Mitchell Starc four-for derails fast-paced England to give Australia the upper hand

Australia 61 for 1 (Khawaja 26*, Labuschagne 2*) trail England 283 (Brook 85, Starc 4-82) by 222 runs

Although the destination of the Ashes had been rubberstamped at Old Trafford there was plenty left riding on this final Test – 3-1 or 2-2 makes very different reading. That is especially true for Australia, having held a 2-0 advantage before defeat at Headingley and all-but certainly being saved from another by the Manchester rain.

Cummins is not one to worry about what has happened in the past and he showed that by following Tim Paine’s erroneous route from 2019 of asking England to bat when, for the first time on this tour, the coin fell in his favour.

For a while it appeared Australia might, again, fluff their lines with the ball; firstly when England’s openers reached 62 for 0 inside the opening hour and then at 184 for 3 as Brook and an injured Moeen Ali forged a rapid century partnership. But, though they again conceded runs at an eye-watering rate, enough chances were created to compensate for the missed ones.

The initial drop had come from Warner when he gave Ben Duckett a life at slip on 30 against Cummins’ first ball of the match. It was Duckett who dominated the early scoring, including a thumping drive down the ground against Josh Hazlewood as he leapt out of his crease. His spritely stay was ended with a glove down the leg side against Mitchell Marsh, although Australia needed DRS (having already burned a review for lbw against Zak Crawley) to overturn Kumar Dharmasena’s not out decision.

Straight after drinks Cummins, who was under some scrutiny after his struggles at Old Trafford, was rewarded for an excellent opening spell when he had Crawley edging into the slips having previously beaten him three times in a row as he found good bounce from the Pavilion End. When Joe Root dragged on against Hazlewood, England were 73 for 3 and in danger of losing their way.

It should have been 78 for 4 a few moments later when Brook edged Cummins but Alex Carey couldn’t hold on, going one-handed to his right in front of first slip. Brook counterattacked while Moeen held firm. There was no playing for lunch by Brook as he swiped Marsh over the leg side for six then hammered Starc for two fours and a six in consecutive deliveries moments before the interval.

Brook’s half-century came from 44 balls, but he could have fallen without addition had Cummins managed a hit direct at the non-striker’s end after collecting the ball in his follow through, turning on his heels and throwing.

It was shortly after that when Moeen pulled up lame with a groin injury after running a single. Following treatment he continued his innings but was barely able to walk, let alone run, and a frenetic period of cricket ensued which included a huge mowed six over deep midwicket off Cummins and another top-edged to fine leg, as well as a ramp over the keeper, while using his bat as a crutch to limp between the wickets when he had to.

There was momentary calm as Brook and Ben Stokes tried to set up another partnership, but the England captain received one of Starc’s crackerjack deliveries which straightened late and ripped back off stump as Stokes looked to play to the leg side.

Neither did Jonny Bairstow last long as he dragged on against Hazlewood and, four balls later, after another crisp straight drive brought Brook’s 11th four, his dreams of an Ashes hundred vanished when a booming edge was snaffled by Smith at second slip.

England had lost 4 for 28 in 55 balls and there were visions of Australia batting before tea. However, Woakes and Mark Wood, the heroes of Headingley, added 49 with more freewheeling strokeplay. Woakes had been given lbw to the first ball of the final session but DRS, asked for almost apologetically, showed a thin edge which even Woakes had not felt. Two balls later, Australia dropped another catch when Marsh spilled Woakes in the gully.

Murphy claimed his second of the day when he cleaned up Wood but Woakes, who was also dropped by Murphy off his own bowling, kept swinging including a towering blow for six straight down the ground off Starc before the innings ended with a top edge to deep square leg.