (IST): Third Wicket - Huge blow for England as Kevin Pietersen is bowled by James Pattinson. Pattinson had troubled KP with his disciplined line and length and this time Pietersen pays the price for it. It was a length ball outside off and Pietersen threw his bat at it, only to get a thick inside edge and see his middle stump rattled on the ground. Pietersen goes for 68 off 150 balls, he hit 12 fours in all. Sad his Test match with the bat is over. England 121/3, leading by 56.

 

16:27 (IST): A lucky break for Pietersen again but England will take that four. James Pattinson beats Pietersen with a ball that holds its line and gets KP's outside edge, that goes past the vacant second slip for four. The first slip and fine gully could just see the ball go through the gap.

 

16:17 (IST): Alastair Cook brings up the 100-run stand with a four off Ashton Agar. Agar, bowling from round the stumps, is greeted with an enterprising Cook, who comes down the track and lofts him over deep mid-wicket for four. England 113/2, lead by 48.

 

16:00 (IST): Kevin Pietersen you beauty! A repeat of the previous cover drive against Starc, gets four and gets a fifty - his 31st in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Starc is hiding the seam of the ball in his palms, hoping to get reverse swing.

 

15:49 (IST): Pietersen gets reward for his first convincing stroke! A four past cover point, copybook style against Mitchell Starc. He moves to 48 now, just two away from his 31st half-century in Tests.

15:42 (IST): Kevin Pietersen gets another four, not where he intended though! KP comes down the track to Starc, who was operating from round the stumps, the batsman tried to flick it toward leg, but got a meaty leading edge that took the ball past covers for four. England 90 for 2 in 46 overs, lead by 25.

 

15:35 (IST): First four of the day comes from the blade of Kevin Pietersen, albeit a little fortuitous against Peter Siddle. Siddle went for the yorker and it was tailing in to leg stump, Pietersen got a thick inside edge and it flew past fine leg, in the 45th over.

 

15:30 (IST): All set for the start now, Mitchell Starc to begin proceedings to Pietersen. First ball full outside the off stump and driven firmly to covers, no run. England 80 for 2 in the 44th over, lead by 15 in second innings.

 

15:27 (IST): England batsmen Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen making their way out their in the middle. His fans in India would be rooting for him to succeed against the Aussies. Pietersen hit a belligerent hundred against India at the Wankhede last year.

 

14:18 (IST): The England and Wales Cricket Board received an apology from the International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richardson and the inventor of Hot Spot over the technology's inability to determine whether Jonathan Trott was out LBW or not.

The lack of a square Hot Spot camera made it inconclusive to show whether Trott did get an inside edge before the ball hit his front pad off Mitchell Starc. Trott was originally given not out by on-field umpire Aleem Dar, but the decision was over-ruled by the third umpire Marais Erasmus despite the side on Hotspot image of the dismissal was not available. (Read in detail)

13:36 (IST): England captain Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen added an unbroken stand of 69 runs for the 3rd wicket as they saw England through to stumps on Day 2 after Ashton Agar's heroics with the bat stole the show for Australia. Cook was 37 not out and Pietersen 35 not out.

Day Two of the first Ashes Test in Nottingham on Thursday was special for 19-year-old Australian Test debutant Ashton Agar. The left-arm spinner scored 98 to set a record for the highest individual innings by a No. 11 batsman in Tests, eclipsing Tino Best's 95 for the West Indies vs England at Edgbaston in 2012. Zaheer Khan's 75 vs Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2004-05 is the third highest by a No. 11 batsman in Tests.

With their 163-run stand, Agar and Phil Hughes (81 not out) set a world record for the tenth-wicket partnership in Tests, obliterating the 151 between BF Hastings and Richard Collinge for New Zealand versus Pakistan at Auckland in 1972-73. Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed had also shared 151 for Pakistan vs South Africa at Rawalpindi in 1997-98.

The man who gave Agar his Test cap at Trent Bridge was former Aussie great Glenn McGrath. He believes Agar's amazing innings may have saved Australia from back-to-back Ashes series humiliation. McGrath held the previous Australian record for the highest individual score for a No.11 with 61 against New Zealand in 2004.

McGrath had never met Agar before he presented him the Baggy Green at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. "I looked up his stats and noticed he was born one month before I made my debut for Australia (1993). So that made me feel a little bit old," McGrath said. "All I said to him is it's a very proud moment and an honour...And whatever the situation, have that mental strength and never give up because you never know. And he's gone out there with no nerves, and looked a very confident young fella. And that's what I like about him." (Read more)