AUS vs ENG 5th Ashes Day 3: Head and Smith power hosts to 134-run lead
Travis Head (163) struck 24 boundaries and one six in his 166-ball innings to provide Australia with a perfect platform to secure a mammoth first-innings lead in Sydney
Australia, on Day 3 for the 5th Ashes Test, notched up a lead of 134 runs over England on the back of centuries from Travis Head (163) and skipper Steve Smith (129 not out) in Sydney. English pacer Brydon Carse, with three wickets, was the only positive for the visitors.
England will now have to hope to take early wickets on Day 4 to finish the Australian innings quickly before applying their ‘Bazball’ style with perfection to keep their hopes of winning the match alive.
Now let’s take a look at how Day 3 of the Test panned out in Sydney.
Head with early onslaught
Australia started the day’s play from their overnight score of 166 for 2, with Travis Head (91 not out) and Michael Neser (1 not out) at the crease. Head received brilliant support from nightwatchman Michael Neser (24) as the duo added 68 more runs to the total before Neser finally edged the ball to keeper Jamie Smith off Brydon Carse.
Head then partnered Steve Smith and added 53 more runs to the total for the fourth wicket before finally losing his wicket on 163 after being trapped in front of the wicket by Jacob Bethell.
Smith hits 37th Test ton
After Head’s wicket, Steve Smith took the burden of scoring runs on his shoulders. Usman Khawaja, who is playing his final Test match, scored only 17 and lost his wicket to Carse before Josh Tongue dismissed Alex Carey (16) to give the visitors hope of a late comeback.
However, Steve Smith (129 not out) went on to add 71 runs for the seventh wicket with Cameron Green (37) and an unbeaten 81-run stand with Beau Webster (42 not out) as the hosts finished the day’s play at 518 for 7 and a healthy 134-run first-innings lead.
Australia scorecard after day 3:
| Australia 1st Innings | ||||||
| Batting | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Travis Head | lbw b Bethell | 163 | 166 | 24 | 1 | 98.19 |
| Jake Weatherald | lbw b Stokes | 21 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 58.33 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | c Bethell b Stokes | 48 | 68 | 7 | 0 | 70.58 |
| Michael Neser | c †Smith b Carse | 24 | 90 | 4 | 0 | 26.66 |
| Steven Smith (c) | not out | 129 | 205 | 15 | 1 | 62.92 |
| Usman Khawaja | lbw b Carse | 17 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 34.69 |
| Alex Carey † | c Bethell b Tongue | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 123.07 |
| Cameron Green | c Duckett b Carse | 37 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 57.81 |
| Beau Webster | not out | 42 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 72.41 |
| Extras | (b 4, lb 8, nb 5, w 4) 21 | |||||
| Total | 124 Ov (RR: 4.17) 518/7 | |||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD |
| Brydon Carse | 23 | 2 | 108 | 3 | 4.69 | 1 |
| Matthew Potts | 25 | 1 | 141 | 0 | 5.64 | 2 |
| Josh Tongue | 27 | 0 | 89 | 1 | 3.29 | 0 |
| Ben Stokes | 26 | 6 | 87 | 2 | 3.34 | 0 |
| Will Jacks | 8 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 3.87 | 0 |
| Jacob Bethell | 15 | 1 | 50 | 1 | 3.33 | 1 |