Ashes 2019: Smith Shows Defiance Again As England Play Waiting Game

England will hope to finish off Australia over the final two days of this first Test. The only problem is they will have to get past Steve Smith first if they are to turn their advantage into something more tangible.

- Chris Stocks

Joe Root’s men did well to establish a first-innings lead of 90 after they were rescued by valuable late order runs from Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad following a horror collapse early on this third day.

However, at stumps this contest was tantalisingly poised, with Australia 124-3 in their second innings, a lead of 34.

Smith, their former captain who scored an outrageously good century in the first innings, is set on 46 and looks in the kind of mood to produce another career-defining innings that could yet hand his team a 1-0 lead heading into the second Test of this series at Lord’s.

Alongside him is Travis Head, the fourth-wicket pair sharing a partnership of 49 at the end of this third day that threatens to swing the momentum of this intriguing match back in the tourists’ favour.

England, without the injured James Anderson, will be hoping Broad and Woakes can produce with the ball again on day four and limit the Australians to a lead of less than 200.

Anything more and Nathan Lyon, Australia’s canny offspinner, will fancy his chances of bowling his side to victory on a pitch that is taking significant turn.

At this point the equation seems appears for England – get Smith before he hits another century and the Test should be theirs. If they don’t then we could be in for an absolute thriller at a ground where Australia have not won since 2001.

Indeed, the omens do look good for England given Australia have not won an Ashes Test in England after conceding a first-innings deficit since the Trent Bridge Test of 1981.

Records, though, are there to be broken.