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England are on the brink of victory against Australia before Day 3 at Edgbaston. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 8:00pm AEST.
The result hasn’t even been finalised, but already the rhetoric from this Test match will focus on two lamentable Australian batting displays. As such, only a session may do for England to head to Nottingham next week with a 2-1 advantage.
For a team that dared talk big on match eve about the momentum from their Lord’s win and made comment about England’s preparation, the likely defeat will contain fairly strong schadenfreude – it was only in Cardiff that Australia’s batting failed to fire, and once again when the English bowlers have made the ball talk – the Australian batting has faltered, not once, but twice.
It is a truly pathetic position, especially given the history on this ground for sides chasing fourth innings totals. Only seven times has 200 been exceeded at Edgbaston in the final innings, and as such, bowling England for 281 yesterday still represented hope for Australia. As such, some fine bowling from Steven Finn and poor defensive technique has put paid to any likelihood of an Australian riposte.
Peter Nevill remains the last skerrick of hope for the tourists, unbeaten on 37, and with Mitchell Starc in aid. With a lead of 23, another 100 runs is required at minimum to give the Australian bowlers a target to work with. While Finn has been finely rewarded in his comeback game with seven wickets, the concerns about James Anderson’s fitness will be a sour point should his apparent side strain rule him out of contention in Nottingham.
Depending on the willingness to survive of Australia’s lower order, England can have this Test wrapped up in the morning. Alastair Cook must persist with the tactics that have served his side so well this Test, while Michael Clarke must hope his tail-end can show the fight his batting lineup, himself included, have so lamentably lacked.
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