England further strengthened their control of the fourth Test match against Australia as they took a 275-run lead in their first innings on Friday, July 21. The hosts recorded 592 runs at a run rate of 5.49 with Jonny Bairstow smashing 99* off 81 and fifties from Ben Stokes and Harry Brook.
Then Mark Wood took three wickets to stumble Australia to 113/4 at the end of Day 3. Australia trail by 162 runs with Marnus Labuschagne leading the defence as England are clear favorites to win the game and level the series to 2-2 on Day 4.
After dominant knocks from Zak Crawley and Joe Root on Day 2, England skipper Ben Stokes and batter Harry Brook resumed the day's play from 384/4. Stokes took early control as he adopted an aggressive approach while Brook played a second-fiddle role.
Both recorded the fifties each and pulled off an 86-run stand for the fifth wicket. Stokes scored 51 off 74 and Brook added 61 off 100 to avoid losing early wickets in the first session. Australian skipper Pat Cummins bowled out Stokes to give Australia a breakthrough and Hazlewood dismissed Brook in the 92nd over.
But England were in no hurry to declare their innings as Jonny Bairstow displayed another example of 'bazball' cricket at Old Trafford. The wicketkeeper batter dominated Aussie bowlers as he smashed 99 off 81 with the help of 10 fours and four sixes till he ran out of partners from the other end. Josh Hazlewood picked five wickets while Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green bagged two each for the visiting side.
Trailing 275 runs, Australia started their second innings carefully with David Warner and Usman Khawaja saving their wickets in the first overs. In-form speedster Mark Wood gave the hosts an opening with Khawaja's wicket in the 11th over and Chris Woakes dismissed Warner in the 18th over to breach Australia's defence.
Wood then picked the most valuable wicket in the form of Steve Smith who scored 17 off 38. Wood then further shocked Australia with Travis Head's wicket who scored just one run to push Australia down to 113/4 when the umpires called stumps. Labuschagne remains unbeaten at 44 off 88 and Mitchell Marsh is holding off at 1* off 27 for Australia.
