Woakes takes four wickets as England grab upper hand in fourth Test

Chris Woakes takes four wickets as England take the upper hand in fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford… while Stuart Broad claims landmark 600th Test scalp

  • Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes kept England’s hopes of a comeback alive
  • Jonny Bairstow took a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh 
  • Australia closed on 299-8 after another compelling day of Test cricket 

He sat on the floor, arms aloft, and let out a roar, barely believing what he had done.

Jonny Bairstow had pulled off a sensational one-handed low diving catch to give Chris Woakes his second wicket in five balls and put England on top in a fourth Test they are attempting to win in fast-forward.

What a moment for Bairstow and what an iconic Ashes image his reaction will become if England do somehow achieve their objective of beating Australia in three days here to avoid what could be a weekend of Manchester rain.

They still have much to do, with Australia on 299 for eight at the close of another compelling day of Test cricket, if they are going to pull that off and level this series to set up a delicious decider at the Oval.

But England did as much as they possibly could to keep Australia in check on a flat Old Trafford pitch and could just about claim first day honours thanks to a magic moment from the most under-pressure member of their side.

Chris Woakes took four wickets as England grabbed the upper hand on first day of fourth Test

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow took a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh

Bairstow has had a wretched Ashes with gloves and, apart from the very first day at Edgbaston, bat but England rallied around him in the 10 days since they came back into the series at Headingley and refused to countenance a return for Ben Foakes.

Now they had their reward and Bairstow had his redemption by sending back Mitchell Marsh, caught by the keeper centimetres above the ground, significantly, with his right hand, just as he was threatening to repeat his swashbuckling Leeds century.

Australia had started the 63rd over with Marsh together with the man he replaced at Headingley in Cameron Green and Woakes returning to the attack to attempt to end a sixth wicket stand of 65 that had taken them to 254 for five.

It was six wickets when Joel Wilson gave Woakes the benefit of the doubt of a mightily close lbw call that would have just about clipped the top of Green’s leg stump.

And it was seven four balls later when Marsh, who had rattled along to 51 off 60 balls, edged a beauty from Woakes, enjoying a renaissance himself after fearing his Test career was over, and saw Bairstow grab one of the best catches he can ever have taken.

There was relief mixed in with that redemption because Bairstow had made another untidy start to this Test after Ben Stokes had decided to bowl, again struggling when taking off from the left leg he broke so badly last year.

But his confidence was improved when he took a comfortable but far from straight-forward edge to send back David Warner and give Woakes his first wicket to go along with the six he took at Headingley before hitting the third Test winning runs.

And by the time he snared Marsh Bairstow was again looking like the more than capable keeper he had long been before that horrific injury cost him his place in the T20 World Cup winning England white-ball side and the Test team that beat Pakistan 3-0.

England paceman Stuart Broad claimed his 600th Test wicket by removing Travis Head

If Bairstow and Woakes provided the moment of the day then the man of it was unquestionably only the fifth bowler and only the second seamer after his strike partner in Jimmy Anderson to reach the remarkable figure of 600 Test wickets.

Stuart Broad began his fourth appearance in four Ashes Tests by trapping Usman Khawaja lbw and then was the principal figure in a bizarre delay when Warner complained about glare coming from empty seats in front of the pavilion sightscreen.

It was Broad who went to the crowd sitting at the front of the pavilion and asked them to move back so the glint was covered. ‘When we get him out you can all move back,’ said Broad who then saw Woakes do precisely that.

But it was in the first over after tea that Broad made his history-making contribution when he switched to the end that bears Anderson’s name.

Travis Head had suffered a nasty blow just underneath his left ear from Mark Wood when he had made just two but he was unaffected in hitting seven fours in his 48.

Now he fell into England’s persistent short ball trap when he could only top edge Broad to Joe Root running in from fine leg. Cue more huge roars from players and fans.

It was not only Broad’s 600th wicket but his 149th against Australia, beating Ian Botham’s England record, and it was the latest remarkable achievement of a true Ashes warrior who likes nothing more than beating the old enemy. Retirement? Not yet surely.

How apt that the big wicket for Broad should come from the Anderson End and how poignant that his old mate should again struggle to make an impact on his return.

Anderson did not bowl badly but he was not as threatening as the other England bowlers and finished the day wicketless and in need of a big second innings performance. Otherwise the ‘R’ word might be lingering over him ahead of the last Test.

Marnus Labuschagne scored a half-century being being trapped lbw by Moeen Ali

England fast bowler Mark Wood dismissed Australia’s Steve Smith with a 92mph rocket

But England will be satisfied with their day. Not least because they again kept Australia’s big two quiet, Wood dismissing Steve Smith with a 92 miles per hour rocket and Moeen Ali trapping Marnus Labuschagne lbw. Both dismissals were given not out by umpires Wilson and Nitin Menon and both were overturned on review.

Woakes claimed his fourth wicket in the first over with the second new ball when Alex Carey edged him through to Bairstow after trying to leave the ball in identical fashion to the way Woakes dismissed him at Headingley.

But it was Broad who deservedly led England from the field on the same ground where he took his 500th wicket, Kraigg Brathwaite, three years ago. Only that time he did it in front of an empty ground in a behind closed doors Covid Test.

This time Old Trafford rose to him and England.

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