England sets Australia to chase a record 412 to win the first Ashes test

England sets Australia to chase a record 412 to win the first Ashes test: Hosts England after taking the upper hand on day 2 of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff continues to emerge in the test with English players dominating the proceedings at stumps day 3. A late Aussie comeback to hustle through English wickets has opened up the game as the visitors’ set up to chase a record target of 412 runs.

England were bowled out for 289 right at the end of the day, setting Australia an unlikely target of 412 for victory – although the tourists do have two full days, pending, to get the runs.

For England, first innings hero Joe Root (60) and seasoned batsman Ian Bell (60) stood up to add 97 for the fifth wicket; with their team struggling at 73-3 and first three batsmen back in the wings. Bell who has struggled to get among runs in last few games, played with more intensity on the crucial juncture while showing some elegant trademark drives to the Aussie pacers. He also prevented the Lyon factor and rotated the strike adding an odd boundary against the off-spinner.

Bell’s inning was cut-short by rusty looking Mitchell Johnson as the pacer cleaned him to get his first wicket of the game. Joe Root on the other hand continued to impress with a fluent looking 60 off 89 balls, including some eye-catching stokes from the Yorkshire lad.

Root was done in by Josh Hazlewood by a perfect in-swinger to knock his timber with the ball kissing Root’s pad and taking the stumps on the way.

Alastair Cook was well caught at point by Nathan Lyon off the bowling of Starc for 12, but a better catch was to come as Australia captain Michael Clarke took a stunner at first slip off Lyon’s bowling to send Gary Ballance packing for a duck.

Ben Stokes came in his own merry ways stroking a quick-fire 42 before he became Starc’s bunny second time in the game. While Mark Wood played an important cameo of unbeaten 32 off 18 balls including four boundaries and a six, which helped England go past 400 run lead.

Nathan Lyon was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with figures of 4-75; while Mitchell Johnson finally took his first wicket of the series and bowled better than his figures of 2-69 suggested.

Earlier in the day, the visitors were bundled out for 308 before lunch to give away the important 128 runs lead to England. With this Shane Watson’s Test career is now hanging by a thread after the battling all-rounder failed his team needed him the most.

Watson had a massive opportunity to show he could stand up under pressure, but added just one run to his overnight score to be trapped by Stuart Broad for 30 in just the second over of day three – sparking a capitulation where Australia lost 5-44 within 14.5 overs in the opening session.

Brief Scores:

Day1- England: 343/7 in 88 overs (Joe Root 134, Gary Ballance 61, Hazlewood 3-70)

Day 2- England: 1st innings: 430/10 (Joe Root 134, Mitchell Starc 5/114)

Australia: 1st innings: 264/5 (Chris Rogers 95, Moeen Ali 2/67)

Day 3- England: 289 (Ian Bell 60, Joe Root 60) and 430 lead

Australia: 308 (Chris Rogers 95, James Anderson 3-43) by 411 runs