The Ashes, 3rd Test: England vs Australia, Day 3 - as it happened

England were 294 for seven in reply to Australia's first innings 527 for seven declared, a deficit of 233 runs and still needing a further 34 runs to avoid the follow-on. Catch all the highlights here: (Scorecard | Commentary)

 

23: 15 (IST): STUMPS! That's stumps on Day 3. England end third day's play on 294 for 7 with Stuart Broad (9*) and Matt Prior (6*) at the crease. England still trail by 233 runs, meaning they require another 34 runs to avoid follow on. Kevin Pietersen scored his 23rd Test century but Australia are still on top.

22: 22 (IST): WICKET! Kevin Pietersen out. Micthell Starc picks up his third wicket. It was s straight delivery and KP was looking to drive it, but he missed it completely and the ball hit his back pad. He reviewed it, which third umpired turned down. England need 48 more to avoid follow on.

22: 04 (IST): WICKET! Jonathan Bairstow departs after scoring 22. It was pitched on off and moved away a bit, Bairstow was looking to drive it but ends up edging it to Shane Watson, who takes an easy catch at the first slip. England have lost their 6th wicket and still trail by 250 runs.

21: 50 (IST): Kevin Pietersen (106*) and Jonathan Bairstow (22*) have added 46 runs off 82 balls for the 6th wicket to hold England innings. England 271 for 5 after 104 overs, still, trailing by 256 runs.

 

Kevin Pietersen's 23 Test 100 each calendar year: 2005: 2 2006: 4 2007: 4 2008: 5 2009:1 2010:1 2011:2 2012:3 2013:1 #Ashes #EngvAus

- Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 3, 2013

 

21:20 (IST): Kevin Pietersen you beauty! What a way to bring up his 23rd Test century - an upper cut through vacant third man for four off Mitchell Starc. Pietersen has 10 fours and two sixes so far as he reached the milestone in 165 balls.

 

21:05 (IST): Going back to the Ian Bell dismissal, there was a bit of seam movement which undid the batsman.

20:51 (IST): WICKET - Ian Bell (60) is bowled! A length delivery from Ryan Harris swings in through the defences of Bell. Much needed breakthrough for Australia. A 115-run stand has come to an end with England at 225/5 in 91 overs.

20:50 (IST): Bit of luck for Pietersen, edges a pitched-up Peter Siddle delivery past second slip for four.

20:40 (IST): Excellent stuff by Ian Bell as he drives a Shane Watson delivery through covers for four. Bell has now scored half-centuries in 8 of the last 9 Ashes Tests. Staggering! England 221/4 in 89 overs.

20:20 (IST): Without losing a wicket in that session, KP and Bell have negotiated the Australian bowlers, including 5 overs with the new ball. Australia still in the drivers seat with a lead of 316 runs but Clarke and co. need new plans to topple the batters.

20:15 (IST): Ian Bell clips a Peter Siddle delivery in front of square for three runs and his half-century. The players break for tea with England at 211/4, still behind by 316 runs.

20:00 (IST): New ball has been taken and Mitchell Starc is welcomed by Ian Bell with a boundary. Harris from the other end as Pietersen scampers through for a single.

19:50 (IST): Steven Smith - full tosses et al - bowles two overs which KP and Bell negotiate. England 196/4 in 80 overs. The new ball is available but not taken by Michael Clarke.

19:40 (IST): Steven Smith finally has a bowl and Pietersen flicks a delivery towards midwicket for 69* - his highest score at Old Trafford. England 190/4.

19:30 (IST): According to his Wikipedia's page Ian Bell's nickname is The Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice! Wow! He's batting on 32 though with England at 179/4 after 75 overs.

What a reprieve for England and Kevin Pietersen! Shane Watson in introduced right after drinks and struck Pietersen on the pads first ball. Umpire gives not-out and Watson begs Clarke and Haddin for a review. Haddin though is adamant that it is going down and convinces Clarke too. Replays show it was plumb in front.

 

19:08 (IST): Pietersen and Bell have put on 63 runs for the fifth wicket. Australia are 9 overs away from being eligible for the new ball.

18:50 (IST): Ian Bell gets into the act as well, striking Lyon for a maximum. The off-spinner is taken out of the attacked, replaced by Ryan Harris, who bowls a perfect yorker which Pietersen just about manages to dig out.

18:33 (IST): After an lbw appeal, Pietersen steps down to Nathan Lyon for two successive sixes, two excellent shots as he reaches his 32nd half-century in Tests. KP may have ended Lyon's spell as well. England 148/4.

18:25 (IST): Pietersen showing his intent here, charging down to every delivery of Nathan Lyon. First ball goes for four but no luck with the other five deliveries.

18:18 (IST): Nathan Lyon, who was extremely impressive last evening, comes round-the-wicket to Pietersen. Good battle this as KP steps down to loft Lyon towards deep midwicket for a couple. England 123/4.

18:10 (IST): The players are back out on the field for the second session on Day 3. England need to do a lot to get back in this game. Australia will hope for more of the same from their bowlers, nicking wickets at regular intervals.

 

 

Greatest catch Haddin has ever taken!

- Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) August 3, 2013

 

17:45 (IST): 67 runs were scored at the cost of two wickets in the first session on Day 3. Bell will be looking to continue his breathtaking form in the series so far, while Pietersen is fighting a lone battle with himself and the Aussie bowlers.

17:30 (IST): England go in for lunch at 119/4 after 57 overs. Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell are at the crease but the hosts have lost both their overnight batsmen. Australia are looking to turn the screws in this third Test.

17:18 (IST): WICKET - Alastair Cook (62) c Brad Haddin b Mitchell Starc. Well well, England are reeling here. Cook edges a length delivery off his pads, surely Haddin can't get there... well he can! Excellent catch diving to his right and the English skipper departs. England 110/4, trailing by 417.

17:15 (IST): Remember the Mitchell Johnson song. "He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right..." Well Barmy Army trumpeter Billy Cooper has a version for David Warner as well. "He swung with his left, he swung with his right - that David Warner, he just cannot fight".

17:00 (IST): David Warner did receive some stick from the British and Australian media over his farcical review yesterday. The 26-year-old, though, did seem to enjoy his role as a villain among English ranks.

16:45 (IST): Well David Warner can't keep himself out of the action! As the batsmen scamper through for a single, Warner takes aim at the non-strikers end and the ball runs away for four over throws. England 87/3.

16:40 (IST): So, with three wickets down and trailing by 440, is England's best hope of a result a draw? Pietersen showing some attacking intent though as he attempts to drive Mitchell Starc through the covers, but misses.

16:17 (IST): Alastair Cook drives past mid-off to reach his 31st half-century. A slight raise of the bat from the skipper. He knows his task has only just begun. England 71/3.

16:12 (IST): Kevin Pietersen is the new man at the crease. Remember, England need to score at least 328 to avoid the follow-on.

16:07 (IST): WICKET - Jonathan Trott edges to second slip. Ryan Harris strikes first for Australia. Trott is turned inside-out by a back-of-a-length deliver which finds the edge and Michael Clarke takes a good catch in the slips. England 64/3 after 39 overs, trailing by 463 runs.

16:00 (IST): Hands on head time for the Aussies. Harris tests Cook with some short stuff and follows it up with a length delivery which whisks past the off-stump. Nervy times for the England skipper.

15:42 (IST): A Peter Siddle maiden is followed up by Harris bowling on to the pads of Cook, and as protocol would have it, it is flicked away by the England skipper for four. England 58/2.

15:35 (IST): Harris starts off with a juggling trick using his feet. Smiles all around as he drifts the next one on to Jonathan Trott's pads for a single. England 53/2.

15:30 (IST): Cook and Jonathan Trott resume for England, at 52/2 trailing by 475 runs. The duo will have to ocupy the crease for long periods if England are to find a route back in to the match. Ryan Harris, who was carrying a slight injury yesterday will start the day's proceedings.

15:15 (IST): According to some reports in the British media, Alastair Cook faced some back problems while batting in the nets this morning. Worrying signs for England in what is expected to be a long and tough time in the centre for the hosts.

 

 

 

A light drizzle blankets Old Trafford. Looks to be a passing shower. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/G2PTqs5Gm6

- Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) August 3, 2013

 

14:30 (IST): Stuart Broad admires Michael Clarke's first innings century...

 

@StuartBroad8 chatting to @Wardyskycricket for @SkyCricket #Ashes #Rise pic.twitter.com/VFPLnIoy4g

- England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 3, 2013

14:20 (IST): England spinner Graeme Swann, who took a fifer in the first innings, was in a chirpy mood despite his side seemingly on the back foot. "We intent to go past the Australian total and get a bit of a lead. Then we shall see what happens on days four and five," he said rather confidently.

14:00 (IST): After two days of positivity and triumph, the Australian press finally have something to write home about. 'Suddenly England is rediscovering how jittery Ashes cricket can be', 'England didn't handle pressure with any aplomb at all' were some of the sentiments expressed.

13:35 (IST): Michael Clarke though, is not one to count his chickens before they hatch. He refused to be drawn into any talk of enforcing a subsequent follow-on, saying "let's just get our third wicket first." Pup certainly has a bit of a bite, doesn't he?

13:17 (IST): For the first time in this series, James Anderson was off his mark, picking up no wickets in the first innings of a flat and slow Old Trafford pitch. Did you know, he recorded his worst-ever figures in Test cricket on Friday?

13:00 (IST): For the first time in 11 days of cricket, Australia are in the driver's seat versus England at Old Trafford. Michael Clarke lead from the front with a blistering 187 and was flanked by Chris Rogers and Steven Smith. Later Brad Haddin posted a half century but he was surpassed by the ever-impressive Mitchell Starc, who smacked an unbeaten 65 as England were driven into the ground for five sessions. Skipper Clarke declared at 527/7, meaning England need to bat out 30 overs on Day 2.

Joe Root and Alastair Cook started well, put Peter Siddle provided Australia with two breakthroughs. First Root fell and Bresnan, rather strangely, filed to review his 'caught behind'. England trail by a mammoth 475 runs and Australia are looking to turn the screws.