Pat Cummins to Ollie Pope, BEAUTY! Nearly draws the edge! Hones in on a fuller length, on the fifth stump line, getting it to just straighten up. Ollie Pope is sucked onto the front foot and tries to block but gets beaten on the outside edge by a kitten-whisker.
Pat Cummins to Ollie Pope, Just outside off, slightly short, Pope covers the line and decides to leave.
Pat Cummins to Ollie Pope, EDGED, FOUR! Inglis was in the game at third slip. Cuts away from a fuller length, around off. Ollie Pope is drawn forward and pushes at it with hard hands. It goes off the outside edge and shoots flat, between gully and the diving Inglis at third slip before running to the fence behind.
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, And Crawley's away! Hard length, angling in at the pads. Crawley rides the bounce and tucks it wide of mid-wicket for a quick single.
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, Beauty! Just around the off stump, on a length. Zak covers the stumps and makes a tight leave.
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, Nip and bounce into the batter, on a good length, on off. Zak Crawley drags the bat in front and defends it off the inner half to the leg side.
Who bowls now? It will be the skipper Pat Cummins.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, Slants across off on a good length. Left alone by Pope.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, Fuller ball, on the leg stump line. Pope tries to flick, but closes the bat face a bit early. The leading edge is found and the ball rolls towards point.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, On a hard length, at 141.3 kph, extra bounce outside off. Ollie Pope defends it off the front foot and it goes off the splice to backward point. Could have gone anywhere.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, Wide across the off stump, on a good length. Pope offers no shot.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, Much fuller, swinging in from middle. Pope flicks off the pads to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, FOUR BYES! Oh, hello? That has taken off from the runway like a flight. Short from Starc, angling across off. Ollie Pope hangs his bat in the air and leaves. The ball flies over Carey, who stretches his hands over his head and leaps to grab, but parries it off the gloves behind to the ropes.
We are back for the post-Lunch session! The Australian players spread out from the huddle and take up their respective field positions. Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley will resume batting for England and need to be at their absolute best to give the visitors any chance in this game. Mitchell Starc to start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...
... DAY 4, SESSION 2 ...
Everyone knew England would take the aggressive route in pursuit of this daunting target, but first, the openers had to survive a tricky 10-minute passage until Lunch. As we have seen throughout this Ashes, pressure moments have often undone them, and it happened again here. Ben Duckett got off the mark in style, whipping Pat Cummins through mid-wicket for a boundary, but the Aussie skipper hit back immediately, finding his edge next ball to ensure Australia had the final say in the session. Zak Crawley and Cummins then engaged in a brief game of cat and mouse, and with that, the stage is set for a fascinating post-Lunch session. Join us at 2.10 am GMT for all the action.
The overnight batters, Travis Head and Alex Carey, came out with a clear intent to push the lead further, doing so without taking undue risks, while England were not particularly aggressive in their approach either. Head cruised past 150 but was the first to fall, undone by a well-set short-ball plan from Josh Tongue. Carey followed soon after, with Ben Stokes pulling off a masterstroke by placing a leg slip. With both set batters dismissed, the rest of the Australian lineup could not offer much resistance, as Tongue, Carse, and Jofra Archer wrapped up the tail swiftly.
A fighting session from England, but they remain well behind in the game. To keep themselves in the contest, they needed to wrap up Australia quickly, and they did just that by taking the last six wickets for only 78 runs. However, in the bigger picture, the target staring them down was still a daunting 435. Then came the hammer blow, as Ben Duckett could not survive a couple of overs at the crease, and the Aussies will feel that they may not need a final day here.
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, BEAUTY! Cummins bangs it on a good length, just around off. Zak Crawley is squared up on the back foot, tries to block it out, but the ball straightens up and zips past the outside edge. And that will be LUNCH on Day 4!
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, In the channel of off, on a length, Zak blocks it back to the bowler. He does some gardening to delay. And Cummins now joins in cheekily and adjusts his shoelaces. It's all happening out there, and the crowd is going wild as Crawley backs away when Cummins is about to deliver the final ball.
Pat Cummins to Zak Crawley, Short and on top of middle, Zak Crawley gets right behind it and bunts it down the strip.
Pat Cummins to Ollie Pope, Length ball, outside off, nipping away, driven on the up through cover and mid off for a single. Pope is off the mark.
Ollie Pope walks out to bat at number 3.
Pat Cummins to Ben Duckett, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN SAFELY! Brilliant comeback from Cummins. Proper Test match bowling. England's vulnerability against the new ball and their opening partnership struggles continue. The Aussie skipper cranks it up and lands it on a good length, wide outside off. It straightens just enough from the pitch and tempts the southpaw to poke at it. Duckett loosely hangs his bat away from his body with no footwork and gets a thick outside edge. It flies towards Marnus Labuschagne at second slip, who makes no mistake with a regulation grab. A nothing shot, really. Could have easily left alone. But that's what lack of confidence does to you. Ben Duckett goes for 4 (2) and England are 4/1, chasing 435 runs.
Pat Cummins to Ben Duckett, FOUR! Off the mark straightaway! The ball has travelled to the ropes in no time. Cummins begins from around the stumps and lands it full, on middle, angling back in. Ben Duckett whips off the front foot through mid-wicket for a boundary.
Pat Cummins to share the attack.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Hammers it on a good length, angling across off, Zak Crawley rides the bounce and dabs it to backward point. Starc starts off with a MAIDEN!
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Aims the sticks, does Starc, clocking 144 kph, on a fullish length. Zak Crawley gets on the front foot and defends it out.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, BEATEN! That's the one that angles in and then seams away, fractionally fuller and in the channel of uncertainty. Zak Crawley is sucked on the front foot to defend, but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Bashed hard on a length, on top of off, at 142.5 kph. Zak Crawley hangs back and blocks it solidly to the leg side.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Closer to off pole, swings back in late from a length, Zak Crawley prods half-forward and dabs it with soft hands to gully.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Stars off with a length-delivery, at 146.6 kph, with a gentle inward shape, outside off. Crawley leaves.