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Mitchell Marsh, Mark Wood star on gripping first day of third Ashes Test

Marsh, Wood star on gripping first day of third Ashes Test
© Reuters
Mitchell Marsh hits a century and Mark Wood takes five wickets on a gripping opening day of the third Ashes Test match, Australia holding a 195-run lead at stumps.

A sensational century from Mitchell Marsh has given Australia the advantage at stumps on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

Marsh responded to being recalled to the side with a run-a-ball 118 which included 17 fours and four sixes, but his dismissal on the brink of tea turned the momentum in England's favour.

A venomous burst from Mark Wood in the third session saw Australia skittled out for 263, but the Baggy Greens had the last word on Thursday by reducing England to 68-3.

After all the controversy of the Lord's Test, both teams would have welcomed the chance to resume the series, and it was England who had the better of the morning session.

Australia were restricted to 91-4, with each of the top four batsmen being dismissed for fewer than 22 - the total of Steven Smith - as England's pace attack looked to dominate.

However, England should have made further inroads either side of lunch, with Jonny Bairstow dropping two chances and Joe Root fumbling the simplest of opportunities at slip to remove Marsh for 12.

The all-rounder proceeded to take full advantage, pummelling the ball to all sides of the ground before he was removed by Chris Woakes in the final over before tea.

Wood took centre stage immediately upon the resumption, taking Australia's final four wickets to finish with figures of 5-34 as he regularly bowled well in excess of 90mph.

England would have had ambitions to reach the close having eaten into Australia's lead and still keeping wickets in tact, yet neither really materialised as Australia kept the hosts under pressure.

Pat Cummins got Ben Duckett (2) and Harry Brook (3) before Zak Crawley's knock of 33 from 39 deliveries came to an end when Marsh begun to prove influential with the ball.

England came through a nervy final 25 minutes or so with Root (17*) and Bairstow (1*) still at the crease, but the pair have some way to go to atone for the errors which cost England in the field.

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England's Mark Wood pictured on June 3, 2021
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