England wins third Ashes Test

The hosts wrapped up an eight-wicket win well inside three days at Edgbaston to go 2-1 up with two to play.

A repeat performance in Nottingham – hardly a given with England’s recent habit of following up victories with defeats – would see Cook get his hands on the urn and banish memories of the 2013-14 whitewash down under.

“We’ve been playing with 10 players and the captain’s got to come off the plane and contribute”.

Steven Finn of England celebrates as he leaves the ground after claiming six wickets during day three of the third Investec Ashes Test match between England and Australia at Edgbaston.

England’s leading wicket-taker was forced off the field on Thursday evening in the third Test at Edgbaston and will miss out on a date at his favourite hunting ground, Trent Bridge, in the fourth.

Bell, promoted to No. 3 for the test, finished 65 not out, with Joe Root undefeated on 38. The pair came together on 51-2 with work still to be done.

Australia’s tail added 97 runs on Friday morning (Saturady NZ Time), showing the fight that was dearly lacking from their batsmen in both innings at Edgbaston.

Starc scored 58 put some resistance sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 64 with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (59) who held up England for 147 balls in compiling a maiden test half-century.

England’s win in front of a raucous, national anthem-singing crowd of around 25,000 continued an unpredictable series. (Michael) Clarke needs to get some runs. “If Clarke doesn’t bat at four, I think it sends a bad message out of the Australia dressing room”, Ponting told Sky Sports.

“The way he played, we know he’s a fine player, he’s just had a bit of a tough time”.

“He is their main bowler and usually sets the tone for England”.

Ian Bell then took to Starc, hitting three boundaries off one over, then to add insult to injury Clarke dropped Bell in the slips on the last ball of the over.

Hazlewood broke the partnership of Adam Lyth and Bell, an in-swinger straightening on the bounce and getting Lyth out lbw for 12.

While Michael Clarke’s captaincy was in debate, his poor run with the bat was extended – 10 and 3 here, 7 and 32 not out at Lord’s.

But Bell was in a hurry, clipping more of Starc’s full-length swing off his pads for a four first ball and going on to a largely serene 68-ball 50.

England head coach Trevor Bayliss has urged his charges to keep up the momentum in the fourth Ashes Test with Australia.

“My self-belief is still there”, said Clarke”.

Mitchell Johnson, in the course of becoming just the fifth Australian to take 300 Test wickets, started Thursday’s second day in sensational fashion with a couple of sharply rising deliveries that had both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes caught behind off the glove.

Anderson, England’s all-time most successful Test bowler with 413 wickets, has an especially good record at Trent Bridge.

Likely replacements for him in the squad to be named for Trent Bridge include uncapped left-armer Mark Footitt, Yorkshire’s Liam Plunkett and fit-again Warwickshire seamer Chris Woakes.