Day 4 of the 3rd Test of the Ashes was tough for England. Australia was all out on 349 after Travis Head played a brilliant knock of 170 (219), leaving England to chase a massive 434 runs. Zak Crawley and Joe Root fought hard, but the team kept losing important wickets. By the end of the day, England sat at 207 for 6, and honestly, hanging on for a draw looked like a long shot heading into the last day.
| Score at the end of Day 4 | ENG – 6/207 |
| England’s Top Performer (Batting) | Zak Crawley—85 (151) with 8 boundaries |
| Australia’s Top Performer (Bowling) | Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon—3 wickets each |
| Best Fielding Performance | Marnus Labuschagne—Brilliant Catch of Pope at Slip Position |
Head Reaches 150
Australia kicked off the morning aiming to pile on more runs. Travis Head picked up right where he left off on Day 3. He hit his 150 from 205 balls, cracking 14 boundaries and smashing two sixes along the way.
Head and Alex Carey kept things rolling with a strong fifth-wicket stand. Together, they put up 150 runs in 209 balls—Head added 83, and Carey chipped in with 61. England’s bowlers looked worn out as the partnership dragged on.
By the time Australia passed 300 runs in 71.5 overs (with 17 extras already in the bank), you could sense a declaration wasn’t far off. The hosts were well on top.
Australia’s Innings Ends
England finally broke through, and the wickets started tumbling. After Carey got out, Josh Inglis walked in. He tried to overturn an LBW call in the 77th over, but the review didn’t save him. The umpire stuck to his decision, and Inglis had to go for 7.
By the drinks break, Australia had reached 329 for 6. The tail-enders came out swinging. Mitchell Starc survived an LBW review in the 81st over—England thought they had him, but the decision stayed not out.
Then Nathan Lyon had his turn with the DRS in the 84th over. Umpire Ahsan Raza sent him on his way, and the review did him no favors. Lyon was out.
Australia finally got bowled out for 349 in just under 85 overs. Starc was left not out on 7. Now England faces a mountain—434 runs to win.
England’s Tough Chase Begins
England kicked off their second innings before lunch, staring down a mountain of a task. They had to either survive almost two full days at the crease or chase runs fast—neither option sounded easy. Things went south right away. England lost a wicket almost immediately. By lunch, they were struggling at 5 for 1 after just two overs. Zak Crawley was still on zero, and Ollie Pope managed just a single run.
The afternoon didn’t bring much relief. By drinks, England had crawled to 49 for 2 in 14 overs. Crawley and Joe Root were both stuck on 9, and another wicket had already tumbled. England crept past 50 runs after 14.2 overs, but not without giving away 10 extras along the way. The required run rate just kept getting steeper.
Crawley and Root Partnership
Zak Crawley and Joe Root weren’t going to back down. They dug in and put together a third-wicket partnership that really mattered. Against the Aussies, they both looked calm and confident.
They brought up a fifty partnership off 78 balls, with Crawley chipping in 25 and Root close behind with 23. A couple of extras helped them reach the mark. England finally showed some fight.
By tea, they’d moved to 106 for 2 after 27 overs. Crawley was on 36, Root on 37, and the partnership had started to lift England’s spirits a bit.
Then came a tense moment. Australia reviewed an LBW shout against Root in the 28th over. Umpire Ahsan Raza said not out, and the review came back as “Umpire’s Call.” Root got a lifeline, and honestly, that moment felt huge.
Evening Session Drama
Crawley brought up his fifty just after tea, grinding his way there off 102 balls. He’d found the boundary five times, playing with a lot of patience. England really needed him to push on and make it count.
They cruised past 150 in the 44th over. At the drinks break, England sat at 153 for 3, with Crawley on 61 and Harry Brook settling in on 19.
Crawley and Brook started to click, putting together a solid partnership. They hit the 50-run mark in 97 balls—Crawley added 28, and Brook chipped in with 22.
England crossed 200 in the 59th over, but things started to unravel after that. Will Jacks had a close call with an LBW review in the same over, but the umpire’s not-out call stood after Australia’s challenge didn’t work out.
Day’s End Summary
England wrapped up Day 4 at 207 for 6 after 63 overs. Jamie Smith was hanging in there with 2 runs, and Will Jacks had 11.
They still need 227 runs to pull off a win that honestly feels out of reach. A big crowd—41,289 people—showed up to watch the action. England let too many wickets slip away in the evening, and now, their chances of saving the match look pretty bleak.
Final Day Preview
Day 5 decides the Ashes. England’s hanging by a thread—they need something close to a miracle just to stay alive. Smith and Jacks have to dig in all morning, no shortcuts. Australia’s hungry for a win, and you can feel it from the first ball.
The pitch? It’s only getting trickier—more turns, some nasty bounces. England’s tailenders need real guts now. Australia won’t mess around—they want this wrapped up fast and to take control of the series.
