ROCK ON WOOD!

Fast bowler steams in to help Stokes & Co reign after the rain and give them a chance to write their names into Ashes folklore

- DEAN WILSON

ENGLAND'S run-chasing have put specialists themselves in pole position to hunt down their most important target yet and deliver an Ashes lifeline.

With all 10 wickets in hand they require a further 224 more runs to win their first match of the series and conjure up yet another magical moment in the Headingley history books.

Ashes run chases at Headingley are developing a habit of bringing the best out in England batters, whether it was Mark Butcher back in 2001, or Ben Stokes four years ago.

And already both Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley look in the mood to write their names into Ashes folklore.

The two openers crunched a quartet of boundaries and Duckett survived a couple of scares before they strolled to the dressing room 27-0 at the close of day three to dream of glories to come.

It was the bowlers, though, who set the game up in the face of belligerent brilliance from Travis Head, doing his best Stokes impression.

Head's 77 stood tall above his team-mates, who were rocked by the accuracy of Chris Woakes, the pace of Mark Wood and the sheer force and skill of Stuart Broad, who more than made up for the incapacitated Ollie Robinson.