The Ashes 2017-18: England suffer horrific day three being skittled for just 227, but launch incredible late comeback under lights
James Anderson and Chris Woakes swing tourists back into contention after Craig Overton eked Joe Root's men past 200
ENGLAND'S bowlers staged a late rally to keep alive their slim hopes of an unlikely comeback victory in the Second Ashes Test.
After a miserable top-order batting collapse had lead to England conceding a 215-run first-innings deficit, James Anderson and Chris Woakes claimed two wickets apiece under the Adelaide Oval lights.
By close on day three, the Aussies had limped to 53-4 - still an imposing lead of 268.
Woakes ripped out dangermen David Warner and Steve Smith, having helped save England from complete oblivion with the bat.
Earlier, skipper Joe Root led by miserable example, out to a loose shot early in the day, as the tourists subsided to 227 all out.
Aussie skipper Smith did not enforce the follow on, a decision which looked questionable as the ball nipped around in the evening session.
But Root’s men know they still face a steep uphill struggle to avoid a 2-0 deficit, which would look almost unassailable.
Resuming on 29-1, England swiftly ventured into quicksand territory when James Vince edged Josh Hazlewood behind and then Root drove at a wideish one from Pat Cummins, falling haplessly into an unsubtle Aussie trap.
ETHERS' ASHES It says a lot about England’s batting that the bloke who top-scored made 0, 0 and 0 in his only previous innings on tour
From 50-3 it was always going to be a tortuous struggle for the tourists – but the dozy shots kept on coming.
Alastair Cook, having played himself in for the first time in the series, prodded at Nathan Lyon and was snaffled by Steve Smith at slip for 37.
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And before lunch Dawid Malan offered an inside edge to the keeper from a nippy Cummins delivery.
After the interval came to stunning caught-and-bowled efforts – Lyon’s elastic dive accounting for Moeen Ali and Starc’s brilliant juggling routine ending Jonny Bairstow’s resistance.
Just as it looked as though England would sink without trace, Craig Overton joined Woakes at the crease – and the two lower-order batsmen put their specialist friends to shame in a partnership of 66.
Overton, in particular, played the short ball better than any English batsman in this series so far, on his way to an unbeaten 41.
The Somerset debutant was England’s most successful bowler and their leading scorer during his first innings in Test cricket, yet there wasn’t much contest.
After Woakes skied an attempted pull of Mitchell Starc, England’s innings was soon over – 16 runs short of avoiding the nominal follow-on figure.
England’s opening bowlers started far more menacingly than in Australia’s first innings – Warner survived a caught behind review off Stuart Broad and Cameron Bancroft edged Anderson for Bairstow for just four.
Anderson then trapped Usman Khawaja lbw and, after Woakes had Warner caught at slip, Anderson won an lbw decision against Smith when the Bradmanesque skipper was on nought – only for the incident to be overturned on review.
Yet Smith had added only six when he was trapped by Woakes - with even the DRS unable to spare him this time.
