England and Australia set up shootout as bowlers make their presence felt

As the umpires entered the two dressing rooms shortly after 6pm to announce the third day was caput, there was no doubt as to which team was the happier. A two-innings shootout to settle this first Ashes Test had been set up by England’s enterprising efforts with the ball first thing but the hosts were in no mood to get back out there.

And who could blame them? A bright morning session had seen them seize the initiative, Ollie Robinson securing a slender seven-run first innings lead when his three-wicket spell rolled Australia for 386 all out before lunch. The start to England’s second innings was promising too, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley reaching 26 for no loss on this torpid surface before the first rain delay.

But during a brief 20-minute resumption in the afternoon – the final act of a frustrating day cut to just 32.4 overs – batting was an ordeal. There were brooding clouds over Birmingham, the floodlights were at full beam, and with the Dukes ball zipping around for the first time in the match, Australia’s bowlers suddenly were reborn.

In the space of 22 balls the tourists claimed two for two, numbers that are tricky to say out loud without slipping into a Richie Benaud impression. The great man would have loved calling the action these digits relayed, too, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland charging in with fresh incentive and duly vaporising both England openers.

Ben Duckett was first to depart for 19, the left-hander’s contempt for the leave punished again when a Cummins outswinger was poked to Cameron Green at gully. There was a brief pause to double-check his latest sparkling catch here but none of the controversy that came during the recent World Test Championship; the giant all-rounder’s paws were safely under it