England keep Ashes hopes alive with well-fought win in third Test
- Planet Sport writer
- 9 July 2023
A blistering bowling spell by Mark Wood and a steely 75 by the under-pressure Harry Brook helped guide England to a much-needed win in the third Test of the Ashes.
Harry Brook announced himself on the Ashes stage with a match-winning knock for England that kept the series alive and delivered another memorable Headingley climax.
Brook batted with great maturity as he made a steely 75, taking a decisive chunk out of the 251-run target and set a fire under this summer's rivalry, leaving Australia 2-1 ahead with two to play.
The Yorkshireman fell with 21 still needed as the third Test descended into nerve-shredding tension, but Mark Wood cut through the anxiety with a feisty 16 not out and Chris Woakes completed a remarkable return to the Test arena by crunching the winning runs towards the delirious Western Terrace to finish unbeaten on 32.
England's three-wicket win was achieved despite Ben Stokes' dismissal for just 13, a soft nick down the leg-side robbing the hosts of their inspirational captain and the architect of their 2019 Ashes miracle at the start of the decisive final session.
But in Brook they had a new hero, ready to carry the burden all the way to final furlong before passing it over to Woakes and Wood - making an emphatic first impression on their belated introductions to the series.
