Jonny Bairstow scored his maiden Test century in Australia and scored a counter-punching half-century over Ben Stokes to help England recover from another collapse in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney on Friday.
England scored 258 for seven, with Bairstow unbeaten on 103 with eight fours and three sixes and Jack Leach scoring an unbeaten four to put Australia behind by 158 runs.
Yorkshire’s Bairstow screamed with joy after chopping Pat Cummins off the ropes to extend his third Ashes Test century, but the first one Down Under.
Bairstow reached his century on the third-last ball of the third day for England’s first century in this series, as he and Stokes led England’s recovery after scoring 36 for four.
England have already lost the Ashes but they showed some fighting in the end.
Stokes, suffering from pain from a side strain while bowling on Thursday, posted his highest score of the series with 66 at the rearguard.
Stokes hit nine fours and a huge six off Nathan Lyon at extra cover but the off-spinner had the last word, Stokes trapped lbw with a skidding delivery to end his valiant knock of 91 balls.
It was a daring effort from Stokes, who was unable to bowl when he returned to the field on Thursday after treatment.
Stokes had a great deal of luck on 16 when he was given out, only to win a review when replays showed Cameron Green’s delivery was indeed hit on the off-stump, but somehow not bailed. He was relieved, which brought him relief.
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Stokes took England out of the quagmire with Bairstow sharing a 128-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Lusty hitting from Mark Wood gave England more momentum before they were caught at the hands of Lyon for 39 off 41 balls by a Cummins lifter.
Wood pointed out that the ball was coming out of his helmet but ‘Snicko’ in the review detected a faint upper edge that came off his helmet.
– Boland got root –
Scott Boland, with more scalps including England captain Joe Root, fought back after continuing his wicket-taking exploits for Australia as England’s batting fell again in the morning session.
Boland, who had a brilliant 6-7 performance on his Test debut as man of the match in the third Test in Melbourne, knocked off Jack Crawley’s off-stump and then got Root caught at slips for a seven-ball duck. Tourists have to face more trouble.
It got worse for England when David Malan was caught in the trap by Usman Khawaja for three runs off Green at leg slip.
Boland took two wickets in his first 19 balls, highlighting the dismissal of Root, who again dabbled outside off-stump and handed a high catch to Steve Smith with two hands at second slip.
Boland has now taken nine wickets in the series at just 8.88. He later went in for a scan after falling just before tea, but was later cleared of a rib injury.
Mitchell Starc took 15 wickets in his series when he dismissed Haseeb Hameed’s mid-stump for six with a graceful delivery.
It continued a disappointing performance by the England openers with stands of 0, 23, 7, 4, 4, 7 and 22.
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Crowley, dropped to seven, was enjoying a lucrative life after a massive relief, before scoring late on the second day when he was caught at slip by David Warner, only to over-stepping Starc. No-ball was done for.
But he was eventually dismissed for 18 in Boland’s second over.
Jos Buttler’s disappointing Ashes series continued when he was caught by Khawaja for an eight-ball duck off Cummins.
After losing by an innings and 14 runs within three days in Melbourne, England are now playing only for their Ashes glory and have given Australia a 3-0 lead with two Tests to spare.
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