Pace like fire from Mark Wood put England on the express train to an Ashes comeback at Leeds, even if his team-mates kept trying to jump off.
Dropped catches and three tame wickets in reply means that the direction of travel in this must-win match is far from certain. But with their Yorkshire duo, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow at the crease, the quartet of missed opportunities from them in the field can be consigned to history if their batting matches the quality of Wood’s bowling.
The ledger reads 68-3 - a deficit of 195 on Australia’s 263 all out - so there is still a way to go, but Wood’s fast show, topping 96.5mph gave him 5-34, his first five-wicket haul at home in 26 attempts. Wood’s return to Test match action lifted the heart rate of everyone at Headingley as he sent down thunderbolt after thunderbolt to rock the foundations of Australia’s line-up.
